EPILOGUE
Maria
Six Months Later
“I just can’t get enough of him.” I rocked Dante in my arms at my sister’s restaurant. Named after his late grandfather, he looked like a little man, dressed in adorable jeans with a blue button-up shirt.
“He’s a ham, that’s for sure. Already a charmer.” Natalia smiled, staring at her son in my arms. She’d returned to work only last month, but she wasn’t ready to have anyone else watch him yet. So, twice a week, she brought him to the restaurant, and Ryan would swing by after work to pick him up.
“Can I hold him?” our bartender Christian asked, already peeling him free from my arms.
It was almost five, so the restaurant would be opening soon. I’d had a catering gig earlier, but now I needed to head out and pick up Chiara. Standing alongside Christian, I folded my arms while I studied my handsome nephew. “I should probably head out. The day care closes soon.”
Natalia checked the time, then asked Christian, “Can you keep an eye on him while I walk my sister out?”
“Absolutely.” He grinned, and he looked like a natural, so hopefully one day he would settle down. He glanced at Dante. “Stick with me, kid, your uncle Christian will teach you how to get all the ladies.”
Okay, so maybe not anytime soon. I rolled my eyes and kissed Dante’s head. Grabbing my purse, I made my way to the parking lot with Natalia. It was almost too hot, even for North Carolina. The sticky kind of hot that slaps you in the face when you open the door.
We walked over to the black Escalade that Enzo had bought me a week before our wedding in January. We had a small ceremony in Charlotte with our families, since we hadn’t wanted to wait any longer, and with Dante so young, we didn’t want my sister traveling.
But I’d wanted to do something special at the Costas’ home in the Hamptons as well, since it’d been Bianca’s favorite place. So, in February, we’d had another small service there, and it truly felt as if she were with us that day.
Isabella and I had grown closer over the last few months, same with her and Enzo, which made my heart happy.
Plus, Enzo worked with her from time to time. Like right now. She’d shocked everyone with that decision, but her brothers and Hudson agreed to bring her on at their new security company, working behind the scenes only.
“You doing okay?” Ah, based on the nervous tone of my sister’s voice, she had a reason to walk me outside.
My gaze flicked to my ring finger and the wedding set Enzo had picked out. “I’m good, promise. The first two times he went out were a little tough, just because of my overthinking brain, but I’m much better this time. I know what to expect.”
Natalia reached for my arm and squeezed. “He’d stop if you asked him to.”
Feeling her eyes on me, searching for my gaze, I looked up at my overprotective sister. “Enzo was meant for this life. I can feel it in my bones.” I nodded. “For so long, he saw himself as the bad guy, and I think helping others is his way of finding redemption. Not that he needs it.”
“He’ll be back in time for your appointment tomorrow, I hope?”
“He better be.” I reached into my purse for my phone. “But maybe I’ll get an update now and make sure.”
Natalia hugged me goodbye, and then I hopped into the Escalade and called Enzo, hoping I wasn’t interrupting him in the middle of anything important.
He answered on the third ring with a breathy voice. “Hey, you.”
“Timing okay?” I tossed my purse on the passenger seat, a Kate Spade bag, which had been a gift from Isabella.
“For you? Anytime.”
My shoulders flinched at what sounded like . . . “It’s daytime. Why do I hear gunfire? You don’t normally operate when—”
“Friendly fire.”
“Is there such a thing as friendly fire?” I hid a gasp of worry.
“Sure.”
More gunfire.
“Enzo, oh my God, get off the phone. You shouldn’t have answered. I was just checking in, making sure you wouldn’t miss the appointment.”
“Babe, of course I’m going to answer when you call. And I wouldn’t miss tomorrow for the world. Which is why I’m handling things now.”
I cursed at the realization Enzo was in the middle of his operation, and I was putting him at risk. And yet, the man had still picked up my call.
“It was on silent, stop worrying. I felt the vibration in my pocket,” he went on, his words nearly lost to more “friendly fire.”
“Lorenzo Costa, hang up on me right now. Be safe!” I ordered.
A light rumble of laughter left his lips. “Yes, ma’am. But I’m on high ground. Safe from direct action. I won’t risk my life. You have my word, Tesoro.”
“Okay,” I whispered, setting a hand to my abdomen. “We need you.”
I could nearly hear the smile slide through the phone as he murmured back, “And you have me.”
“How’d Isabella do? You feeling better about her working with you all yet?” I asked Enzo as he captured my hand and laced our fingers together, walking into the office the next day. He’d kept his word. He’d come back to me and on time, thank God.
“We underestimated her. She’s damn good at the tech stuff, and it’s nice having her in our ears on comms keeping us safe when we all work together.” An easy smile met his lips, and it was as if he were remembering something as he added, “A family affair.” He stopped and peered at me. “Don’t want you going on ops, though, so no ideas.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Trust me.” I chuckled.
“And I promise this won’t become a habit. They’re just getting the company up and running and once they hire more people they trust, I won’t be rolling out as often as I have been.”
I set my other hand on top of his. “Hey, Isabella might have your six out there, but I have it here. And you do what you need to. Okay?”
“Mmmm.” He leaned in. “How do you make military talk so sexy?”
I laughed. “You’re crazy.”
He closed one eye. “Am I, though?”
“Yes, but I love you anyway,” I teased, and he set his mouth to mine for another hot kiss as his hand skated over my abdomen.
“You better,” he whispered against my lips, and sometimes it was hard for me to believe this was my life.
That he was my husband. And now Chiara’s father. On paper, too.
Thomas had allowed him to legally adopt her with the request that after his time in prison, he was allowed a few visits a month with Chiara. They’d be supervised, though. I wasn’t ready to leave him alone with her after what he’d done.
“This is happening, right?” I asked once he opened the door for me. “This is real? I’m not dreaming?” I also hadn’t had a nightmare in months, but I’d kept up with therapy to continue working on myself, because why not?
Enzo let go of the door and held my cheeks. “Yes, it is.” His brows slanted as he studied me.
I freed a deep breath from my lungs, which served as my own little pinch to let myself know I was awake. This was real. And then holding my hand again, he led me inside.
After checking in and going through the motions, I was finally about to hear our child’s heartbeat for the first time. Chiara would have a sibling.
“You two ready?” my obstetrician asked, and Enzo squeezed my hand, standing off to my side, and I knew his heart had to be racing as fast as mine right now.
“Yes,” I nearly choked out, and she began studying the screen, and my eyes were glued to it as well, not that I knew what I was looking at.
“Give me a second.” Why’d that not sound great from our doctor?
I shot Enzo a panicky look, and he set a hand to my shoulder and lightly squeezed, a promise everything would be okay.
I nodded and gulped, praying he was right, and then the doctor looked at me, then over at Enzo.