Page 187 of Angel

Massimo gave Sofia and me dramatic kisses on the hand, winking up at us.

‘Sorry to disturb you,’ Ana said in a husky alto. ‘I just had to drop Raff’s things.’

I exchanged a smile with her. ‘All good.’

Massimo’s eyes locked onto the boy sitting near the bassinet.

‘You forgot your braces kit again, figlio,’ Massimo growled, none too pleased.

Raff rolled his eyes, dropping his chin toward his chest in silent rebellion.

‘Don’t give me that disrespect,’ Massimo snapped in front of everyone with a scowl.

Deacon’s body went rigid, clenching his jaw.

‘Hey, chill, man.’

‘He yells at me at their house, Dad,’ Raff spluttered, his young teen voice cracking with a blend of defiance, fear, and vexation. ‘He’s always on my case.’

‘The hell? This true?’ Deacon bit off, his cadence irate.

He took a step toward Massimo, arching a brow, anger radiating from him.

Angel stepped in, hands raised.

‘Brother, not here, not in front of Raff.’

Deacon simmered down, glaring at his ex-wife and her partner.

‘This is not the end of this discussion.’

Ana pursed her lips, her eyes clouding over, as she pursed her lips, nodding at her ex.

Yet as she glanced away from him, I caught an expression on her face, one of such yearning that I arched a brow.

Those two still had a lot of shit to sort out between them.

Ana’s face shifted into an apologetic expression laced with a tad of embarrassment.

‘Agreed, D.’

She spoke in a soft murmur to bring the temperature down.

‘Let’s chat when you’re back home. Angel, Roxy, Jude, Sofia, so sorry to have disturbed you all.’

Massimo gave us an abrupt chin lift, eyes wary and closed off.

My husband stepped into the gap, took the dental box from Ana’s manicured hands, and handed it to Deacon.

Then he steered the visitors back toward the front door.

After it shut, Deacon reached out a hand to Raff, wrapped him in a hug, and took him to bed.

‘I’ve never met Ana,’ I confessed when they were out of earshot.

Jude and Angel exchanged glances.

‘She’s something else,’ Jude growled. ‘All you need to know is that she gutted Deke’s heart when she left him for the Italian Stallion. Soon after they lost their baby, too. Took Deke years to recover too after she fucked with his heart and mind.’