I ask her if she wants me to help her wash, and she shakes her head, making a gesture to Nino’s room. I tell her I’ll get him downstairs for breakfast, and she nods.
Leaving her behind feels different this time, and I don’t know why. I just know every step I take away from her, something is trying to drag me back. However, it isn’t possible to spend the day buried inside of her, and I made a promise to Nino.
We’re downstairs at the breakfast table when she joins us thirty minutes later. Her typical uniform is gone, and in its place is the pair of jeans that have made more than a few appearances in my thoughts when I’m jacking off. They emphasize the curve of her hips, reminding me of the softness I know is just beneath the surface. I can still feel her skin against me when I close my eyes, and I think I’ve got a goddamned problem because I’m getting hard again just looking at her.
She takes the empty seat between us, her long hair cascading down her back the way I like it. I’m wondering if she did that for me when her hand finds my thigh beneath the table. She gives it a little squeeze, and when I meet her gaze, she looks amused.
You’re staring, she writes.
“Yes, well,” I mutter into a bite of toast, leaving the rest unsaid.
We eat our breakfast, and Nino’s excitement grows as we venture out onto the water again. It’s a nice day to be out on the lake, and we make the most of it, cruising around for hours before stopping to eat lunch in a cove. This time, Natalia and Nino help with preparations, and I watch him with interest as I notice how relaxed he’s become just over the last several weeks.
Guilt settles over me as I consider the burden of the thoughts he must have been carrying before. There is no denying that Natalia has helped him, or that she has helped me too. Every day, Nino seems to enjoy my company a little more. He has started to tell me little things throughout the day, completely unprovoked. He will ask me questions or tell me about something that happened at school. Today, he seems more at ease than he’s ever been with me, but it’s the question he asks me when Natalia sets the table that truly catches me off guard.
“Alessio, are you going to be my dad now?”
I blink at him and then notice that Natalia’s frozen, her expression strained as she waits for my response. I don’t know how to answer that question, and I think it’s evident to all of us. Nino is aware that he already has a father, but Enzo isn’t coming home, and he gave the responsibility to me. Biologically, Nino will always be Enzo’s son, but I’m the one who will raise him. It’s something we discussed long ago when I took over his care. Enzo told me he knew that one day Nino would come to see me as his dad, and he trusted me to take on that role. It was never something I wanted to force, and I honestly didn’t expect it to happen naturally. Now that it is, I’m rather unprepared for it.
I kneel so I’m at his level, hoping I don’t royally fuck this up. “You and I will always be family, Nino,” I tell him in a rough voice. “I’m here to protect you and take care of you, and whatever you want that to mean, I’m okay with it. You can call me Alessio, or you can call me … something else if you prefer.”
“I want you to be my dad,” he says quietly. “If that’s okay.”
Emotion steals my voice as he hugs me. I hug him back, squeezing my eyes shut, so they stop burning. Quietly, from a distance, I have always loved Nino, but I never thought that he could love me too.
When I open my eyes again, I catch Natalia swiping away tears as she watches us. She looks distraught, but I don’t know why. Before I can ask, she scurries over to the door and disappears below deck.
Nino looks up at me. “Is Natalia okay?”
“She’s okay.” I ruffle his hair, but honestly, I’m not so sure.
“Dominus et Deus, Mr. Scarcello.” The guard behind the gate greets me. “You’re here for Enzo Marcone?”
“Yes.” I nod. “But I’d like to have a word with you first.”
His expression pinches as he opens the gate, gesturing for me to come in. “What can I do for you, sir?”
I consider my words carefully. This is a Tribunal prison, so the guards are expected to have unwavering loyalty to The Society. Even though Enzo is a prisoner, he is still a Sovereign Son. I don’t know what the guards’ relationships with him are really like, other than the little I’ve seen during my visits. They always seem to treat him with respect, and Enzo would tell me if they weren’t. Now I need them to do the same with me by answering my questions honestly.