“Dude, don’t.” Caleb shakes his head at Giulio. “If you value breathing, do not hit on Sloane. Cristian is uber protective to the point it might warrant further probing.”
I want to tell them all to fuck off, but there are innocent little ears present. “Knock it off. You’re being rude.” I face Sloane. “I apologize for my friends. None of them have grown up yet.”
Gia snorts. “Hey, leave my husband out of that assessment.”
“Cristian isn’t wrong,” Joshua says, smiling politely at Sloane. “They’re really just big kids. Shocking considering one of them is a father.” He smirks at his twin. “I’m Joshua, by the way.”
Sloane smiles. “Good to meet you.” She peers down at the little girl playing peek-a-boo behind her dad’s legs. “Nice to meet you too.” She wiggles her fingers at Chiara, who shyly wiggles them back.
“You two seriously need toget laid,” Caleb says, whispering the last two words as his gaze bounces between Giulio and me.
“Thanks for the concern, but I have no trouble in that department, and Cristian does all right too,” Giulio says. “Been darkening the doors of Club H quite regularly from what I’ve heard.” Giulio smirks, and I’m seriously regretting taking Sloane to meet my friends.
“It’s a private club for a reason,” I say through gritted teeth, mouthing “jerk” at one of my oldest friends.
“What’s Club H?” Elio asks. “Why don’t you take me there?” He pouts.
“Fuck.” Caleb’s lips twitch, and I’m tempted to flip him the bird.
“You said a bad word, Papa.” Nico holds out his tiny hand. “A dollar for the cuss jar.”
“This is only going to get more ridiculous,” Gia says, looping her arm through Sloane’s. “Let’s get you settled into your rooms. Cristian, you’re all staying with us. Giulio is staying with Lise and the manchild.”
“I heard that, Gigi.” Caleb pouts, and it’s an almost carbon-copy look of the expression on his son’s cute little face.
“I wanna go playground, Papa!” Nico screeches.
“Me too!” Chiara pipes up in her soft little voice, emerging from the shelter of her father’s legs.
“Me three!” Elio adds.
“We’ll take the kids to the playground, and you can follow us,” Elisa says, holding her hand out to Elio.
“Sounds like a plan.” I pat the top of Elio’s head. “Be a good boy, and do what your aunt and uncles tell you.”
“Scout’s honor.” He salutes me, and Giulio chuckles.
The others walk off with the kids while I trail behind Gia and Sloane, carrying our three bags.
“You have a beautiful home,” Sloane tells Gia as she leads us through the large open-plan layout on the ground floor.
“Thank you. I still have to pinch myself every time I step inside. Some days, I can’t believe I live here. I grew up a lot more humbly.”
“Same. This is all like something from a fairy tale.” Sloane’s eyes are out on stalks as she drinks in her surroundings.
Gia and Joshua’s place is incredibly sophisticated with luxury furniture and fittings. Though it’s minimalist in style, it’s homey too.
“It truly is. I’m living a life I never imagined I could have, and I never take it for granted. Every day, I say thanks for Joshua and Chiara, and getting to share it with my best friend is the icing on the cake.”
“Cristian told me you and Elisa have been friends for years.” Before Sloane fell asleep in the car, I filled her in briefly on the friends she’d be meeting.
“Since we were little kids. Our moms are friends, and they’re both super close with Natalia— Joshua and Caleb’s mom.”
“You’re all so tight-knit. That must be nice.”
“It is.” Gia squeezes her arm. “You’re part of it now too,” she adds, leading us up the stairs to the bedrooms. “Cristian told us about your mom,” she lies, and I wonder if she can feel the daggers embedding in her back.
The last thing I want is Sloane believing I’ve told everyone everything about her. That would be a massive invasion of her privacy. Gia only knows this intel because she personally conducted the second background check. Not that she can explain it, considering Sloane doesn’t know anything aboutLa Cosa Nostraor our involvement in it. At some point, I’ll have to tell her because it’s not something I can hide forever. It’s why we usually hire from withinla famigliaand avoid having to explain who we are and what we do. While we aren’t like the mafia of the past, we still get our hands dirty as needed.
