Page 40 of Single Mom's Mafia Daddies

He touched my elbow using nothing but the tips of his fingers and guided me closer to the closed door leading to the study. “You need to be careful.”

“Excuse me?” When was I not careful? The question rested on the tip of my tongue, ready to jump out at a moment’s notice.

Renzo shifted his weight from his wounded leg to his good one, the subtle movement making me swallow the question. “The house isn’t as secure as Alessio wants you to believe.”

My jaw unhinged so fast it popped. “What do you mean?” I’d been on edge since the assault, but this threatened to push me over. “You think they’ll get in again?”

“I can’t say for sure.” Renzo almost never touched me, but he rested his hands on my shoulders and squeezed. “Keep Leo close. If Alessio gives you an order, follow it. Do not hesitate.” He leaned closer to look deep into my eyes. “If you don’t trust anything else I ever tell you, trust that Alessio will put yours and Leo’s safety first no matter what.”

“You’re scaring me.” To prove my point, a ripple of fear twisted my body beneath his hands.

“Good.” He didn’t smile, didn’t move at all, but I felt the threat building in him, the dangerous side that I’d seen when he threw himself into the line of fire and came out mostly unscathed. “Fear is a motivator. Use it to keep you and Leo safe, but don’t let it convince you that we are your enemies.”

His quiet intensity unnerved me, but it also cemented my tentative trust in him. He’d given me the truth. Harsh though it sounded, he’d warned me when Alessio preferred to keep me inthe dark with his constant reassurances that no one was getting into the house a second time.

I’d never believed we were truly safe here, and I respected Renzo for admitting it to me.

Voices trickled out from the study, and I leaned into Renzo to hear better.

“You found them? You’re sure?” Alessio asked.

“As sure as I can be without laying eyes on them myself.” I didn’t recognize the voice.

“Who’s that?” I whispered into Renzo’s ear.

His lips brushed my cheek, his breath shivering through me. “Colton. One of Matteo’s men. He’s in charge of cyber recon when Matteo is busy.”

“The Verduccis have been known to hole up in a small mansion on the other side of town. I started there and tracked visual movement to an abandoned church five miles away. If you dig deep enough, records show Vincenzo bought the church ten years ago. Nothing has been mentioned since, but I found a shell corporation funding renovations though there’s been no visible work on the church itself.” Colton’s voice had that low, quick quality of a man reciting from a list.

My mouth dried up at the mention of the Verduccis. I’d heard Alessio mention them as the ones responsible for the attack. They were the ones who wanted Leo.

“I’ll take Renzo and investigate.” Alessio’s familiar steps moved back and forth in front of the door. “Matteo will be in charge here. Check in with him on your way out.”

“Yes, sir.” The tone changed to one of subservience. “Anything else you need?”

“Not yet.”

Renzo dragged me away from the door and into the kitchen where Matteo and Leo were busy baking cookies. The sight ofMatteo in an apron, flour on his cheek, and his hands deep in a bowl of cookie dough, shocked me into stillness.

Alessio walked in behind me and strode straight to Matteo. With a grin at Leo, he pulled Renzo to the side, his voice barely reaching me. “Keep an eye on the house. If anything happens, you answer to me.”

The easy-going version of Matteo dropped faster than a bowling ball over a bridge. “Yes, sir.”

Leo scooped cookie dough onto a pan, oblivious to the danger closing in around us. I loved that for him and swore to do everything in my power to make sure he continued to live that happy, carefree life. Same for the new baby I hid behind secrets and lies.

Alessio approached with a warm smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I need to borrow Renzo for a while.”

“Anything wrong?” I asked.

“Just checking something out.” It was the truth but not all of it. He deliberately kept me in the dark, probably to keep me from worrying, but how was I supposed to protect myself and Leo if he never told me the gritty reality of the threats? It only strengthened my decision to keep the baby a secret. I trusted them to protect us, but his reluctance proved that he didn’t think I was capable.

A sinking feeling tugged on my chest. Why did I feel like this was just the beginning?

21

MATTEO

An hour after we finished baking the cookies, Leo yawned and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sleepy.”