Chapter 64
Six weeks later…
We finally entered the house as a family of three for the first time and it felt so surreal. Isabella’s parents were there in the kitchen to meet us, beaming smiles lit up their faces.
“Welcome home, la mia ragazza, ” Lorenzo cooed, carefully taking Valencia out of her car seat.
“ Sei bellissima, proprio come tua madre. ” I rolled my eyes as he murmured to my daughter in full Italian.
I rarely heard him speak it, but he’d made it clear he wanted Valencia to be able to speak as many languages as possible.
“Baby Val!” Theo yelled as he bounded into the kitchen, dragging a flustered Andre behind him. “Uncle Andre, look!” he excitedly squealed.
“Andre, aren’t you supposed to be in class?” Bella asked, bending down to accept Theo’s cuddle.
“If you thought I was going to miss my niece’s homecoming then you’re clearly mistaken.” he winked, peering over Lorenzo’s shoulder to see Valencia. “You look just like your Papa, poor thing.” he teased as Ana swatted the back of his head. “Take it easy, Mama! I was only joking!”
Serves you right, you little shit.
“She does look like you, Uncle A.” Theo practically jumped in my arms to get a better look at his new cousin.
“Theodore Lorenzo Ricci,” Luca barked, capturing his son’s attention as he entered the room. “Don’t be jumping on everyone, please.”
“Sorry, Papa. I just wanted to see Val.” He wriggled in my arms, hands clutching his mouth in excitement.
“You got to watch out for her, alright, T-man?” I asked, his head nodding rapidly.
“She’s got a huge family to watch out for her.” Lorenzo smiled, stroking her cheek with his finger. “But something tells me with a family like ours, she’ll be able to fight her own battles.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” I agreed.
“Right, let’s leave them to get Valencia settled,” Ana said, shooing everyone out of the kitchen as they all groaned in annoyance. “Oh, stop with all the sulking, you can have plenty of baby snuggles later.”
Lorenzo handed Valencia back over to me as Red hovered in the doorway. “We’ve got a problem.” He said, my brow furrowing as he spoke.
“What’s up, Red?” Lorenzo asked.
“George Duval is here. He’s asking to see you.” Red’s face hardened. I glanced from Bella to her father.
“Bring him in,” Lorenzo ordered, “but stay close. And tell his men to stay out-fucking-side. They aren’t welcome in my house.”
“I’ll be upstairs with Theo if you need me.” Ana said, cupping Lorenzo’s cheek.
As Ana exited, Red entered, with a pale faced George at his heels. The hair on the back of my neck raised as adrenaline punched my system. In my arms, my baby girl fussed, urging my need to protect to rear its ugly head.
“George, to what do we owe the visit?” Lorenzo asked, stepping in front of Bella and I.
“Cut the pleasantries, Ricci.” he grunted, his eyes narrowing. “My son, Henry, is missing and I think you had something to do with it.” Beside me, Bella stiffened.
“That so…?” Lorenzo asked, pursing his lips, giving a look of innocence.
“Yes, now tell me what you did with him.”
“Do you know what that little prick of a son was doing behind your back, hmm?” Lorenzo asked as Red stepped over to us. I stared across at George, watching several emotions cross his face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he sighed, scratching his head.
“Well aside from skimming from your competitors’ businesses, your shit bag of a son left my daughter to die in a burning building.” George blinked several times as he absorbed this information.
“That was him?” he whispered, horror filling his gaze.
“Yes,” Lorenzo replied, gritting his teeth.
“We also lost a good man that day, the son of one of my men in fact. He was a good boy, George, which is more than I can say for Henry.” George’s face fell as he glanced from me to Bella and back to Lorenzo.
“So, if you are here to ask if he’s dead, the answer is yes. ”
Silence filled the room as George digested the news.
“I think I need a drink,” he muttered. Lorenzo nodded and Red fixed our visitor with a stiff scotch.
George took the tumbler from Red and knocked it back in one gulp.
“I knew the lad was causing trouble, but I didn’t know about any of this.
” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “What does this mean, now?”
“Nothing. Your son tried to kill my daughter, so she ended his life. As far as I’m concerned we’re square.” Lorenzo raised his eyebrow, folding his arms. “But there’s others he owes money to. He’d been stealing from the Ivanovs too, so I’d watch my back if I were you.”
“I see…” George nodded, twiddling his wedding band around his thick finger. “You’d better fill me in, sounds like my boys have some cleaning up to do.”
After a few moments, we eventually sat down at the table. George’s face was impassive as Lorenzo told him what we had learned… and how his son had met his end.
When Lorenzo was done, George blew out a sigh and started speaking in a hushed tone. “This all started about two years ago. We got into a fight and he threatened to cut all ties with us. Wanted to create alliances of his own. I knew he was involved in something, but damn you, Henry.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t come to you first,” Bella breathed. “I’m sorry you lost your son.”
“Oh, Isabella, I lost him a long time ago. I barely recognised the lad. He was always in competition with his brothers, always wanting more.” He held out his hand across the table for her to take in a handshake.
“Congratulations to the pair of you. Your daughter is beautiful.” He smiled wistfully before alternating his gaze between the three of us.
“The alliance between your father and I, Isabella, has always been strong, and my eldest, Pierre, would like the same arrangement going forward. What do you say?”
“There’s nothing we’d like more,” Isabella replied, shaking his hand. Right there and then it was clear to me and Lorenzo that she was ready.
She was the perfect heir.
“You are my sunshine, mi unico rayo de sol , you make me happy, cuando los cielos están grises , you’ll never know, dear, Cuanto te amo .
” I sang, as I cradled Valencia in my arms on the sofa in her nursery.
It was the only thing that would send her to sleep.
Likely because I’d been singing it to her since she was in the womb.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was the definition of perfection.
Her dainty fingers wrapped around my inked index finger, squeezing ever so slightly and it made my heart melt.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she stirred while she dreamed, while her other hand flattened over her face.
I’d never get bored of watching her and I couldn’t wait to teach her so many things as she grew.
Despite the challenges Bella and I had been through, one thing we were sure on was that we would let Valencia make her own choices. There was no way in hell we’d force her into something she didn’t want.
“ Te protegeré hasta los confines de la tierra, princesa. ” I gently kissed her forehead, her lips pouting as my stubble tickled her tiny button nose. Like always, I could feel Bella before she spoke, sensing her in the doorway
“Come sit with us, my love.” My eyes moved to the space beside me, indicating for Bella to join us. She lowered herself onto the sofa and relaxed her head on my shoulder. “Look at what we made. She’s just so perfect.”
“I know, just like her papa.”
“I’m anythin’ but perfect,” I scoffed, my smile never faltering.
“To me and her you are.” She ran her hand along my arm. “We’ll be okay, you know?”
“I know. Thank you, hermosa .”
“For?”
“For makin’ me the happiest man on the planet. For givin’ me a beautiful daughter and for agreein’ to be my wife.” I rocked Valencia slowly, as we relaxed back on the sofa.
“I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.” She kissed my cheek, making me smile. “I’m starting to think that smile’s becoming permanent.”
“Well, I finally have things to smile about, don’t I?” With that, my lips met hers, kissing her as though it was the very first time.
She was and always would be my home.
My happy place.