Page 35 of Undeniable

Giovanni

“Morning Boss,” I say as I step inside of Luca’s office.

He looks up from his mound of papers on his desk and stares at me for a second before a smile stretches across his face. It takes me a second to realize that I have been smiling since I walked in, hell, probably since I woke up with a beautiful goddess wrapped up in my arms.

“What?” I ask as I quickly mask my smile.

Luca continues to give me a shit eating grin as he leans back into his chair. “You got laid, didn’t you?”

I scoff and roll my eyes, but definitely don’t deny it. This causes his grin to damn near split his face in two.

“About fucking time. Ashlynn has been rambling about how you couldn’t do better and wondering when you were going to pull your head out of your ass. I swear she was days away from storming over there and forcing you two to get together.”

I let out a short laugh as I rub my jaw awkwardly. “Well, we aren’t together or anything. Didn’t do a lot of talking last night but I am not in the right place in my life for anything serious.”

I purposefully leave out the fact that this wasn’t the first time that I slept with Tasha. My whole being a fucking asshole and running out on here kinda ruins the memory of it and is not exactly something I want to go advertising to anyone and everyone. Tasha is just barely talking to me, well I guess a little more than talking now, but still. I know I have some major ass kissing to do if I want to keep hooking up with her, and I definitely do.

Luca nods seriously. “You know, I always thought that was the best way to live this life, till I almost lost Ashlynn. Then I realized life is too short to not go after what you want. If you don’t want anything more, that’s cool. If you do though, don’t hold yourself back. Who knows how long we have left on this earth, brother?”

I nod but don’t respond. He seems to get that I am done talking about this and stands up before leaning against his desk. His shit eating grin disappears in a flash as his eyes darken with malice.

“So, how are we with tracking down the Chernoff’s?”

I grit my teeth and look to the side, trying to temper my rage.

“We aren’t. I am surprised Benjamin was able to connect the misdirected shipment to them in the first place. We are using every resource, just like last time. It is like trying to find a needle in a fucking hayfield.”

Luca eyes narrow as his jaw tightens. “Not good enough. Work harder and get me some fucking results, Gio.”

I give him a terse nod before he waves for me to go. I slam the door a little harder than I probably should have on my way out before storming out of the house. Does he not think that I want to find the Chernoff family more than anyone else? Has Luca forgotten that my hate for them goes far beyond some missing drugs and disrespect? They took my fucking wife away from me, tore apart my life and Alessandro’s all in one night. I won’t forget that, and I will find them.

-

When I get home, I step through the door to a quiet house. I check the living room and Alessandro’s room but can’t find them anywhere. I don’t think they would have gone anywhere. Tasha is always good about telling me if they are going to leave the house.

I wander out to the backyard and see them laying on a blanket in the grass. I smile as I walk towards them but stop dead in my tracks when I see that Alessandro is crying.

“I am afraid I will never get a mommy like Seraphina and Antonio do. Papa always says that I have a mommy who saved me when I was a baby, but she had to go to heaven.”

Shit. I definitely wanted to be the one to tell Tasha about Isabelle, if and when I ever decided I wanted to. I watch as surprise flashes in Tasha’s eyes, but she doesn’t say anything as she lets him keep talking. He sniffs and wipes his eyes.

“I wish I got to meet her,” he continues.

Tasha grabs his hand comfortingly and squeezes. “You know,” she says, her voice hoarse like she is choking back tears. “I lost my brother.”

She did? I didn’t know that she had a brother? How are there so many pieces of her life that never made it back to me? I am going to throttle the dipshit Capo that pulled her profile. Clearly, he missed something or several somethings.

“He was the best big brother ever. He was the one that taught me how to build awesome forts.”

Alessandro smiles at that, he didn’t stop talking about forts for a week after him and Tasha built their first one. I have definitely come home to my house torn apart more than a time or two since then.

“What happened to him?” Alessandro asks.

She gives him a strained smile and sighs. “He had to go to heaven too. He is without a doubt one of God’s best angels up there, right next to your mom, I am sure.”

A sad smile spreads across my face at her kind words. My heart aches for her and my arms long to wrap her up in them and hold her till the pain goes away for both of us.

I clear my throat as I make my way over to them. They both look over and give me sad smiles.

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