Epilogue
Leo
“And that is how your mommy took down the world’s most deadly hitman,” I tell my boys.
They are sitting there staring at me with wide eyes that match their father’s.
They are mini versions of him even though I carried both of them for nine months.
It’s probably for the best. There really shouldn’t be more than one of me out in the world.
“Wow,” my youngest son gasps. Logan turned four today, and he blinks up at me with awed surprise. My oldest son Max thinks it over for a second, and I watch his expression turn skeptical. He’s always calling me out.
“Is that true?” Max eyes me with suspicion.
“One shot,” I confirm, wiggling a finger at him. I figure since Logan is four now, he can hear a few stories.
“Dad let you have a gun?” Max asks, and now I’m seeing why he doesn’t believe me.
“I might have borrowed it,” I admit.
No one is willingly giving me a gun. Plus I’m still not a huge fan of them. There’s so much blood and then they have a gross metal smell afterwards. No thanks.
“Borrowed?” Max raises his eyebrow at me exactly like Mattia does.
“Why am I being interrogated here? Mace is usually my weapon of choice, but a girl has to mix things up.” A girl also needs her options. With a rich-ass husband, I’ve got plenty.
“It’s not an interrogation,” Max tells me. “I was extracting information.”
“You’ve been hanging out with your father too much.” I’m so proud. He’s taken well to the lifestyle.
“Can I shoot a hitman if I hang with you, Mommy?” Logan asks, his eyes hopeful.
“Maybe one day.” Gah, he’s so freaking adorable.
“Like ten years old,” he pushes, and I can’t tell those big brown eyes no.
“Okay.” Whoa, this must be how Mattia feels with me. I broke so fast.
“You’re the best.” Logan wraps me up in a tight hug.
“I really am,” I tell him before I kiss the top of his head.
“I see my boys are hogging my wife again,” Mattia says, stepping into the room.
“You let Mommy kill someone,” Max says to Mattia with admonishment.
“Have you met your mother?” Mattia tosses back at him.
“She can’t have a gun.” Max and his dad begin to bicker, and I wave my hand at them.
“I’m right here,” I remind them. “What part of ‘a perfect kill shot’ didn’t sink in for you?” I put my hands on my hips and shake my head. The older these kids get, the more questions they have.
“Was it an accidental discharge?” Max asks, and I need to shut this down. It’s getting out of control, and I’m the only one allowed to get out of control.
“Discharge?” I scrunch my nose, still trying to come up with answers.
“That’s what it’s called when the gun goes off when you didn’t mean for it to,” my son informs me.
“Right,” I say and then use my finger as an air gun and point it at him. “I was only testing you.”
Logan giggles, and I give him a wink.
“Your mother is a ruthless mob queen,” Mattia informs them. My man is always quick to come to my defense.
“And sometimes a princess,” I add so we’re all clear. I’ve got a crown to prove this, but I don’t need to get all flashy. Today at least. It’s Logan’s day to shine, and I’ve invited everyone to celebrate my baby boy.
“Does our princess need anything else handled before people start arriving?” Mattia asks. He has assisted in managing a significant portion of today’s tasks while I did a lot of the planning.
Mattia is a hands-on husband and is the same with our kids too.
I didn’t know I could fall more in love with him until I saw him as a father.
He’s really good with handling us, and I know I often need to be handled.
I have a way of biting off more than I can chew, but Mattia is always there when it inevitably happens.
He doesn’t complain or tell me I’m a silly girl. My husband lets me be me.
I could bring home a whale, and he’d merely sigh and shake his head before building the aquarium. I often wonder how and why he manages to do everything, but he always finds a way. I guess it’s because he gets me, and I’m pretty priceless. Well, me and all these babies I’ve given him.
“I only need to change.”
I came in to make sure the boys had their outfits picked out, and I helped style their hair. Afterwards I told them a few amusing stories, and we lost track of time.
“I shall assist in that too,” Mattia says, and before I know what’s happening, he scoops me up in his arms. I let out a shriek of excitement, and the boys make grumbling noises.
“Gross,” Max mutters.
We’re not over the top with the PDA, but it’s hard to be in the same room and not touch my husband. I mean, the man is aging like fine wine. Besides, it’s good for the boys to see we’re in love. This way they’ll know how to treat a lady. Not that I’m a lady, but they might meet one.
“I don’t think you’re going to help me get dressed,” I tease my husband as he carries me toward our bedroom.
“You have to get undressed first.”
“We don’t have the time.” We do, but I like to make him work for it. I made sure there was an hour before the guests will start to arrive.
“What’s it going to cost me?” he asks, and I swipe my tongue across my bottom lip.
Mattia and I have gotten to explore many kinks over the years, but this one is still my favorite.
“You think you can afford it?” I say and raise my chin.
He tosses me onto the bed, and I scramble to my knees. My eyes flick toward the door, and I consider running.
“Maeve,” he warns, and I still melt when he calls me that.
“What?” I give my best evil smirk. “I have to keep you on your toes.”
“And I have to keep you on your back,” he says right before he lunges.
I never stood a chance as Mattia’s weight comes down on top of me and he pins me to the bed.
His mouth takes mine in a possessive kiss, and I realize that I never wanted to stand a chance. I was always destined to be Mattia’s willing captive. And a mob boss queen with a side of princess, obviously.
THE END!