Page 60 of A Capo’s Love: Featuring A Don’s Love

He huffed and tried to mask his emotions, but I saw them loud and clear with his posture.

“Come here,” I said softly.

He hesitated and looked at his brother. Abel’s eyes softened while they spoke telepathically to each other. Finally, Abel nodded his head my way. Cain exhaled roughly, ran his hands down his neatly braided cornrows, then hopped off the bed. Soon as he neared me, I readjusted Novae and pulled him close to me.

“I’m sorry to both of you,” I spoke loud enough for Abel to hear me. “I know my disappearance was confusing. We hit it off really good when I first met the both of you then I just vanished.”

Cain nodded his head; he looked up at me with sad almond-shaped eyes.

“Me and my brother liked you a lot. You broke his heart…” He sniffed, tears glossing his eyes. “We’d sneak and stand by his door after you left some nights… he would be on his knees crying and praying about you.” Cain looked away.

His light brown cheeks reddened soon as the confession left his mouth. My chest tightened. I cleared my throat and forced myself to be strong in front of him. Hearing it come from a kid how bad I hurt Luca was like a knife being plunged into my gut.

“We were scared and sad,” Abel whispered from his bed, sitting up Indian style.

“We thought he’d stop loving us because you hurt him bad.” Cain picked up where Abel left off.

“He’d never do that because of me,” I reassured them, a hundred percent sure that my words were the truth.

Luca loved the twins with everything in him.

“Our mom would cry over my dad all the time then treat us bad,” Cain stated lowly.

Just the mention of that bitch Tracy had me ready to haul ass and find her to whoop her ass again for doing these precious boys the way she did and how she continues to do them.

“I whooped Tracy’s ass, and I’ll do it again if she ever hurt y’all again.” I blurted out a little too abruptly in the moment with them.

“You whooped our momma’s ass?” Cain asked with a smirk.

“I’m sorry, Cain. I wasn’t supposed to say that.” I rubbed his back in soothing circles. “I just didn’t like how she was treating y’all.” I cleared my throat. “The both of you deserve all the love in the world. That’s what Luca and your uncle Roy—including me—will give you,” I reassured them confidently.

“So that means you won’t leave again and hurt our dad?” Abel asked from the bed.

My body stiffened.

“Your dad…” I repeated Abel’s words.

“Yeah, our dad… Luca is our dad,” Cain confirmed.

“We want to be here forever… He tried to take us to our mom, and she said she no longer⁠—”

“Pops said don’t mention those hateful words anymore. He said as long as him and Roy are alive, we will always be wanted and loved correctly.” Abel cut Cain off fiercely.

Cain sniffled then nodded his head in agreement with his brother.

“I love that for the both of you.” I smiled, feeling super warm inside and now overwhelmed with lots of emotions for the twins.

“I wouldn’t take Novae away from you guys nor your dad. Although him and I have a lot to iron out… I’m here to stay, pinky promise?” I held up my free pinky.

Abel scrambled off the bed with happiness stretching his handsome face. Cain was the first to lock his pinky with mine. I kissed both of them on their foreheads and reassured them more before turning off the lights and telling them to go to bed.

I held Novae closer before climbing the staircase leading to Luca’s private floor. The railing felt cold beneath my fingers. Tonight would have been the perfect night to cuddle and listen to the rain tapping softly against the windows. Normally, whenever it rained, I’d open the windows to welcome in that clean wet-earth smell that calmed me.

By the time I reached Luca’s double doors… my stomach tightened for reasons I couldn’t even explain. It’s like I could feel his excruciating pain through the heavy wooden doors. I swallowed the lump in my throat then pushed the door opened slowly.

My heart immediately cracked.

Luca was asleep… or at least trying to be. He was shirtless beneath dark blue sheets tangled low around his waist. One arm rested across his stomach while the other curled near his head like he’d been fighting something in his sleep.