Let Me Stay

“You look very sexy holding a baby,” she says staring at me.

“You look amazing holding him. You’re a natural,” I tell her hoping like hell I am too. “I love you. Each day more than the last. Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world by first marrying me and then making me a father.”

“I love you too. You have made all my dreams come true. Thank you for letting me stay with you. I didn’t deserve it after I lied to you or withheld important information from you, but you loved me enough.

“That was never even an issue because there was no way in hell I was letting you go. Rest now, Cherry,” I insist. She looks exhausted and why shouldn’t she? She just gave birth to my son. If she’s tired, sleep she will have. My mafia princess knows just what I am capable of now and there is nothing I won’t do for her. I didn’t even think twice about killing a man and I’d do it again in a fucking heartbeat if it meant saving her.

With Russo and Rossi on our side, this case was over before it began, at least where Brynn and Arabella were concerned. It turns out that Aaron had quite a few dead girls buried in the field behind the warehouse where we found them. Motherfucker even had a manifesto about why he felt Brynn was his. It was crazy as fuck and I know without a doubt if we had not arrived when we did, he would have killed Brynn and Arabella and we never would have found them. Let’s just say that nobody missed Aaron Bianchi when he was gone.

A few days later, we all go home from the hospital. Getting into a routine with a new baby is harder than I imagined it would be, but we are getting the hang of it. Thomas sleeps a lot right now, which is amazing because we get a chance to as well. Brynn is asleep in the rocking chair after feeding Thomas, so I take him and put him back in his crib. He doesn’t stir as I make the transfer.

“Cherry, come back to bed,” I say gently shaking her awake.

“Where’s Thomas?” she asks confused.

“In his crib. Don’t worry,” I say, chuckling. Helping her up, I lead her back to our bed in the room next door. She’s asleep instantly. All the books say to sleep when he does so that’s what we’ve been doing. For now, Bart is handling the day to day operations of Immortality. We’ve finally hired staff and things are going great for the new game, Pearl Harbor, as we move into the third quarter of the year. Brynn and I have been designing a game together too. It’s called the Industrial Revolution. While not about war, it is about America expanding. It’s good, solid history that can’t be denied.

Every day with this woman has been an adventure. One I wouldn’t trade for anything. There are not enough words to say just how lucky I am to have found her. A woman like her doesn’t come along every day. I am glad I snapped her up when I had the chance. Love is a fickle thing. What can happen instantly for one couple can take years for another. I am just glad we fell into the first category. Loving Brynn Vitali, my perfect mafia princess, is the easiest damn thing I have ever done. Not to mention, I finally shut my mother up about grandchildren. Any day I can do that is a win in my book.

All we can do now is put the past behind us and live our best lives. Together, anything is possible. I am looking forward to the future with my wife and the family we make together. I watch her sleep, her deep, even breathing soothing me until I eventually drift off with her in my arms. She is my heart, my soul, my love, and my life. Always and forever.

Epilogue

Brynn

Eight Years Later

The last eight years have been nothing short of amazing. Our family has grown, and the love Brendan and I share has too. Living in the city has its perks for sure. We love this apartment, and we never want to move. Over the years, I have changed the decor, but the three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment works for us. We have thought about expanding the apartment, but why would we? We also have a large house on the compound in Queens that is home too. It’s the best of both worlds. I love being near my family. They help out with the kids whenever Brendan and I need some alone time. We do the same for them. My dad finally retired, and Albie and Lorenzo run the show now, but things are a little different. We are much more selective about the kinds of people we let into our family. Just being Italian doesn’t cut it anymore. I shudder to think about how different my life would be if my father and uncle hadn’t let Jimmy Bianchi into the family.