Page 55 of Ruthless Boss

Massimo tilts his head to the side. “Good. Nico is out of town, but I’ll join you and Rocco.”

“I’ll pass.” I lift my hand in denial.

He frowns. “Why?”

“Because you have Amara. And if, on the off chance, something bad happens, I want you to be there for her. Rocco is different. He doesn’t have anyone,” I say. The possibility that Santini may keep the date as a trap to capture me has crossed my mind. Maybe he wants us to know about the date and place, so we go, and he corners us.

Either way, this war has come to a head. I’m fully capable of taking care of it on my own, but since Gia has asked, I’ll bring Rocco. I don’t need Massimo—too many bossy siblings at once. He needs to hold down the fort since Nico is away.

“Nothing will happen,” Massimo says with an easy, confident smile.

“No. But I need to handle it,” I say in a voice that allows no protest.

He lets out a sigh of impatience, making it clear he’d rather join us. But I’m not backing down. “All right. Let me know if you need anything, though. Do you have enough men?”

According to Andrei’s plan, a few cars will follow us, within safe distance, with armed men. Even though Rocco and I will spearhead the operation, they’ll stay close as backup. “Yes. We’ll be covered.”

“What happens next?” he asks. “Where Gia is concerned?”

I straighten in my chair. “I need to talk to her about it.”

“What do you want?”

“I want her.” The words fly from my mouth before I have a chance to analyze them. Fuck it. I’m done hiding behind the circumstances. A sensation of exhilaration, like I just jumped off a building and made it unscathed, takes over me and messes with my heartbeat. I love her.

I know it won’t be easy, and she may turn me down. But it’s the truth.

Massimo stares at me approvingly. “What do you think she’ll say when you tell her that?”

31

Gia

“Hey, sweet baby,” I murmur to AJ as we lie on the expensive rug with baby toys scattered around us.

I’ve been back for a few days. I feel better now, and the doctor was right; the bruises are slowly but surely decreasing.

I look around the bedroom—Dante’s. He insisted I sleep in his bed, and the three of us have been a happy unit.

Katie, Collen’s niece who’s now working for Dante, is a sweetheart. She knows when to make herself scarce, like now, so I can share a precious moment with AJ.

Being around her again is the best. She’s grown so much in three weeks. She’s already getting into a crawling position with her hands and feet, and I’d bet money she’ll be crawling soon.Will I be here to see it?

God, I want to. Badly.

I missed AJ when I was gone, but being back, holding her, sniffing her fresh baby scent, and squeezing her chubby cheeks amplifies my love for her.

Lazily, I run my finger down her button nose. She smiles and grabs my finger, squeezing it.

A jolt of raw emotion travels through me. “Did you miss me?”

She coos, and I take that as a yes.

I lift a baby toy, and her attention is rapt. She focuses on the stuffed bear that makes annoying sounds, then laughs, amused. My heart shrinks for a moment, and I pick her up in my arms, hugging her like she’s about to be ripped away from me.

“I missed you,” I whisper. “A lot,” I say, louder.

She shifts in my lap, and I loosen my hold to let her explore the toys around us again.

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