Page 169 of The Tempted

“Can you please keep your voice down?” I said. “Adrianna’s sleeping, and she’s had a rough night.”

I watched my mother’s eyes scan the length of me.

“Yeah, I bet,” she said, her eyes working their way back to my face as they traveled up my bare chest.

“Button your fly Anthony,” she rolled her eyes as she walked past me.

I looked back at Riggs.

“Did you bring us clothes?”

“Yeah, I threw whatever I saw lying around into a bag.” He bent down, picked up the duffel bag, and handed it to me. “Well, aren’t you going to invite me in? I could use a cup of coffee and a place to hang my hat.” He questioned, pulling off his baseball hat and shoving it against my chest.

“Thanks, but I’ve got it from here,” I responded, taking the hat and wondering why he was still here to begin with.

“Yeah, I’m sure you do but the Bulldog told me to stay here and keep an eye out until he could come here himself. I’m not looking for another black eye so…how about that cup of coffee?”

I sighed. “Fine, the kitchen is to the left, just go in there, and stay out of my mother’s way.”

“Shit man you don’t have to tell me twice,” he agreed, closing the door behind him and headed towards the kitchen mumbling under his breath. “Crazy ass mobsters and their mama’s, yet bikers are the ones that get a bad rap.”

“I heard that,” I called out to him but he didn’t acknowledge me, instead finding his way to the kitchen. I huffed out a breath stepped into the living room. Adrianna was sitting up, holding Luca tightly to her chest showering his face with kisses.

“Someone missed his mama,” My mom said smiling. The crazy gleam in her eyes seemed to have disappeared as she sat on the couch watching Adrianna interact with her son.

“I missed you so much my boy,” Adrianna murmured against Luca’s forehead. “Was he a good boy?”

“An angel,” she said, staring at Adrianna then diverting her eyes. “You want to tell me what the hell is going on?”

My eyes wandered to Adrianna’s looking for some sort of approval. She nodded her head, giving me permission to enlighten my mother on why she and Luca were here. She slowly stood with the baby in her arms. “I’m going to bring him into one of the bedrooms and put him down.”

“Good idea, he’s exhausted,” my mother agreed.

Adrianna nodded before walking towards me, rising on her tiptoes to press her lips to mine.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“Say night, night to Anthony,” she told her son.

“Night!” Luca said, extending his hands to me. I leaned forward and he wrapped his arms around my neck giving me the best hug I had ever received.

“Sleep tight kid,” I whispered, ruffling the top of his head. “When you get up from your nap I’ll play with you.” I promised with a smile before diverting my eyes back to his mother.

“You okay?”

She nodded, tightening her hold on her baby. “I’m better now.”

I watched her walk down the narrow hallway into one of the bedrooms and close the door behind her.

“Anthony,” my mother commanded, causing me to turn around and look her in the eye. “Are you in trouble again?”

Frustrated, I blew out a breath, knowing there was no way around it, I had no choice but to explain our situation to my mother. I took a seat next to her trying to decide where to begin and how much I should divulge to her.

“Someone declared war on Victor last night,” I finally said.

“At the grand opening?”

I nodded, lifting my head and staring into my mother’s eyes. I never talked about the things I did, she knew what I was and hated it. I never thought she needed to hear me speak the words, knowing she didn’t want to hear them. After all, no mother wants to know her son is deeply involved with the mob. I’m sure she didn’t want to hear what I was about to tell her.

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