“You didn’t lose anything, Nathan,” his father said. “The war is not over, it’s just different from any other you’ve ever fought before.”
“But I don’t know what to do, Pop,” Nathan shouted. “I’ve failed!”
“No you haven’t,” Angelo yelled. “You know what to do—”
“No I don’t!”
“Enough, Nathan,” Angelo shouted. “Failure is not an option in protecting your family. Now tell me what you are going to do next.”
Nathan stopped pacing and stared at the floor in thought. “He wants me to chase him, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction.”
“Fine, then don’t chase him.”
“But doesn’t that put me at a disadvantage?” He raised his gaze to his father’s. “All I can do is wait.”
Angelo shook his head. “No, son, you are not waiting for him. We never wait. It was one of the first lessons I ever taught you.”
“We don’t wait, we prepare.”
“Exactly.” Angelo came over to Nathan and stood in front of him. “Sometimes the best way to win a war is to do absolutely nothing. Prepare yourself for whatever may come your way. Protect your family, protect your home, and protect yourself. Be ready to do everything you must to ensure that you and everyone you love survives. The ones left standing at the end are the true victors.” He cupped one side of his son’s face. “We will get through this, son. Wars like these always end badly for the one with nothing to lose.” They also always ended with tragedy, but Angelo chose not to say that to his son at this particular moment. He knew that Nathan would die for his family if he had to, but Angelo would never let him. If anyone was dying for the protection of this family it would be him. Angelo would protect his son at all cost, even if it meant his life.
Nathan nodded. “I know what to do now. Thank you.” He embraced his father in a hug and just rested there for a moment. “I love you, Pop,” he stated, only because he didn’t say it nearly as much as he should.
Angelo chuckled softly. “I love you, too, son.” He patted Nathan on the back when they parted. “Go home early.”
Nathan smiled, surprised by what his father had said. “Early?”
He nodded. “It’s one of the secret perks of being the boss that I’ll let you experience today. You get to go home early while everyone else finishes your work for the day.”
“We have people that can finish my work?”
Angelo laughed. “Son, we have people for everything. But we will save that lesson for tomorrow. You go home now, be with your family. I’ll be taking tomorrow off to spend the day with my grandsons.”
Nathan didn’t hesitate any longer. He hugged his father once more and left the office for the day.
When he made it home Carter ran to him and catapulted into his arms. He loved when she did that. It made coming home so much sweeter. They spent some of the evening with Anastacia, Sofia, and Gabriel until they all had to leave; Gabriel for a party, and Anastacia and Sofia for dinner with Cesare.
The rest of the evening was family time. They had dinner and the boys nursed, then they headed upstairs to the bedroom. After changing into his boxers, Nathan lay out on his bed with his sons—who were still wide awake—while Carter relaxed in her favorite tub. Nathan was happy to give her the time to relax because it gave him a chance to have a serious talk with his boys.
“Okay, boys. You’re two months now, we’re getting closer and closer to those first words.” Nathan glanced over to the opened bathroom door, spying Carter through the mirror lying back with her eyes closed. He returned his attention to his sons. “We have to plan this before your mother gets in here. I’m just going to plant this word in your head, Papa or Da-da. I don’t care how you say my name, just promise me you’ll say it first.”
Aleksandr and Maksim waved their arms while making the cutest little grunting noises. Their eyes were bright and opened wide as they tried their hardest to speak to Nathan.
Nathan nodded as if they’d said intelligible words. “I know, I know. Mommy carried you in her tummy, and she has all of the milky in those gorgeous breasts of hers, but guess what daddy does.” He paused for dramatic effect. “He pays all of the bills.” Aleksandr and Maksim got excited when he’d said that. Big, gummy smiles spread across their faces. Nathan chuckled. “Right. I think it’s important, too. So whenever your mama starts bribing you with cookies and candies so that you’ll say Ma-ma first, just remember that she can’t bake those cookies and candies without electricity.” He pointed to himself. “That’s where Da-da comes in.”
“What are you in here saying to my sons, Nathan?”
He flinched at the sound of Carter’s laughter, startled by her sudden appearance in front of the bed. She wrapped the towel tighter around her body and tucked it in at the side.
“Damn,” he chuckled. “When did you get out?”
She smiled. “I got out just in time to hear you telling my sons that their daddy pays the electric bill.”
Nathan shrugged. “I’m just teaching them facts, baby.”
Carter laughed and came to sit on the bed next to Maksim, “Your daddy’s silly, isn’t he, babies?” She gave both Maksim and Aleksandr raspberry kisses on their chubby cheeks. “You two better say Mama first. I’m still trying to get rid of the stretch marks.”
Nathan chuckled. “How was your bath?”
Carter looked up at him with a smile. “Perfect. Very relaxing. Thank you for letting me have some me time.” She leaned over their sons and rewarded him with a kiss.
“Mmm …” Nathan murmured. “You deserve it, baby.”
He gently cupped the side of her face and kissed her deeply. She moaned and gave in to him fully like she usually did … but then out of nowhere she giggled. Nathan didn’t notice at first, he was too caught up in thoughts of where else he’d like to kiss Carter right about now, but then she slipped into a fit of giggles. That’s when Nathan had to pull back with a frown.
“All right, I’m offended,” he said in exaggerated outrage. “When did kissing me become so funny, Carterina?”
Carter laughed harder. “Nathan.” She directed his eyes down toward the babies.
When he turned his gaze to his sons he laughed uproariously at the sight. Both Maksim and Aleksandr had firm grips on their mother’s towel, pulling it as she tried to pry their tiny hands loose and keep her towel on at the same time.
“Help, please,” she laughed.
“You or them?” he teased. “Because I have to say I’m on the side of the towel coming off.”
Carter hit his arm. “Help me, Salerno.”
“Alright, alright. Come on you little muscle men.” Nathan grinned, laughter shining in his eyes. One by one he pulled their little grips loose.
Carter leaned down and gave them both kisses before getting up from the bed and disappearing into the closet.
Nathan wagged his fingers at the little towel stealers. “You can’t do that to your mother. I know you may be hungry, but you must be patient. Now come to your Papa, bambino.” He lifted Maksim from the bed first. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, Nathan reached down and picked up Aleksandr. At two months they were still small enough for him to pick them up with one hand. “There we go, bambinos. How about we watch a little television?”
Nathan relaxed back against the headboard of the bed with Maksim cradled in one arm and Aleksandr against his chest, resting his head on his shoulder. Picking up the remote control on his side table, Nathan flipped through the channels while dodging swings from Aleksandr’s tiny fist toward his face. Soon he just caught the infant’s fist in his mouth and growled.
“Enough of that, baby B.” He gave him a stern look. “You are far from ready to have a boxing match with me. About thirty five more years and I may let you win a fight with Papa, okay?”
“How long do you think it will take for them to win a match with their mommy?” Carter asked as she reentered the bedroom in her pink nightgown. With a wicked smile on her face, she climbe
d on to the bed with Nathan and the boys. She reached forward and took Maksim from Nathan, placing him to her chest.
“Have we talked about whether or not we want me to train them? Have you even thought about it?”
No, he hadn’t. Frowning, Nathan inhaled a deep breath while thinking about all of the training that Carter had been through to defend herself as a child. Her training had been vigorous and brutal. She’d been injured in more ways than one, but it had served her well thus far.
Nathan nodded his head. “We want our children to have every advantage available to them. It will help them succeed. I don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t train them. What do you think?”
Carter nodded as she positioned Maksim to her breast for nursing. He latched on immediately. “I agree. They have the blood of some of the most dangerous people on this planet. They’ll often be tested. I think along with what you will teach them and what I will teach them, they’ll excel exceptionally.” She smiled and ran her fingers through Maksim’s curly hair. “Our boys,” she whispered. “The three of you mean everything to me, Nathan.” She lifted her head, and looked at him with a serious expression. “You didn’t mention the call today, so I’m guessing it didn’t go well.”
Nathan’s mouth opened then closed tightly, the surprise of her words rendering him speechless.
She let out a long shaky breath. “My guess is that we are going on the defense now. Silas wants something. Is it my mother? What did he say?”
Nathan sighed. A part of him wished he didn’t have to talk about it with her. He wished he could just make this particular problem go away, but he knew he couldn’t. He was stuck. He had no idea what Silas was going to do, and his wife needed to know that so she could be ready, so they all could be ready.
He swallowed and held his son closer, lightly patting his back. “He wants his family. Your mother, Gabriel, you. He said the four of you will be a family again whether it be in this life or the afterlife. Carterina I will not let that happen. I’ll die before I let anything happen—”
“Don’t say that,” she said sharply. “Don’t you ever say that, Nathan. I couldn’t even imagine …” She closed her eyes and turned away, not wanting him to see the tears that had formed. “You are not dying. We just have to be ready for whatever he does.”
“I want you to have more security.”
She vehemently shook her head. “I don’t need more security, Nathan. I have plenty.”
He groaned, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “Carter, please don’t fight me on this. I want you safe.”
“I won’t be safe until he’s dead, Nathan. Neither will my mother, nor Gabriel.” She shrugged. “A part of me just wants to give in to him. Lure him here, act as if we want him here then kill him.”
“He’d suspect that …”
Carter nodded. “I know, Nathan. Just wishful thinking, is all.” She sighed softly and gazed down at their son. “Increase security here. Ten miles on each side of us. Buy the land, build houses on them, and have twenty-four hour watch. Silas is tricky, he always finds a way. I don’t want any type of danger anywhere near our babies, Nathan.”
Happy with his wife’s plan, he nodded his agreement. “I’ll get things started tomorrow.”
“Good,” she whispered. “We take increased security anytime we’re out with the boys.” She looked up at him. “Give me your hand, honey.”
Nathan reached forward and did as she’d asked. He frowned at the expression on her face, not knowing what she was about to say.
“Nathan,” she whispered, “if anything ever happens to me—”
Nathan didn’t even need to hear the rest before he began shaking his head and pulling his hand from hers. “We’re done talking.”
She held on tighter. “No, we’re not. Look at me, Nathan.” When he refused to meet her eyes, she tried again. “Nathan, please …” The soft cry in her voice was what made him do as she’d asked.
She frowned. “Do you think it’s easy for me to say this? It’s not easy for me to think about dying at the age of twenty-four. It’s not easy for me to think about leaving you, or leaving Maksim and Aleksandr without their mother, but this is reality.”
“No it’s not,” Nathan snapped. “It’s you not trusting me to protect you.”
Carter quickly moved forward to cup his face with her free hand. Her eyes bore into his as she shook her head firmly. “That’s not true and you know it. I trust you.” She lightly ran her fingers through his hair before cupping his face once again. “I trust you, I trust in you. I know that you’ll do everything in you power to protect me. This is not about trusting you, this is about preparing ourselves for the worst, bubby. This is about not underestimating Silas Steele.” Closing her eyes, she exhaled a deep breath. “If something awful were to happen and I died—”
“Carterina—”
“Listen, Nathan,” she pleaded, and he did as she had asked. “If something bad were to happen to me, and I died, I want you to promise me that you won’t shut down. I know that it would hurt, but you have to push through it, for our family, and for our sons.”
Nathan’s jaw ticked as he adjusted Aleksandr on his shoulder. “What is it that you want me to say, Carterina?” He lifted his brows in question, angry at her words. “You want me to say that I’ll keep moving forward if Silas succeeds in killing you, that I’ll live on, become the Don of the Salerno Crime family, and maybe even find a new wife? Is that what you want me to say?”
Carter sighed sadly. “Nathan—”
“No,” he snapped, cutting her off. “Don’t give me some bullshit about moving forward, and not shutting down. The honest to God truth, Carter? If something ever happened to you I would shut down. I would pack up myself and my sons and leave without looking back. There would be no Russian, no Don Nathan Salerno, nothing. I’d be done with all of it.” Nathan gave a swipe of his hand to further prove his point. “So there we go. I’m not promising you anything, but this.” He leaned forward and gripped her face gently. “Silas Steele is not going to take you away from me again. I won’t let it happen, end of discussion!” He had spoken the words sharply to let her know just how finished with the conversation he truly was. He released her face and sat back against the headboard.
Carter nodded her head and lifted a now sleeping Maksim to her shoulder. “Come on, switch with me. You can burp him.”
Nathan nodded and reached out for Maksim. Once they’d switched, Nathan held Maksim in his hand and burped him as Carter began nursing Aleksandr.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking up from the baby with teary eyes. “I’m freaking out, that’s all. I’m sorry. Forgive me?”
Nathan immediately leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss. “Of course, baby. But you have nothing to be sorry about.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and tenderly stroked her cheek. “We’re going to make it, I promise. You have to fight with me, baby. Fight for our family, for our beautiful children. I love you, okay?”
She nodded and moved to curl up next to him on the bed. “I love you, too.”
Nathan put his arm around her, bringing her and Aleksandr closer to him and Maksim. Carter kissed the tattoo with hers and the boys’ names on his heart, then rested her head against his chest. Silently, Nathan prayed the prayer of protection for his family and held them close. He didn’t care what he had to do, he was not letting Silas win.
~*~
Anastacia strolled into the living room of Robert’s New York penthouse apartment with two cups of coffee in her hands.
“When did you learn to make coffee, love?” Robert asked.
“Cesare taught me,” she answered, a slight smile softening her face. “He teaches me something new every day.” How to cook and wash dishes by herself, or how to use a vacuum cleaner and a dishwasher … all things Anastacia had never had to do for herself before. Cesare taught her, and it was nice. Usually she never did it again after he’d taught her, but it was still nice.
“That’s good.” Robert took his coffee, and Anastacia curled up next to him on the couch, bringing her knees to her chest as she sipped her hot coffee. He’d always used to love when she did that; relaxed with him. Anastacia seemed so youthful when she relaxed, so peaceful when she was happy. Just watching her this way brought him joy. This was what he’d always wanted for her. From the moment Silas had brought her and Carter to his front door, Robert had wanted to help her. That was why he took her and Carter in—why he had raised a little girl that was biologically his niece as his daughter—because he wanted to do just one thing in his life that he could look back on and smile. Raising Carter and loving Anastacia had been that one thing … it would always be that one thing. Being a father had changed him, being a lover to Anastacia had made him look at life and love differently. He’d always be thankful for the time he’d had with them, he would always be grateful that he had gotten the chance to experience such pure, genuine love.
Anastacia’s soft voice interrupted his musings, and he turned his gaze to her smiling face. “You’re thinking so hard, my love. You must tell me what is troubling you.”
Robert chuckled. “Must I?”
She nodded. “Yes. I convinced my partner to release me tonight so that I could spend time with you because I miss you. Now talk to me. Please.”
Robert took her soft hand in his. “I miss you, too,” he whispered. “You know how much I love you, Carterina, and Gabriel, right?”
Anastacia’s brows furrowed and she nodded her head. “Of course I do.” She gave his hand a tight squeeze. “What’s wrong, Robert? Did something happen?”
Robert released a long, sad breath. Yes, something had happened, and it began when he’d had a conversation with Silas a couple of weeks ago … face-to-face.
~*~
Weeks earlier . . . Robert &Silas
“Why do you look at me like that, Robbie? You appear as if you are guilty of something.”
Robert sighed and leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I have much guilt, Silas. I should not be meeting with you, especially after what you did to me.”
Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War Page 41