Chapter 5 - A Fortress Built on Lies
By midday, Milo was awake, sitting up in his bed eating apple sauce and giggling at a cartoon playing on the wall-mounted television.
To Milo, Nico was a tall, mysterious "friend" who knew magic tricks with silver coins and carried him like he weighed nothing at all. Seeing Nico—a man feared by politicians and mob lords alike—sitting on the edge of a tiny hospital bed making funny faces to elicit a chuckle from a toddler was a sight I never could have imagined.
"Look, Mommy! The tall man made the coin disappear in his ear!" Milo chirped, pointing a small, sticky finger at Nico.
Nico offered a rare, genuine smile—the kind that transformed his harsh, sharp features into something breathtakingly handsome. "It's called sleight of hand, little boss. I'll teach you when you're older."
When you're older. The words hung heavy in the air.
My phone rang from my purse, breaking the warm moment. It was my neighbor and bakery partner, Elena, checking in. I stepped into the hallway to answer it, assuring her that Milo was out of danger and that I would be back in a couple of days.
When I stepped back into the room, Nico’s playful expression was gone, replaced by the lethal Don I remembered. He was speaking in low Italian to Lucian, his right-hand man, who had arrived outside the door with four armed guards posted discreetly down the hall.
"What is it, Nico?" I asked, closing the door behind me.
Nico looked at Lucian, giving him a quick nod. Lucian bowed his head and stepped outside, leaving us alone again with the sleeping child.
"The news of my presence at St. Catherine's has leaked," Nico said calmly, though his eyes burned with a dark fire. "A hospital of this size has eyes and ears. Salvatore Moretti’s men know I spent twelve hours in a pediatric ward."
My heart slammed against my ribs. "Moretti? But I thought you said you defeated them!"
"I broke their organization, but Salvatore survived," Nico explained, walking over to me. "He has been hiding in the shadows for two years, waiting for an opening. Until today, he thought I was impenetrable. A man with no heart, no family, no vulnerabilities."
He took my hands in his. His palms were warm, firm, and grounding.
"Now he knows I have a son. And he knows where you are."
"Oh God," I choked out, terror gripping my throat. "Nico, my bakery... my life... Milo..."
"Listen to me very carefully, Claire," Nico said, grabbing my chin gently so I was forced to look into his dark, unwavering eyes. "Two years ago, I protected you by pushing you away. It was a mistake. It left you vulnerable, alone, and it almost cost me everything. I will not make that mistake again."
"What are you saying?"
"You and Milo are coming home with me," he said firmly. "To the estate in the hills. It is a fortress. Wall-to-wall security, armored glass, forty heavily armed men who answer directly to me. Salvatore Moretti cannot touch you there."
"Nico, I built a life!" I argued, tears of frustration welling in my eyes. "I have a business, friends, independence! I can't just move into a mafia compound because you decided to play protector!"
"You think you have a choice?" Nico’s voice tipped into raw passion. He stepped closer, crowding me against the doorframe, his hands resting on either side of my head. "Claire, Salvatore Moretti will cut your throat just to make me bleed! He will take our son and use him as leverage to destroy everything I built! I am not asking you to forgive me for the past. I am not asking you to love me again. I am telling you that to keep my son and the woman I love alive, you will step into my fortress!"
The word echoed in the small room. The woman I love.
May you like
I stared at him, my heart hammering like a trapped bird. "You love me?" I whispered.
Nico let out a harsh, self-deprecating laugh. "I never stopped. Not for a single second. I tried to burn my own heart out so I wouldn't feel the pain of letting you go. But standing in this room, watching you fight for our son... I know I would burn the entire world down before I let anything happen to either of you again."
