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Rocco shrugged. “You don’t want me in his life. That much is clear.”
I bit my lip. “So you really don’t want to be part of Matteo’s life?”
His eyes shot to mine. “Do you really think that of me,stellina?” he asked, his tone low and almost hurt.
“I don’t know what to think,” I said honestly.
Rocco took in a deep breath, running his hand through his damp hair. “You were right. We need to think about this. Talk about it,” he said calmly.
I took in a deep breath through my nostrils and out through my mouth. “You’re right.”
“But not now,” he said. “Now, we need to figure out what to do about Ricardo Gallo.”
I nodded, trying not to look down at his naked body. “Papa and I made a plan. He’s going to come here, alone, for a meeting. While he’s here, we’ll figure out if Enzo is involved or not.”
Rocco nodded. “I’d like to be a part of that,” he said in a low tone. I knew he had hatred for Ricardo even before all this happened, but now it must be tenfold now that Matteo and I were involved.
“All right,” I said. “We’ll be in the next room, listening in. Papa’s men will be ready if anything happens.”
“Ricardo isn’t stupid,” he warned. “He won’t say anything if he knows there’ll be a possibility of retaliation.”
“I don’t think my father is just going to talk to him,” I drawled, and Rocco smiled briefly before pulling out a pair of boxer briefs from his duffel bag and put them on. It was easier to look at him, now, but not much. There was still so much bronze skin on display. I cleared my throat. “Then I’ll see you in the morning?” I asked.
Rocco looked into my eyes. “I’ll be here.” He paused, looking away and then looking back at me, his jaw clenching and releasing. “Do you…do you think I could meet Matteo?”
Guilt rocketed through me again. “Yeah,” I agreed. “Tomorrow.” I was terrified to tell Matteo about Rocco, to have him understand that I’d kept his father from him, but at the same time this felt right. I wanted to go to Rocco, to kiss him and tell him I thought he’d be a wonderful father, but my worry and wariness weren’t going to go away overnight. Instead, I just left the room and headed back to my room to shower and change, happy to be home.
20
ROCCO
I woke up feeling disoriented. I’d been staying in so many safehouses and hotel rooms that nowhere felt like home, but waking up at the Rossi mansion was particularly disconcerting. I’d never stayed in a place so ornate, and I looked up at the ceiling and it took me a moment to realize where I was. I rolled over on the comfortable bed, wincing at the soreness on my right side. It felt a lot better after having the tube taken out, but I was still only operating at about seventy-five percent.
I dressed in the only clean suit I had brought with me on this run, and walked down the stairs. Romeo called me into the kitchen, and I cleared my throat. “Good morning,” he said, and I nodded at him in response, putting my hand on a chair a few seats away from him. Romeo gestured for me to get closer, and I ended up sitting next to him, my shoulders stiff. He was an intimidating man, and he had a lot of power in this area. “So, you’re Matteo’s father,” he said, and I choked on the water that had been placed on the table in front of me.
“I am,” I said calmly, looking right at him.
Romeo stared me down for a long moment. “Are you in love with my daughter, Rocco?” he asked, and I swear if I’d been drinking I would have choked again.
“Yes,” I said simply, just telling him the truth.
Romeo nodded as if he’d known all along. “Then you know what kind of woman she is? How strong she is?” he asked.
I looked down at the table and then back at him. “She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known,” I said honestly. It was true. I loved her because of her strength, and sometimes in spite of it. She had been through so much, especially in the last couple of weeks, and she’d taken it in stride for the most part. She was resilient and sometimes intimidating. She was my little star, shining so bright, and I loved her even though I was angry at her right now.
Romeo smiled. “I don’t get in the middle of my daughter’s love life. I never have, and I’m not going to start now.” He paused. “But I want you to know, Rocco Moretti, that I’ll kill everyone you ever loved if you hurt her.”
Jesus.I wasn’t surprised that he was protective of Allegra. Hell, I was too, and I understood, but it was still daunting to hear that come out of his mouth. I nodded slowly. “Fair enough.”
“And you’re going to be a father?” Romeo asked. “A real one?”
I swallowed hard. This was something I hadn’t thought about, how I was going to navigate being a father in this life. I’d never thought about having kids, and everything had happened so fast that I didn’t know which end was up. “Yes,” I said, surprising myself with the steadiness of my voice. “Yes, I want to be a real father to him.”
“Then we’re all square,” Romeo said, smiling at me. “Welcome to the Rossi family, Rocco.” I smiled back weakly. “Now, it’s time for breakfast.” He called for the chef and she came in with breakfast, bacon and sausage and pancakes. I noticed that the chef set four plates, and I kept looking behind me at the staircase, waiting for them to come down. Finally, I saw Matteo skipping down the steps, seeming in good spirits, Allegra right behind him. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Matteo scanned me with his green eyes so much like mine, looking wary for a moment.
“This is Rocco,” Allegra said quietly, her eyes looking puffy and red. She glanced at me with a small smile and I smiled back, even though nerves were making my stomach feel sick.
“Hello, Rocco,” Matteo said, and reached out to shake my hand. He was a handsome boy, tall just like me, and broad across the shoulders for his age.
