Chapter 6 #2
“Whenever you’re ready, figli (sons) I will set up lessons for you when we return home.” Andres offers.
Felix and I both nod in agreement. I’m sure just like me he was anxious to learn our native tongue also.
“Now, to the other business at hand, what are we going to do about the old man?” Lorenzo asks stepping away from the wall.
Axl sits against the desk folding his ankles before saying, “Since he has declared war, there’s nothing else for us to do but to oblige him on it.
Father does not have enough men here to go to war but I’m going to call Matteo Ricci and Luca Mancino tonight.
They’re the heads of their families here.
I think if I can get them to stand with us, we shouldn’t have any problems. I will try Davide Russo but he rubbed me the wrong way at the meeting.
I think he already has it in his plans to take out the Romano family.
I may be wrong but that was the vibe I was getting off him. ”
“Well, I made a few calls of my own and before noon tomorrow we’ll have some extra backup.” Andres adds.
“And who might that be?” Axl questions wrinkling his brow.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Andes chuckles. “Now, gentlemen if you will excuse me, I have a very beautiful lady waiting for me upstairs.” He continues to laugh as he exits the room.
Edgar stands heading towards the door before Axl stops him. “Edgar, what is my crazy father talking about?”
Edgar takes one last pull of his cigar before putting it out in the ashtray by the door. “You heard your father you’ll just have to wait and see.” He too chuckles as he leaves.
Something was up with those two and whatever Andres had going on, I would bet my last dollar Edgar knew about it too.
“Axl, do you think that’s why Sergio treated me the way he did? Maybe he saw what we all didn’t.” I question looking down at Harper who has was sleeping peacefully.
Axl rubs his hand across his brow. “I don’t know, Adam, maybe but Sergio was fucked in the head so there’s no telling. Don’t worry about that shit, I don’t need you trying to find some underground fight club to beat your emotions away. If you need to talk you come to either one of us, you hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you.” I reply shaking my head, it was like he was reading my mind. I was going to ask around to see if there were any clubs here.
“Big brother is right, Adam. Don’t even think about that shit.” Felix adds as he takes hold of my shoulder.
“I won’t. Since our little meeting is over with, I’m going to take my little princess upstairs to bed.” I state as I rise with Harper.
“Adam, are you sure you are okay?” Axl questions searching my eyes.
“I’m good, Axl. This changes nothing.” I reply.
“Damn straight, little brother. Just like Axl used to tell us, the only blood running through our veins that counts is moms. Her blood alone makes us blood brothers!” Felix chimes as he pulls Axl and me into a hug. I turn to the side so their big bodies don’t crush Harper.
“Ahhh, brotherly love.” Lorenzo teases behind us.
“Shut up, Zo! You and Maxillo bring your big asses over here, your like brothers to us too!” Axl jokes back as they join in our hug of solidarity.
This was my family, my brothers. Blood or not I know they had my back just like I had theirs and as for my father, Andres, there was no question he wouldn’t stand beside his sons with pride.
By the time I got Harper back up to our room, Imani was asleep.
She momentarily woke up when I laid Harper next to her.
She wrapped her arms around her and dozed back off.
I stood there watching my woman and my child sleep peacefully thanking God for bringing them into my life.
At that moment I decided I was going to talk to Andres in the morning about seeing if there was a Justice of Peace to marry Imani and I while we were here.
I did not want to wait another day to make her Mrs. Salvant-Romano.
I knew we would have some issues with Spencer about me adopting Harper to officially make her my daughter but I also knew Andres knew who to get in touch with to make that happen too.
I left my sleeping beauties to enter in the bathroom to take a quick shower. When I was done and dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, I climbed into bed with them. I pressed my chest against Imani’s back then wrapping my arm around them both before joining them in a peaceful slumber.
The next morning, I woke up to giggles with my right eye being forcefully opened. Adjusting to the light, Harper’s grinning face was before me.
“Good morning, Daddy!” She greets excitedly full of energy.
“Good morning, princess.” I respond. “Where’s your Mommy?”
“She’s in the bathroom.” Harper replies still holding my eye open.
“Harps, princess, you gotta let Daddy’s eye go so I can open the other.”
She continues to giggle as she removes her fingers from my eyelids. “Thank you, princess.”
She smiles but I watch as it slowly fades. “Daddy, I thought those men were going to hurt you last night.”
I cradle her in my arms. “Princess you don’t have to worry about your daddy, okay. I will always make it back to you and mommy.”
Harper pouts. “I should have listened to Alex when she said, we are Salvant-Romano’s and there is no room for tears in our family.”
I internally laugh at my niece’s words. Ladybug was a different breed, when she stepped on the sparring mat all that girlie shit went out the window.
I clear my throat. “It’s okay to cry sometime, princess.”
“Good morning, you two.” Imani greets coming out the bathroom.
I eye her from head to toe admiring floral sundress she has on that shows of her shapely curves.
She has her hair pulled up in a messy bun and silver hoops hung from her ears.
She was a sight to behold whether she was dressed in her business suit for work or t-shirt and jeans, my woman was beautiful.
“Good morning, indeed.” I respond winking at her. She giggles.
“Good morning, Mommy.” Harper chimes. “You look pretty, Mommy.”
“Thank you, baby.” Imani sang as she twirled around. “What do you think, Adam? Do I look pretty?” She asks as she strikes a sexy pose with her hand on her hip.
Imani’s lucky Harper was in the room with us because if she were not, I would have done a panty check then ripped them motherfuckers off and fucked her senseless.
Giving her my ‘you’re gonna get it later’ look I reply, “You look beautiful as always, love.”
She slaps her hand over her mouth. “Um, thank you, Adam.” Yeah, she knew she was gonna get it. “Harper, come on so we can get you cleaned up and dressed.”
“Okay, Mommy.” Harper says before turning back to me. “See you soon, Daddy.”
“You betcha, princess.” I tell her kissing her forehead.
Imani walks over to help her out of bed. She then leans down and give me kiss before saying, “We’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast.”
“I shouldn’t be long.” I tell her before kissing her lips again. Harper giggles behind her. Imani smiles when she pulls away. She takes Imani’s hand then leave the room.
I hop out of bed making my way to the bathroom to handle my business and hygiene.
When I am finish, I exit going to the spacious walk in closet where Imani has arranged our clothes.
I take a pair of boxers out the dresser and sit them on top of it before taking off my pajama bottoms and t-shirt.
I slide the boxers on then grab a crisp white t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts.
Once dressed I stand in front of the mirror and brush my long hair.
As I stare at myself, I slow my brushing to a complete stop.
I can now recognize features of Andres that I have never paid attention to before.
Like how I have his jaw line, the shape of his nose.
I swivel my head from side to side. I still cannot believe we never picked up on it.
True I did have my mother’s honey brown eyes and some of her features but I guess since people often said I looked so much like her I didn’t think otherwise.
I give myself one last once over. Fuck it, I had already accepted being a Salvant-Romano before learning this and even if we had never found out I still would have accepted Andres as my father anyway.