Epilogue I Cesare #2
How could I not be? They were all in here with their families, happy. Two little girls with rich brown skin and braids in their hair with blue beads bounced over. They were identical, much like how Gin and Paolo were. It was déjà vu all over again.
They had to be Navy and Nyra.
York stood up, his hold on his drink tight as he stared daggers at me as if threatening me to do anything against his children. I could respect that as a father. I gave him a slight nod in acknowledgment as the girls stopped right in front of us.
Their brown eyes skipped over to Rafael. “Are you really our Uncle Grandpa?”
Everything stopped as their words finally registered.
My twins fell to the floor in laughter, breaking the unbearable silence first. Blake and Quincy were next, cackling like a bunch of stoned idiots.
A tall man who had to be Tex twisted around next to Enzo.
His broad shoulders shook with his laughter.
“Who told you that?” Rafael asked.
The twins shrugged. “Just heard it.”
Oh good, they weren’t snitches, but it didn’t take a genius to know who the fuck said it.
Rafael smiled. “No, I’m not.”
“What do we call you then?” They pointed to me before I could say anything. “We were told to call him Old Man.”
My eye twitched. “You’re dead, Giancarlo.”
“Hey, why am I getting blamed? They’re Paolo’s kids,” he said.
“Because I know it was you.” I glanced down at the girls. “Grandpa is fine.”
“Okay.” They accepted the change so easily.
Rafael shrugged. “Vov? works for me. Oh, here, we got you both something.”
Their eyes lit up the moment they took the gift bags from us.
“Girls, what do you say?” York asked.
“Thank you, Grandpa and Vov?.” Never thought I’d like that so much, but hearing them call me grandpa brought a smile to my face.
Harlow glared at me, holding his and Benito’s little girl. She had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. She had the same gray eyes as him as she stared at us.
“This is for Emika,” I said, offering up the life-sized unicorn.
Benito moved behind his husband, whispering into his ear before Harlow put their daughter down. I didn’t miss the tiny glint of metal hidden at Harlow’s side.
It was going to take some time, but sooner or later, they were going to be less wary.
Emika made her way over to the plushie and face-planted into it. Her giggles warmed my heart. I tilted my head.
“I always did want a girl,” I said quietly. “Never got the chance.”
“Stop standing by the door, Dad, you look like you’re ready to bolt any second,” Paolo teased. He handed over a drink, and I took it.
Rafael was already across the room, meeting Ash, Gin’s partner.
He handed over the gift bag, and to my surprise, Ash drew him in for a hug.
How all this was so effortless for him was beyond me, but I was glad I had him.
Tex made his way over and the three seemed to instantly get wrapped up into a conversation.
“What did you bring me?” Gin asked.
“You get nothing, be lucky I don’t knock your lights out for the shit you and your brother pulled.”
“Hey, that was all Gin,” Paolo argued.
Benito tugged Enzo along and made their way over to us. My oldest wiped some blood off his arm before pulling his shirt sleeve back down. I raised a brow. What the hell happened there?
“Don’t ask, it’s their kink,” Gin said. “Just don’t, uh… get too close to Harlow if he’s holding a fork. Knives ain’t the only issue here.”
“It’s not a kink, he’s just having a hard time,” Benito said. He snatched up a glass and poured himself a drink.
Blake bounced over to us, looking and sounding too damn chipper. “Man, it sucks, I always have to be a part of the crotchety team.”
“The what?” I asked.
Gin punched him. “Fuck you, man, we aren’t crotchety.”
I shook my head and glanced over and met Rafael’s gaze. He smiled at me even as Harlow poured him some wine. It was like he was made for me, made to be here, making my life better.
“Half of your spouses want me dead,” I said.
Benito grunted along with Paolo and Blake.
“Not Ash,” Gin said, raising his glass. “My puppy is a green flag. He wouldn’t hurt anyone… Well except that one time, but that’s because my life was on the line.”
“Tex doesn’t care either way. He said as long as we’re all safe, he’s happy,” Enzo said.
I wanted to ask how they’d all met their partners. About all that I had missed out on, but I had no right to. I nodded.
Gin slapped me on the back. “See, that's, like, twenty-nine percent of the spouses.”
“Your math is horrible, stop saying random numbers,” Enzo warned.
I shook my head. They were grown, but they still acted like kids sometimes.
Ash made his way over to us and passed over a baby to me.
I was quick to put the drink down and hold him properly.
Freckles lined his button nose. I missed this stage, sometimes, when all the innocence hadn’t been corrupted yet.
Benito had Emika in his arms, and she gave him wet, sloppy kisses on the cheek. “Want to hold her?”
My chest ached. I nodded. Maybe I never had a daughter, but I had granddaughters now. Those were good too.
“Yes.” I shifted Luca to one side and held open my arm for Emika.
He passed her over, and she stared up at me with her big gray eyes before pulling on my facial hair.
I grunted but it only seemed to make her giggle more.
As I peered down at the babies nestled in my arms, my throat squeezed.
Maybe Rafael would be open to having a kid.
We could do it right together. One more couldn’t hurt. I smiled.
I wouldn’t give this up for all the power and money in the world.