Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
She fell asleep within a couple of minutes of being in my arms, but I lay awake and listened to her rhythmic breathing for a long time, not because I couldn’t fall asleep but because I didn’t want to. The feeling of Aria in my arms was the best. I carefully moved my hand down until it rested over Aria’s stomach. If I were still capable of that kind of thing, maybe this would have been the moment I cried, but the last time that had happened was when I saw my mother in her own blood after she’d slit her wrists, and it wouldn’t happen again. Yet my chest felt tight with emotion.
chapter 23
LUCA
The next day we returned to the Hamptons to pick up a few clothes Aria needed. She’d stay in New York with me from now on. I wanted her close, and I was needed in New York.
When we stepped into the mansion, Gianna and Matteo sat at the dining table, having breakfast. It was close to lunchtime so they’d probably slept in late, or rather fucked in late as usual. Gianna jumped up from her chair and hurried over to us. I released Aria. Before Gianna hugged her sister, she sent me a scathing look. “Are you okay? Did the brute treat you all right?”
I tensed. Did she fucking suggest I’d mistreated Aria? Even when I’d thought she’d fucked Dante, I hadn’t laid a hand on her. I’d killed and tortured people for far less. Aria gave me an apologetic look before I headed toward Matteo while she and her sister moved to the seating area and sat down.
Matteo clapped my shoulder. “Did you finally pull your head out of your ass?”
My eyes remained on Aria. I had trouble letting her out of my sight now that I had her back, now that I knew how vulnerable she was.
“What’s the matter with you? I thought you settled your fight.”
“We did.” I turned to Matteo, who was watching me cautiously. “Aria is pregnant with my child.”
Matteo’s eyes widened, his gaze swiveling to Aria then back to me. “You’re going to be a father?”
Could he have sounded any more shocked? I glared, then focused on Aria, who was placating Gianna from the looks of it.
“Maybe that was one of the reasons Dante let her go and chose the photo tactic to weaken you.”
I nodded. “Maybe. If I ever get my hands on him, I’ll ask him if he wanted me to kill my own wife.”
“He knew you wouldn’t kill her. He probably thought you’d risk a headless attack on his territory, on him, so he could kill you.”
I didn’t know Dante’s motives, but I’d give him an excruciating death if I ever caught him.
“How do you feel about becoming a father?”
I shrugged. “Our father wasn’t a role model.”
“No, that’s for sure,” Matteo muttered. We exchanged a long look. Our childhood had been a fucking ordeal. If we hadn’t had each other, we would have gone dipshit crazy.
“It’s a girl. It’ll make things easier,” I added.
Matteo smirked. “If she’s as beautiful as Aria, then we’ll have our hands full keeping men away.”
My lips curled into a hard smile. “Let them come.”
Matteo laughed, excitement flaring in his eyes at the prospect of blood, then he quieted and searched my eyes. In the first weeks after I’d received the photos of Dante and Aria, after I’d gone down the deep end and slaughtered the bikers, and more after that, he’d been worried. “I’m glad you didn’t go completely batshit crazy.”
I touched his shoulder. “That would have been your chance to become Capo.”
Matteo was alpha like me. He hated being told what to do, hated having to bow down to anyone. It had led to more than one torture session from our father. Yet he’d never used my moments of weakness to better his position.
“That you had my back rather than shoved a fucking knife into it, even though I gave you plenty of opportunity, Matteo—that I will never forget.”
Matteo gave a nod, then his mouth twisted in his annoying grin. “I can see the pregnancy hormones have already rubbed off on you.”
“Don’t hold your breath for sappy emotional outbursts, asshole.”
Matteo punched my stomach, but I tightened my muscles before the impact and didn’t make a sound. “I know you reserve those only for Aria.”
My eyes went over to Aria. She looked up and as always warmth settled in my body.
Matteo and Gianna had returned to New York with us two days ago. I knew it was because Matteo wanted to keep an eye on me and because Gianna wanted to keep an eye on her sister, but I honestly couldn’t care less why they had made their decision. Romero and Lily had been in New York already, because as a new Captain his presence was required, and Lily had to help Romero’s mother who had broken her leg. Aria was happy having her family around again. She and her sisters sat on the couch, browsing through baby magazines that Lily had brought.