Page 102 of Daddies of the Underworld

A nod and another bite. “So tired. And she needed a snack. It’s hard being a queen and protecting the king all the time. She thought he could handle five minutes without her.”

Luca snorted, and I pressed my napkin to my mouth because laughing would only encourage her. She already believed she ran the entire villa. I was waiting for her to proclaim herself as Queen Unicorn any day now, especially after growing bold enough to steal Matteo’s queen.

We’d been keeping a record of how many people Sofia could boss around by dessert.

Dante reached for the queen.

Sofia slapped one hand over it. “No. She’s still resting.”

“She cannot rest during war.” Dante lifted an eyebrow.

Sofia scowled. “It’s not war. It’s chess.”

Matteo covered his mouth with one hand. “Sofia, has someone been teaching you how to cheat?”

“No?” Her gaze darted to Luca.

“I see.” Matteo wadded up a napkin and threw it into Luca’s face so fast he didn’t have a prayer of dodging. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Um…I am an ally to tired royalty?” Luca pushed the napkin away with one hand and nudged Dante when he checked the patio doors. “Dante, once is fine. Five times in one dinner is excessive.”

Dante grunted, not about to apologize for his continued obsessive need to look out for us. A year after he was shot, and he still walked the perimeter every night, checked every lock, and jumped at every noise.

I did too, but on a smaller scale.

He stood, crossed to the doors and looked outside.

“Are we safe?” Luca managed to keep the words calm.

We’d been through this enough that it no longer frightened Sofia. She told me last night she felt better when Dante checked the villa. I hadn’t had to tell him, he’d overheard from the hallway. Now we might never get him to stop.

Couldn't say that I wanted him to stop.

“We live in a fortified estate surrounded by armed men.” Luca stood and joined Dante at the door.

Dante turned away. “I will always be vigilant.”

Warmth pushed up from behind my ribs and spread through my chest. He still carried the scar from Viktor’s bullet. He always would. He woke if Sofia so much as sniffled.

“Daddy?” Sofia tugged on his sleeve. “You’re making forehead wrinkles again.”

Luca choked on his wine he’d carried over with him.

Dante rubbed two fingers between his eyebrows. “Better?”

“A little.” She held up half a cookie. “Eat this. Cookies make wrinkles magically disappear.”

He took it and ate the whole thing in one bite.

My throat tightened, and I reached beside my chair to touch the gift bags I’d hidden there. Not really hidden. They knew I had something for them. I’d told them tonight was a celebration of the one year anniversary of the day we moved back into Villa Belladonna. That was true. And not.

Luca’s gaze snapped to my hand. “Are you ready to show us what you’ve been hiding all day?”

My stomach flipped in that delicious way he always managed to bring out. I had practiced this twice in the bathroom mirror and once in the closet after Sofia almost walked in on me rehearsing. My hands still trembled just a bit as I stood. “I have presents.”

Sofia shoved her chair back so fast Dante had to catch it before it tipped. “For me?”

“One for you.” I handed her a purple bag. “And one for each of your fathers. You have to open them at the same time.” I gave the warning with a wag of my finger when Sofia shoved her hand into the bag.