“Hopefully. Unless she rejects me.”
“Nobody rejects you, Ciro, unless you let them. You can always force her, you know?”
“Force Isla to be with me?” I removed my button-down shirt. “Only a pathetic loser forces a woman to be with him.”
“Yes.” The corner of his mouth twitched like he was holding back a smile.
“Are you calling me a loser?” I grinned, finding this side of Paolo humorous.
“Never. But a desperate man will do anything to get what he wants.”
“Ah, yes. When it comes to Isla, I do feel desperate sometimes. In any case, there’s no forcing Isla to do anything.” I continued to my bedroom door, unbuckling my pants, suddenly exhausted. “She’s a fierce creature and won’t be controlled.”
“That’s because you let her do as she pleases. Not many Dons would allow such things.”
He had a point.
Made men did anything to get what they wanted, even forced marriage. But I couldn’t treat Isla like a piece of property and force her to be with me. I cared too fucking much about her to manipulate her into doing what I wanted.
She’d hate me.
I would hate myself.
Perhaps the time apart was exactly what we needed to realize we belonged together, no matter the dangers in my world.
With that final thought, I closed my door, stripped out of my clothes, and climbed into bed. Closing my eye, I saw my blonde beauty.
Maybe Paolo was right and tomorrow would be a good day. If not, I didn’t know what I would do. There was no way in hell my trip to California would be pointless.
9
ISLA
Pippa waseverything,the apple of my eye and her daddy’s most heartbreaking loss. Although, the arrogant, self-serving Mafia man didn’t know what he’d lost because no one mattered more to him than himself.
My sweet girl bobbled on her bottom, trying to balance herself, as she looked over her shoulder at me. She’d started sitting independently a week ago. But Alba, my friend and Pippa’s babysitter surrounded her with soft pillowsjust in caseshe toppled over. Alba was wonderful and did everything I requested and never teased me about being overprotective.
Pippa was a little behind reaching some milestones compared to other babies her age. But to me, she was sweet perfection. And the most advanced, seven-month-old to ever be born.
My lovebug was a force to be reckoned with and would conquer the world. Nothing would keep her down, not even being born eight weeks early with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She’d blown the socks off her doctor and the nurses at how quickly she recovered in the NICU.
Everyone who knew Pippa believed that one day she would rule the universe.
Of course she would, she was her father’s daughter, a Remotti.
Her chocolate-brown eyes were full of hesitation. In one hand, she clutched her favorite yellow plushie fish. In the other, she held her pink blankie. My God she was precious and it shredded my heart to leave her. Being apart from each other hadn’t been easy for either of us.
My heart ached as I stared at my daughter. Guilt and sadness consumed me every day. I felt like I failed her, though I tried to be the best mother to her.
I hated dropping her off at Alba’s. Hated it with every fiber of my being. It should be me with Pippa, not Alba, one of only a few friends I had in this city. She shouldn’t get to love and care for my precious baby, because I couldn’t.
Somebody needed to pay the bills. That somebody was me.
I worked my butt off to keep a roof over my sweet Pippa’s head and food on the table. There was only me and no one else.
Not even my selfish, older sister helped me. Since Elsie and I reconnected, it had been hell. All she did was take what little I had.
There wasn’t a damn thing I could do to change my situation because I hadn’t even graduated. Nobody would hire me without a degree. No matter how talented I was, it didn’t matter without a freaking degree.
