Page 70 of Secret Mafia Daddy

“I’m okay,” I say quietly, shocked that he’s upset about me, too. I know he told me that he loved me, but I couldn’t believe it.

“I’ll never let anything happen to either of you again, Catarina, I promise you that,” he says fiercely, getting into the backseat with us.

I smile. “I know, Angelo,” I say, and I can’t help leaning against him, cuddling up next to him.

We go to Angelo’s father’s mansion because it’s safest. No one will come looking for us there.

Andrea meets us all at the door, tsking as he looks at my injured face.

“I’ve got a medic inside waiting,” he says, ushering me inside after kissing Chelsea’s cheek.

Angelo doesn’t protest, which is unusual. He passes off Chelsea to his father without complaint and follows me when the medic leads me into a bedroom.

“Did you make up with your father?” I ask, curious.

“Not exactly,” he says, his voice seeming oddly flat. He’s still wiping tears from his eyes.

“These your girls?" the medic asks.

“My angels," Angelo says softly, smiling at me, and he's looking at me in that way he had at the wedding, so soft and sweet.

I tremble all over when the medic cups my face, but I know I’m just jumpy because of what just happened.

“No permanent damage, just might have a real shiner.”

“Wish I could kill him twice,” Angelo growls, and I put my hand on his arm.

“I just need to rest,” I tell him quietly.

Angelo won’t let me walk. He carries me bridal style up the stairs, and he deposits me gently on the bed before leaving the room and returning with Chelsea, who’s already fallen asleep, terrified and exhausted.

He lies down with Chelsea in his arms, between us, and he winces a little when she shuffles.

I frown.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” he says firmly, and I accept it at face value. My head is spinning with all of the trauma that just took place. I lie my head on the pillow but I whine, unable to sleep, hating the darkness.

Angelo turns the lamp on, looking into my face over Chelsea’s head.

“It’s all right, Catarina. You’re all right now. You’re with me, and I’m never going to let anyone take you from me again.”

I take in a deep, shaky breath and let it out slowly through my nostrils.

“I love you, Catarina,” Angelo says, but I’m already drifting off.

* * *

We spend two weeks at his father’s mansion, and the man takes great care of us. We eat every meal downstairs and all sleep together in a big king bed. Angelo can’t seem to part with Chelsea, holding her all the time, playing fairy princess with her on the floor in the foyer.

It’s lovely, really, watching them together. It makes me so sad that we’re going to have to leave. I know that Angelo loves her, but having Chelsea be in this much danger has only proven to me that I’m right. This lifestyle can't be hers. She can’t grow up like I did.

So, I bide my time. I start packing away only the important things, my clothes and pictures of Chelsea, Chelsea’s favorite outfits. Angelo doesn’t seem to notice.

Dante meets with the pakhan that took over for Dmitri, and Angelo reports back that the Russians aren’t going to retaliate. Or at least they say they won’t. I’m not so sure.

I can’t trust anything in the wiseguy lifestyle. I can’t even trust Angelo when he tells me that he loves me every night.

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