Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Leon
Katya doesn’t question it when I tell her that I need to leave in the middle of the night.
Only an hour after putting Bastian and Leo to bed I knew I couldn’t make it until sunrise before doing something about the rumors surrounding my family.
I would sleep like shit if I tried, too busy with my mind reeling on how to handle putting a stop to what’s been said behind our backs.
“I might be gone for a while,” I clarify, snapping my cufflinks into place while looking down at my wife.
She’s been sitting on our couch since we finished bedtime together, waiting up in case either of the boys come out of their room needing something.
It’s a habit she’s quickly fallen into, not going up to her own rooms until at least two hours after making sure the kids are fully asleep.
A habit I’ve come to find endearing. She usually watches a movie, reads a book, or plays keys on a small traveling keyboard that she can plug her headphones into.
Tonight, she’s been on her phone instead, texting back and forth with Rayna since sending her photos from dinner.
“Like a few hours or?” Katya looks up, biting on the corner of her lip. “Will you be back tomorrow?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admit, unwilling to make a promise I can’t keep. “Gino and I have a few things to deal with, and it could take longer than we expect. If we aren’t done by tomorrow night, I’ll make sure to come home and then go back after I’ve seen you all.”
Her eyes soften, seemingly liking the sound of my vow. “I’m sure we’ll have a fun day together if you can’t make it home. You’ve been around so much lately, I think the boys will take it in stride.”
I hope so.
“Call me if they don’t.” It’s not a request, but not barked like an order either. “This is something I want to deal with personally but they’re more important than anything. I can have one of my brothers take my place if I need to.”
Katya drops her phone into her lap to show me that I have her full attention.
“They’re strong boys, Leon. I know you want to be with them as much as they want to be with you, but they’re adapting.
I can handle a day with them, and you can check in on us as much as you want.
Watch us on the cameras, call us, send pictures or voice notes for the boys.
You can make this work, you know? Being a father and a boss. We can make this work.”
I know that she’s right, and still, a strong paternal urge is clawing at my insides every single day. Something raw and desperate and irrational. I could take them away from this life, I know I could.
Leaving the mafia isn’t something that’s generally allowed, nor that greatly sought after.
But if I wanted to, I could change our lives forever with one request to my father.
Dante Moretti would never deny me the right to take my children and leave our world.
I could be a stay-at-home father, and raise them as normal kids.
We could run off to wherever Katya and I found to be the most appealing and live out the rest of our days in peace.
But this life is more than crime, money, and power.
It’s a legacy—their legacy. They were born into this world, and one day they’ll partially rule it.
Their family is here, and everyone who they’ve ever known.
Changing our lives wouldn’t make them better, and no parent truly spends every waking moment with their children.
Independence is going to grow as they do, and they won’t always want me around.
They’ll accuse me of hovering and request space more and more as they transform from boys into men.
For now, Katya and I will do our best to surround them with love and attention. We’ll try to balance being supportive and there for them with helping them create healthy stability that doesn’t rely directly on either of us. We’ll do our duty as parents, and as members of the Moretti family.
“Yeah,” I finally agree, dipping my head once. “I think we can make it work too. Still, call me if anything goes wrong.”
“I will.” Katya smiles softly. “And you don’t have to apologize for watching me on the camera when you come home this time, husband. I like knowing you’re looking out for us and that I can hold your attention.”
It takes every bit of self-control in me not to bend over the couch and capture her face in my hands to pull her up and demand she repeat herself.
She’s a sweet woman, my wife. But I’m quickly learning that there’s a fire burning inside her, and that fire calls to my own.
Sometimes I think that she’s a siren, waiting to lure me into her waters.
Other times, an angel dropped down from the heavens to fix every problem I’ve ever had.
Perhaps she’s both.
I decide saying nothing is the only way I can leave this house without doing something that will keep me in it.
Kissing her…touching her…if I even began to engage in either I would never make it out of this house in time to meet Gino and to deal with my enemies.
“Bye,” Katya says, giggling to herself as I all but run away from her.
The cool touch of night air does nothing to quell the burning temperature of my blood as I disappear into the twilight.
“What do we know?” I ask twenty minutes later, striding into one of my more secluded buildings. From the outside, it appears to be some kind of abandoned warehouse, but on the inside, it’s a fortress of death.
My question is heard, but it isn’t Gino who opens his mouth to answer me.
“Brother,” Apollo says, emerging from the shadows of the large room. His shoes tap loudly against the cement floor as he closes the distance between us. “You look thirsty for blood, good. We have traitors to hunt.”
“You’re here,” I note, keeping my surprise contained by my tone.
“You didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun, did you?”
Gino chuckles, shaking his head at my brother’s quip.
“And Nico? Should I expect to find him lurking around here somewhere?”
“Not this time,” Apollo replies, smiling crookedly. “He’s attending to another task for now. Besides, Gino here tells me you want to take heads. That isn’t quite our little brother’s style.”
No, Nico would want to play with his food before beheading it.
“I want to send a message,” I confirm with a barely restrained growl. “People can say whatever the fuck they want about me, but implying Katya would be some kind of mistress and shield a child from the family is treasonous. Talking about my son at all can’t be allowed to go unanswered.”
“Well, we disagree on one thing.” Apollo tilts his head, assessing me.
“People can’t go around saying whatever they want about you.
You’re Dante Moretti’s second-born son, Underboss, and my fucking brother.
We’re sending more than a message about vile rumors concerning your wife and kids.
When we’re done today, no one will dare speak a bad word against you ever again. ”
“And if they dare?” I challenge, lifting my brows at his intense declaration.
“Then we’ll burn them alive rather than mercifully relieving them of their heads.”
“Only you would call an execution mercy,” I tell him, unable to keep the fondness from my words. “Did you come alone?”
He nods once. “Rayna and Vaughn are spending the night at the big house. She considered joining me to visit your kids, but she wanted to give you and Katya more time alone first. She’s convinced that the two of you are perfect for one another and is expecting love to blossom quickly in your house.”
Of course Rayna would declare such a thing.
Shaking my head, I force a faked chuckle. “Becoming a mother has softened her. I’ve never known her to be a matchmaking meddler.“
“She couldn’t be bothered with meddling where anyone else is concerned. You’re the only one whose happiness she cares about enough to get involved. She considers Elio and you to be her first friends here, you know? And she refuses to ask Elio about his…unusual relationship with Sienna.”
“He has an unusual relationship with Sienna?” I echo, eyebrows drawing in. “Since when?” And what exactly does he mean by unusual?
“I have no idea what’s going on. Elio and Sienna both claim nothing is happening between them at all but Rayna assures me that they’re flat out lying.
As far as I can tell, Elio has been looking out for Sienna for years and now that she’s not being hidden away, the two of them don’t know how to act around each other.
At least not while other people are around to see it. ”
“I’ve never known Elio to be coy about important things,” I muse with a small hum. “Maybe nothing really is going on and they’re just awkward friends. I might be awkward around people too if I went through the shit her family put her through.”
“Time will tell.” Apollo shrugs. “But for now, we have greater concerns. Discerning the very first origin of a rumor is nearly impossible, you and I both know that, but I figured we could start by inflicting as much violence as we please until we get down to the root of things. Spare the little birdies their lives so that we can find the worms they’ve been feeding on. ”
“What a beautiful way to put it,” Gino chimes, grinning good-naturedly. “I’ve always enjoyed bird hunting. Have you ever been?”
“Can’t say I have,” Apollo replies, turning to my friend with an arched brow.
Gino may be Italian, but he’s much more of a countryman than Apollo or I. He grew up on farmland, and often speaks of hunting and fishing honing his skills. “You know, when my family would hunt pheasants and geese, we’d break out the dogs.”
“Dogs, huh?” I echo, tilting my head in consideration.