Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98469 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98469 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
We got married on Christmas Eve, and the wedding was beautiful. Only our close friends and family were there, in a small church, where we exchanged our vows and then signed the papers for Dominick to be added to Damien’s birth certificate and for both of our last names to be changed.
He surprisingly let me work, but when I hit six months pregnant and my blood pressure was a bit high, I was forced to quit to go on volunteer bed rest before it turned into mandatory bed rest. With that news came Dominick’s need to delegate.
We’ve yet to replace Martha, though I don’t believe she could ever be replaced. But he insisted on having someone come in and cook healthy meals for us, and then he hired a nurse to come daily to check on me. It was a bit over the top, but I quickly realized it was the only way he would calm down, and the last thing I wanted was for my husband to have a heart attack.
Brielle offered to throw me a baby shower, but the truth is, our circle is so small that it would’ve just been us, so instead, we went shopping and to lunch and then spent the afternoon setting up the nursery. We decided to wait to find out the genders of the babies, so we had the room painted in soft yellows and greens and blues and bought enough clothes to last until we could go shopping.
I made it to thirty-six weeks and then my water broke. So, we went in, and they performed a C-section. Then, we got to meet our beautiful, healthy little boys.
Yes, I gave birth to twin boys, and Damien is absolutely beside himself. They aren’t identical, but at only a few weeks old, it’s hard to tell them apart.
Justin—named after my mother, Justine—seems to be calm. Adam—his name was picked by Damien—is cranky and demanding, reminding me of his father.
Since we arrived home, everyone has been so helpful. Brielle has been making sure that Damien is taken care of while Larisa helps with the babies. Even Martha has come by several times to visit.
We’ve hired a nighttime nanny to help because breastfeeding two babies is not easy, especially while recovering from surgery. But Dominick and I still take turns getting up.
“Do you want to hold Justin?” I ask Matteo, who has been watching from afar since we got home, but has made no move to come near either of the babies.
“Nah.” He chuckles. “Pretty sure I would break him or drop him.”
I’m about to tell him that’s not true when the front door opens, and Daniil walks in, a serious expression on his face.
“Boss,” he says to Dominick, “we have an issue.”
My heart drops.
It’s been quiet.
We started to think what Anthony had said was a lie to scare us.
But deep down, we always knew the other shoe would drop.
“What’s going on?” Dominick asks as Matteo stands and walks over to join them.
“The police are here,” Daniil says, “and they’re looking for Matteo. They have a warrant for his arrest.”
I gasp at the same time Matteo curses under his breath.
“And to what do I owe the pleasure?” he asks the officer who is standing in the doorway.
The officer steps inside and starts to read him his rights. I don’t understand it all, but from the little I do, he’s being arrested for money laundering.
Matteo scoffs when the officer finishes. “Really? That’s what you guys have on me?” He glances at Dominick, and they exchange a look. “You know this shit isn’t going to stick,” Matteo says as they cuff him and take him away.
“Just doing my job,” the officer says.
“Why are they doing this?” I ask Dominick once they’re gone.
“Because they want Matteo put away,” he says, turning to Daniil. “Lock the house and the property down,” he says in a tone that sends a chill up my spine. “There’s only one reason someone wants Matteo behind bars. They don’t want him to interfere in whatever they have planned.”