“Oh, don’t blame this on me!” I snapped, hastily drying off. “This is not my fault, Brando!”
He went to say something but was stalled by the screams of his son.
Before I even dressed, I took him, and he latched on to my breast with a ferocity that made me wince. At once, the tension in my breasts eased, and I relaxed, keeping him close, stroking his hair.
No doubt about it, he was his father’s child. The same raven hair, same thickness and texture, same dark eyes and long, thick lashes that fanned out against his tan cheeks. He had the promise of his father’s size, an echo in his bones, along with his sharp nose and wide mouth.
I loved Brando so much, I created another one.
Glancing up, I caught Brando staring at us. Back to the wall, his legs crossed, his eyes solid. Watching us hadn’t softened him up. If anything, he seemed made of the same marble surrounding us on all sides.
Still, I knew his rage disguised his true feelings, and my heart melted into a puddle.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Getting shot at takes a lot out of you,” he said, voice like ice. “Finish feeding him. Give him to me. Then get dressed. We’re leaving.”
“But Luca—”
“He’s fine. He needs to rest.”
“I need to thank him, Brando. He saved my life.”
“You saved his too.”
Our eyes connected as the words emerged from his mouth. He was in no mood to discuss the finer points of the situation. Neither was I.
We sat in the stillness, listening to Matteo breathe through his nose, making small sucking noises. His hand reached up, grasping the cross around my neck. He was on the verge of sleep, satiated with his dinner and how close I was.
“Here.” I handed him to Brando after he’d fallen asleep. “I’ll get dressed.”
After I finished getting dressed, Brando rushed the three of us out of the estate, but not before I caught Uncle Tito on our way out. I asked him to please pass along my appreciation, and let Luca know that I’d be back to see him soon.
Brando’s brothers walked with us on the way to the villa, until each one had to break off to go in a separate direction.
The sun had gone down, and the autumn chill swirled in the air, bringing with it the smell of burning wood and rotting leaves.
With the stresses of the day starting to hit me all at once, I shivered. The cold hit me so hard, my teeth clattered, and my bones trembled.
Brando gave me a sideways glance and, pulling me closer, kept me close to his side until we made it to the villa.
Mia ran to us, straight into Brando’s arms, as we stepped inside of the warmth of our temporary home. She looked in on her brother sleeping in the stroller. Eunice had cooked in my absence, and we all sat down to dinner. It was a quiet affair, except for Mia, who became the life of the evening. She sang and told us stories. Then after baths, more feeding, and a bedtime story, the house settled into peace.
All but us.
As much as the day had affected me, it seemed to have affected Brando even more. He’d been keeping his own emotions in check, close to his heart.
“Stop looking at me that way,” he said, his voice clipped.
He removed his black dress shirt, throwing it into the hamper with a force that belied his controlled feelings.
“Am I staring at you?” I hadn’t even realized it.
He shot me a mean look.
“All right.” I lifted my hands.“Howam I looking at you then?”
“With fucking pity.”
