Page 11 of Single Mom’s Mafia Daddies (The Forbidden Reverse Harem Collection #22)

LILA

I couldn’t sleep.

Even after that first night when I’d sat outside and spoken to Renzo, I tossed and turned while keeping an eye on Leo.

Then Monday passed in a slow march of time as I kept Leo entertained and tried not to think too much about my shop.

I’d called Alexis and had her inform the rest of the staff, telling her what I could and making up the rest to keep them from asking too many questions.

Renzo had shown Leo the new room earlier tonight, and he’d fallen in love with the smaller space. I hesitated to have him further away from me in a strange house, but he was so excited. And the room seem designed for a child to enjoy.

I gave up attempting to sleep when the moon cut a swath of light across my bed and the red numbers on the alarm clock read 3:20 a.m. I’d not slept in two nights, insomnia kicking my ass for the first time in years. I blamed the stress. Which meant I blamed Alessio.

All this was his fault. I might not understand the full scope of how, but his sudden reappearance in my life and the gunfire that came on his heels told me more than I wanted to know.

He’d installed a fucking panic room in my shop.

Overnight. That or he’d known I was there long before he made an appearance.

I still didn’t know how he’d pulled the installation off, and I had no intention of asking. The less I knew, the better.

I slipped from the bed and dragged a hand through my tangled hair. A balcony stretched along the far side of the room. I could go out there and watch the men patrol and maybe thank Renzo for Leo’s new room. Or I could wander around the house and hope sleep catches up with me.

I hated this trapped feeling. I’d meant what I said. A beautiful prison was still a prison. If I had no control over my life, where I went, who I saw, then what kind of life was it?

“Damn you, Alessio,” I growled as I remembered the hot press of his lips on mine, the way his body moved over me, the feel of him between my legs.

I hated him even as I craved more. Memories of our summer together haunted my waking hours and helped give the insomnia power over my sleep.

Cursing beneath my breath, I opened the bedroom door and darted into the hallway, halfway expecting Renzo to catch me and order me back to my room.

The slightest hint of noise drew me down the hallway, the thick carpet soft on my feet and silencing my steps, until I reached the foyer.

A door across the foyer stood cracked open, allowing a tiny sliver of light to stretch across the black and white tile.

I peeked around the corner before following the soft humming into the kitchen.

Matteo stood in front of a marble counter, a knife in one hand and a wheel of cheese in the other. He crooned what sounded like a lullaby in a surprisingly deep baritone and smiled at me.

I hadn’t paid much attention to him except to gauge his threat level to Leo.

Looking at him now, I realized he was more attractive than I’d first thought.

Sun-kissed olive skin gave way to mischievous hazel eyes.

His dark brown hair was tousled around his head, giving him a just-rolled-out-of-bed look that appeared purposeful and flirty.

“Well now. Look who’s out of bed.” He clicked his tongue, a half-smile appearing. “You’re just in time for a dose of my midnight therapy.”

“Therapy?”

His arms flexed when he lowered the cheese to a cutting board and sliced off a chunk that he popped into his mouth with a wink.

“Food. Nothing like a good snack to quiet the mind in the middle of the night. Even better when you add wine.” He used the point of the knife to poke a bottle, nudging it toward the middle of the counter.

He was unlike Renzo and Alessio in every way except the toned physique. All three men had muscles to spare, but Matteo wore his with a casual grace. His smiles were easy to come by and eased the growing tension I’d carried since Alessio walked into my boutique.

“Then there’s whiskey.” Matteo turned away from the counter. His quick steps took him to the far side of the kitchen, where a row of white cabinets with glass panes showed off an array of glass bottles.

I recognized a few of the brands from the charity events I’d attended, each one more expensive than the clothes I sold and the vast number of them showcasing a staggering amount of money.

I’d thought myself used to money and barely flinched anymore when I bought myself a new designer suit.

But seeing the sheer size and scope of the house, along with the quality of furniture and decorations inside, staggered me.

The kitchen I stood in probably cost a million dollars to build, twice as much at least to furnish.

The limestone theme continued here with the white cabinets and chrome chairs tucked beneath an antique table straight from Italy.

I recognized the pattern as one that sold at auction last year for a quarter of a million dollars.

Alessio had more money than I could fathom if he considered this monstrosity of a house as the kind of place he retreated to in times of danger.

Crystal chandeliers hung in every room, even the kitchen.

I’d thought it obnoxious at first, but the light they gave off grew on me until I appreciated them despite the waste of money.

Glasses clinked. Matteo returned to the counter with two decanters and two crystal glasses shot through with gold threads. “Care to join me?”

“I shouldn’t.” I moved closer before the words fully left my mouth.

There were a lot of things I shouldn’t do, drinking with Alessio’s handsome friend was on the list. I needed things like sleeping and staying alive to protect Leo. I needed rest. Lack of sleep made me sloppy and irritable, neither of which Leo deserved to bear the brunt of.

“I was never good at denying myself.” He poured a shot into each bottle and held one out to me. “To bad decisions.”

“Let’s not make many of those.” I shuddered at the thought of the bad decisions.

My worst one yet was the reason I’m here in the first place.

I tossed the whiskey back. It burned with a decadent silkiness that begged for more and I held out my glass while picking up a piece of cheese and a cracker from the wooden platter. “What’s keeping you awake?”

“I had a nightmare.” A flirty smile appeared. “I dreamed that Renzo was trying to teach me how to play chess.”

“Let me guess.” I sipped the second whiskey, adding bites of cheese to balance out the burn. “You’re more of a checkers guy.”

“Poker.” He created a tower of cheese and crackers and shoved the whole thing into his mouth. “I like watching people bluff.”

“You mean you like a game of lies.” A heaviness settled over my body thanks to the whiskey and the easy conversation.

“You say lies, I say manipulation.” He padded across the kitchen in socked feet and retrieved two bottles of water, passing me one and keeping the other.

The sight of his domesticity mixed with the alcohol, and I laughed at the absolute absurdity of seeing a man who wore Armani suits feeding me cheese and whiskey in the middle of the night while wearing zebra-striped socks, matching pajama pants, and a white t-shirt.

“This isn’t real.” I pinched my eyes shut. “I’m in a dream, and when I wake up, all this will be gone. Leo and I will be at home, where we belong.”

Home. I craved the sight of our simple house, of the routine that had given me purpose.

“If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.” Matteo’s voice came from right in front of me.

I opened my eyes and sat back so fast I almost toppled over. “What are you doing?”

“Checking to see if you’re a dream.” He poked my arm then skimmed a hand over my fingers, taking the whiskey glass. “Nope. Not a dream. A real flesh and blood woman. A beautiful woman.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. I blamed the whiskey and the fact that men stopped flirting with me once they knew about Leo. I focused on my work, building my business so I never had to rely on anyone else again, and I gave up on the idea of love and marriage.

Matteo picked up a slice of cheese and held it out. “One more?”

I opened my mouth and let him feed me a final bite. It warmed me from the inside, this sense of peace overtaking my caution. Matteo was a flirt. As long as I remembered that he never took anything seriously, I’d be okay.

“I should go back.” I scooped up the water and walked backward to the door. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” His voice vibrated on the last word, turning it lascivious as he looked me over.

I should be offended, but all I felt was desire. A grin pinched my cheeks when I turned and left the kitchen. Guilt followed with a dampening rush, shutting down the giddy feeling as I retreated to my room.

I sensed Alessio even before I closed my door, turning and spotting him sitting in the lone chair in front of the balcony doors.

“What are you doing here?” I stalked toward him. “You can’t just come into my room like this.”

“It’s my house.” Each word was short, clipped, and full of anger.

I kicked at his chair. “Fuck you. I didn’t ask to come here. If you’re going to make me a prisoner, at least let me have some privacy.”

“Tell me what I want to know and you can have all the fucking privacy you want.” He stood and prowled toward me, each movement intense and purposeful. “Tell me about Leo.”

“There’s nothing to tell. He’s my son.” I almost emphasized “my” but knew it would give him more incentive to push for answers.

He anchored his hands on his hips in a broad stance that was supposed to be intimidating. I found it intoxicating and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from leaning toward him.

Years of silence and now he demanded to know about Leo? No way. He’d hurt me, deeply. It seemed only fair I returned the favor.

“Ask me why you two are here.” The command brought back memories of late nights between the sheets, when he commanded things of my body that drove the passion between us to new, incredible heights.

I allowed my curiosity to bend to his will. “Why are we here?”

“I wanted to protect you.” He bowed his head, only for a heartbeat, but it was enough to show the first hints of regret. “You and Leo deserve that. You should be protected, even if I am the reason for the threat. I wanted that for you, to protect you from the world, and from myself.”

“And you feel that’s been effective?” I wanted to scoff at the idea but I held back, knowing deep down I had no way to protect us from people like the ones who shot up my boutique.

“It has.” He loomed in front of me, larger than life but with a vulnerable edge to his voice. “I’m done staying away, Lila. You’re in this now, whether either of us wanted it. And I’m done pushing you away.”