Page 120 of The Don’s Omega

Elio mutters, “Just, keep your opinions about my fatness to yourself, please.”

I laugh. “You stepped into that one, Carlo.”

Carlo sighs. “I meant it in a good way, Elio. I swear.”

Elio looks unconvinced, but he says, “It’s fine. I am getting fat. No point in pretending otherwise.”

Carlo grimaces. “I’m gonna just keep my mouth shut from now on.”

“Smart man.” I smirk.

Carlo leaves and I go to sit beside Elio. His worried expression is bothering me. I take his hand in mine.

“It’s okay, mio, don’t look so anxious,” I say.

“But, the families are upset with you because of me,” he says quietly.

“It’s just noise.”

“Carlo seemed truly worried.”

“He’s a worrier by nature.” I smooth a stray lock of hair off his forehead. “I’ll keep my eyes open, don’t worry. But I don’t think there’s any real threat from those families.”

“But there might be because no one understands why you did what you did.” He studies me. “I don’t understand your world, but I do understand human nature. People panic when they see something they don’t understand. Perhaps you should come up with a reason why you took the ports.”

I scowl. “I don’t have to explain myself to them.”

“But if it would help calm them, why not do it?” He frowns. “I’d be destroyed if anything happened to you because of me.”

My heart softens and the anger fades. “Don’t blame yourself. The Luccheses drew first blood, not me.”

“I don’t understand why you can’t just tell people that.”

“Because it makes me look vulnerable. I don’t want people thinking they should give it a try too.”

He says quietly, “Okay, but what if… what if it’s not just grumbling?”

“Then I’ll handle it.”

“How?”

“The way I handle everything.”

“You’ll kill them?”

“Tesoro, stop worrying about this stuff. It doesn’t concern you.” I make sure my voice is soft and reassuring. “You’re stressing out about stuff you don’t need to. Didn’t the doctor tell you not to stress?”

“Yes,” he says grudgingly.

I smile. “Listen to me. Nobody is going to make a move against me. I have eyes and ears in every family, on every dock, in every room where decisions get made. If someone so much as thinks about coming for us, I’ll know about it before they’ve finished the thought.”

“You didn’t know the attack on me was coming,” he says softly.

I grimace. “That was different. That was… personal. It was a mother operating on her own, to avenge her son’s honor. She misunderstood the situation and was upset for her child. It wasn’t a coordinated attack. Do you understand how that was different?”

He nods, although he doesn’t look convinced.

“Trust me,” I say.