Page 35 of The Disputed Legacy

“Calm down. I’m not going to give you the third degree.”

“I wouldn’t care if you tried to.”

“Why? Because you wouldn’t say anything, no matter what?”

I shrugged, smiling because that would frustrate her. I liked Sloane. Lucy was a great sister-in-law, too. Katerina was someone who’d always been in the background, though. I knew her more, and I’d known her and her father since I was young. For that reason, she seemed more like a true sister, a sibling I could already bicker with.

“You’ve never been secretive about your women before,” she commented.

“True.”

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious. “Does that mean it’s serious with your mystery woman?”

I shook my head. “Not serious at all.”Yet.“I’m, uh, taking it slow.”

“Ahh.” She smiled. “Then she must be important.”

Very.I’d already been fantasizing about what it would be like to incorporate Willow and Oscar into my life—here, with my family. Telling them that I was part of a Mafia family would be a huge surprise. It could even be a deal breaker. I’d have to tread carefully when the time came to identify myself, but I could only do that once I knewhersecrets too.

“Well, you should consider giving your grandmother a heads up that you’ve found someone.”

I furrowed my brow. “Why’s that?”

“Because she’s been muttering about having all of you married and settled. Like she doesn’t have enough great-grandkids to spoil.”

Grandmother would be stunned if I brought Oscar into the family, too. One more to add. Even though he wouldn’t be mine biologically, I could very easily see him as my son.

Whoa. Hold on.

I was getting way ahead of myself, and I hated the burden of not wanting to go too fast. It was just that I’d never been this interested in a woman before—without fucking her first.

Sloane approached from across the room, and I prepared to hand over Isabella. “All done with your appointment?” I asked, curious what she’d wanted me to watch my niece for in the first place. We had numerous staff members on hand to help. Nannies, maids, housekeepers, assistants. So far, my three sisters-in-law wanted to be hands-on, for the family to raise this next generation, not the hired help.

“I am.” She grinned. “Maxim should be the first to know, but he’s away with meetings and I can’t hold it in.”

I shook my head as she took Isa. “No. No. Don’t tell me your secrets.” Maxim would hate my knowing something before him.

“You’re pregnant already?” Katerina blurted.

My jaw dropped as Sloane nodded.

“Holy fuck, that was fast,” I said as I stood.

“Just don’t tell anyone else,” she added conspiratorially. “I’ll pass it as a surprise to him. But oh, my God. Thisisfast. I just… I just had to tell someone!”

I hugged her, careful not to squish the now-sleeping Isa in her arms. “Congrats, Sloane.”

“Oh, man.” Katerina laughed. “This house is going to be overrun with babies.”

“You’ll have lots of catching up to do,” Sloane joked as I headed out of the room.

Not necessarily.If my fantasies could come true, maybe I’d have the eldest child in the building. I wasn’t preying on Oscar, but if Willow wasn’t with his dad and she could give me a chance…

It felt so natural walking with them last night. The three of us together. Like a ready-made family.

Once more, I shoved those thoughts aside and shook my head. I was getting way, way too ahead of myself, and that wouldn’t end well. Some things took time. Steps. Small advances.

Much like this slow-growing war against the Romanos, my mission to win over Willow would have to be taken incrementally.