“Try me.” Coming down the stairs, she stopped in front of me. Her hands reached up and landed on my shoulders. “Are you in trouble, Sophia?”
It was amazing how well she knew me.
“Possibly,” I admitted. “I’ll explain, I promise. Or I’ll try but try not to judge me, okay?” I quickly searched her face.
“I would never judge you, Sophia. You’re my best friend. Let’s get Lily fed and settled, and then you can tell me all about it over a glass of wine.” She winked.
Giggling, I nodded. “Deal, but we might need the bottle.”
Or more specifically, I might need the bottle, because tomorrow, I would come face to face with Matteo again.
“I can see by your face that you’re going to need the bottle, Sophia,but —" she hugged me quickly. “It’s going to be okay. You have to believe that.”
“Sure.”
One last quick hug, and I stepped away. Both of us moved away. It was easy to forget about everything that was happening and fall into routines.
There was food to cook, and baths to be given. And bedtime stories to read.
Only tonight, Lily barely ate anything. She kept looking at me out of the corner of her eye, and when it came to her usual bedtime, she didn’t want a story.
She wanted to talk.
“Uncle doesn’t like me.” She stared at me dead in the eye with her thick, curling lashes fluttering.
“Of course Uncle Gio likes you.” I stroked a hand over her hair. “He loves you.”
She shook her head, her lips pursing. “He makes you sad.”
Leaning down, I kissed her forehead. “Mommy is just tired. She isn’t sad. Sleep now.” One last kiss, and I stepped away.
Usually, I stayed until she went to sleep, even though she didn’t need me, but I was frightened she would ask more questions and I didn’t have any answers for her.
Hell, I didn’t even have answers for myself.
“I love you, Mommy.”
Pausing in the doorway, I stared at her form, now curled up on her side with her thumb in her mouth, and it felt like my heart was going to burst.
She was my entire life.
“I love you more, baby girl.” I hesitated just for a second, memorizing every part of her beautiful face. “And I’ll always fight to keep you safe. Even if it means facing him.”
Chapter Four
Matteo
The hotel suite was nice, that’s as far as I would go to describe it. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but because it didn’t really matter where I was. My guts were twisting so badly that I could have been in a gunfight.
I was about to see Sophia for the first time in six years.
Six whole years of dreaming of her face, of thinking about the feel of her skin under my fingertips, and the feelings her betrayal had caused me.
Feelings I never wanted to feel again.
Loving Sophia had made me weak. She had used me. Seduced me—
My thoughts scattered as the hotel room door opened behind me and I tensed. My eyes glued to the huge windows, I watched as one of my men walked in.
