Page 35 of Fragile Union

Damn, it was worth a try. "Okay, but Da, don't go calling Danny."

"I'll talk to you later. Love you," he says and before I can return the sentiment, he hangs up on me.

I also noticed he didn't say he wouldn't tell Danny. Damn it. I'm going to have two very angry men trying to boss me around when they get here. Not to mention having Makenna hovering over me and then there's Rome, I have no idea how he's going to take this. He could go one of two ways, he can push me away which will kill me or he'll become overbearing like Da and Danny are going to be.

I throw my phone onto the bed beside me and curl up into a ball. My mind racing with what Romero may be doing, if he's being hurt or not. But my ultimate fear is that he'll let his darkness consume him and I'll not be able to pull him back from it.

The door opens once again and Makenna strolls in, she's got pop tarts in her hands and a glass of water. "Let me guess," she begins as she climbs onto the bed beside me. "Denis is coming."

I nod. "I told him not to come and he ignored me. I'd say Danny and Melissa will be here too."

Makenna smiles "Not that you're complaining, you get to see Annalise."

I miss my niece, it's the worst thing about not being in Ireland. I don't get to see my family as much as I used too. Whenever I missed my brothers I'd get on a plane and go visit them. Usually Da would come with me. As much as he pretends that he's okay, he hates being around Ma, I don't blame him. She's flaunted her infidelity in his face for years. I'm not sure what she has over him, but whatever it is has to be huge. Otherwise he'd have killed her by now. He's killed for less.

The pain in my head starts to get worse, I close my eyes hoping that it'll help.

"Take a pill first, Hol. It could help with the pain in your head," Makenna says softly.

I open my eyes and see her holding out a couple of pills for me. I take them and sigh, "I hope it goes away. Fucking thing is moving into my eye."

"I've seen the goose egg on your head. You must have whacked your head hard against the ground. I'm not surprised you've got a killer headache. Once we've eaten, please try and get some sleep."

I nod. "I will, I promise."

She flashes me a grin, "So, now that we're alone, how are things going with you and Romero?"

Butterflies hit my stomach, as they do anytime I think of how happy I am with my husband.

"Good," I tell her with a smile. "I know we don't have the marriage that you and Dante have or what Danny has with Lissa, but I'm happy and he shows me every day that he cares about me." I shrug, not sure what else to say. "It works for us."

She nods. "You both are happy. He's very cautious about letting people see how happy he is. He's always on alert, even around Dante and I." She clenches her jaw, I know that pisses her off, I can't say that I fully understand why he does it. But he wants to protect me. "But, I see the subtle changes in him."

"He's different from his brother's. He's more intense, I'm not sure what the fuck that arsehole Matteo did to him, but I'm glad that he's dead. I hate that man," I say through clenched teeth.

Matteo Bianchi was a first-class wanker. He hurt Makenna when she was fourteen. He and her Ma were having an affair, and Makenna overheard them. Matteo demanded that her Ma kill her and the bitch tried. She almost killed her own daughter to keep her filthy secret. Years later, Matteo thought he'd fuck with Makenna even more and demanded that she and Dante marry. Makenna never told her Da who hurt her until recently and when Granda found out, he decided to repay his wife in kind. He slit her throat and ended her miserable life.

Matteo on the other hand, died at the hands of his son. It's not public knowledge that Dante was the one to off that bastard, but he did and thankfully no one has found out and no one ever will. The world believes that the 'great' Matteo Bianchi had a heart attack. But he died knowing that his son was the one to kill him and for the Bianchi men, they're happy knowing he's dead and that his reign of raping innocent women is over.

"Do you think that Romero will want children?" I muse out loud. It's something that has been playing on my mind a lot and I'm not sure if that's something he'd want or not.

"You haven't spoken about it?" she queries, her brow raised.

I shake my head. "No, I guess I'm too scared to find out the truth. What if he never wants them?"

Makenna's lips thin into a line. "You'll never know unless you ask. Are you on birth control?"

I nod. "Yeah, I get the depo shot every eight weeks." I sigh, why am I scared to ask him? "It's not as though I want a baby right now, I just want to know about the future."

"Talk to him, Hol, it's the only way to have definitive answers."

"I'll talk to him," I promise her.

I hear Alessio's voice and I frown, shouldn't he be with Romero and Dante?

Makenna slides off the bed. "Rest, I'll be back soon. I have to rip someone a new arsehole."

I giggle, "Go easy on him, he's going through something."

---