“Little. Blonde. Ass? Really? Pop. I’ am inch shorter than you. And what in the fuck does the Salerno family have against my goddamn blonde hair!”
Nathan learned long ago that the best thing for him to do when his father was this pissed off at him was to act like a damn fool. It was the only way to bring his dad back down. He wasn’t stupid, though. He knew the only reason he got away with acting like this with his father was because he was his son. Anyone else wouldn’t have been so lucky.
Angelo let out an enraged roar and pushed Nathan forcefully back on the couch behind him.
He continued to shout in Italian at him. “Why do you insist on being such a fucking smart-ass all the time? You think everything is a damn joke, Nathan!”
Nathan leaned back. “No, Father. I don’t think everything is a joke,” Nathan said calmly. “I just find it funny that you get upset when I’m right. You should be used to it by now— you did raise me.”
Angelo groaned, too tired to deal with his son. He walked behind the large desk and fell back in the chair behind it.
“What is your relationship with Anastacia, Pop?” Nathan asked. He sat and waited for his father’s response.
Angelo ran his hand over his face. “You won’t leave it be, will you?”
“You know I won’t,” Nathan said as he sat back on the couch and rested his aching head. “Just tell me. We’ve never kept anything from one another. Even when I didn’t like you, I told you shit because I loved you. Now spill.”
Angelo shook his head. “I love you, too, son. You know I do. But it’s just too complicated a story.”
“I have time, and so do you.”
“Son,” said Angelo with an exasperated groan.
Nathan frowned and sat forward. “What are you hiding from me?” he asked accusingly.
Angelo looked over at him and feigned confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“You won’t talk to me. You’re hiding a relationship, which you never do. What the hell happened to Cynthia? You two were talking about living together— and now this? And the weirdest part is you never even mentioned any type of romantic involvement with Anastacia to me.”
“That’s because it was none of your fucking business, Nathan,” Angelo snapped.
“See, Pop? You’re hiding something! We don’t keep shit from each other. Haven’t since I was a kid—”
“Did you not keep Carterina from me for weeks?” Angelo accused.
Nathan frowned. “That was different.”
“How so, Nathan?”
“I told you that I didn’t mean to do that. I was preoccupied. I wasn’t lying about that.”
Angelo chuckled. “Yes, I remember you lying to me over the phone.”
Nathan frowned. “I didn’t lie. I withheld information. I had to— you know that.”
Angelo snorted. “Bullshit, Nathan. You didn’t tell me that you cut off Andrew Reeves, that you had an active threat on the table, or that you found Robert Steele’s daughter. What could have possibly kept you so occupied you forgot to inform me of these things?”
Nathan stared at his father blankly. Was he fucking serious? Nathan blinked and pursed his lips before snapping. “What the fuck do you think kept me occupied?” he yelled. “I was falling in love! I told her I loved her the first night. I didn’t even allow her to go back to her own damn house. She stayed with me the entire time. We barely left the bedroom. I wasn’t lying to you— I just … I wasn’t ready to tell you,” Nathan said, lowering his voice.
“Tell me what? That you had found Robert’s daughter?”
Nathan shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t want to talk about this. Weren’t they supposed to be discussing his relationship with Anastacia? “Stop changing the subject.”
Angelo frowned at the change in Nathan’s attitude. He was no longer talking to smart-ass Nathan. That meant he had something on his mind.
“What is it, son? Tell me.” Angelo leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands.
Nathan sat silently. He didn’t want this conversation to go where he knew it was going. He had told Carter he wasn’t ready.
“Why the hell should I tell you anything? You certainly haven’t been telling me shit these past few months,” Nathan said, hoping the conversation would end.
Angelo sighed in defeat. “Fine, have your way. I will tell you what you need to know about my relationship with Ana.” He saw Nathan’s smug smile and shook his head. “Not so fast, boy. I will not share if you do not share. So … share,” Angelo said as he motioned for Nathan to continue.
Nathan sat for a minute, trying to decide whether or not to continue. He had told Carter he wasn’t ready for this conversation, but it looked like the opportunity to fix things between them was right here in front of him. “I’ll only move forward because I no longer feel like arguing with you.”
Angelo nodded for Nathan to continue.
Nathan sighed. He didn’t know if the words were going to come, but he’d try. He’d never spoken about this with anyone except Carter. He’d never spoken about this with his father, but things were different now, and he wanted to tell his father that.
“I didn’t call during that time because I fell in love with her. I’d had the phone in my hand, and I was going to tell you the next morning, but I …I wasn’t ready to admit that I’d done something I’d told myself I wouldn’t do …”
Angelo frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand, Nathan.”
“I know you don’t. That’s because I never told you.” Nathan cleared his throat and shifted before continuing. “A-after …” Nathan cleared his throat again. Shit, this was hard. “After mom died …”
Angelo’s body stilled when Nathan mentioned his mother. He didn’t know how to react, Nathan had never— not once since the day he was found in that bathroom with his mother’s body— spoken about her to him. And now that he was, Angelo was speechless, but he continued to listen closely.
“I made a choice then. I told myself that I wouldn’t fall in love. I wouldn’t put a woman in danger by bringing her into my life. I thought that if I did, what happened to Mama would … you know. I have a lot of enemies. And we never figured out who did that to her …” Nathan took a deep breath. “I knew I couldn’t take it if anything ever happened to a woman because of me. Then when that shit with Mitchell happened, I thought I was right. As soon as I fell for a woman, she was dead. And I know you kept telling me it wasn’t my fault, but I didn’t believe you. I still couldn’t look in the mirror.”
Guilt and sorrow filled Angelo. “Nathan—”
Nathan shook his head. “No. Pop, don’t apologize,” he said calmly. “You don’t have to apologize anymore. Like I said, I’ve changed, and so has my view on many things that have happened in my life.” Nathan swallowed then took a deep breath. “What happened to Carter wasn’t my fault. Just like what happened to mom wasn’t yours. We both would have prevented the events if we could have.” Nathan could feel himself getting emotional, so he pushed back the urge to shut down so that he could continue. He wanted his dad to hear this. “What happened to her messed me up. Seeing her on that floor, having her blood all over me … It took something from me. I didn’t think that I could have a life like this because I thought that when she died, she took my—” Nathan paused to collect himself again. “I thought she took my heart with her. But now I see that it was impossible for Mama to take my heart, or my ability to love another, when she died. She wanted me to love. She always said so.” Nathan sat back and smiled, caught up in good memories of his mother. “Do you know she spoke of Carter years after that day in the garden? She told me I had to find her. That it was her wish that I marry the ‘stunning little girl with the beautiful hair’.” Nathan chuckled. “I always agreed with her even though I didn’t believe in the wishing anymore. I just loved that she still did. She still believed that everything could get better by simply making a wish.” Nathan looked over at his father, sitti
ng behind the desk in silence. “Do you think she would’ve loved Carter, Pop?”
And just like that, Angelo was looking into the eyes of a five-year-old Nathan sitting on the couch, asking him about Carter. He was trying not to get to emotional, but his son was one of the few people in this world that evoked strong emotion from him. He didn’t want to be a sappy father and cry, but Nathan had finally opened up— the way Angelo had always wanted him to. He’d just broken down the decade-long barrier that had always kept Angelo at arm’s length for nearly fourteen years. Fuck not being a sappy father. He was a sappy father, and he didn’t give shit anymore.
Angelo pushed back from the desk and stood. Nathan watched him curiously, but that didn’t stop Angelo. He needed to hug his baby boy. If this was his only chance to comfort his son the way he had wanted to when Anya died, then he would take it. He made his way to where Nathan sat, gripped his shirt, and pulled him to his feet and into a tight hug. He noticed Nathan’s hesitation to return the embrace, and he kissed his son’s hair lovingly, just as he used to do when he was a child.
“Ti amo il mio bel bambino … Your mother would have adored her,” he said as he continued to hug him. Nathan’s hesitation began to ease, and he embraced his father in return. “She would have loved her because you love her,” Angelo chuckled. “Plus, your wife is a pro at bombarding her way into someone’s heart.”
Nathan’s hesitation completely melted away after the comment about his wife. He laughed and embraced his father fully.
They both laughed until they broke their hug.
“Indeed she is, Papa. But she makes it so easy to love her once she makes it in,” Nathan said.
Angelo nodded. “Yes, she does.” He looked at his son, noticing that he had indeed changed in such a short time. He was happy. Angelo loved seeing his boy happy. “You are happy son, yes?” Angelo asked.
Nathan smiled and chuckled. “I am, Pop. Very happy.”
Angelo slapped him on the back good-naturedly and went to sit on the edge of the desk. “Have the two of you spoken of when you plan to return. If she needs more time, that’s okay with me. I know it was a long recovery.”
Nathan plopped on the couch with a sigh. “She’s ready, Pop. She’s been ready. Carterina is stronger than I am— the hold-up has been more on my end than hers.” Nathan groaned and raked his fingers through his hair. “She and I will talk about it tonight before bed— maybe. You and everyone else are welcome to stay here tonight if you like, or I can set you up somewhere else, but I have to tell Carterina about what was found, and she’ll want to prepare for our return immediately after I do. So …”
Angelo nodded in understanding. “You two will need to get caught up on what has been happening. You don’t worry. I will make arrangements for everyone. You and Carterina will need privacy for your discussion. We will be here in the morning to help begin the preparations and inform you of the changes that have been made at S.O.”
“Changes?”
“Yes, son, changes. What occurred in that building will never happen again. We were careless with security. We made some improvements that I will tell you about tomorrow.”
Nathan nodded his understanding.
“Come, let’s head back in there.”
Nathan shook his head no. “Not so fast, old man. We had a deal. I answered your questions and more— now you answer mine. What the hell is going on between you and Anastacia?” Nathan asked in a firm voice.
Angelo sighed and nodded. “A deal’s a deal,” he said, deciding to tell Nathan only enough to satisfy his curiosity. “Anastacia Stone was my first love, and continues to be a persistent pain in my ass. I hate her, and I love her, but sometimes I wish I just hated her. What you saw in there was a game we like to play from time to time. Nothing serious. At least not for us. The woman once hit me in the back of the head with a damn lamp, and five minutes later, we were making love …”
Nathan’s eyebrows arched, and he laughed.
Angelo rolled his eyes. “Like I said before, our relationship is complicated and messy. It’s difficult for me to explain.”
Nathan held up his hands. “It’s okay. I think I’ve heard enough. You two still love each other. It is what it is. Just try not to kill each other, all right?” Nathan joked. “At least not in my house. Blood’s not easy to get out of these expensive ass carpets.”
Angelo laughed. “Well we haven’t killed each other yet smart-ass.” He smacked Nathan in the back of the head. Softer this time.
“Yeah, but she was kicking your ass in there, Pop,” Nathan said through a laugh. “She’s half your size, and she didn’t even flinch when you grabbed her. She just kept kicking your ass.” Nathan couldn’t hold back his laughter at this point. Thinking about little Anastacia beating his dad the way she did was the funniest shit.
Angelo smiled at his son then caught him quickly in a head lock.
“Don’t take it out on me, old man!” Nathan yelled.
Angelo ruffed up his hair as Nathan tried to break loose from his father’s tight hold. Once he broke loose, he jogged out of the office laughing.
Angelo came strolling out of the office soon after. “Keep laughing at your Papa, boy. How many times have I saved your ass from little Anastacia? I believe she kicked your ass the first day you brought her to meet me,” Angelo said smugly. “Had you crying on the floor, holding your little winky.”
Nathan gasped in outrage. “Again with the little winky shit?” Nathan pointed at his father. “You and Cesare need to chill with that!”
Angelo laughed.
“I’m a grown-ass man, Pop.” Nathan glared at his father “And yes, I remember that … Not one of you motherfuckers helped me,” Nathan said, feigning hurt.
Angelo shrugged. “She keeps you in check,” he smirked. “I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter-in-law.”
Nathan rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” They began walking down the hallway toward the kitchen when Nathan remembered something he wanted to ask his father. “Hey, how did Cynthia take the break-up?” Nathan asked.
When his father didn’t answer, Nathan glanced behind him. Angelo still followed him, but his expression was impassive. Nathan frowned. “Pop? How did she take it?” he asked, still making his way to the kitchen. He heard music playing, and the heavenly scent of sirloin hit his nose as they made it closer to the kitchen.
Angelo was still silent behind Nathan, and Nathan abruptly stopped walking. He turned to his father with a look of disapproval.
Angelo gave Nathan a warning glare. “Nathan—”
Nathan cut him off before he spoke another word. “Quello che volete. I wash my hands of it. Your relationship with Anastacia is yours. But—” Nathan turned to his father and narrowed cold, gray eyes on him “— the next time you and Anastacia decide to have a boxing match, do it before you walk into my house. Neither myself nor my wife will be involved in whatever the hell you two have going on. Keep us out of it.”
Angelo didn’t speak for a moment, but then nodded his head. “I understand, son. It won’t happen again.”
Nathan cooled his heated demeanor. “Good.” He had nothing more to say about it to his father. The man could do whatever he wanted. Nathan didn’t agree with his actions, but what could he do about them really? He knew that his father was only with Cynthia because her family name had done wonders for him in the political world— not to mention the fact that she looked good on his arm. But his complete disregard for the feelings of the women he loved was disappointing to Nathan.
Plus Anastacia would kill him— and Cynthia.
Nathan turned to walk down the hall. “I’m going to find my wife,” he said without a backwards glance.
As he neared the kitchen, his ears were greeted by the sound of Carter’s melodic laughter. Entering the kitchen, he smiled at the sight before him.
16
Secrets Secrets
“Move your hips, Momma, come on,” Carter said, laughing at the look on her mother’s fa
ce as she danced around the kitchen. It was something Carter had been doing in the kitchen since she was a kid. She had gotten her dad to join her, Nathan sometimes joined her, and now she would get her mother to join her, too.
“No, Carterina. I don’t dance,” Anastacia said as she poked at the sirloin.
Carter pursed her lips and took the utensil from her mother. She bounced over to the sirloins to flip them, never halting the movement of her hips. “You will dance with me, Mother. I won’t take no for an answer. I didn’t with Daddy, and I won’t with you.”
Anastacia snorted. “You did not get you father to dance around the kitchen.”
“Did, too!”
“No, you didn’t,” Anastacia said with a look of disbelief.
Carter smiled. “Yes, I did. Daddy danced around the kitchen with me on numerous occasions, thank you. It was—” Carter gasped when the next band came on the radio. “The Script! Oh, Maman, vous avez danser avec moi, s’il vous plait!” Carter pleaded with her mother to dance with her as she danced circles around her.
Anastacia laughed. “No, Carterina!” Carter grabbed her hands and started to move around the kitchen floor. Anastacia laughed loud at her daughter’s silly dance moves while Carter continued to gyrate around her, singing her favorite song.
Once Carter had finished bothering her mother, she released her and turned slowly to Nathan. She had felt him enter the room not too long ago. She always knew when he was around. They were connected. His presence sent chills down her spine and heat coursing through her entire body. It was impossible to ignore.
“Hi, Bubby,” Carter said. Suddenly, she felt a little shy. What the hell?
Nathan chuckled. “Hi, baby,” he said in a soft, sexy, deep voice. “Come over here and hug your husband. I missed you.”
Carter smiled and ran over to Nathan. Once there, he lifted her up until their eyes were level and kissed her lips. Carter wrapped her arms around his neck, surrendering to him. Mmm … Nathan. Carter felt light-headed, like she was floating. It was the sexiest feeling. But it only served to fuel her insatiable need to be touched by him even more.
Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess Page 23