Page 54 of Domination

“Heart giving you problems, old man?” Rocco grins.

“Not yet,” I clip back.

“Shame, Raf is desperate for that seat.” He points toward my chair, and I roll my eyes. His words hold no surprise behind them, it’s something we’ve openly discussed for years now, or at least they have while I sat back and allowed it.

“Are you okay?” Gracie whispers, and my lip twitches at the seriousness in her tone.

I bring her hand to my lips and place a gentle kiss on her soft skin. “I’m fine, baby.” Then I lift some of my meat from my plate and place it on hers and use my fork to point at her plate. “Now, eat, I need you to keep your strength up.”Because you might be growing my baby, and I want to keep you healthy.

“Bonnie is just adorable, Gracie.” Hallie smiles toward Bon-Bon, who is frowning at the vegetables on her plate.

“Oh, look, Papa, she looks just like you there when she makes that face,” Rocco jokes, and there’s a shimmer of glee in his eyes, letting me know he’s going to go further. “Get used to it, Gracie. He’s a grumpy bastard in his old age.” Okay, that wasn’t too bad. “Keep popping those blue pills, old man. If you want to keep her, you need to keep up with the young’uns.” His words slice through me like ice, and I sit there stunned, but instead of showing him the way his words have affected me, I continue eating in silence and ignore the way Gracie keeps glancing at me like I’m either an invalid or two seconds away from detonating.

Instead, I block out their noise and concentrate on getting through the meal.

All the while, I imagine the damage I will do on the fucker who impregnated her.

Once through with the meal, I tell the boys I want to speak to them in my office. Rocco groans like I’ve asked the fucking world of him while Rafael marches ahead of me, not even waiting for me to open my own damn door before relaxing inside.

I asked Hazel to settle my girls down and barely grunted a farewell to my daughters-in-law. Truth be told, as long as they’re alive and well, I couldn’t give a shit where they are or what they do. I’m only grateful they treated Gracie with the respect she deserves, unlike my oldest son.

I throw open my office door, then slam it behind me. “What the fuck was that?” I demand.

“The pill joke?” Rocco asks, and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“Not the pill joke,” I clip back.

“He’s mad at Rafael for barely interacting with Gracie,” Tommy states, and my anger dissipates slightly at my son’s acknowledgment of his brother’s behavior.

Rafael lifts a shoulder. “She’s just a little pet, is she not?” His tone is cold and impassive.

“Not!” I bite back. “And you damn well know it.”

“Then what is she?”

I want to tell him she’s everything, but I don’t want them to know she’s my weakness, her daughter too, so I choose to settle for something else. “She’s not just my little pet,” I breathe out, unable to admit my feelings out loud to them.

Rafael rests a foot onto his thigh, and his eyes bounce over my face. “Do you plan on keeping her?”

“Yes,” I state. “She’s family.” I wince, and Rafael picks up on it, his laugh a cruel taunt that sets my teeth on edge.

A heavy sigh leaves me as I drop down into my chair.

“Don’t you think it was rather suspect that she just so happens to be the girl that you fucked during the Halloween party, then months later she ends up here needing your help with Robert of all people.” I mull over his words.

“He’s got a point, Papa,” Rocco says.

“What about the baby’s father?” Tommy asks, and my spine bolts straight as they talk about Bonnie, the little girl who has captured my heart. “Who is he?”

“It doesn’t matter. She’s mine,” I snipe out, meaning every damn word.

“There you go again.” Rafael gestures. “Make up your mind, old man, they’re either yours or they’re not.”

“She’s young,” I say.

Rocco’s face softens, and it’s the first time my youngest son has shown this side of him outside of his own small family unit. “I was only joking about the pills and shit, Papa. I know your cock works fine, seen it enough fucking times,” he jokes, attempting to lighten the mood.

Rafael stands and buttons up his jacket. “We need answers before you do anything rash like propose, or worse, fucking knock her up,” he grunts. “Just fucking wrap it up until I have news. Maybe Robert will sing likea fucking canary when we torture him.” He smirks, and something tells me he isn’t wrong about any of it.

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