Chapter 35 Lupo
Morning comes too soon.
I wake to find Isabella curled against me, still sleeping. Elena is between us. She must have climbed in during the night. Her rabbit is tucked under her chin, her small hand resting on my chest.
For a moment, I just lie there. Looking at them. My family.
Twenty-four hours ago, I was planning an operation. Thinking tactically. Being Don Rossi. Cold, calculating, strategic.
Now I'm Alessandro Rossi the father. The partner. The man who has everything to lose.
It's terrifying.
It's also the best thing I've ever felt.
Isabella stirs, her eyes opening slowly. When she sees me watching her, she smiles. Soft. Warm. Real.
"Morning," she whispers.
"Morning." I brush a strand of hair from her face. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I expected. You?"
"The same." I look at Elena, still sleeping peacefully. "She came in around three. Bad dream, I think."
"Did she wake you?"
"No. I was already awake. Checking the perimeter reports." Old habits. "Everything's secure."
Isabella's smile fades slightly. "That's our life now, isn't it? Perimeter reports. Security checks."
"Yes." I won't lie to her. "But you'll get used to it. And it means you're safe."
"I know." She touches my face gently. "I'm not complaining. Just adjusting."
Elena starts to wake, stretching like a cat. Her eyes open and she sees us both watching her. A huge smile spreads across her face.
"Mama! Daddy! You're both here!"
"We're both here," I say, pulling her closer. "We'll always be here."
"Are we going to your house today? The one with the pool?"
"Yes. This morning. After breakfast."
"Can I swim in the pool?"
"Not yet. First, I have to teach you how. Make sure you're safe." I tap her nose gently. "But soon."
She bounces excitedly, then stops. Her face falls. "But what about the chickens? Who's going to take care of them?"
Isabella and I exchange a glance. I hadn't thought about the chickens.
"A neighbor can take care of them," Isabella says. "Signora Russo down the road. She has chickens too. She'll make sure ours are fed."
"But they'll miss me." Elena's eyes are filling with tears. "They'll wonder where I went."
My heart breaks. This little girl who's been through so much—kidnapped, held in a dark factory, her whole life upended—and she's worried about chickens.
"What if we bring them with us?" I hear myself say.
Both Isabella and Elena stare at me.
"What?" Isabella asks.
"The chickens. What if we bring them to the villa? We can build a coop. A big, nice one. With plenty of space." I look at Elena. "Would you like that? To have your chickens with you?"
Her face lights up like sunrise. "Really? We can bring them?"
"All of them. And we can get more if you want. Make a whole flock." The words keep coming and I realize I mean them. "You can take care of them. Collect the eggs every morning. Just like here."
"Lupo," Isabella says quietly. "You don't have to—"
"I want to." And I do. I want Elena to have something familiar. Something that makes the villa feel like home. "It's just chickens. We have the space. It's not a problem."
"But your neighbors—"
"Can deal with it. It's my property. My family. My chickens." I pull Elena into my lap. "What do you say, sweetheart? Want to bring your chickens to Naples?"
"Yes!" She throws her arms around my neck. "Thank you, Daddy! You're the best daddy in the whole world!"
Those words again. The best daddy.
I'm a crime boss. A killer. A man with blood on his hands and enemies who want me dead.
But to this little girl, I'm just Daddy.
The man who apparently moves her chickens to Naples.
"Okay." I clear my throat, fighting unexpected emotion. "Then we'll bring them. We'll need crates. And we'll have to be careful during the drive. But we'll make it work."
Isabella is watching me with something soft in her eyes. "You're really going to transport chickens to your fancy villa?"
"Looks like it." I manage a smile. "Never thought I'd say those words. But yes."
"The other dons are going to laugh at you."
"Let them." I pull her close too, so I'm holding both of them. "I don't care what they think. Only what you two think."
Elena wiggles happily between us. "This is the best day ever! We get to bring the chickens and see the pool and my new room!"
"Speaking of your room," I say. "I have a surprise for you."
"What kind of surprise?"
"You'll see when we get there."
After our regular breakfast of eggs, we start packing. Isabella doesn't have much. A few clothes. Some books. Elena's toys and drawings.
Everything fits in a few boxes.
It makes me sad to see their whole life packed up in a few small boxes. Makes me want to buy Isabella and Elena everything.
But I know better. She's not that kind of woman. She values other things.
Safety. Stability. Family.
Things money can't buy but power can protect.
Ciro arrives with the cars. He takes one look at the chicken crates and raises an eyebrow.
"Don't say one word," I warn him.
"I wasn't going to say anything, boss."
But he's smiling. And when Elena runs up to explain about the chickens, he crouches down and listens seriously, asking questions about their names and which one lays the best eggs.
He's good with her. Patient. Kind.
I make a mental note. Ciro will be part of Elena's security detail. Someone she knows. Someone I trust.
It takes an hour to load everything. The boxes. The chickens. Stuffed animals. Isabella's late father's tools from the barn.
The guards watch with professional neutrality. Not one of them comments on the chickens.
They know better.
Finally, we're ready. I lock the farmhouse door one last time. Isabella stands on the porch, looking at the place that's been her home for eighteen months.
"Are you okay doing this today?" I ask quietly.
"Yes. Just saying goodbye." She turns to me. "I was happy here. For a while. Before Draco found us. It felt safe."
"I'm sorry it wasn't. Sorry my world found you here."
"It's not your fault." She takes my hand. "And we're going somewhere safer now. Right?"
"Much safer. I promise."
We walk to the cars together. Elena is already buckled in the back seat, her rabbit on her lap, chattering to Ciro about the chickens riding in the truck behind us.
The convoy pulls out. Three cars. One truck with the chickens. Six guards total.
Just to move a woman and a child and some poultry to Naples.
This is my life now.
And I wouldn't change it for anything.
The drive takes a few hours. Elena sleeps for part of it, worn out from yesterday. Isabella is quiet, watching the landscape change from rural to urban as we approach Naples.
When we enter the city, she sits up straighter. Taking it all in. The crowds. The traffic. The noise and chaos that is Naples.
So different from the quiet farm.
"It's loud," she says.
"You'll get used to it."
"Will we go into the city often?"
"When you want to. But the villa is separate. Up in the hills. Quieter." I squeeze her hand. "You'll see."
We climb up the hills and the view opens up. The bay. Vesuvius in the distance. The wealthy villas with their gates and walls.
Elena wakes as we turn onto my private road. "Are we there?"
"Almost."
The gates open automatically. The car climbs the winding driveway. And then—
The villa appears before us. The pool visible on one side, the gardens on the other.
Isabella's breath catches. "Lupo. This is—"
"Home," I say firmly. "This is our home now."
The cars stop in the circular driveway. I get out and open Elena's door, lifting her out.
She stares at the villa with wide eyes. "This is where we're going to live?"
"Yes."
"It's so big! Like a palace!"
"It's just a house. A big house. Our house." I set her down and take her hand. "Come on. Let me show you."
Isabella joins us, her eyes still taking in everything. The size. The luxury. The perfection of it all.
I can see her struggling. This isn't her world. Wasn't ever supposed to be.
But it's our world now.
The front door opens and Emilia appears. She's been with me for years—my housekeeper, cook, the closest thing to family I had before Isabella and Elena.
She's in her sixties, gray hair pulled back, warm brown eyes. The grandmother I never had.
When she sees Elena, her face transforms. "Oh, my goodness!" She comes down the steps, her hands clasped. "What a beautiful child!"
Elena hides behind my leg, suddenly shy.
"Elena, this is Emilia. She helps take care of the house. She's—" I pause, not sure how to explain. "She's my family."
Emilia crouches down, making herself less intimidating. "Hello, Elena. Your daddy has told me all about you. He says you like chickens, yes?"
Elena peeks out. "We brought them with us. In the truck."
"Chickens! How wonderful! We'll have fresh eggs every morning." Emilia's smile is genuine. "And I'm making a special lunch for you. Your favorite. Do you like pasta?"
"I love pasta!"
"Then we'll be great friends." Emilia stands and turns to Isabella. "And you must be Isabella. Welcome to our home."
Our home. She says it naturally. Including Isabella immediately.
"Thank you," Isabella says quietly. "It's very kind of you."
"Nonsense. Any family of Alessandro's is family of mine." Emilia gestures toward the door. "Come, come. Let me show you around. Then lunch. And then—" She winks at Elena. "We'll see about getting those chickens settled."
We walk inside together. The entrance hall is all marble and light. A staircase curves up to the second floor. Everything is elegant.
Nothing like the farm.
Elena's hand tightens in mine. She's overwhelmed. I can tell.
"It's okay," I murmur. "I know it's big. But you'll get used to it."
"Will I get lost?"
"Probably at first. But I'll help you learn where everything is. And Emilia will help too."
We walk through the main floor. The living room. The dining room. The kitchen—Emilia's domain, warm and welcoming with the smell of something delicious cooking.
Then up the stairs. Past my room. Past the guest rooms.
To the room I've prepared for Elena.