Page 42 of Bittersweet Endings (Agostino Crime Family #6)

CARMINE RAGETTI

T he sand was warm beneath my feet as I walked towards the water, the weight of my daughter resting against my chest. Aurora had finally knocked out, her tiny hand curled in my shirt and her soft breaths warming my neck.

She’d been a little terror last night, refusing to sleep because I hadn’t told her goodnight. I’d been out handling an issue—one bad enough that Apollo had flown in from New York to help. Peace and partnership with the east were still weird. Even all these years later.

I’d barely gotten two hours of rest before Aurora charged into my office, dragging that damn stuffed bear with her. I hated the creepy thing but could never bring myself to throw it out. Even though it was missing pieces, she loved it.

She was a daddy’s girl, through and through. It drove Octavia crazy. Especially when Aurora refused to be soothed by anyone else. I knew it stung.

But our son? He didn’t give a single fuck about me. His world revolved around Lorenzo, trailing after him like a damn shadow. I’d like to say it didn’t bother me, but it did. Just a little…

Okay, a lot.

He was supposed to be the future of California.

The eldest son. And he wanted his jackass of an uncle.

Sometimes, I had concerns that I would turn into JP.

But I quickly realized I would never raise a hand to my kids.

Even more, I realized Octavia would put me six feet under if I tried.

That woman was ferocious and the perfect queen. Cali loved her.

Octavia was already on the beach. Lying in the sand as she watched the kids like a hawk.

She looked like a goddamn dream stretched out on that towel.

My wife. The mother of my children. The one person in this world who could keep me in line and still make me want to break every fucking rule for her.

Even now, months after giving birth, she had me hard just looking at her. Maybe it was the way she protected what was hers. Maybe it was how she handled me—never afraid, never yielding. She had no issue reminding me that I might own every part of her, but she owned me right the fuck back.

She looked up as I approached, her gaze softening at the sight of our sleeping daughter in my arms. I smirked, knowing she was still pissed about last night.

But I also knew exactly how I was going to make it up to her later.

Because Octavia might rule this family with me, might command respect with a single fucking look…

But when night fell, when it was just us? She was still my little doll.

“Enzo!” Octavia shouted at our unruly son.

Aurora jolted awake. I set her on her feet and she instantly ran off towards her brother. The two of them were a nightmare together, but they loved each other.

I’d barely sat down next to my wife before Enzo was causing a problem—again. Octavia handed me Gabriella and stormed after him, her voice sharp as she called his name. The kid had too much of me in him; that much was clear. He battled with her, his arms crossed and his jaw locked tight.

Stubborn little bastard.

I exhaled through my nose, checking on the twins before putting Gabriella down next to them. I walked halfway to the water, not wanting to wake my babies.

“Enzo,” I called out.

His glare flicked to me, hesitation flashing in his eyes before he huffed and kicked at the sand.

Then, slowly, he started walking towards me, dragging his feet.

He wasn't scared of me and he didn’t need to be.

My word was enough. I didn’t have to raise a fist like my father.

Some lessons didn’t need to be taught in blood, especially when it came to my children.

I crouched as he stopped in front of me. Gripping the back of his neck, I made him look me in the eyes. “You think being a man means doing whatever the fuck you want?”

He frowned. “No.”

“Then what does it mean?”

Enzo chewed on his bottom lip, his mother’s fire burning in his stare. “It means being strong.”

I nodded. “Yeah. But real strength isn’t about being loud or defiant. It’s knowing when to listen. When to follow the rules.”

He scowled. “I don’t like rules.”

I smirked. “Yeah? You think I do?”

That gave him pause. His gaze bounced towards Octavia, who stood watching us, her arms crossed and waiting.

“You think I don’t answer to your mother?” I asked, tilting my head.

Enzo scrunched his nose. “But you’re the boss.”

“That’s right. And I still listen to her.” I tapped a finger against his forehead. “Because she’s smart. Because she protects this family. And because respecting your mother is the first rule of being a man. You listening?”

Enzo’s eyes dropped for a second before he nodded.

When he glanced back up at me, I saw the calm settle over him.

I hated that while he looked like me, all my kids had their mother’s eyes.

It was like God—more than likely the devil—was mocking me.

For Enzo, they faded to a darker blue and less steel as he got older.

But there was no hiding who their mother was.

And the few times we saw Lucky, the motherfucker always commented on it.

“Good.” I squeezed the back of my son’s neck. “Now, go to your mother and apologize for making her chase your little ass down the beach.”

He groaned but turned and started walking back towards Octavia. I stood, watching as she kneeled to his level, cupping his face and whispering something I couldn’t hear. His nod was bigger this time, a little more reluctant, but he listened.

I smirked to myself. The kid was a handful, but he’d learn. Because I wasn’t raising a boy. I was raising a king.

Returning to the other kids, I grabbed Gabriella and sat down.

Aurora and Enzo continued playing with Octavia watching closely.

Suddenly, Nio and Gio were up and running towards her, adding to the chaos as they played.

Time moved fast as I watched them and it wasn’t long before I saw them slowing down.

Aurora darted to me, her tiny arms wrapping around my leg as she whined sleepily. Gabriella remained dead weight in my grip, her little breaths warm against my neck. I sighed and adjusted my hold on her, careful not to wake her as Octavia approached, already reaching for Aurora.

“She’s attached to you like a damn barnacle,” my wife muttered, prying our daughter off my leg. Aurora grumbled in protest but relented, curling into her mother’s arms.

“She missed me.” I smirked, just as the twins moved to stand up from their large beach wagon.

Octavia rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Come on, let’s get them inside before they start acting up.”

We strolled back towards the house, the ocean breeze still thick with salt and warmth.

As we neared the patio, a familiar groan reached my ears, and I looked up to see Lorenzo slumped over a chair, looking like absolute shit.

His hair was a mess, his shirt half-unbuttoned, and the bastard was wearing sunglasses despite the cloudy skies.

Behind him, barely concealed by the outdoor table, was a half-dressed blonde, her bare legs tangled in a bedsheet she’d clearly stolen from my fucking guest room.

Octavia clocked her immediately. “Lorenzo!”

He winced like she’d stabbed him between the eyes. “Jesus, woman, inside voice.”

“What the fuck did I say about whores in my house?” my wife snapped, setting Aurora on her feet and motioning for the kids to go inside.

Lorenzo sighed dramatically while rubbing at his temple. “Technically, this is outside the house.”

I smacked him upside the head as I passed.

“Hey! What the fuck?”

I grinned. “That was for your own good.”

He grumbled under his breath, but as I looked back, he was already smirking. That cocky, no-shit-given smirk he always had when he knew he’d gotten away with something.

I didn’t bother saying anything else. Octavia would deal with the fucker later, and honestly, I had bigger things to worry about. Like making sure these kids actually made it inside without another meltdown .

I glanced back one last time to see Lorenzo pulling the blonde into his lap. Whispering something into her ear before she started giggling.

Fucking idiot.

As we reached the door, Octavia’s hand shot out. Her fingers swiping just under my ear. I stilled at her touch, watching as her brows knitted together.

“You missed a spot,” she murmured, rubbing at the dried blood.

I exhaled, barely resisting the urge to lean into her touch. “It’s over,” I told her. “New York is safe once again. He won’t bother any of us anymore.”

For a second, she just looked at me, searching for something. And then, her lips stretched into a big smile—proud, knowing, and goddamn perfect. Before I could say anything else, she pulled me down for a kiss. It was slow and deep, like she was sealing this moment in stone.

From below, a chorus of groans broke out.

“Gross,” Enzo whined. “Again? You just kissed him five minutes ago.”

I smirked against Octavia’s mouth as she laughed, shaking her head at the kids. “Get used to it.”

I wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer as I looked down at our children. “Yeah, life’s unfair, isn’t it?”

Aurora rolled her eyes, Enzo gagged dramatically, and Gabriella just blinked against my chest. The twins started to roll themselves out of the wagon and took off inside. I chuckled as we stepped into the house.

Fuck, life was good.

If you’d asked me at the beginning of our story if this would be our ending, I would’ve put a slug between your eyes.

But love was fucking crazy. It made a crazy man completely unhinged.

And now, here I was, the goddamn king. Raising the next generation to keep the madness alive.

Even if that meant playing nice with Octavia’s stupid-as-fuck baby devil of a brother and his annoying crew.

I guess some things never changed. Because I enjoyed making his life a living hell, and there wasn’t shit he could do about it. Thanks to my little doll.

THE END