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He lets out a breath, nodding once, and I carefully transfer Cassie from my hands to his. He struggles a little to get the right position, but soon he’s holding her, with his hand behind her head to hold it up. Once she’s perfectly situated, she blinks up at her dad and my heart soars when she smiles. Roman’s expression softens.
“Holy shit,” he says.
I cough. “Rome, no swearing around the baby.”
“Right,” he mutters. “Sorry,principessa.”
My eyes almost well with tears at the endearment but I blink them away. The both of us stay still for several moments. He just watches her and I watch him watch her. When Cassie starts to squirm, I place my hand on her head, shushing her gently. She doesn’t stop squirming and when she opens her mouth to cry, Roman’s expression quickly turns frazzled.
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “She probably just wants her pacifier.”
I grab it and place it into her mouth. She settles after that, and I see Roman let out a soft breath.
“We should probably set her down again so she can sleep.”
He nods, handing the baby over to me. I rock her for a few seconds and I’m glad when her eyes start to fall closed. Very quietly, I place her in her crib, and after making sure the baby monitor is on, I leave the room, noticing that Roman already left without me realizing.
I find him leaning against the wall in the living room.
“So…” I drawl, “still think she’s not yours?”
He rolls his eyes. “I had every right to ask that question and you know it.”
“Sure,” I mutter.
He looks away and I find myself wishing he would tell me what he’s thinking. He just met his daughter for the first time. I want to know how he feels, but he’s giving me nothing. When Roman speaks, there’s a bit of an edge to his voice.
“I just want to make some things clear,” he starts, and I gesture for him to speak. “First off, I don’t forgive you for keeping her from me.”
Something cracks in my chest but I nod regardless. “I get that.”
He has every right to be mad. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And Roman obviously has the same sentiment when it comes to forgiveness.
“However, we’re in this situation together. There’s no you or I anymore, there’s just us, trying to take care of our—” He hesitates, swallowing roughly. “Our daughter.”
The two words fall from his lips in a whisper, but he gets them out. I don’t say a word and he continues.
“I’m going to head back home now. And we’re both going to do our best to ensure that our family doesn’t find out about this.”
When I open my mouth to protest, he doesn’t let me speak.
“They’re going to know eventually, but I have to figure out the best plan of action. They’ll be furious, and rightfully so. I need time. And a way to ease them into this information.”
I take a seat on the couch and sigh. “We’re fucked regardless of what you do, Roman.”
He grimaces. Roman thrives on having a sense of control over every situation. This is one thing that’s out of his power.
“I’ll figure it out. Just make sure no one finds about Cassie.”
I nod once. “I will.”
He looks back toward my bedroom and I can tell he wants to see her again. But he shakes his head, reconsidering the thought.
“I’ll have a man or two stand guard outside the building,” he informs me.
My eyes widen. Almost immediately, I remember I’m dealing with a paranoid, overprotective head of a mafia family.
“That’s not necessary. Plus, what if they see Cassie when we take her out on a walk?”
