The Tyrant (Banker 3)

“Well, I hope you do it. I’m much more civil to her, but I would be willing to give her a clean slate if she were fairly punished for what she did. We all have to pay the price for our sins—Siena Russo is no different.”

I lay in bed beside Siena, the baby in between us.

Siena had her head propped up on her hand as she rubbed Martina’s stomach. Her eyes were downcast as she looked at our daughter, sleeping between us so nothing could ever happen to her. Siena smiled as she stared at Martina, watching her little chest rise and fall as she slept. “Can you believe how perfect she is?” she whispered in the dark.

“No.”

“Healthy, beautiful, happy…she’s the perfect baby.”

“Wait and see how you feel when you’re changing her diaper all day, listening to her cry nonstop for an hour, and letting her sleep on your chest so you can’t move for a few hours.”

Her eyes lifted to me with the same smile. “Still perfect. And you think she’s perfect too.”

I didn’t deny it. “I do. My mother and brother want to come over tomorrow for a visit. Are you up for it?”

“Yeah. I’m surprised they didn’t come sooner.”

“Wanted to give you time to recover.”

“I’ll invite Landon too. He’s been blowing up my phone lately. Wants to meet his niece.”

I wished my brother shared the same enthusiasm. “They’ll be here at noon.”

“Sounds good.” She lowered her head back to the pillow with her face close to Martina. She closed her eyes and kept her fingers on Martina’s stomach, feeling her breathe like she needed that assurance to sleep. “Thanks for taking care of her. It’s been so nice to rest. When we came home, I felt like I’d been hit by a train.”

“I can only imagine.”

“I know taking care of a baby by yourself couldn’t have been easy, so thank you.”

“I didn’t do it alone. I asked Giovanni lots of questions.”

She chuckled. “Thank goodness we have him. He can do more than cook.”

“That guy can do everything. That’s why I hired him.”

She kept her eyes closed, and her fingers stopped rubbing Martina’s tummy. “I wish we didn’t have to wait six weeks…”

I’d been so busy taking care of Martina, I hadn’t thought about sex much. That little baby became the center of my universe, and all the things that used to matter stopped being important. I didn’t care about sex, booze, or work. All I cared about was changing diapers and putting a bottle in her mouth. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

“Yeah…I guess. I just know—”

“Don’t worry about me, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oh my god, she’s the most precious thing.” Mother held her on the couch in the living room, her arms enveloping Martina in a warm gray blanket. “Aww…she has your eyes, honey.” She held her against her shoulder and gently swayed her from side to side. “She’s so perfect.”

Bates sat beside her, looking at the baby like he wasn’t entirely sure what it was.

Mother hogged Martina for a long time, ignoring the other two people who were there to see her. She patted the back of Martina’s head and hummed quietly under her breath like she was singing her to sleep.

I sat beside Siena on the other couch, my hand on her thigh. “Mother.”

“Oh, sorry,” she said as she handed the baby to Bates. “I’m just so happy to be a grandmother. You got her, honey?”

Bates moved his arms underneath her body then held her the way my mother did. “Like this?” He held her still and looked down into her face. “Hey, she does have my eyes.” He looked up and winked at Siena.

“You wanna die?” I threatened.

“Chill.” Bates looked down into Martina’s face. “I’m your uncle. When your father is driving you crazy, come to me. I’ll tell you how to handle him. Thank god you look like your mom. Cato as a woman would not be attractive.” He carried Martina to Landon next.

Landon was a lot more affectionate. “Hey, beautiful.” He leaned back in the armchair and held her close to his body, looking down into her face. “I see so much of my sister in you…and my mother.” Landon smiled as he looked at her, something he didn’t seem capable of doing. He was rigid and cold the way I was, but Martina broke down his walls—just the way she did with me.

Siena moved to the spot beside him, and they looked at her together. “I wish Mama were here.”

“Me too,” he said sadly. “Father too.”

“Yeah…”

“But we’re starting our own families,” Landon said. “You’ll have more babies, and maybe I’ll have some kids. Then our family can grow.”

“I thought you were a terminal bachelor?” she teased.

“Who said I won’t be?” he countered. “Doesn’t mean I can’t have some kids. You and Cato aren’t married, and you have a family.”