Page 128 of Deception

“You don’t have to think about that now. It’s behind us.” I inch closer to her.

“Is it?”

For a second the distance between us is cavernous. I realize we’ve barely spoken about it, other than the other night before we made love, before she was taken. So I close the distance, scooting closer to her.

She lets me, leaning in to press against me.

“When I found out you weren't who you said you were, I lost my mind. I wanted to destroy the whole world. Betrayal felt like the biggest thing, insurmountable.”

“That’s how I felt about Gio. About the fact that you were a Diamante.”

“I should have realized sooner, when I couldn’t bring myself to hurt you, or worse. It was too easy to make excuses for why we needed to bring you back here.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“I am too. But my anger wouldn’t let me admit it…until you were gone.”

“You have every right to your anger.”

“I’ll get over it…you, our child, that’s all that matters now.”

“Speaking of our child…” She pulls away from me, looking me in the eye. “It feels so strange to say that.”

“In the best way.”

“Yes. But Alessandro…this”— she gestures to her belly—“this changes things. Changes everything.”

My brow furrows, my chest tightening.

“Do you not want me to be involved?” It’s a force of will to keep the roiling anger at bay. I have to accept what she wants. “You want to run. Flee to keep the child safe.”

“It changes the way I see everything, Alessandro. I want whatever is best for our baby. And that means both of us. Together. I want you. Need you.”

“Even with all of this, my family, our way of life? You’d stay?”

“I would. I told you that the other night. My whole life was waiting here for me, Angelica, Gigi. The memory of my brother. It was fate that brought us together.”

“Maybe your brother is watching over us.” I pull her close, closing my eyes as we kiss, our tongues sweeping into an intimate flutter. I’d like nothing more than to throw her onto this bed, but…“My brothers, on the other hand, need to mind their own business!”

Ciro clears his throat, poking his head around the door.

“Oh, are you two busy? Cause we were kinda waiting on you to save our whole family, you know?”

“This is my family too, now, jackass. Yours too.” I tilt my head pointedly.

“Uncle Ciro! I like the sound of that. Are matches a good present for a kid? Nah, I’ll get her a tiny gun!” He bobs his eyebrows, dancing away before I can throw something at him.

“Sorry about him.”

“It’s okay. Your brothers are starting to grow on me.”

“If you say so.”

“Ero and Ciro were kind to me when they introduced me to Angelica. Adriano, on the other hand…I don’t know if he’ll ever trust me.

“He came with me to save you. They all did.”

“Because you ordered them to.”

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