“It isn’t Christmas.”
“Doesn’t make you any less of a misery. You have a new great-great-nephew! More family, Currau. That’s what matters, isn’t it? Even if they’re pains in the ass.”
He tilted his head to the side. “That sounds like projecting.”
“Have you been watching reruns ofRicki Lakeagain? I didn’t know they still aired them.”
“YouTube has everything I need,” he declared with satisfaction, then his expression shifted. “In my day, we didn’t involve women in our business.”
“Yes, well, it isn’t your day anymore. It’s ours.” I straightened the blankets he’d ruffled up. “Anyway, I was hardly slinging guns with cops on street corners, Currau. Now, you have to be nice to me. That birthing experience was hella stressful.”
He heaved a sigh that told me all was begrudgingly forgiven. “It’s fitting.”
“What is?” I asked, though I knew what he meant. Hadn’t I thought the same?
“That a baby who’ll cross the lines of theCamorraandCosa Nostrawould be born in his grandparent’s home by his aunt. It’s how we’d have done it in the old days.”
Oh, okay. Our thoughts werenotaligned. Aside from the aunt part.
“That fool great nephew of mine was in here earlier,” he continued. “Grumbling about me being possessive when you’re his?—”
“Do you mean to tell me that you argued over me?” I blinked. “When were you possessive?”
“I don’t like the other nurses. Lauren squealed on me.” When I pshawed, he smirked. “Valentinis don’t share.”
“Why, is that pride I hear, Currau?”
Before he could answer, my cell buzzed.
“Hello?” I asked the unknown number warily.
“Kitty?”
“Yes?”
“This is Eva Martinez.”
My eyes widened as I held up a finger at Currau and darted out of his bedroom then rushed toward the library, where I knew the men had holed up.
“Oh. Did you want Aidan Jr.’s number?” I feigned confusion until I found Stan, Luciu, and Hunter smoking cigars, drinking from snifters of brandy, and deep in discussion about some guy called Voronov and his ties to that hellhole in Nolita.
Were it not for my unexpected caller, I’d have snorted, so cliché and old-fashioned was the sight of three modern men toasting the baby’s birth.
Instead, I stormed in, earning surprised glances from them, but I lifted a finger to my mouth and switched the call onto speaker as she answered, “If I wanted O’Donnelly’s number, I’d ask my husband. No. This is women’s business, and I heard that Aurora gave birth so you drew the short straw.”
Alarm had all three stiffening.
Considering Rory had given birth to Custantinu mere hours ago, I didn’t blame them.
“How did you know that?” I inquired, trying to keep my tone light.
“Just like I knew what your telephone number was and that Valentini will have you wedded, bedded, and impregnated within the year.” Eva harrumphed. “Look, I have more important things to discuss than the obvious.”
“You’re very difficult, aren’t you?”
Stan’s eyes widened as he mouthed, “Be careful!”
“I was born breech and gave my mother a prolapsed uterus. I consider that one of the main reasons she always hated me as a child.”
