“A fact we should be grateful for, or neither your nor my wife would put up with us.” Shortcomings didn’t even begin to cover my faults. Giulia accepted them. From the first day of our marriage, she’d taken care of Simona and Daniele selflessly, despite her young age.

“Talk to her,” Faro insisted.

A knock sounded and Giulia poked her head in. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, but Christian is here and says he needs to talk to you.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Send him in.”

Faro gave me a meaningful look.

Christian stepped in. “Faro. Cassio, can I have a word alone with you?”

“As my Consigliere, Faro will stay.”

Since the incident in December, I didn’t trust Christian anymore. We’d never been friends, but he’d been a good asset. It was unfortunate that our work relationship had suffered because of my unreasonable jealousy. I wasn’t a man who apologized, and I doubted Christian would have accepted one.

Christian nodded. He didn’t come farther into the room. Instead, he stayed close to the door. “I talked to Luca…”

Faro cut me a sharp look, but I didn’t get swept up in his panic. I still didn’t think Giulia had told her brother anything. Maybe Christian had his suspicions, but he knew better than to spread rumors that weren’t based on solid proof. I was in good standing with Luca. It would take a lot to convince him otherwise.

“I’m going to work in New York under him in the next few years until I take over in Baltimore.”

Fury raced through my veins, but I held back. “You didn’t consult with me first?”

“I’m not really one of your soldiers, Cassio. I’m the son of an Underboss. Only Luca can give me orders at the end of the day. He agreed to have me work under him.”

“Did you tell him why?”

“I said that we both have too strong of personalities to work well together.”

I narrowed my eyes, wondering if that was all he’d said. He’d been clever about contacting Luca first. That way he could make sure I wouldn’t get rid of him. Not that I would have ended him. I’d done enough damage in the past and wouldn’t risk Giulia’s love by killing her brother. “Good luck with your new endeavor. Just remember that Luca doesn’t hesitate killing those he considers a threat.”

Christian’s smile was tight. “I think you and him are very similar in that regard.” He inclined his head then left.

Faro shook his head, frowning. “This isn’t good.”

“You’re reading too much into it.”

“The truth has a nasty habit of getting out. You should have told Luca everything from the start.”

My phone rang. It was Luca. Faro looked like he considered booking us the next flight to Colombia to disappear. “Luca, what can I do for you?”

“I assume Christian talked to you?”

No bullshit talk as usual. Luca always cut to the chase. “He did. I always assumed his work under me would be temporary. Now that he’s my brother-in-law, things only became more complicated.”

“That’s what I guessed.” He paused. “Is there anything I should know?”

My pulse quickened but I didn’t let it show. “In what regard?”

“About Christian. You’ve been dealing with him for years.”

“He’s effective. Tough. He knows how to handle himself. He’s nothing like his father. You won’t regret taking him in.”

“Good. That’s all for now.”

I hung up. Faro raised his brows.

“It’s fine.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way. If he ever finds out, he’ll take us all down—you, your father, and me. And it won’t be pretty.”

I hovered close to the cigar lounge after Christian went in. After Cassio almost killed my brother, I worried about them being in a room together, even if they’d worked together in the last couple of months.

My shoulders slumped in relief when Christian finally stepped out. “What is it? Is everything all right?”

He nodded. “I’m going to move to New York to work under Luca.”

“Oh,” I said, disappointed. We hadn’t seen each other often, but it had been nice knowing he lived in the same city. “Because of what happened between you and Cassio?”

Christian laughed. “Fuck, of course. He accused us of having an affair. That’s too much bullshit for my taste. And working under Luca will allow me to build better connections to the people who matter.”

“Isn’t there another way? Can’t you make peace with Cassio? I don’t want you to hate my husband.”

Christian regarded me with obvious astonishment. “You care about him.”

“I do. I know it’s hard to believe, but he’s good to me.”

“I’m glad, but things between Cassio and me are too tense. One day, we’ll have to work together again, but right now it’s for the best if we don’t see each other.”

“I understand. When will you leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

I hugged him. “Don’t be a stranger and call me.”

Cassio and Faro drove off shortly after, and I went into the dog park with the kids and Loulou. Surprise washed over me when Mansueto limped toward me not ten minutes after our arrival.

“Giulia, may I join you?” he asked. Elia stood immediately, making room on the bench.

“Of course,” I said, suspicious of his motives. “How did you know I was here?”

“Domenico.”

I nodded, slanting my older bodyguard a glance, but he was pointedly looking somewhere else.

Mansueto turned to Elia. “Give us some privacy.” Elia walked toward Simona and Daniele, who were watching Loulou play with a dachshund. Domenico had taken up watch a good distance away.

I blew into my hands to warm them, acutely aware of Mansueto’s intense scrutiny. “I’d like you to reconsider your decision not to get pregnant.”

My eyebrows skyrocketed. “It’s not only my decision. It’s Cassio’s as well. He doesn’t want more children right now. Simona and Daniele need our full attention.”

Mansueto watched a group of dogs chasing each other. “That’s because he prefers to pretend the kids are his.”

“You don’t know that they aren’t. Andrea and Gaia might have said it to hurt him.”

“So he told you everything?”

I bit my lip. “You should accept Cassio’s decision.”

“He’d change his mind if he knew the truth.”

“What truth?”

Mansueto fixed me with a sad look. “That the children aren’t his.”

“You don’t know that.”

“That’s not true. I did a paternity test without Cassio’s knowledge.”

I froze. “What?”

“Neither Simona nor Daniele are his. The test confirmed it. They are Andrea’s.”

My heart sank. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because Cassio doesn’t want to know. If I tell him… he can be very stubborn. I need your help.”