48. Giovanni
FORTY-EIGHT
GIOVANNI
T he lake was surrounded by hills, affording privacy away from the touristy beach town in Albania. It was barely six in the morning, and the only thing I could hear were our low breaths and the waking of the forest.
And my damn brothers who wouldn’t stop talking.
“How can you tell her mood?” Cristiano asked Romeo. My youngest brother had been trying to make up to Liana by getting to know her, but she wasn’t making it easy for him. I knew she didn’t hold grudges, at least not like she used to, so I suspected it had become some sort of a game between those two.
“Well, bro,” Romeo started, puffing his chest like he was an expert on everything relating to Lia. If he was, he’d be dead, because nobody was allowed to be closer to her than me. “There is the little fact that she’s holding a machine gun that tells us she’s overly happy right now.”
“I sure as fuck hope she isn’t mad at us,” Cristiano muttered.
I’m surrounded by Einsteins.
I rolled my eyes and so did my wife, although the corner of her mouth twitched.
Louisa and Kingston stood hidden in the shadows in case backup was needed, while my brothers stood with us out in the open. There was no sense in pretending we were alone, and I suspected whoever our contact was knew that.
A gust of wind swept through, making the spring temperatures in Albania slightly cooler. Lia’s strands caught in the breeze, sending her wildflower scent my way, and I couldn’t resist the pull of taking her hand into mine.
Then the sound of an engine traveled through the air and all playfulness ended. With guns in our hands, my brothers and I surrounded Lia.
“For fuck’s sake,” she mumbled. “I can hold my own, you know.”
“We know,” Cristiano grumbled. “But hold your own after we die. Until then…”
Yes, my brother was doing some major ass-kissing. But I had no time to dwell on it, because a military green Jeep with tinted paint appeared in front of us and came to a stop.
“Can you see who it is?” Lia whispered. “I can’t see shit through that tint.”
My eyes narrowed, and before I could answer my wife, the door opened, a familiar figure stepping out. Lia pushed her short frame between Romeo and me, glaring at the man with stubble, dark sunglasses, and salt-and-pepper head full of hair.
“Kian, you motherfucker?—”
I pulled her back, tucking her in closer to me and aiming my gun at Kian. At this moment, I wasn’t sure whether Kian was a friend or a foe.
“I didn’t know you were Albanian,” Cristiano hissed, pointing a gun at Kian. “I thought you were Brazilian.”
Lia’s gun was pointed at him too, her eyes flashing with fury that would make Titans proud.
“Put the damn guns down,” Kian instructed. “I don’t want the kids frightened.”
Lia froze, her eyes darting to the car, then back to him. “W-what? What kids?”
Kian issued a soft command to someone in the car, then made his way to us. His eyes were locked on Lia when he spoke, “I’ll give you one guess.”
“But Albanians?—”
Kian let out a dark chuckle, his eyes crinkling. “As you know, Perez and I didn’t have the same mother. Mine was Albanian.”
“Get the fuck out,” Romeo grumbled. “So you run the Albanian mafia?”
“Now I didn’t say that, did I?” Kian retorted.
An eerie feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Being head of the Cortes Cartel was power, but to head the Albanians on top of that was a superpower. Plus, it was a known fact that Kian had been collecting favors from a vast number of organizations and powerful people all over the globe.
“I don’t give a fuck what you run,” Lia said, taking a step forward, much to my dismay. I stepped behind her, keeping my gun aimed at the man who was a mystery. “I want to know where my kids are.”
Her voice cracked, so did my heart. She didn’t deserve any more pain after all she’d been through.
“They are here.” Kian tilted his chin toward the car. “And they are unharmed.”
Lia’s eyes locked longingly on the Jeep.
“You had them all this time?” I questioned. “That’s a pretty shitty move.”
“I kept them safe, just like you kept Amara safe,” Kian reasoned.
Lia’s eyes furrowed. “So they were your assurance that I’d give Amara back to her parents?”
“At first, no. They were just innocents that needed rescuing, and I was at the right place at the right time. I knew it wouldn’t be safe to reveal them as long as Sofia Volkov or Giovanni’s mother was alive. But once she was gone, yes… I kept waiting for you to reach out to Emory DiLustro on your terms.”
Surprise flooded Lia, her eyes going wild.
“If you’d told me—” She stared straight at the man, taking a step forward. She was significantly shorter than Kian, but the way she stood toe-to-toe, she appeared just as tall and strong. “You should have told me.”
“But I didn’t.”
“When you rescued me, you knew?” He nodded, and Lia’s lips curved into a bitter smile. “And yet you gave me useless information not to share.”
Kian let out a dark chuckle. “The Syndicator isn’t useless information. It’s the power. It’s what saved your children.”
Lia slowly lowered her gun to her side, her eyes shining with tears.
“What do you want, Kian?” I demanded. “I assume there’s something you want from us in exchange for the twins.”
He smiled, giving a pointed look at my brothers.
“Lower your guns, then we’ll talk.” At my wordless command, my brothers lowered their weapons and Kian gave a satisfactory nod.
“Now talk, Kian,” my wife said, her voice frigid and her mask firmly on. “Tell me what you want from me.”
“Very well,” he agreed. I kept close to Lia, ensuring her safety, but letting her lead. This was her moment, nobody else’s. “I want you to run your mother’s business.”
“Why?” I questioned.
“Yes, why?” Lia echoed. “There is already one guy who runs a criminal organization in Russia. You certainly don’t need another one.”
“Correct, but you see, the criminals need to be kept in check. Illias Konstantin is the Pakhan and he’s running his empire fairly, but his children might not.”
“Well, worry about that shit when his kids grow up,” I grunted. “Why in the fuck are we worrying about that now?”
“Because The Syndicator is about checks and balances. Rather than wait until it’s too late, Lia will run Sofia Volkov’s empire and keep the Pakhan in check. This will also protect your children.”
“We can keep them safe,” I protested.
“This is ludicrous,” she muttered. “And Atticus, where does he come into play?”
“Don’t worry about Atticus. I got that handled.” He cleared his throat. “The twins will need a lot more than just your protection, Giovanni. They need the Syndicate.”
“And if I refuse?” Lia questioned.
“It’s not in your interest to do so,” Kian warned softly. “Your children’s lives depend on it.”
My arm shot up and I aimed it at him. “Are you fucking threatening her kids?”
He laughed, completely unfazed.
“Considering I’m the one who ensured their safety all this time, I’m not. Their names and association with Sofia Volkov will make them wanted around the globe. The fact that Lia was a big part of the Marabella Agreements and provided the list of candidates for it will make the twins despised and hunted. Like I said, in order for you and Liana to keep the twins safe, you’ll have to take on Sofia Volkov’s empire and participate in The Syndicate. We’re going to dismantle flesh trading around the globe. ”
“I thought this was about checks and balances,” I pointed out.
“It is,” Kian confirmed. “And about the Syndicate.”
“How does this Syndicate play into anything?” Lia questioned. “If you want our buy in, we should know what we’re signing up for.”
Kian locked his gaze on Lia. “The Syndicate is about eliminating flesh trading. You and I have a lot to atone for.” Lia paled, the sins of her past gutting her alive. “I have to undo my brother’s wrongs. You have to undo?—”
“My wrongs,” she finished, her eyes lowering on her missing finger.
“By being part of the Syndicate, you’ll offer an additional layer of protection to Jet and Elira, but also to other children who aren’t so lucky to have parents or family coming after them.”
Silence stretched for several heartbeats when Lia whispered.
“A-are those their names?” Her hands started to shake, tears gathering in her eyes as she grasped for those two names that would be her first connection to her children. Our children.
Kian nodded. “Yes, Jetmir, meaning good life, and Elira, to be free. They’re Albanian names and seemed appropriate.”
“Did they have a good life, Kian?” Her voice cracked. “A free life?”
Kian smiled. “You can ask them yourself, but I think so.”
Lia released a shuddering breath, then turned to me and whispered, “Are you up for it?”
She waited for my answer, breathing harshly. The tremor in her hands didn’t escape me, and I smiled at this beautiful, strong woman who was all mine.
“Wife, I’m up for anything. As long as you’re happy and with me, I’ll go to the edge of the world with you.”
LIANA
Kian was right. I had to atone for my sins, and if continuing my mother’s legacy required it along with participation in this Syndicate I still didn’t understand, then so be it.
As long as I had Giovanni and my twins by my side.
The knot in my stomach coiled and emotions twisted in my chest as I watched Kian walk to his Jeep.
Someone might wonder why I wanted my babies, especially considering who their father was. But for me, they didn’t represent their father or the suffering I endured under his or Perez’s captivity. To me, my babies were hope—for the future, for love, for happiness.
Giovanni had given me those, but without the twins—now that I knew they lived—that happiness would never be complete. Not unless they were with me.
My hands trembled and my heart shuddered. A big part of me was still scared something would go awry and I’d lose my twins all over again. Gosh, it still seemed so surreal. I have twins, a boy and a girl.
Cristiano reached and took the gun out of my hands while I kept my eyes locked on the car, scared I’d miss something. That I’d blink and Kian would disappear with my babies.
Two sets of feet appeared underneath the door that blocked their small bodies and I held my breath. My knees buckled and Giovanni caught me, holding me upright.
I breathed his scent into my lungs, soaking in his strength, and I waited.
Then the first head full of dark hair peeked from behind the door, soon followed by the blonde curls, and I brought my hand to my mouth to stifle a sob.
Their steps hesitant, they started to walk, while I struggled for composure. Tears burned in the back of my eyes, and I fought the urge to run to them. I didn’t want to scare them.
Kian right at their backs, he followed them until all three came to stand in front of me.
“I knew they wouldn’t be identical twins, but they look like opposites,” I rasped, unable to come up with anything better.
“Yes, they are,” Kian confirmed, his eyes flicking behind me where Lou and Kingston stood in the shadows. “But they’re no less connected, very much like you and your twin.”
But my thoughts weren’t with my twin right now. They were with two sets of eyes that were studying me, deciding whether I was trustworthy.
I slowly lowered down to their eye level, swallowing a lump in my throat.
“Hello, Jet and Elira. I’m—” Your mother. And I love you so much. Yet, I was scared to utter those words, fearful of rejection.
“You’re our mom,” Jet finished. “We’re your flesh and blood.”
My eyes darted to Kian, thanking him silently, and he offered a terse nod in acknowledgement.
“Kian told us everything about you,” Elira chimed in. “We’ve been waiting to meet you.”
A strangled sob tore from my lips and no sooner did I open my arms, they fell into them and I wrapped them around their little bodies tightly.
“And I’ve been dreaming about meeting you,” I croaked, showering kisses all over their heads. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”
“But we came as soon as we could,” Giovanni chimed in, his hand on my back seeping strength into me. “I’m Giovanni, your mom’s husband, and I’m so happy to meet you.”
Jet straightened his shoulders and extended his hand. “The pleasure is ours, sir.”
My husband took his hand, lowering to my son’s eye level. “Call me Giovanni, Jet. And welcome to our family.”
“Is your family big?” Elira questioned, her eyes studying everyone. My twin and her husband abandoned their positions and joined the reunion. “There are so many people here.”
“Our family, which includes you and Jet, is indeed big,” Giovanni answered, now shaking her hand. She flicked a worried look to Jet, who gave her a silent nod of approval and she followed Giovanni, her small hand in his big strong one as he introduced her to his brothers, then her uncle Kingston, leaving my twin for last.
Seeing him like this, with my—our—family made it harder to maintain my composure.
Much like me, Lou got down to her knees and pulled Elira into a hug, her lip quivering. “I’m your Aunt Lou, sweetie, and you and me, we’re going to be best friends.”
Elira reached out and touched her face. “You look just like my momma.”
“We’re twins too,” my sister said gently. “Like you and your brother.”
My daughter glanced at me and Jet, who was still standing by me, watching his sister like an overprotective brother.
She returned to me, her small palm coming to my cheek.
“You have a big family,” Elira whispered shyly, her gaze hesitantly moving between Giovanni and me, then darting to his brothers and my sister, only to come back to me.
“ We have a big family,” I murmured. “You two are our family too.” It was impossible to hold back tears, so I let them fall, laughing and crying at the same time. “And you’ve made me”—I glanced at my husband who had been with me every step of the way since he barged into my life with love and gratitude—“ made us complete.”
Then I pulled them into a hug, my husband’s arms wrapping around all of us like a protective cocoon.
My chest glowed, and for the first time ever, I finally experienced what it meant to be blissfully happy. It wouldn’t matter what life brought our way, because I finally had what I’d yearned for for so long.
Love. Family. Happiness.