Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 32729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
It had been a long time since he held a paintbrush, but he was determined to make this life with Liana work. He wanted her to be happy with him.
Staring down at the plush teddy bear he had picked up on his way home this evening, he sat in the room and wondered what kind of dad he was going to be.
He knew he wanted to get Liana pregnant, and that was his responsibility. Whenever a capo was married, it was time for him to settle down and produce heirs to carry on the next generation, and that was exactly what he was going to do. Only, he hadn’t exactly taken the time to think about what that meant. Now, he faced the reality of being a father.
“Are you okay?” Liana asked.
He looked up to see her standing in the doorway. She had on a negligee, and she looked so sexy standing there.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“You’re holding that teddy bear pretty tightly,” she said.
He looked down at the bear he was holding and then up toward his wife.
“I don’t know what it means to be a dad.”
“Diego?”
“I saw you with your father and your brother, and I don’t know what that means. I’ve never ... it was always business with my dad. It was always ... dealing with shit.” He ran fingers through his hair. “I don’t know how to be a dad.”
Liana stepped into the room and offered him a smile. “I don’t know what it means to be a mom. I have memories of my mom. I got her until I was ten years old, and then it’s a blank.”
“You’re going to make an amazing mom,” he said.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. I saw the way you were with everyone, and you have a lot of love and passion. Our child is going to be lucky to have you as a mother.”
She frowned. He put the bear down and got to his feet, closing the distance between them.
“Look at me, you’ve got this.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what I’ve got.”
He kissed her. “You’re going to be amazing.”
He pulled her into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around him. “Diego, there is something I’ve got to tell you,” she said.
“What?” He felt her tense up. “Tell me?”
She pulled away and cupped his face. “I’m in love with you and I have been trying so hard to not be in love with you. I’m tired of fighting it. I love you and I want to have this child and I want to grow old with you, and that terrifies me so much, but at the same time, I’m not scared. I love you, and there is no one else I want.” And then she kissed him.
“I’m a lucky fucking man,” he said. “I love you, Liana, and no, I’m not just saying that because I think it is something you want to hear. I love you, and even though it terrifies me to be a dad, I want to be with you every single step of the way.”
Just as he kissed her, Diego groaned, because once again his cell phone went off. He kept it with him because they were chasing the drug dealers of the product that had been killing people. So far, they’d been able to shut down the production of the drugs. The scientists were dead and gone. He saw it was Emilio and he quickly put his cell phone to his ear.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve just taken out three men that came to my house,” Emilio said.
“What?”
“Giovanni and Lorenzo have also been hit. Francesco was hit an hour ago. You have got to arm up. They’re coming for you.”
And just like that, the small light in the nursery went off, and the room went black.
Liana gasped. “What is that?”
“They’re here,” Diego said.
If they cut off his power, they were inside his home, and he put Liana behind him and started to walk to the door.
“I’ll call you back.”
“Diego, what is going on?” she asked.
He turned to her and cupped her face. “I need you to stay here, do you understand me?”
“No!” Liana said. “I can shoot. I know I shot that man and my brother took ownership of it to protect me. Don’t keep me in the dark. I can help you.”
Diego looked at her and knew it was as mistake, but leaving her behind was out of the question. Against his better judgement, he grabbed Liana’s hand and walked her back to their bedroom. He had several guns locked away in the safe at the back of the closet. He got to it, opened it, and handed her a gun, loaded and ready. He was surprised to see her checking to see it was fully loaded.
That was when he heard something break downstairs.
Liana’s gaze went wide.
“You stay behind me,” he said.