Page 98 of Fixate
Dante nodded, then walked right up to Ricardo and pulled him into a hug. My boy froze, unsure what to do in response.
I couldn’t hold back my laugh seeing this absolute shit show of a reunion.
Pip and Henri watched along with me, two very different expressions on their faces. Henri’s jaw was wide open in shock, while Pip looked about the same he did when I told him he got to kill someone.
Murder and babies. Who knew those two things were what made him happy?
“Who is this precious little angel?” Pip said in a soft voice as he approached Preacher. With a snatch of his hand, he took the bottle and began mixing the powdery contents with the water inside.
Dante pulled away from Ricardo, then turned to face me. “I thought he was your scary murder-for-hire guy?”
“He is. Apparently, he’s also into babies.” I shrugged as I approached him.
We met in one of those back clapping hugs men do, then I wrapped an arm around Ricardo’s waist. It wasn’t because I was jealous of their long hug or anything. More like I just needed to be close to him.
My boy’s knowing expression told me I wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Good to see you two finally figured this mess out,” Dante said.
I raised my brows at him. “How so?”
He waved his hand at us both. “You two were circling one another for years. It took me a lot longer to realize Ricardo was interested too, but once I did, it was only a matter of time.”
Preacher chuckled as he approached with the tiny bundle. “Let’s go sit. She’s a slow eater, and I’d rather get into a comfortable position.”
“You could have handed her to me. I don’t mind helping.” Pip leaned around Preacher, getting far too close. Henri reached over, tugging him to his side.
“Stop hovering,” he bit out.
From the corner of my eye, I saw their fingers lock together. Henri frowned, but Pip wore a victorious grin. Bastard probably planned the entire thing just to get closer to the other man.
“Come on over here,” I told the group as I spun to move us back into the living room. “No need to hover by the entry.”
Each of us took our seats around the space. It was kind of funny how we’d each wound up in a pair, so it kind of looked more like a triple date than some of the most powerful mafia men in the world getting together.
“Who’s going to tell us about the baby?” Ricardo asked as soon as he was comfortably tucked into my side.
Preacher spoke up first. “A lot has changed since you left. When Dante realized he really wanted to have a family with me, I knew a kid was going to be part of it. Neither of us really wanted to lend our genetic material to the process given our shit fathers, so we went the route of adoption.”
“And her name?” Pip asked, beating me to the question.
“Melody.” They spoke in unison, both of them wearing wide grins.
The tiny bundle fussed at the sound of her name, almost as if to agree with them. We all laughed at the cute noise before diving back into conversation.
Dante took over telling us all about their new life, his extended relatives, and the center they’d built. It was apparent to me, and probably the others as well, that they’d found what they wanted to do in life. Just like I’d realized Lyon Enterprises was where I wanted to focus most, the pair had taken to the notion of family as their dream.
“Sound like you’ve been busy,” I noted aloud once they finished. “I’m surprised you were able to get away.”
“It wasn’t easy. We’ve got a good team though. Plus, Melody needed to meet her godparents.”
My body froze as I took in Dante’s earnest expression. Ricardo leaned forward, slipping from my hold as he stared down his friend.
“Godparents,” my boy repeated softly.
Preacher nodded. “Yes, that’s right. You two are the perfect fit for the role now that you’re together. We couldn’t think of anyone else we trusted enough to protect her with their lives.”
“I need to hold her now.” It was nothing for me to stand up and move around the table. Melody was still sucking away at the bottle, so I took both her and the small container from Preacher. He didn’t even hesitate to hand her over, which went much further to fortify the godparent request than his words had.
