He harrumphed as he looked down at me skeptically. His dark lashes hit his cheeks as he looked down to w
here his hand rested before deep brown inquisitive eyes met mine. “You would let me pregnant you?”
“Impregnate me?” I shrugged. “Why not?”
He chuckled as he kissed my shoulder. “Do you have any idea how mean those children would be?”
I grinned up at him. “Pig heads?”
“And chicken heads.” We both laughed as Daniello looked down at me. “I would give you no choice. I would fill you with my sons and daughters.”
“Mutts.”
Daniello smiled. “Yes, red head, south mutts.”
I gripped his face with wide eyes. “Whiskey filled baby bottles?”
Daniello grinned. “Of course. And you would marry me.”
I felt my heart began to pound. “I would marry you. Make mutts. Ask me.”
Daniello sighed as he pulled me tightly to him. “You do not want this life.”
I cupped his jaw. “I want you.”
Daniello sat up in alarm as his phone pinged. “Get dressed. We are not alone.”
Less than a minute later, we were dressed and waiting on the patio as Donato emerged from the trees with Rocco behind him.
“Your meeting.” Donato nodded in Daniello’s direction.
Daniello stepped forward without hesitation. “If you want me to be your new dog, I want him dead.”
I gasped as Rocco stood back with smug features. “You seemed to have forgotten your place, cousin.”
Donato stared at Daniello with interest as he spoke, never once looking at Rocco. “He has caused much trouble. He is the reason we were discovered in the States. He is the reason your pocket is short.”
Donato turned to Rocco. “Is this true?”
Rocco shrugged. “I did what you asked me to. She was a distraction and he had plans to stay in the States. I told you this.” Rocco glanced my way. “As long as she lives, he will never truly be family.”
“And so you attempted to take her life?” Donato’s presence was different from the kind man I’d baked with. I could feel the malice within him. I suddenly understood what Daniello meant by not being able to be both men. He had struggled with his demon long enough. One or the other had to take over in order for him to be what he needed to be. And he had to let the demon win to save me.
“I did what I had to do to make sure he returned to Italy.”
“You are a fake man, Akhom,” Daniello hissed. “You are not even of Italian blood. You are my father’s bastard. You have no place in this family.”
Rocco stood, mouth gaping, as Daniello took a step forward. I could feel the hate emanating from him as he lifted his chin and commanded Donato’s attention.
“This is not the truth,” Rocco said weakly as he frantically flicked his eyes back and forth. “These are lies.” Rocco looked at Daniello, his olive skin paling as he pleaded to Donato. “I have been loyal to this family.”
“You are my father’s bastard. But you will never be my brother,” Daniello declared as Rocco turned back to stare at him incredulously.
With an exasperated sigh, Donato retrieved a gun from his jacket and pointed it at me.
“I have pledged my allegiance!” Daniello reminded him as he stepped in front of the gun. “If you kill her you must save a bullet for me. I will not do your bidding. I will not so much as lift a finger for Di Giovanni.” Heart pounding, I eyed my bag on the bed that held my gun before I glanced back at Rocco, who smirked at me just before his face exploded. He went down with a thud on the concrete as his remains bled out onto the colored tile.
Daniello didn’t flinch as he shielded me from Donato, who took a menacing step forward with anger clouding his face.