Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
NICO
Witnessing my wife get the revenge she so deserved warmed my thawing heart. Now it’s time to work out our bullshit and be a family.
Bets opens the rear passenger SUV door. Madden releases Kisha’s hand, jumps into the back seat, stands on his knees, and curls his arms around our necks.
“I missed you bof,” he says.
“We missed you, too,” Serenity and I tell him.
Serenity glances between Bets and Kisha. “Thanks for protecting Madden.”
“You’re welcome,” Bets replies.
Kisha smiles. “Happy to be of service.”
Abe and Vex appear.
“The house is secure,” Abe mentions.
“I know it’s been an intense week,” I say to the team as I buckle Madden into his booster seat between us.
“Thanks for everything you’ve done. You all will be well compensated.”
They each give their thanks before Vex closes the door.
The five families have come together to take over Ettore's and Aleksandr’s territories.
Ettore’s wife and children receive no part of his fortune. Fortunately, her family is affluent, so she and the children will be secure.
Just because Ettore was a piece of shit didn’t mean we’d retaliate by murdering his family.
Taking Ettore’s and Aleksandr’s wealth and dividing it between the Cichello and the five families works well.
“Where are we going?” Madden asks as Reacher rolls through the streets of Newark, New Jersey.
“We’re going to your new home in Dover, Delaware,” I tell him.
His brows bunch together.
“I know you don’t know where that is.” I pull up a map on my phone. “This is where we are. We’re going all the way over here.” I move my finger along the route to Dover.
He nods and smiles.
“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you all about America.” I grin.
Serenity keeps her eyes on Madden. I’m sure she’s concerned about overloading him with information.
“Let’s focus on you getting adjusted to your new space.”
“Okay,” Madden says, tapping his tablet screen.
“What’s on your mind, Serenity?” I ask.
“Just trying to get used to this new normal.”
“You should go into a coffee shop and order something.”
She ponders on my words, smiling. “Reacher, stop at Best Brew.”
Instantly Madden wants to know what that is.
Reacher rolls to a stop in front of the coffee shop.
“Mommy, can I come with you?”
Worry is etched on her beautiful features.
“You two go. I’ll wait here. I’ll take an espresso.”
She nods. Our soldiers exit the SUVs in our motorcade. A couple of them monitor our surroundings. Bets and Miff enter the coffee shop with Serenity and Madden.
Do I feel totally comfortable letting my son out into this cruel world? No, I know our men will do everything in their power to protect my family.
Several minutes later, Serenity and Madden return with a bag full of treats and a cup holder teeming with drinks.
Serenity places the espresso in my hand.
“Thank you,” she mouths.
“You’re welcome,” I mouth back.
Madden chomps on a cake pop while he breaks down why he had to have all the goodies his mother bought en route to the house. It’s surreal being in his presence like this. No sneaking around behind his mother’s back.
Today is about our family. We can talk about all the betrayal tomorrow.
As we walk through the house, Madden’s sugar intake is evident. He runs in and out of each room, screaming at the top of his lungs.
“He’ll sleep good tonight,” I say.
She laughs. “He sure will.”
Madden halts in front of me.
I stare into his excited eyes that mirror mine.
“Dad, pick me up.” He stretches his arms.
I don’t hesitate to lift my son into my arms and squeeze him.
I’ll never get tired of hearing him call me dad.
As I peer over the banister, he squeezes my neck tighter.
“Madden, I won’t let you go. Don’t play on or near the banister. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” he replies.
Halting in front of one of the bedroom doors, I push it open. Madden wiggles out of my arms and bolts inside. It’s a blank canvas.
“Let me and mom know how you want your room decorated. We can get bed sheets featuring your favorite cartoon characters, or we could try something new.”
He pumps his fists into the air and races in a circle around the spacious room. “Yeah!”
“We’ll start the designing process right away,” Serenity smiles.
The tension between us is obvious. Right now we’re civil with each other for our son.
Later that night, after tucking Madden in, Serenity and I retire to our bedroom. We move around each other in the bathroom and closet robotically as we get ready for bed. I climb into my side of the bed and grab the remote off the nightstand.
Serenity sits across the bed, a pink bonnet protecting her hair and a face mask covering her skin, absorbed in a romance novel on her Kindle.
After all these years, does she think that face mask will keep my hands off her curves?
I tap a few buttons on the remote and began watching sports highlights. Without fail, by the middle of the night, my body is curled around hers. We sleep peacefully this way. Well, at least I do.
I slept in until eleven a.m. Anyone in the mafia will say torturing takes a lot out of you. However, we love to do it. It definitely took a lot out of my wife. I climbed into bed around eight-thirty. Fifteen minutes later Serenity’s Kindle was face down on her chest, light snores left her.
Serenity stands at the balcony doors watching Madden run around the backyard under Kisha’s supervision while sipping a cup of coffee. Serenity looks well-rested.
“Chef Marney made coffee.” She lifts her mug. “It’s delicious.”
“I think I’ll grab a ginger juice. The ginger mixed with lemon and pineapple don’t irritate my stomach like the green juice,” I say as I walk to the fridge.
She nods.
I run a hand over my washboard abs. “I need to clean up my body after being away for a while.”
“Nico, it’s time to talk.”
I reach into the fridge and retrieve a twelve-ounce glass bottle of juice. “We can talk in my office.”
Dressed in gray cropped leggings and a little black tee, she pads down the hallway in her black no-show socks.
Her hair is pulled up into a braided bun.
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t want to unbraid her hair and run my fingers through her wavy locks.
My wife is my fucking addiction. After this tough conversation, I don’t know what kind of couple we’ll be.
Two people miserable forever. Or can we work it out?
I step into the office carrying a plate filled with scrambled eggs and half a pound of bacon. Sorry, I won’t live without my bacon.
My wife is seated on the sleek, velvety chocolate sofa.
I sink into one of the two cream-colored chairs catty-corner from her.
After sipping my juice, I place the bottle on the table, pick up the fork and dig into my breakfast. I feel my wife’s eyes move over my muscled frame.
I’m wearing a crisp tan dress shirt rolled just below my elbows, tan slacks, and expensive brown loafers.
My brown curls are perfectly moussed, and my beard is freshly trimmed. Am I playing fair? Fuck, no.
“Wife, would you like to climb on? I’ll be happy to take you for a mind-blowing ride.” I wink flashing a cocky smirk.
She blinks a few times and clears her throat. “Start from the beginning. Don’t leave anything out.” She sips her coffee.
“That night when I came to your place to warn you about Amy stealing from your family’s company, I swapped your birth control pills with Catch’s help.”
She places her mug on the coffee table and rubs her temples. “How did you know what they even look like?”
“Serenity, we’ve been together for a long time.”
“We were not together, Nico,” she bites out.
I ignore that statement.
“I’d searched for them in the bathroom drawer at your condo. And just to make sure you still took the same brand, I had your medical records hacked.”
Her eyes turn stormy gray. “No boundaries, huh?”
I chowed down on two slices of bacon. “Unfortunately, not when it comes to my woman.”
“Nico, I told you I didn’t want kids.”
“You told me after I switched out your birth control pills. By then it was too late.”
Her eyes widen. “That’s why you took care of me when I was sick.” It isn’t a question. It’s a statement. “You knew I wasn’t sick. I was pregnant.”
“I had hoped you were pregnant, patiently waiting for you to share the news. I imagined the doctor would confirm it, and then you’d tell me we were expecting a baby. But instead, you kept it to yourself and stole my baby.”
Her brows pinch together. “Yeah, well, I ran because I didn’t want to risk my enemies doing to me what had been done to my mother or worse. I planned to give our baby up for adoption. Because I didn’t want our child entering the mafia underworld.”
Now my brows lower. “You didn’t have the right to give our child up for adoption,” I roar.
“Just like you had no right to get me pregnant without my permission. This is my body, Nico,” she bites out, shaking with anger.
“My fucking body.” The helplessness in her eyes slams straight into my heart.
I’ve lost my appetite. I shove the plate away and sit back in my chair. “Once I had pictures of you sitting poolside with a large belly, it was time to make my move.”
She listens intently.
“I met with your grandmother, Fia.”
She gasps at the truth I reveal. “My, my grandmother.”
“Yes. We had a good talk. She told me you said it wasn’t my baby, and you were giving the child up for adoption. So many thoughts ran through my mind when she said those words. However, she trusted me because she knew I’d burn this entire world down for her granddaughter, even though I hated you.”
I continue on, not waiting for a response. “I went to your grandmother’s estate at eleven p.m. while you were asleep. I asked Fia to give you a sedative so I could visit with my child.”
“My own grandmother betrayed me,” she growls.