Lucca chuckled. “Absolutely not. To rid the world of such beauty would be a true tragedy, love.”
Surprisingly, Tamara didn’t respond, she just smiled shyly and quickly looked away.
“Ooo … Lucca Salerno,” Carter giggled and her girlfriends joined in. “Tamara and Lucca are flirting.”
“And she is blushing like a school girl,” Gabriel teased, tickling Tamara’s sides and making her squeal. In return, she playfully hit his arm.
Everyone laughed, and Nathan reveled in the feeling of being right again. When he glanced at Carter she shot him a playful glare. Nathan had told her when she started hanging out with the young women to prepare for what would happen when his brothers got a whiff of them … they’d attack. Lucca hadn’t taken his eyes off of Tamara since she’d strutted through the door, Mickey’s gaze kept cutting to the ever quiet and lovely Aria, and Nathan was pretty sure Dante and Gabriel had something going on between them.
The life of a single person was damn exhausting in Nathan’s opinion. He was happy to be married.
“Hello, everyone. The little guys are ready to make their debut …”
Two nurses entered the room, each pushing a crib, and Nathan stood the moment his sons entered the room. Carter gasped and lit up as well. After she’d gently handed Sofia to Reanna, she motioned for Nathan to come and help her up from the bed. They hadn’t seen their boys since the delivery, and that had only been about thirty to forty minutes ago, but they still missed them like crazy. Distracting themselves with chatter from their family and friends had been the only reason they hadn’t pulled their hair out. The wait had been hard, but their sons had finally made it back up to the room perfectly healthy and swaddle snuggly in their little blankets.
Nathan went over to Carter first, lifting her out of bed and taking her closer to the boys. Once they neared their sons he gently placed her on her feet.
“Are you okay?” Nathan asked her. He knew she was still sore, so he wanted to make sure she was well enough to walk.
Looking up at him, she smiled and nodded yes. Nathan took her hand as they walked to the cribs. Both Aleksandr and Maksim were bright-eyed and wide awake.
“Aww,” Carter sighed through soft laughter as she picked up Maksim and Nathan picked up Aleksandr. “Hi. Did you miss Mommy and Daddy?”
“They didn’t stop crying until we got back up here,” the nurse said with a warm smile.
Nathan placed a gentle kiss on Aleksandr’s forehead and whispered his love in Italian. Carter turned to them with Maksim in her arms and placed a kiss on Aleksandr’s cheek.
“Hi baby,” she whispered. She looked up at Nathan with a bright smile on her face. “They’re even more perfect than they were earlier, bubby.”
Nathan leaned forward and kissed her gently. “So perfect.” All three of them. His wife and his two baby boys were perfect … and all his.
Carter kissed his jaw and gazed at the child she cradled in her arms. “Are you ready?” she asked him.
He immediately knew what she was asking. “It’s time to meet the family, boys,” he whispered to his sons. “All right, everyone,” Nathan said to everyone in the room. “I would like for you all to meet Aleksandr Alexis Salerno …”
“And Maksim Alessandro Salerno.”
The grandparents were the first to come forward and take the boys from their parents’ arms. The action was so swift and natural that both Nathan and Carter were sure it wouldn’t be the last time that happened, not by a long shot.
Carter came to Nathan’s side and wrapped her arms around his waist. He placed his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to him as they watched each of their family and friends introduce themselves to Maksim and Aleksandr. There was laughter, cooing, and bright lights flashing from Carter’s photographer friend, Reanna’s, camera. She’d offered to take pictures of the twins’ first day with their family for free. It was a very generous gift considering that she was a high-demand photographer with out of this world rates.
They continued to watch their family gush about everything from the boys’ hair and skin color, to their Salerno gray eyes and chubby little cheeks. Neither Nathan nor Carter could keep the proud smiles from their faces. It felt good to see how much their children were already loved. Their favorite part was when Sofia got to meet her little cousins for the first time. Kyle couldn’t keep the little ray of sunshine still in his arms as she gazed at her future playmates.
“I see everything is going well in here,” a nurse said as she entered the room behind them. “I brought up the bottles for them. And will you be breast feeding as well?”
Carter nodded, but never took her eyes off of her family. “Yes. I thought I told you they didn’t need bottles” said softly, hardly paying attention. “The lactation consultant is supposed to be here soon. I want them to be strictly breastfed.”
“Excellent,” the nurse said with a nod. “Well, here you go.” She placed the items in Carter’s hands. “Congratulations, Cecilia …”
“Mmmhmm…. thank you,” was Carter’s automatic response to the woman.
It took them a moment, but Nathan and Carter realized what the woman had said at the exact same time.
“Wait a minute. Excuse me?” Carter said as she and Nathan turned to ask the woman where she had heard the name. However, when they turned to face her, she was gone.
She gasped when Nathan pulled her to his side. “What the hell?” he muttered.
Sitting in front of them were two elegant, classic, and ridiculously extravagant pram strollers. Nathan had never seen anything like them before, except maybe on television. They were quite eye-catching. A clean royal-blue with gold lining all around, and platinum wheels. They resembled a gift that one might give to a royal family for a baby shower. Inside each extravagant strollers sat a gold rattle, and three different identical infant-sized outfits. Two black Italian suits, with royal-blue bow ties and polished black loafers, two polo shirts, white cardigan sweaters, and khaki polo pants, coupled with tan loafers and tan newsboy-style hats, and the last outfits were two elegant-style flannel pajama sets, both royal blue with gold trimmings.
“Where did this come from?” Carter whispered as her brows furrowed in confusion. “That nurse called me Cecilia.”
“Carterina.” Nathan drew her attention to the items in her hand.
The bottles, once again keeping with the royal blue and gold themes, had Salerno written in an elegant gold lettering. Not only that, but Carter had two closed envelopes in her hand; one with her name on it, and one with Nathan’s.
Carter immediately sat the bottles aside and handed Nathan his envelope. They both quickly opened them, finding letters inside.
Carter read hers first.
“My dearest, Carterina.
“My heart is full of both joy and regret on this day, the happiest day of your life. I am joyful because I celebrate with you, my daughter, for today you have become a mother, and I am filled with regret because I, your father, am unable to share this moment with you. I realize that it is my own actions that have distanced us, but my hope is that this show of love slowly reveals to you my genuine sorrow. I am deeply sorry for my treacherous actions, my child. My desperation to know you, to have you in my life, encouraged me to act out irrationally and without thought.”
Carter frowned when she read the next part.
“Robbie told me of your confusion. And I cannot blame you, dear. Our resemblance has fooled many, and came in handy when we needed it most, but I will help you remember our time together. First, Robbie did not play make believe. So the times that he said yes to the tea parties, were the times when you were with me, and the times that he said no, that was him. He also has never danced a day in his life. I, on the other hand, enjoy dancing, and I also enjoyed all of the times I danced with you. The anger toward your mother, that was me as well. I apologize for that. I guess after all of this time I still do not forgive her for leaving me, even though I now know that I deserved it. Yet
I assure you, dear daughter, that I am not the same man I once was. I am new, and I would love nothing more than to show you, Gabriel, and your mother the new me.
“Also, if you would have me punish Cole for his perversion, I will do so. But if you prefer to have your revenge on your own time, you needn’t fear any retaliation from me, daughter.
“With love, Silas.”
Nathan wasn’t able to keep up with all of the emotions flashing through her eyes. Instead he simply placed a hand on her cheek when she looked up at him and numbly asked, “What does yours say?”
Nathan wanted to ask her what was going on in her head, but decided against it. They had both just found out that Robert had been in contact with his brother since returning, and they would both need some time to think on that.
Nathan opened his letter next and slowly unfolded it, unable to imagine what Silas could possibly want to say to him. When he had the letter open, he read it aloud.
“You and I are due for a chat. I will contact your office in eight weeks’ time, at five in the evening. We will discuss your terms for peace as well as a few other things …
Take care.”
Terms for peace? That meant Nathan had done it. He’d pushed Silas to the limit. He’d won the war. Or was this just what Silas wanted him to think? Gabriel had once told Nathan that Silas did everything for a reason. What could possibly be his reason for waving the white flag after starting a war? Nathan knew the answers to that before he even finished the question. Anastacia, Gabriel, and Carterina. The man was obsessed with getting his family back. He was obsessed with Anastacia, and proving to her that he’d changed. It was an interesting approach, Nathan thought as his mind automatically began assessing the situation. Silas was going for a soft approach, even though his actions taken in the past proved him to be a monstrous man that beat his wife and son, two people he claimed to love—
“Nathan.” Carter’s sharp, frightened voice pulled Nathan from his musings. “Bubby, are you listening to me?” she whispered frantically. “How did he know we were here? What if he’s in New York? I want to go home. I want to take my babies and go home now!”
Nathan immediately stilled her shaking body. “Calm down, baby, calm down. There’s no way he could come to New York without me knowing. Trust me.”
“You don’t know that, Nathan!”
Yes he did. He had Ryan on that job, and Ryan had connections. CIA connections that ensured Nathan would know the moment Silas boarded a plane to America … if he ever decided to. Nathan was confident that he had that part covered. The nurse was clearly American, which meant Silas had people in America. That wasn’t surprising to Nathan; the man’s influence knew no borders. Then again, neither did Nathan’s.
He cupped Carter’s face just as a tear fell and slowly rolled down her cheek. “Carterina, I need you to trust me. He is not in America, I promise.”
She shook her head. “Nathan, I’m scared. We have kids now! He managed to take me once, what is to stop him from doing it again? What if the next time he doesn’t let me go?”
“Carterina!” he whispered sharply, trying to calm her panic. Leaning in close to her face, Nathan pinned her with an intense stare and spoke forcefully. “Listen to me. Silas is not here. Say it with me so that I know you’re listening,” he commanded.
She inhaled a shaky breath and nodded. “Silas is not here.”
“I would die before I let anything happen to you or my sons. Do not lose faith in me now, not when it matters the most.”
She shook her head. “I’m not, bubby, I promise.”
“You know that I will do anything to protect the three of you no matter the cost. You can’t doubt me, Carter. You have to trust me, you always have to trust me.”
“I do trust you. I’m sorry, I just …” She frowned. “I’m so confused, and tired. I can’t think the way I need to when I feel like this. I want this stuff away from me. I just need …”
She needed to rest, and Nathan felt like an asshole for not noticing it before. Carter was scared for their babies, confused, and exhausted. Today had been long, and mere hours ago Carter had delivered two baby boys. She needed to rest, and to collect her thoughts.
“Is everything okay?”
When Anastacia had asked the question, all eyes turned to them. Carter hid her face in Nathan’s chest and gripped on to his shirt.
“Carterina, baby? Is there something she needs, Nathan?” Noticing the items sitting next to them, she questioned, “Where did that come from?”
“It’s an unwanted gift,” Nathan answered. When he scooped Carter up in his arms, she immediately pressed her face to his neck. “You all continue to spend time with the boys, I’m going to take Carter to the empty room next door. She’s exhausted.”
Everyone in the room immediately understood, and agreed that Carter should rest. Nathan motioned for Mickey to come over to him.
“Mikilo, there is a couple down that hall that just had twins. Take these items to them; tell them it’s a free gift from the hospital.”
It seemed as if Mickey were about to ask why, but was silenced when Nathan cut him a quick glance that simply told him to shut the fuck up and do as he’d been told.
Mickey nodded and did as Nathan had instructed.
Nathan then called over his father. “I need you to stay for a while, Pop,” he said to him, conveying with his eyes that it was a serious request.
Angelo nodded and ran his hand over Carter’s hair, whispering soft sentiments in Italian. “You did beautifully, sweetheart,” he murmured, leaning forward to gently kiss her hair.
Carter was sleep. Already. She’d been more exhausted than Nathan had thought.
“It is not an easy task delivering two strong, healthy baby boys.”
“No it is not,” Nathan agreed.
Angelo cupped the back of Nathan’s head and kissed both sides of his face. “My grandsons are beautiful.”
“Thank you, Pop. That’s actually why I called you over.” It wasn’t that Nathan didn’t trust everyone else in the room, it was just that when it came to his children in this situation, he would only leave them in the care of the man he trusted most. His father. Quietly, Nathan told his father what had occurred moments ago with the nurse. Angelo listened to him closely until he finished relaying the situation, and then Nathan explained to him what he needed him to do. “I need you here. I don’t want my kids to be anywhere in this hospital without you. You are the only person I trust to protect my kids, while I take care of my wife. Please, Pop.”
“Of course, son, of course. Anything you need. Did you get a look at the woman?” he asked.
Frowning, Nathan turned his head away from his father in shame. No he hadn’t gotten a good look at the woman. Nathan hadn’t even acknowledge her; he was too focused on Aleksandr and Maksim meeting the family.
Angelo sighed as if he already knew Nathan’s answer. “All right,” he lightly patted Nathan’s back, “go take care of Carterina. I have some friends on the board of this hospital. I’ll call in some favors and get the security footage.”
Relief. Sweet, perfect relief. “Thank you,” Nathan said as he released a breath. That made things a lot easier.
“I am your father. This is what I do. You’ll understand sooner than you think.”
Nathan looked over to his sons—Maksim was now being held by Cesare, and Aleksandr by Anastacia—and tightened his jaw. Suddenly leaving them wasn’t going to be such an easy task. Perhaps he should just kick everyone out and keep his sons and wife close to him for the rest of the night—
“Nathan,” his father said softly, getting his attention, “go take care of your wife. They will be fine, trust me. Carterina needs to sleep. If she hears them cry she’ll wake up, you know I’m right.”
Yes, he was right. Only God knew how many sleepless nights they had ahead of them once they went home. Childbirth had drained Carter. She needed to rest up or she’d be out of it for the next six months.
“The
y need to be fed—”
“I know this, boy,” he chuckled. “The lactation consultant will be here in an hour, I’ll send her to you. After that, Anastacia and I will keep the babies in here. Go, go, go.”
With a nod, Nathan left his children in the care of their grandfather for their first night out of their mother’s womb.
~*~
The next morning all was well with his family. They were safe and happy. After the boys’ feedings, his wife had slept through the night and his sons had also slept well. Anastacia and his father had teamed up and gotten through their first night with their grandchildren, and Robert had gone out to investigate who Silas had sent with the gifts.
Carter still hadn’t brought up what her letter had said, but Nathan knew it was because she’d finally had a chance to think about it and didn’t want to confront her dad. However, she did surprise him while they were on the way home with their beautiful bundles of love. She brought her letter up, and she talked about it. No coercing, nothing. She talked on her own and told him how she’d felt about it. Nathan hadn’t interrupted her or said anything as he slowly navigated to their home, where they were headed to start a new chapter of their lives.
Chapter 20: Parenthood…
Well, it was official …. Carter was a housewife, or a stay-at-home mom. Whatever you wanted to call it, that was what she was. At least for the time being. She had once told herself that such a role was not for her and it would never be, but after eight weeks of being a mother, Carter had quickly came to the realization that she was very good at adapting. In fact, she could literally adapt to anything. She adapted to life without her father, life as Carter Matthews back in Hope beach, she adapted to finally being herself with Nathan in New York, then to being the underboss’s wife, and now she was adapting to being a mother.
All of her life Carter had longed to be needed and valued. Well, she had that in a big way now. If she’d ever thought that being a wife, a mother, and still doing a little work from home was going to be easy, the last eight weeks of her life had given her a rude ass awakening. It was very hard, even exhausting sometimes, but being all three were far more rewarding than difficult. Carter was a new woman; or maybe she was just finally a woman. So much had changed in her life in so little time. She had found herself wishing that she could tell Jenna how much her life had changed a few times the past few weeks, but then she quickly shook off the thought. That friendship was a distant memory. Now she had new friends to share such moments with; friends that she adored, friends that were more like sisters.
Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War Page 36