Page 82 of Single Mom's Mafia Daddies
Matteo didn’t hesitate to follow them from the room.
I grinned into my tea and chuckled. “He’s never going to get tired of dragging them around to play.”
“Neither will they.” Alessio made his way over to the bench seat and joined me, opening the tall windows to let in a breeze.
The air smelled like sunshine and fresh opportunities. A kind of contentment I’d never expected wrapped around me, and I let out a lingering sigh.
“I thought this kind of happiness was a dream, an illusion people chased in hopes of keeping their sanity.” What good did it do to live a life that never had any hope of improvement? We lived the kind of life I’d always wanted for Leo, I just didn’t know the shape it would come in. He had three men who adored him, each of them offering a unique perspective to the world that would help him become a well-adjusted adult. We were loved and we loved in return. I might face danger when the syndicates tried to take power from us, but I was not weak or helpless. We were a family of our own making, our own choosing.
And the newest addition in my belly would be treated just as well as Leo.
“How are you feeling?” Alessio broke into my reverie with the question.
I cupped a hand over my stomach and smiled. “Better every day.” Once Alessio had healed a bit and the initial threat was neutralized, I’d found a doctor willing to come to the house and see to my OB care.
Matteo tried to see to my every need despite me telling him I liked my independence. I had to admit it was nice to be so well cared for. He’d learned how to make the ginger tea the doctor recommended and brought it to me every morning.
“The rumors surrounding Luca are becoming more erratic.” I handed him the report I’d gotten from Bruce earlier. “There’s no proof he’s alive, but the fact nobody has turned up is problematic.”
Alessio scraped a hand down his face, scratching at the scar along his jaw. “I’d hoped the photos I posted would be enough. I suppose it’s difficult for them to accept their leaders might be dead. It’s easier to think they escaped.”
“I can’t believe someone was able to take their bodies without anyone noticing. And there’s no way they walked out of here on their own.” I’d seen the aftermath of Luca’s and Alessio’s fight. The man was stone-cold dead. I had no concrete proof of Vincenzo’s demise, but the ones who’d shot him were certain he couldn’t possibly be alive.
Alessio drew me closer with a tug on my hand. He settled me between his legs with my back to his chest and brushed his fingers through my hair. “If they try to rebuild, we’ll take them down. Luca’s history makes them all want to think he was invincible. They want to believe. I wouldn’t be surprised if they find someone who looks enough like him to replace Luca in hopes of rebuilding the syndicate.”
“It’s too late. We already own everything. We took all their property. There’s nothing left for them.” I hadn’t hesitated when it came time to scoop up the land and assets left behind. We’d needed to make it known we were in control before one of the others tried to take it from underneath us. We’d won the war and had every right to the spoils.
Alessio massaged the soreness in my neck, and my head fell back to rest on his shoulder.
Laughter mixed with Renzo’s and Matteo’s voices. Spots of color drew my attention to the window and the vibrant green grass below us.
Matteo kicked a soccer ball toward Leo, who reared his foot back and launched the ball into the air directly at Renzo.
Renzo jumped and headbutted the ball from the air. Matteo stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled while Leo laughed so hard he fell over and rolled in the grass.
Alessio pulled me close, his breath nothing but a whisper in my ear. “This is just the beginning.”
EPILOGUE: LILA
One Year Later
“Mama, mama, look what Papa taught me.” Leo screeched through the library and slid to a stop at my side. He held up a wooden airplane. “Isn’t it cool? And it really flies.” He threw it into the air with a whoop and craned his neck to watch the plane zip through the air.
“Which papa, Leo?” I rocked Lucy side to side. She cooed and blinked, her tiny fists waving.
“All three of them.” Leo climbed up onto the table and jumped off, catching the plane and zooming it around in a circle. He reached the edge of the table and jumped again before I could warn him of the danger.
“I’m going to fly it outside tomorrow.” He frowned at the darkness outside the library windows. “It’s too late now. Papa Renzo says it’s bedtime.”
“Papa Renzo is right.” I stood, still rocking Lucy. “I was about to take your sister to bed. Are you ready?”
“Almost.” He ran up and wrapped his arms around my legs in a quick hug. “I’m going to tell Papa goodnight.”
I shushed Lucy when she puckered up for a good cry and traced the line of her cheek with my finger. “You’re not mad. Not really. And it’s time for you to go to sleep.” Her eyelids lowered, flared open, then drooped again.
By the time I carried her across the hall and into the room she shared with Leo, she’d gone completely limp with sleep. Every now and then, her lips pursed and she suckled, making tiny grunting noises. She had Renzo’s eyes, and Matteo swore she had his hair. We’d not bothered with paternity testing because it didn’t matter. They were all her papa, as they were Leo’s. We were family, and in the year since the Verducci attack, we’d grown closer than ever.
Leo crept into the room and crawled into his bed. He turned on the bedside lamp and rolled onto his side, tucking his hands beneath his cheek. “I’m glad Lucy likes sleeping in my room. I get to protect her, like how you and Papa protect me.”