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"If the baby is mine, I will do right by the child, but you will never be the mistress of my home. You will never be my wife. If you ever come near Aria again, your child will be an orphan." I click the off button and roll my shoulders, uncomfortable with the threat I just delivered. I don't kill women, but I won’t tolerate any threats against Aria.
I speed through the gate and skid to a stop in front of the house. I rush in, calling out for Aria. Roberta appears immediately and tells me that Aria is outside on the terrace. I make a beeline to her, and when I reach her, I want to pull her up and take her in my arms to make sure she's all right.
Her expression stops me. Her eyes are narrow in accusation. It hurts and frustrates me that she still doesn't trust me. But I remind myself that an ex lover of mine broke into my house. I'd probably have doubts too if things were reversed.
I grab a chair from the table and put it in front of her, sitting down and leaning forward toward her. "Are you all right?"
"How did she get in the house?"
"She—"
Aria holds up a hand to stop me. "She got in because your men know to let her in. Because she's been here. What is going on, Luca? Is this one of those situations in which you marry one woman for her pedigree but you get your rocks off with a mistress?"
"No." I'm feeling desperate and it’s uncomfortable. I'm resenting Aria for making me feel this way. I've done nothing wrong. "Electra has never been in my home. Never in my bed. I don't know why she was allowed in except for the fact that it's known that she was once a lover of mine. But that is all she was."
Aria purses her lips and tilts her head to the side. "Perhaps they let her in because she's carrying your child."
My head is shaking before she finishes the words. "It's not my child. You can think whatever fucked up thing you want to think about me, Aria. But know this. That baby, if there really is one, is not mine."
Her expression softens momentarily, but then she pulls it back in as if she doesn't want to believe me. "How can you be so sure?"
"For one, I always use a condom."
"You don't with me."
"That's because you and I belong to each other. Think about it, Aria. I am not a reckless man. Except maybe when it comes to you. For you, I've taken on the most powerful Don in America. For you, I'm prepared to give everything I am, my very soul."
I can see the tug-of-war in her eyes, of wanting to believe me but afraid to do so.
"I'm going to get to the bottom of this, Aria. I will deal with Electra?—"
"How?" Concern laces her eyes. I remember that she saw me kill a man she believed to be an innocent homeless man.
"That's not code for I'm going to kill her. But she will be dealt with."
"She got into the house, and nobody saw her. She could get in and slit my throat."
The vision of that is more than I can bear. I reach out, taking Aria’s hands in mine. "I won't let that happen."
“How can you stop it? She was in my closet.”
She's right. Perhaps I've underestimated Electra. Between her and dealing with Sabini’s rogue men, now may not be the safest time for Aria to be here with me.
"You should go to New York. Go to Lucia's baby shower."
Her eyes round, clearly not expecting me to say that. "You want me to leave?" She starts to tug her hands away, but I grip them tighter.
"Hell no. I want you here with me, by my side for always. But I want you to feel safe. And I know that your family is important to you."
"Come with me." She leans forward, her hands gripping mine, and I feel it like a lifeline.
"You know I can't."
"Niko won't kill you. He might want to beat you up…"
My lips twitch upward. "It's not just Niko. I need to handle Electra and some other business from the fallout of Sabini’s demise. You understand, don't you?"
She nods. “Okay.”
