“I need you to be a good boy while I’m away. Behave for GG, okay.”
He fists his big curls. “Okay, Mommy.”
“Kisses, Madden.”
He blows me a kiss, and I press his little kiss to my cheek. “I love you.”
“Luve you too, mommy.”
“Nana, let Kisha know I’ll call her in regard to the flight times.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Love you, goodbye.”
“Love you too,” she replies disconnecting the line.
Can’t let Nico catch wind of Madden. He’s my child. The sooner I can kill him, the better.
I’ll have to work fast and off him before this whole heir possibility. I swallow the bitter pill of reality—marry him or Dad doesn’t get Newark.
I sit on the edge of the bed and ponder on the difficult decision. The man I’d loved since I was sixteen has to die at my hands. I’m not sure there’s a day I hadn’t thought about him. It’s sad, really. Our life in the mafia has brought us to this point. I’ll do anything to protect Madden.
I hop up, open the door, and place my phone in Angel’s hand. “Do we have any issues?”
She flashes a fake smile. “No.”
I know that smile means she and the other bodyguards have a problem. I’d let them work it out.
I saunter into my office, and Angel closes the door behind me. My mom designed this office for me years ago. A smile lifts my lips as I scan the beautiful romance books lining the shelves. The books bring me comfort.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Kobi. The meeting with my dad ran long.”
He left the window, stalking toward me. “It’s okay.”
His large hands clutch my waist and his lips crush mine. My hands splay his chest as I push away from him.
“I’m sorry, Kobi, I shouldn’t have started dating you. I knew once I returned to America, a certain someone would find a way to make my life a living hell.”
Kobi and I had been seeing each other for months. Yes, I called him my boyfriend earlier, but that was just to get under Nico’s skin. Kobi wants to put an official label on what we are. We’re two people dating each other. Nothing more. Before I got pregnant, I considered working things out with Nico. Then I ran. I didn’t plan to date anyone. Kobi and I met at a market in Florence. We’d sit for hours, talking about everything over espressos and pastries. It was refreshing.
Truthfully, I find it difficult to be with any man who isn’t Nico. I’m all kinds of fucked up.
No one kisses like him, sees me like him, worships me like him. Correction used to worship me.
Nico doesn’t love me anymore. When I look into his eyes, all I see is hate.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m engaged to be married.”
Kobi’s eyebrows shoot up, looking incredulous. “Since when?”
“Twenty minutes ago. The asshole made a deal with my father. I am to marry Nico Pitucco. Even though it is an arranged marriage. He has no plans to share me. There will be no hooking up with men outside our marriage. He’ll kill them.”
“Does he love you?”
He used to.
I burst into laughter. “God no. He enjoys putting me through hell. I’ll be his show pony.”
