Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

Iclosed the door on Giulia’s terrified face before facing Luca, who was still holding his gun. Despite the almost irresistible urge to pull my own, I didn’t. I respected Luca and he appreciated me more than most of his other Underbosses. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t kill me. There wasn’t a man or woman that Luca wasn’t capable of killing, except for his wife and children—maybe.

“You lied about Andrea.”

“I didn’t lie. I omitted part of the truth.”

Luca’s lip curled in a dangerous way. “Some might say omitting part of the truth is lying.”

“The only opinion that matters to me is yours.”

Luca came closer. The gun still hanging down in a relaxed way. The sight might have fooled someone who didn’t know Luca as I did. Luca was a born killer. Few men were as dangerous as him with and without a gun. “If that were true, you would have told me everything when I asked.”

I nodded. “Andrea was my soldier. When I killed him, it was under Philadelphia’s ruling.”

“Philadelphia is mine, Cassio. Everything in the east is mine. You and all my other Underbosses rule over my cities in my name. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I don’t. But you trust me to rule in Philadelphia as I see fit, and you know I do it well. You don’t expect me to tell you about every incident in the city. You trust me to deal with them myself.”

“I expect you to tell me when there’s a traitor in the Famiglia.”

“Andrea was a rat.”

“Was he? Or was he just the man who fucked your wife?”

With anyone but Luca, I might have attacked. I stifled my fury. “He was both. The Vice President of the chapter of the Tartarus MC in Philadelphia that I dismembered told me they had a contact and the description fit Andrea.”

“Did you press a confession out of him?”

“It’s what I should have done,” I admitted. I held Luca’s gaze. “When I came home after attacking the clubhouse, I found my naked, heavily pregnant wife riding my brother-in-law—her half-brother—under my roof with my little son downstairs thinking they were playing some game. When I confronted Andrea, he bragged to me about fucking my wife from the first day of our marriage and that my children weren’t mine. I beat him to death with my bare fists, broke every fucking bone in his body, smashed in his cheating face until his eyes popped out, and I would do it again.”

Luca nodded because jealous rage was something he understood only too well. “Did you kill Gaia?”

“No. I didn’t even consider it,” I said. “She killed herself, like I told you. She missed him too much.”

The pain of the past didn’t come this time. Gaia was the past. Giulia was my present and future. She’d showed me what it meant to love a woman as fiercely as I loved my children.

Luca sheathed his gun. “I expect the truth from my men.”

“I didn’t want anyone to find out that Gaia had cheated. Some people did, of course, and their reaction was bad enough.” I hated admitting this, but Luca needed to understand. I swore to Giulia that I’d return to her, and I had every intention of keeping that promise.

“I understand,” Luca said simply. “I’m going to make sure Felix keeps his fucking mouth shut unless you want the truth out.”

The truth about Daniele and Simona, about their blood, and why they didn’t look like me. “Daniele and Simona are my children in every regard that matters. They can’t ever find out the truth.”

“They won’t.” Luca picked up his phone.

“I should handle it.”

Luca smiled wryly. “Your wife might not be happy if you kill her father, and Felix might count on it. Felix knows I wouldn’t hesitate to end his sorry life, however.”

I inclined my head. Luca had killed family members before, so Felix definitely couldn’t hope for mercy.

Luca pressed the phone to his ear. “Ahh, Felix, I hear you acquired some interesting tidbit of information. Have you told anyone yet?” Luca waited. “And it’ll stay that way. Understood? I think it would be best to discuss the matter in person, just so I can really get the message across to you.” Pause. “No, you will meet me in New York tomorrow at four p.m. Don’t make me wait.” He hung up.

I nodded my thanks because the actual words would never pass my lips.

“You should go to your wife now.”

I turned around and headed to the door, but before I could open it, Luca spoke up again, “This was your last omission, Cassio. Even three children won’t protect you next time you lie to me.”

“I know.”

I left. Faro still waited in the corridor and almost sagged in relief when he spotted me.

He waited until the elevator doors closed before he said, “I thought I wouldn’t see you again.”

“Luca knows I’m worth more alive than dead.”

Faro shook his head. “If you say so.” He regarded me closely. “Do you want to talk?”

I grimaced. “I don’t need to talk.”

The second I stepped into our house, Giulia stormed toward me and embraced me so tightly I worried she might bruise her bump. Her eyes were red. Daniele stepped into the foyer behind her. At twelve, he was almost as tall as Giulia. I still remembered when he’d clung to my trouser legs.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed? You have school tomorrow.”

“I knew something was wrong when Mom came home crying. She wouldn’t tell me what was going on.” His voice was already changing from boy to man. I’d raised him, had suspected he wasn’t mine for many years and now had certainty. It didn’t change anything. Giulia loved Daniele and Simona as if they were her own, and I did too.

“I had a discussion with Luca.”

Daniele came closer, fear on his face. “Are you in trouble, Dad?”

That word coming from his lips still filled me with pride. That would never change.

Giulia stepped back to give us room.

I cupped the back of Daniele’s head and pulled him against my chest. “I cleared everything up. It was a misunderstanding.” Daniele briefly hugged me. Now that he wasn’t a small boy anymore, these displays of affection had become less. “Now go to bed.”

Daniele pulled back and headed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. I wrapped an arm around Giulia.

“Nothing changed,” she said firmly.

“Nothing changed,” I confirmed. “Daniele is a good boy, my boy, and he’ll be a good Underboss.”

Giulia smiled widely. “I know he will be. Just like his dad.” She linked our fingers. “Let’s go to bed.” The way she said it, I knew she needed more than just sleep, and after today, making love to my wife sounded like the perfect balm.

After Giulia had fallen asleep, I headed into the cigar lounge. Loulou trotted after me. She spent most nights in Daniele’s or Simona’s bed, but my steps must have drawn her out. Fixing myself a drink, I sank down in the wide armchair and took a sip. It was dark in the room, except for the moonlight streaming in through the windows and the glow of the dying embers in the fireplace.

Loulou peered up at me.

I patted my thigh and she effortlessly jumped up then curled up on my lap. She and I had come to an understanding over the years. She still preferred Giulia, Simona, and Daniele, but when I spent a sleepless night in the lounge, she always kept me company.

I stroked her soft curls with a sigh.

Secrets had a way of coming out. Today had proven that.

I should have known Father had done a paternity test the moment he found out about Andrea. He wasn’t a man who let things rest that bothered him.

I was angry for his disregard of my wishes and absolutely livid that he wanted the truth out so badly that he told someone like Felix. Both wanted to see their unborn grandson as an Underboss. That was all it took to turn men who hardly tolerated each other into allies.

I didn’t want to imagine what it would have done to Daniele and Simona if they’d found out. Our circles wouldn’t have looked kindly upon them. The result of cheating and incest. No matter how brutally I would have reacted to people’s gossiping, I doubt I could have convinced my men to accept Daniele as their boss one day.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to face Father again. He’d risked Daniele’s and Simona’s future. That wasn’t something I could forgive. Luca must have called him today because Father had tried to reach me, but I turned my phone to silent mode. I didn’t want to talk to him.

As if my thoughts had conjured it, my phone flashed, but it was Mia. That she was awake at this time of the night was already a bad sign. I picked up.

“You have to come to the hospital. Dad’s dying. He won’t survive the night.”

I was silent, caught somewhere between shock and my burning anger.

“Cassio?”

“I’ll be there soon.” I hung up. Loulou jumped down from my lap, and I hurried upstairs to wake Giulia.

“I’ll come with you,” Giulia said immediately.

We didn’t wake the kids. I didn’t want them to see their dying grandfather, especially if he might reveal the truth in his last moments. Elia would watch the house while we were gone.

Giulia slanted me worried glances as I drove us to the hospital. “Are you okay?”

“No.”

“You love your father, right?”

I frowned. Right now, my anger was the dominating emotion toward him, but I still loved him. “He was a decent father, better than many men in our world. He had his faults, but so do I.”

“Then don’t let your anger ruin saying goodbye. What he did was wrong. He’s been sick for a long time. That might have influenced his judgment.”

“He’s been wanting the truth out for years.”

“I know. But still, don’t fight with him today. Let him die in peace. Not just for him, but also for you.”

I sighed. Giulia was the forgiving soul. I was more of a vengeful being. I nodded anyway.

Ilaria waited with Mother in the corridor. Both of them were crying and clinging to each other. Mother immediately hurried my way and hugged me tightly. I patted her back. “What happened?”

Mother couldn’t answer. She only shook her head and kept crying.

I raised my eyebrows at Ilaria. “Father insisted on taking calls from Luca and Felix today. You know how he is. He can’t let business rest, even if you’re in charge. After that, he was upset and it led to another small heart attack. His body is too weak.”

I nodded. “He’s talking to Mia now?”

“Yes,” Ilaria said. “He wanted a word with each of us alone.”

The door swung open and Mia stepped out, her face tear-stained. When she spotted me, she looked relieved. “You’re here. Father worried you wouldn’t come.”

“I’m here,” I said simply. Giulia squeezed my hand. I headed into the hospital room, trying to stifle my anger toward Father. The moment I spotted him lying in the bed, looking breakable and like the shadow of the man I’d known all my life, it slipped away. Giulia was right. Today wasn’t about dishing out accusations. It was about saying goodbye. That was one of the things Giulia had taught me: to allow kindness when I could afford it, which wasn’t often.

Father’s eyes followed me as I walked up to him. He looked terrified. I’d never seen him like that. He was a brave man, one of the strongest men I knew. Now he looked like a word from me could break him.

“Father,” I said quietly.

I touched his thin hand resting limply on the covers. His expression softened, and he slowly turned his hand so he could wrap his fingers around mine, squeezing weakly.

“Cassio.” The word was a croaky whisper. I bent over him to hear him better. “I only… only wanted what I thought was the best.”

“I know.” He’d been wrong, but I, too, was guilty of wrong decisions in my past.

“I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

Forgiveness wasn’t my forte. I wasn’t sure if I could really give it to my father so shortly after the events, but he didn’t have much time left. “I do.” It wasn’t a lie. I’d eventually forgive him. Not today, but in a few months or years. He closed his eyes briefly and a tear slid out. I’d never seen my father cry. I leaned forward and hugged him carefully. He squeezed my hand again, even weaker than before. “Can you… get…?”

I nodded and asked my sisters and Mother to enter. Father died two hours later surrounded by his family. Giulia had been right. Making peace with Father hadn’t just set him free but also me.

“How’s our boy?” I asked like I did every evening when I came home. Tonight, I hadn’t made it for dinner—a rare occasion. Giulia’s due date was in a few days. After Father’s funeral and Luca’s warning to Felix, things had settled down. Now we could look forward to the future.

“Good,” she said softly, touching her belly. “But I’m always hungry, and I have a terrible craving for something sweet.”

I nuzzled her ear. “Just like me.”

Giulia huffed. “Not that kind of craving. Though I wouldn’t mind that either.” She gave me a coy smile that went right down to my dick. Lucky for me, Giulia’s sexual appetite hadn’t diminished one bit during pregnancy. If possible, it had gotten even more insatiable. Daniele and Simona sat beside each other on the sofa, watching one of their favorite YouTube channels on TV. Loulou was curled up beside them.

“Daniele, Simona, you can watch another video after that one. Your mother and I have something to discuss upstairs.”

Daniele’s face scrunched up, making it clear he detected the lie. He wasn’t a child anymore. At least, that meant he and Simona wouldn’t disturb us. Wrapping my arm more tightly around Giulia, I led her upstairs.

“You’re eager,” she said with a small laugh.

“I told you, I crave something sweet, and we both know you’re a sweet temptation I can’t resist.”

Giulia rolled her eyes as she unbuttoned her dress and dropped it on the bedroom floor. “That was corny.”

“Kneel on the bed.”

“You realize I have about twenty pounds attached to my front, right?” Despite her words, she did as I asked. It was my favorite position to eat her out and hers too.

She groaned before I even touched her and not in pleasure. “I think we have to cancel sex.”

I helped her back to her feet, and Giulia’s face contorted.

I froze. “The baby?” I asked, my voice calm, even if I didn’t feel it. Everything inside of me twisted and turned.

“Yeah.”

I wrapped an arm around Giulia, steadying her. I was so nervous, for once in my life, my hands weren’t steady. After helping Giulia get dressed, calling Elia, and telling Daniele to take care of Simona, I drove us to the hospital, all the while whispering words of comfort. I wasn’t even sure what exactly I said, hardly noticed the street ahead of us, but I got us there safely.

I’d never been present during a birth. Gaia hadn’t allowed me to witness this moment of a baby being born. I hadn’t insisted because I wanted her and our baby to be safe during labor. I didn’t want her arguing with me.

This time was different. In every regard. Giulia wanted me at her side, needed me. I held her hand through every new wave of pain, felt her body convulse under the force of it, marveled at her strength and her ability to gift me with her beautiful smile whenever she got a respite. Seeing her in agony was the worst thing I could imagine, but I was grateful that she allowed me to witness this.

“One more push,” the doula encouraged after almost five hours of labor.

Giulia clutched my hand, her face scrunching up. She was tired and sweaty. The floor was covered in fluid, my clothes were drenched with sweat and her blood. It was a mess, and yet the most beautiful moment in my life.

And then a cry rang out. I tensed, holding my breath at the same time as Giulia went slack with relief. I stared at Giulia’s red, sweaty face, contorted in pain only moments ago, now filled with a bliss I could hardly comprehend. Her eyes were frozen on the bundle the doula held up, but I could not tear my eyes from my wife, from the woman who’d saved me and my children from a dark path. Giulia slanted me a stunned look and finally, I dragged my gaze away from her to see the little baby that had caused her such bliss.

He was wrinkly and smeared with blood, and it clicked. That bliss on Giulia’s face… it crowded my chest, made me feel almost lightheaded with its force. The doula came over to us and put our son in Giulia’s arms. Gabriel was beautiful. I wrapped my arm around Giulia’s shoulders, kissing her temple, filled with more gratefulness than I ever considered myself capable of. Her smile was pure love, unrestrained joy.

I would have been happy with only two kids, but now that Gabriel lay in Giulia’s arms, now that I’d witnessed his birth, I knew this would make our life even more perfect.

Going through labor once was definitely enough, which was why I was entirely grateful that we already had three kids, two of which I didn’t have to squeeze out of me. I loved Daniele and Simona with all my heart, and Gabriel joining our little family didn’t change it. Still, I was glad that I experienced pregnancy, not so much the actual birth, just once.

The day after I’d given birth, Simona and Daniele visited the hospital with Elia. They both stared down at Gabriel’s sleeping form in his crib as if he was an alien.

I stifled a smile. Cassio touched their shoulders. His clothes were wrinkly from spending the night in hospital, and his stubble looked much scruffier than he preferred, but his eyes lit up with pride. “Now you have a little brother to watch over. That means you’ll have to stop fighting all the time or it’ll upset the baby.”

Daniele gave his dad a doubtful expression, looking right through him.

Nice try.

“You said he’d look cute, but he’s all wrinkly, and he’s shedding skin from his head,” Simona said with a wrinkled nose.

Cassio sighed. With a laugh, I got out of bed and slowly made my way over to them despite the pain in my lower body. “He’s a newborn. That’s how they look. I think he’s impossibly cute.”

“Was I a cute baby?” she asked.

“Yes,” Cassio and I said at the same time.

Daniele frowned. I wrapped my arm around him, whispering, “I love you.” He smiled, abandoning whatever dark thoughts had bothered him. “I’m glad you got me a brother and not a sister like Simona wanted.”

“You need to thank your dad for that.”

Cassio narrowed his eyes at me when Simona and Daniele looked at him for answers. Grinning, I walked up to him. “Maybe you need to have the talk about the birds and the bees soon.”

“I talked to Daniele, and Simona doesn’t need to know anything until she’s sixteen or seventeen.”

I rolled my eyes. “I was seventeen when we got engaged.”

“Don’t remind me.” He kissed my lips, causing our children to make disgusted faces.

“It worked out well.”

“It did,” he agreed, peering down at our sleeping newborn son.

In the afternoon, Mom, Dad, and Christian came to visit. I had seen my parents at Mansueto’s funeral, but we had only exchanged public pleasantries. We hadn’t really talked once since our fight. They probably held it against me that I asked Luca to threaten them. That was why I was surprised to see them.

Cassio hovered beside the window, not greeting either of my parents as they stepped in. He shook hands with Christian, however, which made me smile. My brother turned to me then and hugged me awkwardly because I cradled Gabriel in my arms. “Congrats. From Corinna as well. She would have come but she’s feeling sick often.” His wife was pregnant with their third child.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Mom and Dad won’t give you any more trouble. I talked to Dad and made it clear that he needed to get a grip if he didn’t want to lose you and me.”

A wave of gratefulness flooded me. Christian squeezed my shoulder before he stepped back to make room for Mom and Dad.

Mom crept toward me, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh, Giulia.”

Her joy was earnest and it dulled my resentment. This was a new stage in my life, and I didn’t want to be weighed down by baggage from the past. I smiled. She hugged me, careful not to crush Gabriel. She stroked his cheek and took his tiny fingers into her hand. “God, I forgot how small babies are.”

Dad waited a few steps behind her, looking awkward, but his eyes, too, brimmed with emotion. I smiled at him and he stepped forward. “Congratulations.”

“Won’t you hug me?”

Relief crossed his face, and like Mom, he embraced me gently. He didn’t really know what to do with Gabriel, but he caressed his head once before he stepped back.

Cassio’s gaze could have frozen over a furnace. “I hope you heed Luca’s warning.”

“Cassio,” I said softly. “My parents won’t ever mention the matter again. Right?”

I looked at them expectantly. If they loved me, if they wanted me and their grandson in their life, they’d forget what Mansueto had told them.

Dad sighed and nodded. “If it’s your wish, we’ll take the secret to our grave.”

“It is.”

It was settled. We didn’t mention it again, and when Simona and Daniele joined us later, my parents hugged them and treated them almost as if they were their grandkids.

This was proof of how much they feared losing me… and Luca’s wrath, but I focused on the former, not the latter. Life was decidedly more pleasant if you chose to concentrate on the positive and not the negative. And I had so much to be grateful for.

A loving husband, a reasonably well-behaved dog, and three wonderful kids.