AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sighing, she shoots me a forced smile. “Yeah. I’m hoping it will be.” she says cryptically, waving me off. She clears her throat. “Anyway, enough about me. How are things going with Nico?”
Exhaling a breath, I shake my head, my cheeks heating. After the debacle of that dinner last week, Allegra apologized. Not that she needed to. I know everything that happened that night was because Nico had orchestrated it. Though it hurt seeing that woman, now that I know the truth about her, I feel a little better about the situation.
“I wanted to talk to you about something actually.” My gaze darts around the room, making sure we are still alone. She eyes me curiously. Embarrassment fills me at what I’m about to say, but this will probably be my only chance, so I need to get over my discomfort and just ask. I mean there might be a small chance I’m already pregnant, with the way Nico has been screwing me every chance he gets, but I have to try. Squirming in my seat, I suck in a breath, preparing myself to say the words. “Can you get, or do you have any birth control pills?” I blurt.
Eyes widening, she stares at me in what can only be described as surprise. Shit. Did I read this all wrong? I mean realistically, why would a sheltered mafia princess be on birth control anyway? I’ve witnessed how controlling Nico is and I can only imagine how hard their father was on them growing up. I can’t imagine she would have been allowed boyfriends, let alone sex.
Allegra chuckles softly under her breath and I relax a little. “I do, actually. I started taking them at sixteen due to heavy periods. Not that my papà knew that little bit of information. He would have thought it was for other reasons and locked me away more than he already did. Mamma helped me out and took me to the doctor in town. She didn’t trust asking thefamigliadoctor because he was on Papà’s payroll and she knew he would mention it to my papà.” She waves her hand. “I’m going off track. The answer to your question is yes, I havemypill. I’m sure if you ask Nico, he will arrange for you to get on birth control.”
My cheeks burn, mortification surging through me. Swallowing, I admit, “He doesn’t want me on birth control.”
Her head cocks to the side, face screwing up in confusion. Then she turns about as red as I feel when it hits her. “Christ, he wants you pregnant?” I nod in confirmation. “My brother can be such an asshole. You’re nineteen, right? Same age as me?”
“Yeah.”
She shakes her head. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Romeo, but I wouldn’t want a baby right now. Even with…” she trails off sighing, but somehow, I get the feeling she was going to say Dante. “Anyway, because you are still so young and deserve to live your life, I will help you. But if my brother ever finds out, I will deny that I gave it to you. Brother or not, you don’t interfere with relationships in the Mafia.” The look on her face is stern and I know she means every word.
Worrying at my lip, I nod. “Deal. I’m not saying I don’t want more children. I just don’t want them right now.”
“I get it–” A piercing cry coming from the monitor cuts her off. She laughs. “You better go get him.”
Sighing, I stand, an appreciative smile on my face. “Thank you. And I promise, he won’t find out.”
Obviously when it comes to Nico, I can’t say that with certainty, but I will do everything in my power to make sure he doesn’t.
Chapter22
Nico
My jaw clenches when I take in the blood on the floor of my club. The bullet holes that mar the couches, walls and stage, a glaring reminder of what happened here last night. Fucking Bratva.
“Now, how the fuck did this happen?” I bark my question at a weary looking Leo.
Exhaling a sigh, his gaze meets mine. “I asked Carl and Nolan to lock up for the night. Not five minutes later they were dead and five men spewing Russian stormed the building. Fortunately, everyone had gone home, otherwise we would have had a club full of dead people. When I heard the gunshots, I locked myself in your office.” He swallows. Lucky for Leo, my office also masks as a panic room should any situation like the one that happened in the early hours of this morning arise. “They left around an hour later. I called you as soon as I knew you would be awake and didn’t let myself out until you arrived,” he finishes.
“Fuck,” Dante mutters.
Fuck is right. I need to end those fuckers once and for all. From the moment Tony called me with the news that he found Ocean, I have been so caught up in all things her and my son, that I haven’t had a chance to deal with any of the other shit I have going on. Time to get my head back in the game. I need my woman and son safe and that means wiping out any potential threats before they escalate their war.
“There’s one more thing.” Sweat beads dot his forehead, a look of fear in his eyes as he swallows. My body tenses. I don’t like that look on his face.
“What?” I growl, urging him to talk.
“I heard them talking aboutthe girl.I was confused at first when they mentioned the name Emilee Caldwell, but then I remembered that’s…” he trails off, clearing his throat.
My heart rate kicks up, all my senses go on high alert. “Ocean’s real name.” I finish for him, anger igniting inside me. “And you didn’t think to mention this first?” I roar. Before I can stop myself, my fist connects with his face, knocking him backward. I’m taking my anger out on the wrong person but still, he should have mentioned this when he called me.
“Fuck, Nico,” he grits out, staggering back. His hand cups his jaw, rubbing at the spot I hit.
Pulling out my cell, I call Mario, my head of security at The Hamptons house. It’s a position my papà promoted him to a couple of years ago now and one he excels at. Though he was pulled into thefamigliaby my father, he has been loyal to me and is one of my most trusted men. He picks up on the second ring. “Boss?”
“Mario. I want you to increase the number of soldiers around the perimeter of the estate. Give them extra weapons. And don’t let Mamma, Allegra, Ocean, or my son out of the house or your sight.” I snap the orders at him, knowing he will obey.
“As you wish, boss. Mrs. Marchetti, Miss Ocean, and Romeo were just preparing for a walk on the beach. I will inform them that will no longer be happening. If they ask why a walk is not allowed, what reason would you like me to give to them?”
“Don’t give them any reason. Just tell them you are under strict instructions from me. I am trusting you, Mario. Don’t let them out of your sight and be on alert.”
“May I ask what the threat is, boss?”
