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“Wait,” I call, but Enzo doesn’t hear me. Or maybe he does but ignores me anyway to follow Gabriella’s order instead.
I meet Rose’s confused face and reach for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before I stand and cross the living room to approach my sister.
“Gabriella, what the hell are you all doing here?” I demand.
My sister looks at me in exasperation, like I have the nerve to question her. “Bringing you the essentials for the baby. You have nothing here for him, Michael, and babies need a lot of things.”
I can sense Rose’s growing panic behind me. “How do you know about the baby?”
Gabriella gives her source away when her eyes flick to our brother. I turn on my twin, who at least has the decency to look a little ashamed this time, unlike earlier in Dad’s office. “And how do you know the baby is coming here?” I answer my question the second after I ask it. “Dominic. The bastard. Can’t keep a secret to save his damn life.”
Raphael shrugs, then heads off to dump his bags in the same room Enzo disappeared in. I turn back to my sister, ready to continue my questioning, only to find her gone.
“Hi, I’m Gabriella.” She’s sitting on the couch, facing a stunned Rose with her hand outstretched. “Michael and Raphael’s little sister.”
Jesus. The woman can fucking move like a damn ninja when she wants to. But then again, she has DiAngelo blood running through her veins, so it’s not all that surprising. Just annoying and often highly inconvenient. Like right now.
“I’m Rose.” With a brief hesitation, she takes Gabriella’s hand and shakes it. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same,” Gabriella chirps with a smile, then launches into a speech. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news that Michael was hiding a beautiful redhead in his penthouse. I just had to meet you. And when Dominic called saying he was bringing her baby home from Italy, a baby withMichael's eyes, I realized my brother has nothing here for a baby. So Auntie Gabriella to the rescue!”
“Wow.” Rose chuckles humorlessly, panic growing on her face.
Gabriella catches her mistake, and her smile drops instantly. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just got so excited when I heard everything, that’s all. I didn’t mean to offend you or upset you.”
“It’s okay. It’s just been a lot over the last week. You caught me off guard is all.”
Gabriella’s eyes fall, and I know that she knows some, if not all, of the details of how Rose came to be here. Again. Raphael. “No woman should ever have to go through something as terrible as what you did. I’m glad my brothers found you and that you’re here. And that your son is on his way here also.”
“Me too.” I can tell Rose means that. The tension in her shoulders relaxes as the conversation moves on to Liam.
I lean over the couch, and Rose turns her face toward me, her green eyes sparkling. “I’m going to go check on the disaster those two are probably making in the bedroom. Are you okay out here?”
She nods, and I kiss her cheek, groaning under my breath when my sister admires us with an immature “aw.” The small giggle I hear from Rose as I walk away makes up for my sister's annoying behavior, though.
I hate to admit it, but Gabriella is right. This room will make a wonderful nursery. The window faces to the east with a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean in the morning.
Enzo and Raphael are currently arguing in the corner about how to organize the diapers and wipes in the best way.
“Don’t you think this is something Rose might want to do?” I ask, breaking up the back-and-forth bickering.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Raphael sets the box in his hands back on the pile. “Hey. Have you heard from the doctor about your fertility test yet?”
“I did. Just before you three crashed into my place actually. Turns out I’m not sterile.”
“Holy shit!” Enzo shouts. “That’s insane.”
“So the kid really is yours?” Raphael ventures with a lace of hope tracing his voice.
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Congratulations, brother.” Raphael slaps my back with a genuine smile. “Dominic sent a picture. He has the family eyes.”
“I know.”
A phone buzzes, and Raphael pulls his phone free from his pocket. “It’s Dad,” he says when he glances at the screen. “He wants us at the house. If I had to guess, he heard from the doctor too.”
“He’ll want a paternity test to be sure,” Enzo says, dampening the mood in the soon-to-be nursery.
