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“You already have, Katerina.” He starts to walk out but then turns around halfway to say. “This isn’t over.”
Of course it isn’t. It’s nowhere near close to being over. If he knows me well, he knows that I never give up when I want something. And right now, I just have to plot a course of action, figure out how to get what I want.
I’m the boss of the Mincetti family. And while I may have made some mistakes, I refuse to be cowed.
When I exit the elevator, I do so with my head held high. No trace of the woman, begging for a chance to see a son she abandoned. Rico’s standing in front of the car with my guards. He steps forward as soon as I make an appearance, eyes roaming my face.
“We saw him leaving. He looked angry as hell,” Rico states. “And you look like you’ve been through hell and back. What happened?”
“Can we just leave, Rico?” I ask weakly. “We’ll talk later.”
“Of course, Don. Where to?”
I briefly wonder if going home right now would be a good idea. Especially with my dad around. As soon as I appear, he’ll have questions about where I’ve been. Questions I can’t answer because he can’t know anything about the Steeles.
“Let’s go to Sophia’s house. I want to see my little niece.”
Truthfully, I want to hold Nova to me and imagine she’s my little baby. The one I gave up. But on the flipside, being around her and my sister, sometimes makes me feel so fucking sick. Nova has a cousin she has no idea about. My sister has a nephew. A nine year old, little boy called Nathaniel. And he’s perfect.
I’ve never met him but I know without a doubt that he’s perfect. And I love him so much in spite of it all. I wish his father would understand that.
Alexander used to be so understanding. Willing to look past my flaws, willing to forgive me. I can’t blame him for losing that ability. Not after what I did and the effect of my actions.
We arrive at Sophia’s home and meet them in the middle of dinner. My sister gets to her feet, her expression worried as she takes in me and Rico.
“What’s wrong? You never stop by unannounced,” she says.
“I missed you and Nova,” I tell her softly. She flicks an eyebrow up but doesn’t say anything as she moves to hug me.
Sophia has always been better at both giving and receiving affection than me. She’s also great at putting herself out there, despite the possibility of being hurt. I don’t possess that ability. At the first hint of trouble, I close up, feel the need to run and hide.
My little niece climbs down her booster seat rushing towards me. The only person remaining seated at the table is her father who watches the scene quietly. I crouch down to hug Nova.
“Hi, my little angel,” I greet.
“Zia Kat,” she says happily, placing a tiny hand on my cheek. “Happy to see you.”
I smile, feeling my chest warm. Coming here was definitely the right idea. For the first time since I met Alexander earlier, I feel a sense of normalcy. Sophia insists we have dinner with her family, gesturing for Rico and I to take a seat at the table. I look towards Anthony as soon as I do, arching an eyebrow.
“You’re suspiciously quiet,” I note.
“I know when not to poke fun at you, cognata. You look rough,” he states.
“Careful or I might think you actually like me.”
“We wouldn’t want that,” he says with a small smile.
“Papa likes Zia,” Nova says, adding her two cents to the conversation.
I smile. “Of course your Papa likes me, Nova. He’s a big old softie.”
She giggles just as Sophia reenters with Rico behind her, holding two plates of food. We all settle in to eat and I feel more at ease than I have in days. This is the only place, I truly allow my worries to disappear. Where I feel the most comfortable. With the people I love the most.
But all good things must come to an end. After dinner, Rico and I have to leave. We say our goodbyes, with Sophia heading upstairs to tuck her baby into bed. I don’t miss the look she gives her husband as she leaves.
Anthony follows us outside, stopping me a few feet from the car. “Hey, listen if there’s something wrong, you know you can always ask for help, right? I mean sure, you can be a little scary and a little annoying but we’re family. And we protect each other.”
“You’re only doing this because Soph asked you to, aren’t you?” I tease.
