I led my mother into the living room and sat her down on the couch. Antony grabbed her a glass of water and held it out to her before sitting down beside her. I crouched in front of her and took her hands, bringing them to my lips to kiss.
This was why I wanted peace between our two families. This was why I wanted to usher in a new era for the Martine family.
Because we had lost enough.
CHAPTER 3
JULIA
“Afternoon, Uncle,” I said.
“Uncle Stef!”
I watched Matteo run into the arms of my uncle as Stefano picked him up. He swung the small boy around as Enrico, my personal bodyguard, shut the door closed behind us. I looked back at him and his eyes connected with mine, and I saw a shadowed grin tick his cheek.
“Afternoon, Enrico.”
“Glad to see you up and about, Miss Bianchi,” he said.
I knew the night before had flustered him. I’d left without his guidance and without his presence to meet Romeo, but I hadn’t wanted to go in there with intimidation tactics. Even if Romeo had come with them. And I knew Enrico wasn’t happy about Romeo carting around all those goons with him, especially to sit down with me.
“How’s my boy?” Stefano asked.
“Good. I slept so long, and I ate a really big breakfast,” Matteo said.
“You did? What did Mommy cook for you?”
“My favorite. Eggs with ham. And cheese. And onions. And red peppers. And olives.”
“You know that’s exactly what your grandfather used to eat every morning,” my uncle said.
“And I had toast, too. With jelly.”
“And peanut butter?”
“Ew. Peanut butter’s gross,” Matteo said.
“Oh! My heart. It hurts.”
I watched my uncle sink to the floor as Matteo straddled his stomach. The two of them began to wrestle, and I stepped back to stand with Enrico. He’d been with me ever since my father figured out I was pregnant. He was the only other person I trusted to always tell me the truth about things. Over the years Enrico had become my friend as well as my guard, and I was itching to get him alone so I could talk with him about what had happened with Romeo.
Preferably not in front of my uncle.
“So,” Stefano said as he lifted my son into the air, “how did your evening last night go?”
I glanced up to Enrico and watched him clench his jaw.
“Not as well as I would’ve hoped,” I said.
My uncle’s eyes connected with me as he set Matteo down on his feet. He grunted to get off the floor, and I opened my arms for my son. He ran into them and I kissed him on top of his head, then I turned toward the door and opened it.
“Why don’t you go play in your room for a second while I talk with Uncle Stef?” I asked.
“Can I watch a movie?” he asked.
“Of course, you can. How about you go pick one out, and I’ll come watch it with you once I’m through talking.”
“Yeah! Okay, but hurry up!”