Chapter 76
Harlow
“Akim had Harmony’s mother and at some point had Serenity and her mother. I need to test Serenity’s DNA to see if Akim is her father,” Caterina said as I stepped into her office.
I didn’t even realize how Serenity could have been conceived or what her mother experienced at that time.
If Vincenzo had Harmony’s mother, who’s to say the same thing didn’t happen with Serenity’s mom?
Caterina glanced at me and smiled. She was talking with her men and Roman who was on the monitor.
“I’ll see if there are any reports of an illegal adoption ring in the city. I’ll let you know. Nice to see you, Harlow.
“Hi, Roman. Sorry to interrupt. I need to speak with my wife.”
Caterina clapped her hands. “You heard her, boys. Get the hell out.” I watched her men scatter, giving me smiles as they left her room. She disconnected the line with Roman as she pulled me into her arms. “Ciao, mia vita.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. You wanted me and now you have me. What do you want to talk about?”
I kissed her softly. “I want to make Serenity ours. I’m tired of waiting to heal before she becomes ours; I can heal better when she’s here with us.”
“Then we will sign the paperwork and bring her home.”
“Let’s make it special and take her to the park. I already kept her waiting, but I want it to be a special moment she’ll remember.”
“We can get ready, and I’ll inform Mallory we are on our way.”
I pulled her tighter into me. “I love you. Thank you for being my person.”
“I love you, mia vita. You are my soul, now we can get our heart.”
Caterina drove us to the foster care with her hand on my thigh, singing to me. She was a sap, but she was mine. I couldn’t thank the heavens enough for giving me a woman who loved me through the good, bad, and the ugly.
I’d known fear most of my life. There were many things that didn’t scare me like they should and horrible things that I had experienced in life, but the fear was something we had to accept.
I was scared of failing as a wife and mother.
I was scared of this life taking my wife from me.
And I was scared, even in death, Vincenzo would have victory over me.
Like Natalya said, I could use my pain and morph it into something else.
Now I wouldn’t become a stone-cold assassin, but I would use what I experienced to help others who felt as low and as broken as I did.
Vincenzo didn’t break me—he might’ve fractured parts of me, but he didn’t completely destroy me—and those shattered pieces would mend into something beneficial, not only for the family, but for the city.
My wife would get a ruthless queen by her side, but she would also get a merciful one to blend with the savage inside her. She would rule the city with an iron fist, but we would work on saving innocent lives and rebuilding the ones Vincenzo and the other families destroyed.
When we got to Mallory’s house, she darted towards me and pulled me into her arms. She knew I was spiraling.
Caterina kept her updated on everything and she would send pictures of Serenity.
She colored a picture with Caterina and me that said my mommies and me, and I couldn’t handle it. I knew we needed to bring her home.
I took Caterina’s hand and we walked into her house. Serenity and Mallory’s children were upstairs playing when she called them down. When Serenity made it to the top of the stairs and saw me, her entire demeanor changed. She lit up like the Fourth of July and raced down the stairs.
“Row!” She leaped into my arms, her arms tight around my neck as she cried. “Are you better?”
I brushed her hair out of her face. “I’m not better, but I am getting better.” I adjusted her on my hip. “I’m still hurting, but I’m okay. I’m so sorry I left you.”
“It’s okay. You needed to be better. But we’re together now.”
“Yeah we are. What do you say we go to the park?”
Caterina and I were going to officially ask Serenity to be ours today, even though we already knew the answer.
Serenity stayed with the kids for a moment while Caterina and I signed the adoption papers.
We had to bring them to her lawyer to make them more legally binding and officially make her ours, but right now, Serenity was ours.
“Congratulations,” Mallory cooed, pulling me into her arms again. “I know Serenity is in good hands.”
“We’re going to give her the best life,” I told her. “Come to the house this Saturday? I have someone I want you to meet. Two someones. Bring your family.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”