19. Sandro #2
I nodded. “They were finally caught. One was evil enough to kill his own fated One and their unborn child upon his capture.” Leo gasped.
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “There are many truly evil people in this world, my beloved. How he was gifted a One, I do not know, but perhaps it was that they were paired before he turned evil. Or maybe she was always just as twisted as he was. I will never know. But he is gone, as is his cousin, so Vitto’s death wasn’t for naught. ”
Leo nodded. “I’m still sorry that he’s not here to be an uncle.”
“Me too.” I helped Leo sit and then get down from the table.
It wasn’t as if he couldn’t on his own. He was a shifter and was probably more agile than I was, but the need to do little things for my beloved was strong.
“I will always miss him and the loss of things that could have been, but I know that living in the past is never a good place to be. I am here, with you and our child, and that makes me the luckiest man in the coven, as far as I’m concerned.
” I was certain Naldo and Marcello felt much the same, but I needed Leo to hear those words from me.
“You can be so sweet,” Leo said before he wrapped his arms around my waist and laid his head on my shoulder. I held him tightly, falling more in love with him by the day.
“I love you, Leonardo. Don’t ever forget that,” I whispered.
I felt his cheek move against my shoulder. “I love you too.” When he looked up at me, he was smiling. “Now, you go to your meeting, which I know isn’t too far from here. I’ll go to the kitchen and rummage around, looking for a snack. I can probably sweet-talk Carmine into making me something.”
I chuckled because he most likely was right. Carmine cooked for us, and he had been mated for a very long time. His beloved helped keep the villa cleaned and organized. Master Vincent paid them very well, and they lived in a small apartment on the grounds.
“I’ll take you to Carmine, and once I see that you are settled there, I’ll head over to Master Vincent’s office,” I said.
Leo nodded in agreement, and when I opened the door to the office, the sounds of the villa hit us.
There was a baby crying somewhere close by, and several others were talking down the hallway.
The scent of lunch being prepared told me that Carmine was definitely in the kitchen, and Leo would have no problems getting his snack.
We rounded the corner, and almost immediately, Carmine spotted us. “Leonardo, vieni qui. Ho dei biscotti.”
I chuckled. He didn’t even need to ask. I kissed Leo, and he took a seat at the central island as Carmine slid over a plate of cookies.
He was quickly back with a cup, and although I couldn’t be certain what was in it, I had a feeling it was most likely his tea.
Leo picked up a cookie, and once he was happily eating and chatting with Carmine, I left to go meet with Master Vincent.
I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like the news that was going to be shared, but it was something that I needed to hear and decide how to share with my beloved.
Thankfully, Leo didn’t yet know what the meeting was about, just that it was coven business.
I found Master Vincent’s door open and also the source of the crying baby. Marcello was holding a fussy Frankie, trying to soothe him.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked Marcello.
“No, he’s hungry, and Abel went to get a bottle. He passed him to me because Luci is already asleep in my office, and we didn’t want him to wake his sister.”
I’d just been in the kitchen and hadn’t seen Abel, but the little fox shifter came rushing back into the office just then with the bottle.
“Sorry,” he said. “I had to go to the bathroom.” Marcello looked at his beloved.
“It was urgent and couldn’t wait. I’d already been waiting while feeding Luci, so don’t give me that look.
” He took the baby from Marcello, and after cradling him in his arms, he quickly put the bottle in the baby’s mouth, and that effectively quieted the crying little one.
“I’m sorry for the disruption, Master Vincent. ”
“There’s no need, Abel. Babies cry. You know I enjoy spending time with all of them, even when they are fussy.”
Abel nodded before he hurried out of the room. I heard a sigh and knew without even looking that it came from Marcello.
“He’s allowed to have to use the bathroom, Marcello,” Master Vincent said.
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“Perhaps it’s time to get him some help. A nanny would be quite useful around here since Sandro and Leo are going to be adding a fourth—” Master Vincent looked directly at me. “Is it only one? Or is Leo carrying multiples?”
I chuckled. “Just the one. Perhaps next time, we’ll be gifted with twins, but this time around, Leo is carrying only one.”
“All babies are gifts from the goddess,” Master Vincent said.
“Yes, they are,” I replied as Marcello sighed again and walked out of the room. I watched him go, wondering if I needed to go find Leo to keep Marcello’s apparent sour mood from affecting him in some way.
“He’s going after his beloved to help. It’s nothing that you did,” Master Vincent said. “It’s just Marcello being himself, as usual.”
“Leo is still unsure about Marcello,” I said without thought.
Master Vincent laughed at that. “Understandable. But your beloved is important to Abel, and Marcello knows it. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”
I nodded. “What is it that you wanted to speak to me about? Marcello said it had something to do with Leo’s grandfather?”
Master Vincent suddenly was incredibly serious, and the transformation wasn’t unusual for the man. He was deadly when needed, and the way he was looking at me now, there was no denying that. The man from moments before that was discussing babies was not the same who was here with me now.
“Yes. I have news that probably isn’t what you are going to want to hear, but you need to be aware of it.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“It could be. Alfio is still in Sicily, as far as we can tell. But several of his men have been spotted here in Naples.”
I sat down, frowning at the news. “Do you think they’re just looking in all the major cities for him?”
“Franco is gone. It appears that he’s gone into hiding, but his brother was seen in Florence.”
Realization hit me like a brick. “Either they or someone from the pride told where Leo is.”
Master Vincent nodded. “Most likely. Rio will be back tomorrow. He’s been gone a little longer because he was also looking into something else for me. I’ll be thinking on this a bit more, but there will be a coven meeting soon about our place of residence.”
I took a deep breath. “Leo and I can leave. The coven—”
“No,” Master Vincent said, cutting me off.
“You will remain here with us. You are part of our family and always will be.” Master Vincent leaned forward and placed his hands on his desk.
“This has been coming for longer than I want to admit. We’ve been here too long, and even the fate Thomas told me it was time to get my family out of Italy.
It will be a drastic change, but we have more to think about than ourselves now.
There are innocent beloveds and babies that need us to put them first.”
I was going to argue again that I could take and leave with Leo. We could be happy in Canada, where we’d had our matemoon, as Abel called it. It was fitting, to be honest. “If it’s just the fact that Alfio’s men are after Leo, I can take him to Canada,” I suggested.
“It’s not. Marcello’s twins are here. Naldo’s son is here. Alfio killed his own son to get to Leo. He will kill any of those children to get to Leo, or your baby once he or she arrives. I’m doing this to protect everyone.”
The phone rang, and Master Vincent held up a finger before answering. “Ciao, Nikolai. Un momento.”
I knew without him even saying anything further that this was a private call. At least for the time being. I held up my hand, waving off the fact that he needed to ask me to leave.
“Thank you, Master Vincent,” I said quietly before nodding once and then leaving. I pulled the door closed behind me and stood in the hallway for a moment. How was I going to tell Leo that apparently his grandfather had been told he was here? Should I? Perhaps not just yet.