Page 26 of Ruthless Secrets (Alpha Mafia Daddies #6)

Chapter Twenty-One

CLARA

If taking it slow with Marco means romantic dinners out on the patio followed by mind-blowing sex on a balcony, then I am here for it.

His bedsheets feel incredible against my bare skin, and I let out a quiet moan as I stretch out my limbs.

I’m suitable sore between my thighs after last night, but just the thought of Marco has an ache building between them once more.

This man makes me completely insatiable, but it’s his own fault. Maybe if he wasn’t so good at giving me pleasure I wouldn’t crave it so much.

“Marco.” I reach across the bed in search of his warm body. Instead, I find it empty and cold. “Marco?”

I peel my eyes open and sit up, wrapping the sheet around my chest and squinting as the sun streams in through the french doors, warming my skin.

He’s not here.

Before I have a chance to ruminate over where he could have gone, Zoe starts crying on the monitor .

I sigh as I climb out of bed. “All right, baby girl. Mama’s coming.”

I search the floor for Marco’s shirt, wanting to throw it on to head to my room, but it’s nowhere to be found. In fact, none of his clothes from last night are here, which means he obviously got dressed and left at some point in the night.

Zoe’s cries grow louder, so I quickly throw on my dress instead and head next door to take care of her.

“Where’s your daddy got to, hmm?” I pick her up out of her crib.

Her cheeks are wet with tears, and she immediately buries her face in my chest, which is what she does when she’s hungry.

So, I carry Zoe over to bed and settle myself against the pillows to feed her.

I can’t ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach as I think of Marco leaving in the middle of the night. I was hoping to bring Zoe into bed with Marco and me this morning for some family time. I wonder what was so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?

After Zoe and I are both dressed and ready for the day, I head downstairs to see if Marco is working in the lounge like he was yesterday. Instead, I find his sister sitting on a play mat with Holly, surrounded by building blocks.

Rosa looks up at us and beams. “Morning!”

I try my best to hide my disappointment that Marco isn’t here, but it seems I wasn’t quick enough.

She frowns. “Were you hoping I was someone else?”

I run my fingers through my hair. “Oh, no, sorry. I was looking for Marco.”

“Was he not with you?”

“No, I think he got up early to work.”

“Sounds like my brother.” Rosa adds a building block to the tower she’s building for Holly. “It’s a wonder either of them even had time to procreate with the amount they work.”

I swallow a laugh.

“Do you want to join us?” Rosa asks, her expression hopeful.

I really want to go and find Marco, but I also don’t want to deny Rosa the chance to meet Zoe and get to know her. She is her niece after all.

“Sure.”

I bring Zoe over to the mat and sit her down beside Holly. The two of them instantly start babbling to each other, and Rosa grins.

“This is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

I laugh. “I know, right? They look like sisters.”

“The De Lucas have strong genetics.” She flicks her own long, dark brown hair over her shoulder.

I didn’t really notice yesterday that though her eyes are green, and her face has the same strong cheekbones and full lips as Marco. Her limbs are long and lean, and her skin has the sort of bronzed glow to it that I could only hope to achieve with a bottle of fake tan.

It’s exactly how I imagine Zoe to look when she grows up.

I give Zoe some toys to play with and laugh when Holly instantly snatches them from her.

“You’re going to have to stick up for yourself.”

Zoe stares longingly at the toys in Holly’s hands.

“Yeah, Zoe, don’t let Holly bully you.” Rosa takes the toy from Holly, giving it back to Zoe, who puts it straight in her mouth. “I’ll teach you the De Luca ways, don’t you worry, girl.”

I smile as I watch Zoe smile at her aunt.

In a matter of weeks, I’ve gone from being Zoe’s entire world to her now having aunts and uncles and a cousin. I thought it would make me sad not to have her all to myself anymore, but if anything, it’s the opposite.

I adore how much Marco’s family loves Zoe. It gives me some peace of mind to know that she’ll always have people to take care of her in case something happens to me.

“You’re really good with her.” I smile as Zoe starts waving at Rosa.

She waves back. “I’ve had a lot of practice with Holly. It’s scary how much she looks like Marco. Though I don’t think he was ever this cute.”

“You’ll have to show me some baby pictures.”

“Don’t you worry, I have plenty of pictures to show you that will embarrass Marco.” She gives me a mischievous grin. “So, what’s the deal with you and Marco? I’ve never met one of his girlfriends before. Hell, I’m not sure he’s even really had one.”

I can’t deny I’m a little impressed by Rosa’s forwardness. She definitely inherited the same De Luca confidence as her older brothers.

“I’m not really sure.”

Before Rosa has a chance to question me further, two male voices filter into the living room, and I’m instantly on my feet.

“I’ll be right back.” I hurry out into the foyer.

I find Marco and Jax muttering to each other by the front door, both with grave expressions on their faces.

Marco’s wearing the same clothes he wore last night to our dinner, though his black shirt is a little wrinkled and the sleeves have been rolled up to the elbows.

Jax notices me first, and he nudges Marco in the ribs before nodding his head in my direction.

When Marco finally sees me, I expect his expression to soften and a smile to tug at his lips, but it doesn’t .

Suddenly, my stomach feels like it's turned to lead. What the hell is going on?

“Hey,” I say awkwardly.

Marco turns to look at Jax without so much as a smile in my direction. “Go on upstairs. I’ll be up in a minute.”

Jax dips his chin at me before stalking up the stairs, no doubt heading to Andre’s office.

I wrap my arms around my body, trying to push past the lump in my throat as Marco walks toward me. “You left.”

“Yeah, I, uh…had some stuff to take care of.” Marco runs his fingers through his hair.

He looks like he didn’t sleep at all, which considering the fact we spent half the night fucking isn’t surprising, but still. I want to know what was so important that he had to leave me in the middle of the night without so much as a note to let me know where he was going.

“Where have you been?”

Something like irritation flashes in his eyes.

Great. Now I feel like a nagging girlfriend. If I can even call myself that.

After our date last night, I felt so sure about moving forward with Marco. But the way he’s acting right now has me questioning whether it was nothing more than a way to get me into bed.

“I have to go.” His voice is so flat and emotionless.

“Zoe wants to see you,” I blurt as a last-ditch attempt to hold onto him for a few minutes more.

“I’ll see her later.” He doesn’t meet my eyes.

With a quick brush of his lips against my cheek, he stalks past me and heads upstairs.

I stand frozen, trying to hold back tears until a door slamming shut makes me crumble.

“Clara?” Rosa calls from the living room. “I think Zoe’s hungry! ”

“Oh, crap.” I wipe at my cheeks and plaster a smile on my face.

The last thing I want is to cry in front of Marco’s seventeen-year-old sister.

Though it seems my efforts were in vain as the moment I walk back into the living room, Rosa takes one look at me and frowns.

“Oh, no, what has my idiot brother done now?”

I sit back down on the mat and pull Zoe into my lap.

It seems nothing gets past this girl.

“Nothing, it’s just hormones,” I lie as I reach for the clip on my bra. “Sorry, do you mind? I can take her upstairs if you’re uncomfortable.”

Rosa waves her hand. “Don’t be silly. I got used to Lila whipping her tits out at every opportunity when Holly was born, so I’m immune to it.”

Rosa is quiet as I get Zoe situated.

When my daughter’s happily drinking, I run a hand over my face and let out a long sigh. “He’s shutting me out. I can feel it.”

“You’re overthinking this way too much.”

“How can I not? I mean, he put together the most romantic evening, and then I woke up to find him gone, and he barely even looked at me when he walked in the door. One minute he’s hot and the next he’s cold, and I just can’t—” My voice cracks as I look at Zoe.

This is what I was afraid of—that both of us would get attached just in time for Marco to get bored of playing the part of the doting father.

He can play with my heart all he wants, but I draw the line at him playing with Zoe’s.

“My brothers are often moody. Especially when business isn't going their way. But they usually snap out of it pretty quickly. ”

“I appreciate that you’re sticking up for Marco but?—”

“Oh, believe me, I’m not. What I’m trying to say is that they can get a little self-absorbed, thinking that they are the only ones who are stressed or who have shit going on. Often they just need someone to call them out on it, and they’ll come back down to earth.”

“He didn’t even want to see Zoe.”

“I doubt that. He probably doesn’t want to subject Zoe to his bad mood.”

“I guess…”

“This is what my brothers do. They push the people they love the most away because they think they’re protecting them. I’ve seen it happen countless times with Lila and Andre, and to give my eldest brother some credit, he has been a lot better.”

Despite what Rosa is saying, I can’t help but worry.

Relationships need communication in order to work. I don’t care if Marco is pushing me away in order to protect me. He doesn’t get to make that choice on my behalf. If this is going to work between us, he is going to have to start talking to me, whether he likes it or not.

“Don’t let Marco’s broody act put you off. He’s a big teddy bear underneath all that muscle.”

“I know…” I take Zoe off my nipple and put her over my shoulder to burp her.

“Anyway, do you know how long you’ll be staying here?”

I pull up my top. “I have no idea…”

I’m not sure how much Rosa knows about my situation, and I don’t want to stick my foot in it by telling her about the target on my back.

“I hope it’s for a while because you, me, and Lila can have so much fun together!”

I force a smile, though I can’t help but worry about the future .

What is the plan here? Am I ever going to go back home? And when I do, is Marco going to come with me?

I thought we were heading toward something more serious, but maybe I was wrong.

What if I’m more invested than he is?

I want to know where I stand with him, and I know the only way to find out is to just straight up ask him.

But as I think of how tense and moody he was, I might wait until he’s in a slightly better mood.