Page 81 of Secret Babies for the Italian Mafia Boss

And silence falls.

The fight ends.

There’s no more struggle.

It’s simply…over.

Xavier slips and slides down the wall, falling limp onto the floor, and Luca is standing there in shock with a busted lip and a black eye. He has blood splattered on his face, and his fists are still up as if he is holding Xavier against the wall.

The only thing I can’t think of to say is, “Why didn’t you tell me you had a brother?”

He drops his hands and wipes the blood from his nose. “Because I don’t. I never did.” He rushes to me and takes the gun from my hands. “Camilla? Hey, look at me. You’re okay. You’re safe. You did good, Beautiful Girl. You did so well. You protected everyone.”

My eyes won’t leave Xavier.

I killed a man.

It was self-defense, and I killed a man.

“Where are the kids? Where are our kids?” he asks, shaking me a bit to pull me out of the shock. “Camilla, where are the kids?”

“They are hiding. I told them to hide,” I mutter.

“I am not saying this because I want the fortune. I do not care about the money. We can burn it when we find it, but we need to move it or do something with it. Something needs to happen, or people will continue to come for it, Camilla. I love you. I only love you. I don’t care about the money or the agreement. I’ll burn that too. I wanted you to be mine; that’s it.”

“I love you too. I don’t care. I don’t care what we do with it, either. I just want you. I love you too. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for leaving.” I wrap my arms around his neck, and then the fog lifts, bringing me back to the present. “Oh my God, Luca. We have to find the kids. They can’t see the bodies. They can’t.”

“Okay. No, that’s okay. We will find them, and Alvize will take care of the bodies. He just pulled in.”

I nod, doing my best to keep it together, but I’m shaking.

“Olivia? Oliver!” I call out their names as I run down the hall, looking left and right. “O-Squared!” I call out to them, something I haven’t done in a while.

We check everyone’s room on the main floor before running upstairs. I bypass my dad’s room and then stop. They would feel safe there. It was their grandpa. They didn’t know our differences. I open up the door, but I don’t see them.

“Oliver? Olivia?” I whisper.

“Mommy?” Olivia cries.

Luca and I give each other a quick glance before running to the bed and falling to our knees.

They are under the bed, holding one another, crying into each other’s shoulders.

“Come here. It’s okay. Oh, my sweet babies, it’s okay.” I take Oliver while Luca takes Olivia.

“Daddy,” she weeps, wrapping her arms around his neck while burying her face in her shoulder.

“Oh, I’m here,” he chokes. “I’m here, baby. I’m right here. Nothing will ever happen to you. I swear. I’m so proud of you. You kept each other safe. You’re so strong,” he whispers into her ear, kissing her cheek while he holds her tight.

“I want Daddy too,” Oliver sobs, reaching for Luca, but Olivia doesn’t seem to need me either now, and I’m okay with that.

Luca grabs them both, one on each hip, and he falls to his knees, holding both of his twins.

“I have you both. You’re okay. You’re safe. You’ll always be safe with us. Oh, I love you. I love you so much.”

And that’s when I see it, the tears.

Not one, but two. One from each eye as he holds our children.

---