Page 90 of Mafia Don's Secret Twins

“You’re wrong,” he mutters.

I look at him.

“You’re wrong, Marisol. If you don’t want me, that’s fine. If you truly don’t fuckin’ want me and you want to choose him, I won’t beg you. I won’t fuckin’ beg someone to be with me,” he mutters.

It sounds like he’s reassuring himself more than making a statement to me.

“But you’re wrong. You ain’t meant to be with Moretti. You, and the girls, are mine. You’re meant to be with me,” he says.

The ferocity in his voice makes the little bubble of hope in my chest, that I’ve done such a good job of squishing down, feel like it’s expanding.

“Dino…”

“Drakos is a Greek name. Apparently, my mom had a little vacation right after she and my dad got married. She came back and I was born too soon for comfort, so they just… yeah,” he mutters.

My jaw drops. “You aren’t your father’s son?”

“No,” he says.

It looks like it pains him to say.

“Dino…”

“Drakos is the name Marco gave me. He fuckin’ apparently knows the whole thing. Read my mom’s fuckin’ diary after she died.”

“And he kept that information from you?” If I remember right, the patriarch and matriarch of the De Luca family died several years ago, after Caterina’s engagement to Elio was formalized. The whole underworld was buzzing, speculating on who it was. Many people blamed my father, but he had a good alibi at the time.

And, he didn’t have any issue with the De Lucas.

Then.

Dino’s jaw clenches, and I know that Marco’s lies of omission hurt him more than he’s willing to say.

“Look. I ain’t askin’ you to love me. But I am…” Dino looks down at me.

He takes a huge breath.

“I’ve lived a shit life, Marisol. Shit in a lot of ways. But you are the only thing that’s kept me going. You and the girls,” he adds.

“I don’t know what to say…”

“Don’t,’” he says. “Just don’t. I know. You don’t know me. But I… I’d like to change that,” he mutters.

“I’d like that too,” I whisper.

Dino studies me. “You swim here every day?”

I nod.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” he grunts.

Then, on feet so soft and quiet I’m surprised that they belong to him at all, he opens the door and pads away.

I watch him go. He slips into the pool maintenance room before disappearing.

Staring, I almost forget that I need to be in the pool.

By the time Andrei opens the door again, I’m back to swimming. The toy is hidden, back safely where Andrei can’t see it.

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