“Have you ever fallen in love?” Alex asked.
“No.”
“What about the women you were with before?”
“Alex, I didn’t live like a saint. There were women before you, but since we’ve been together, there hasn’t been another woman. We’re supposed to be getting closer, and I don’t want to make this difficult by dwelling on what happened before.”
She nodded. “Right, of course.”
Roman touched her cheek. “They didn’t matter. I wouldn’t care if they lived or died, but with you, I care. It matters to me.”
****
“Do you think Roman even realizes he is in love with his wife?” Antonio asked, sipping the beer he’d snuck into the house.
He’d been able to have his day out, and he’d enjoyed the pleasure of three women. Being around kids, he’d needed to feel like a man, and well, three women sucking at his dick and doing nothing but pleasuring him had been welcome. Back here, surrounded by kids, he missed the chaos of the regular dealings of the Greco name.
“No,” Marlo said.
“And he’s fucking stubborn about it,” Cash said.
“At least he’s stopped us from trying to win her over,” Antonio said. “I don’t think Alex is like that though.”
“Agreed.” Marlo pointed his bottle toward him. “She always seems nervous around us, but not because we’re a temptation to her.”
“Roman’s not used to being near an innocent woman. Look at the women before her. Especially Denise.” Cash sipped at his beer.
“I like her,” Antonio said.
“Denise?” Marlo and Cash asked at the same time.
“God, no, that woman is a fucking vulture. No, I’m talking about Alex. She isn’t afraid of Roman. He can’t just walk all over her. She has a fire inside her. I think she’s his match, but he’s too damn stubborn to realize it.” Antonio shook his head. “We’ve got to help bring them together. Roman will be a lot happier if he’s in love.”
“We don’t know that,” Marlo said.
“Look at how he is here.”
“This is fucking nightmare central,” Cash said.
“So many fucking kids,” Marlo said.
“And yet, look at Roman. I saw him smile at a kid. He loves them, guys. You’ve seen it. I know you have. Alex is good for him. They’re good for each other, and we have a duty as his friend to make sure he doesn’t fuck it up.” Antonio had been by Roman’s side for as long as he could remember. They were as close as brothers. All of them. He knew the kind of shit Roman had to put up with. The intense training, the lack of love, and even the modicum of comfort. Lucas Greco needed a strong son, and to do that, he did what he thought was best.
Roman was a monster. He was cruel and fair, and he did what he had to do. But it had come with a cost.
Little by little, Antonio had watched his friend slowly disappear. Only with Alex had he seen the old Roman, the one who enjoyed life, who took his responsibility but also knew how to have fun. He was starting to come back, and if it meant he had to push Alex and Roman together, then he was going to do it. What he needed to do was make sure Roman didn’t fuck it up.