Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
My mind was too full of Ren to do anything but seek her out, and I found her and Matteo in the kitchen, which smelled heavenly. “What smells so good in here?”
“It’s just vegetables, Papa.” Matteo’s voice was so full of disappointment I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Vegetables are important if you want to get big and strong like your papa,” Ren teased. “Don’t forget to stir.”
My son stood on a stool beside Ren at the stove. They wore matching aprons and smiles as they cooked. “Like this, right?”
“Perfect, Chef.”
He giggled.
“Will there be enough for Luca? I invited him for dinner.”
She nodded. “These gross vegetables are going into a lasagna,” she said more to Matteo than to me. “You’ll love it, and that’ll be all the thanks I need.”
The door opened and Luca strode in wearing a satisfied grin that usually came after he did something mischievous. “Evening, Serenity. Boys.” He patted his belly. “It smells amazing in here, Serenity. Marry me?”
She grinned and rolled her eyes. “So easy,” she teased.
He shrugged. “It was worth a shot. But since I can’t possibly be here with that kind of rejection sitting between us, how about me and you go have dinner with the guys, Mattie? They’re having pizza.”
His eyes lit up, darting from Luca to me and then to Ren.
“Go on. I’ll save you some lasagna,” she said, flicking a gaze to me. “If it’s okay with your dad.”
“It’s fine,” I sighed reluctantly.
Matteo hopped off the stool with an excited grin, removing his apron and grabbing Leo in one hand, taking Luca’s hand in the other. “Let’s go!”
“Real smooth, Luca,” Ren said, laughing as they disappeared.
Luca winked at me before they left.
Meddling asshole.
I waited for Ren to make up a reason to get away from me, but she didn’t. Instead, she moved silently, finishing up the sauce before she layered the lasagna, covered it, and popped it into the oven. “The second-best part of making lasagna is the wine you drink while waiting for it to cook.”
I took the hint and opened a bottle of red, pouring two healthy glasses. “For the chef.”
She grinned as she accepted the glass, removing her apron before she flung herself into one of the seats. And then she surprised the hell out of me. “So,” she said, swirling her wine, “what is it exactly that you do, Enzo?”
I met her gaze. No deflection. No performance. “I’m the CEO, so to speak. I oversee multiple businesses and broker deals. Keep the peace. Do whatever’s necessary to make the organization thrive.”
She nodded. “Do you like it?”
“I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that before.” For that reason, I gave the question careful consideration. “I don’t dislike it, but it’s not what I had in mind for my future. It’s not what my father wanted either.” I paused, thinking of the parts of the job I had to learn in real time. “It’s mostly the same elements as the business world with a bit more brutality. And a slight bit more illegality.”
She laughed softly as she sipped her wine.
“Are you disappointed in me, Ren?” It mattered to me what she thought, even all these years later. I couldn’t stop the question, so I braced myself and prepared for her answer.
She sighed thoughtfully before she looked up at me, studying my face with a soft expression. “I’m not disappointed in you, Enzo. I am disappointed for you. It’s not what I would’ve chosen for you,” she answered gently. “But I do think it’s admirable that you stepped up to protect your family and your employees.”
I blinked. “Employees?”
She nodded, her shoulders shrugging. “If you are the CEO, then they are your employees. They depend on you, and you considered them when you made your decision. That matters, Enzo.”
My heart squeezed tight in my chest, that feeling so powerful it stole my breath. Hope swelled, wild and foolish and carefree, and I knew it wasn’t going away anytime soon. It was here to stay.
And for the first time since I crashed back into Ren’s life, I believed that maybe there was still a chance for us.
Chapter 11
Serenity
The next week blurred into itself with days filled with keeping Mattie caught up on his schoolwork, teaching him new things, and making sure he didn’t feel isolated even though we were quite literally isolated. Between meals and playtime, and security checks that happened just out of sight, Mattie adapted faster than I expected. It kind of broke my heart the way he so easily adapted without any pushback. What had his life been like before this move for him to go with it this way?
I wondered if Enzo had grown up the same way, knowing danger constantly lurked all around him but never knowing why. Kids were like that, flexible and present, able to get lost in make-believe when reality pressed too hard.