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She scrolled through pictures of children at the zoo that were so sweet my teeth ached. I'd never really thought about wanting kids but seeing this and hearing the story of an accident turned happily ever after, I wondered if maybe I was meant to be someone's Papa. I'd have to talk to Daddy at some point to get his opinion on the subject. He knew me better than I knew myself, so I had no doubt he could give great insight to my subconscious thoughts on the matter.
"Don't stress over this too hard, boss. Life has a way of working out. You managed to get a smoking hot husband, a mansion, and you found me. You're on a lucky streak." With a wink, she gave me her back as she focused on the delicious pot of food.
I sat there contemplating what to do next. Life was supposed to be easy after getting rid of my father. Or rather, as easy as someone in my position could get.
I wanted off the ride. I wanted to relax and rest easy.
Yet now I was facing down a bunch of unknown variables that left me feeling like I was being thrown back in the fire.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
PREACHER
The searchfor Dante's siblings was the easiest investigative job I'd ever been given. He had so much information in that one file that locating them only took a few minutes.
It was what else I found that was concerning.
The deeper I dug, the more I could see the history of Romano's obsession with these people. He'd made several trips overseas to be with them through the years. I wasn't sure if it was to actually get in touch with them, or if it was just to observe them up close.
Since the children, now adults, were actually triplets, he'd likely only been with the mother one time. But one time was all it took for men like him to become obsessed with something.
Each social media page I found for Dante's siblings showed them happy and carefree. They likely had no idea their biological father was the head of a mafia organization. Hell, they might not even know about the bio dad at all given their mother remarried when they were but a year old.
Could we really shake their foundation like we were possibly about to do? It changed things when news like this spread. Maybe their mother wanted to forget her encounter with Romano all together? That was another theory I had for the distance.
I sat in front of my laptop contemplating the possible scenarios as I waited for time to pass. I was buying time while also giving my boy enough space to cool down. He needed to have a second to think through the information we'd discovered. He needed to feel like he hadn't been rocked to his core with this news.
Two hours after the discovery, I went to hunt down my boy. It had been enough time, and frankly, I didn't like the idea of him being alone in his worry. That's why I'd initially sent him to see Emmy. She always managed to put a smile on his face with one of her stories or through one of her delicious treats. It was like her Southern sweetness healed a bit of the broken child inside of him each time they interacted.
As I rounded the corner to the kitchen, I found Dante lying on the counter as he watched Emmy cooking something in a big metal stockpot. Her arms moved slowly, as if the mixture was thick and heavy. Whatever it was smelled divine.
Pushing away thoughts of food, I went to my boy to check on him. "Baby?" I asked as I pressed my hand to his back.
He jolted at my touch, his wild eyes rushing to meet mine. There was panic in them, but also a sort of hopeful curiosity that gave me the answer to the question I was about to ask.
"I found them," I told him. "Would you like to make contact?"
His head bobbed up and down so quickly, I worried he'd snap his own neck. I caught his jaw, then held him still, watching as tears pooled in his eyes.
"They're all alive?"
"Yeah, baby. All of them are. Healthy too, from what I found."
Dante's shoulders dropped at the news. It was as if he was relieved at that one simple thing. The move reminded me of parents at the hospital with newborn babies. They always wait for that first cry after birth, then the worry leaves their body like one giant whoosh. I imagined my boy was feeling that whoosh of comfort in knowing his siblings were alive and healthy.
"Will you help me reach out to them? I don't know what to say." he asked as he gave me his best puppy dog eyes.
I kissed his lips before dragging him up from his seat. "Let's go grab my computer and try to figure out the best way to word it. Thank Emmy for the treats."
He turned to face our lovely chef, who was pretending not to eavesdrop. "Thanks, Emmy. For everything."
"No problem, sugar foot. You come back anytime you need me. And best of luck with your call. Remember, if Uncle Jim can do it, so can you."
Dante nodded solemnly at her as I led him from the kitchen. We grabbed my laptop on the way to our bedroom, then I tucked him under the covers beside me as I pulled up the triplet's information.
"Do you want me to tell you the details or would you just like me to reach out to them directly?" I asked.
He paused for a moment before answering. "Can it be both? Could you reach out to them or their mom and then maybe tell me about them as we wait?"
