Page 139 of Descent

“Breathtaking,” I mutter, staring out over the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Isabella sidles up to me, curling her arms around my bicep.

“I was talking about you.”

“Ugh. Why does that work on me so well?”

“Because you know what you really do to me in our private chamber, and how it really does leave me breathless…” I chuckle, inhaling the scent of her hair, her skin. Out here in the warm, humid air, it’s accentuated. More heady.

She was made to live in a place like this. The mother of my children. My wife.

“I can’t believe you have a house in Corsica. We. We have a house in Corsica.”

“Now that we have some access to our hidden assets, there are a lot of things you’ll soon discover about whatwehave.”

“All legal and above board?” Isa makes a face, her lips pressing together.

“All paid for and completely off the books. So, kind of?”

“I may never get used to being a Diamante.”

Leaning over the rail of the beachside terrace, I frown slightly. Unsure of how to frame the feelings I’ve been wrestling with.

“Aless? I was only teasing…”

“It’s not that. I?—”

“You wonder what to do about the family.”

“It’s my responsibility. Always has been.”

“I’m not sure your brothers would agree. To the rest of the world, you died six years ago, Aless.”

“The weight of our empire did not die with me.” I growl, itching for a cigarette. It was bad enough the way she guilted me after Nico was born. Then little Giancarlo comes along and she doubles down, says I’m getting older and?—

“Papa! Mamma!” Our youngest’s voice trills ahead of him as his sandaled feet clap across the tiles.

Go figure. My worries find somewhere else to be for a minute. Isabella bends down, pressing her hands to her knees as he bolts toward her, leaping into her arms. She catches the three-year-old boy at the last second, making monster sounds and sending him into fits of giggles.

I’m so caught up in the ordeal that I almost miss Nico’s sneak attack.

“Difenditi, Pa!” he shouts, leaping onto my back.

Whipping around and away from Isa and Gi-co, I spin into a frenzy, whirling Nico’s legs out behind me. In a quick twist of my body, I flip around with his hands still around my neck, swimming him around and around.

“Dad, I’m gonna puuuuke!” he wails, tears forming in his eyes from laughing so hard.

“The circus called, they need their monkeys back,” Adriano opens his arms as he steps out of the house, catching Nico as I tug his arms loose from my neck and release him.

“Ugh. Quit being so precious, would you? Makes me so baby crazy I could puke too!” Gloria pops her lips as she steps onto the patio, shaking out the braids from her hair.

“Ay!Zio Ano!” Nico squeals as he wiggles out of his uncle’s grip.

“Doesn’t‘ano’mean—” Gloria’s eyes narrow.

“Jesus…” Adriano clenches his teeth. “Ciro taught him to call me that, didn’t he?”

“And could you maybe be a little less rough with our son…” Isa chides.

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