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Nico stays home, locked up in his office with Dante and his other men. Though he said he will protect me from any threat, I still feel a little on edge about my father. I know Nico is a powerful man with the right resources, but Samuel Caldwell and the Andersons are not to be underestimated. There is a small chance they have nothing to do with the Bratva but deep down in my heart, I know it’s them. No one else would be looking for me. I shudder at the thought. I can’t go back there. No way. I would rather be locked in Nico’s cage for the rest of my life than have anything to do with my father or his evil plans.
Glancing down, I watch as Romeo feeds from a bottle. My heart clenches in my chest. They would never accept my son. Not my sperm donor or the Andersons. My value and worth were solely placed upon me having my virginity intact. Xavier and his father would never take an impure bride. I dread to think what my dad would do, if he ever got his hands on me and realized I was no longer valuable to him. The whole thing is draconian to say the least, but it is how their world works. And from what Allegra told me, Nico’s world is very much the same. How sweet that we have that in common. I would laugh if it wasn’t so depressing.
Romeo releases the bottle, his eyes closing in contentment. Lifting him, I bring him over my shoulder, gently rubbing his back to get rid of any potential wind before I put him down for bed.
The door being shoved open startles me. Nico pauses in the doorway, his gaze coming to me. I shift, trying to cover my breast which is half on display where Romeo has pulled my tank top down. Nico’s eyes narrow. “Don’t hide yourself from me,” he growls. Stepping inside, he closes the door and moves further into the room. “You look exhausted. I will draw you a bath.”
My brows jump in confusion as he walks past me to the adjoined bathroom. A bath? He hasn’t done something like that for me since before I ran. Has he finally forgiven me? Hope blooms in my chest. Maybe we can move past everything that came before and have a fresh start after all. Not five minutes later, he is striding back into the bedroom, heading straight for where I still sit with our son. I watch him closely, but his face gives nothing away. He wears that infuriatingly blank mask, hiding everything I want to see. Reaching down he takes Romeo from me.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Go take a bath. Relax. Read your Kindle or whatever it is you do. I will put him down to bed,” he drawls, jerking his head to the bathroom.
I bite down on my lip, suppressing the smile that wants to break free and ask. “Why are you being so nice?”
Sighing, he grabs my hand with his free one, pulling me to my feet. Irritation flickers across his features. “I’m not. Stop questioning me and just go bathe. I want to spend some time with my son. Alone.” he enunciates.
I blink, my shoulders sagging. Silly me, thinking he would actually forgive me. “Okay,” I whisper defeatedly.
Before he can see the disappointment on my face, I turn, making my way to the bathroom and shutting myself inside.
***
Wrapping the towel around me, I hold it together in a death grip. In my confusion of Nico’s hot and cold behavior, I forgot to bring fresh clothes into the bathroom. I spent a good thirty minutes relaxing in the lavender scented bubble bath that was waiting for me. It was bliss and exactly what I needed to release all the tension in my body. I even managed to get a little reading done, the smutty book’s primal sex scene arousing me in ways I never thought possible from reading words on a page.
Opening the door, I peek into the bedroom. My gaze lands on the chair, where Nico sits with Romeo in his arms. His eyes are closed but I doubt he is asleep. Tip toeing across the plush carpet, I move to the closet where I grab a matching sleep set. Toweling my body dry, I pull the shorts and tank on.
“Much better,” I murmur, catching a glimpse of myself in the floor-length mirror.
Picking up the towel, I make my way back to the bathroom where I throw it in the laundry basket. Taking my time, I brush out my long blonde hair, moisturize my face and body, then clean my teeth. I know I’m stalling but I don’t want to deal with whatever mood Nico is in when I go back out there. It is giving me whiplash and making me question everything.
Deciding I have wasted as much time as I can, I exhale a breath before stepping back into the bedroom. I frown when I find him in the exact same position. Padding toward him, I hold my breath as I get closer, only to release it when I find that he is, in fact, asleep.
Emotion clogs my throat. Seeing him like this, unguarded, protectively holding our son. It’s a sight I thought I would never see and one I never want to forget. I wish I had a cell phone so I could capture this moment. So innocent, natural, and quite possibly the most adorable thing I have ever seen. For once, Nico looks like a normal human, and not the god above men he usually portrays. I sigh, taking them in for a long minute and committing the image to memory.
Reaching down, I try to pry Romeo out of Nico’s arms but it’s no use. His eyes snap open, confused but defensive when his gaze meets mine. He blinks, relaxing slightly when he sees that it is me.
“I was going to put him to bed.” I murmur, suddenly feeling like I am doing something wrong. He glances down at Romeo, his blue orbs softening as he watches our sleeping son.
Blowing out a breath, he runs his free hand down his face. “I’ll do it.” His tone leaves no room for argument. He pushes out of the chair, moving toward the crib where he gently places Romeo into his sleep bag. It’s such a simple, ordinary thing to do but my chest tightens almost painfully as I watch him. Guilt floods me when I think about how Nico would have missed his chance at doing this had he not found me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper past the lump in my throat.
He glances up at me, his brows furrowed in confusion. “What?”
“I’m sorry,” I repeat. “If I’d had any other choice, I would never have kept him from you. Your father, he threated to kill me if I ever came back.” He knows all this, but I can’t help but tell him again.
Nico’s eyes narrow. He searches my face, studying me like I’m a puzzle he can’t quite solve. And maybe it will always be like that. But going forward, I want to be more transparent. Closing the distance between us, he cups my face in his big hands, his own serious when he speaks. “I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for keeping me from my son. I missed so much, but I understand why you did it. You are young and no doubt you were scared and confused. Having a man like Lorenzo Marchetti threaten you would be enough to keep a grown man away, let alone a teenage girl. I just wish you would have come to me. Yes, I made mistakes, did things that I’m not proud of. But you, Ocean, you lied for the entirety of our relationship about who you were.”
“You lied, too,” I say weakly.
“I did. I had a duty to my family, and I would have gone through with the marriage to Gianna,” he tells me honestly, making my stomach drop. “But I also would never have let you go. Its selfish, hypocritical and I’m sure you hate me for admitting that, but it’s the truth. You were and always will be mine. If that meant being my side piece, then that’s how it would have been. You didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
I gasp at the conviction and honesty in his words. He really would have kept me as his whore.La sua puttana.The phrase Lorenzo used flashes in my mind. Anger bubbles inside of me and if looks could kill, I’m sure he would be dead right now.
“There is always a choice,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
He shakes his head. “Not for you, baby. From the moment you stepped into my club your fate was sealed.”
