Page 169 of Mafia Don's Secret Twins

The flash blinks a couple of times, and I swear, if we didn’t get this picture…

“I’m going swimming!” I hear a voice shriek.

I look at Dino, who’s mouth compresses into a tight line, and he nods.

Then, he races off after our son, who at four has decided he’s more or less completely invincible.

And he’s definitely not supposed to swim without his life jacket when he’s swimming in the ocean.

We’re on the island that Dino inherited when he took over the family. Once a year, we close all the hotels and the restaurants down, and we invite family.

All.

Of.

The.

Family.

It’s a lot. But it’s a good break.

Dino and I work really hard most of the time, so for a few weeks out of each year (if you count the holidays and all of that as well), it’s nice to just be here.

Together.

On an island that’s currently heavily guarded by the combined security forces of four veryprominent mafia families.

I ended up choosing to take on the role as my father’s heir. I wasn’t sure if I needed to do it, or wanted to do it, but I wanted to challenge myself.

So, pregnant with our baby boy, I took over my father’s organization.

With Dino’s support.

Which did, in fact, sometimes look like him beating the crap out of people. But after the first couple of people, he just had to lurk behind me, menacingly, and people pretty much got the picture.

It wasn’t even that hard of a transition, honestly.

But it is a lot of work.

At six months pregnant, and then seven, and then eight…

It was a lot.

But between the two of us, we made it work.

Now, we’re doing… well.

I’ve cleaned up some of the less savory aspects of my father’s business. Made them into something a little easier to manage, and things that aren’t quite as morally repulsive for me.

Most of them, anyway.

The children run screaming to the beach, with a variety of adults running after them. I stay back, picking up my phone and looking at the picture.

It’s awful.

Half the people in it aren’t looking at the camera. The other half have an eye closed, or a mouth open, or a tongue out.

It’s pure chaos.

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