After the Storm

I sit behind my imposing mahogany desk, the expensive leather of my chair creaking slightly beneath my weight as I lean forward. The air in the room is thick with an almost tangible tension, crackling as I wait for Luciano and Moreno. I know how everyone feels about Caterina, and asking them to protect her after her failed attempt to take my life—it's not something they would want to do, but as the Don, they have no choice but to do as I say.

Minutes come and go, the door to my office swings open, and the two walk inside.

"Lex," Luciano greets me with a nod, the loyalty in his eyes as unwavering as ever.

"Boss," Moreno's greeting follows, and I can see the questions already forming behind their stern expressions.

"Take a seat," I command, motioning to the chairs across from my desk. I lean against my chair, feeling its cool surface through my shirt. "Caterina," I start, watching their reaction closely. "She's going to eliminate Frankie Costa in a few days."

A flicker of concern crosses Moreno's face, but he says nothing. My eyes move over to Luciano. His jaw clenches, but he doesn't speak immediately. Instead, his gaze locks onto mine, searching for a crack in my resolve, but he won't find any.

"Boss, with all due respect, Caterina is almost nine months along," Luciano says, clearing his throat.

"Lex, you do realize she's about to pop, right?" Moreno's brow furrows, concern etching deep lines across his forehead.

"Are you her doctor now?" I snap back, my patience thin as a razor's edge. "She wants my protection, my good graces—she'll have to earn it. She is the infamous Ice Queen for a reason. A reason yet unknown to me because since I've encountered her, she has not shown why—"

"She almost killed you after your honeymoon. I would say that's enough ice for me." Moreno tries to joke, but it falls flat, and all I want to do is reach across this desk and break his jaw. It might have been almost a year since the incident, but it's still a bittersweet taste in my mouth. A memory I wish to forget but can't because that's the only thing fueling my hatred for her.

"Reno," I warn him. "Rein it in."

He nods, his lips pressed together.

"Doesn't sit right with me, Lex." Luciano leans forward, hands clasped tight. "We should be protecting her, not sending her to her death—"

"Enough," I cut him off sharply. "She wants back in, she wants protection, she does the job." My glare hardens. "We clear?"

"I can be a yes man on many things but this—that's your heir she is carrying. Our future leader of the Valentino family," Moreno says, and I can see he regrets the words that left his mouth, but he doesn't back down as I glare at him.

"Same, Lex. You need to rethink this," Luciano chimes in.

My eyes narrow as I stare down my two most trusted men. Their loyalty has never wavered, but now they question my judgment regarding Caterina. I understand their concern—the woman carries my unborn child, my blood, my legacy. But in this world, sentiment has no place at the head of the table.

"Your concerns are noted but misplaced. This is not up for discussion. She wants my protection. She proves her loyalty," I state coldly, leaving no room for discussion. My word is law. "What's done is done. The child changes nothing." A lie. The child changes and has changed everything. I should not be in New York City. I can take over the fallen Marchetti empire from Italy. Still, when Caterina was first spotted here, I got on my jet and made New York my home for the last six almost seven months. However, Caterina wasn't spotted again until a few weeks ago, and I won't let my child out of sight.