41
Aurielo
I should be on the team taking out Dorian Bianchi, but that’s the job of a soldier, not an interrogator. If they bring back any men alive, I’ll have my chance to interrogate them, but that isn’t the plan.
They are going in to execute Dorian on Alessandro’s orders.
It wasn’t hard to convince Alessandro to go to war with the Bianchi’s. We’ve been battling them for as long as I can remember. Sending in soldiers to attack isn’t an easy game. It involves planning, infiltrating, and managing to escape.
It’s the first time I’m both grateful and upset not to be a soldier. I want to be on the inside and be part of the crew that takes him out. But I also would rather stay back to protect my family. Someone has to stay at the compound.
Although I’m not exactly at the house. Karina is with me. We’re picking up Ashton from school.
My hand clenches around hers as we walk from the parked car to the front gated entrance. The school will be letting out any minute.
The strike on the Bianchi compound is happening simultaneously, and while the men have their orders not to harm Etta, casualties of war happen. I wait for their call to find out the news.
“I can’t believe I have a day off in forever and it was spent cooped up at the mansion,” Karina says.
I raise an eyebrow, glancing at her. “We didn’t waste the day,” I say. We spent the early afternoon with Ivy, helping her move into her new bedroom down the hallway. Alessandro agreed to give her a room of her own, and after Dorian is dead, she’ll be allowed to leave the compound with a bodyguard.
Maybe if she wasn’t Karina’s identical twin, we could let her live on her own, but looking like Karina, being her sister, puts both girls at risk.
Even if the soldiers kill Dorian, we’ve made too many enemies.
“I’m sure Ivy is appreciative that she doesn’t have to share a room with her nephew anymore,” Karina says.
“I should hope so. I had to pull quite a few strings to convince Alessandro to give up another bedroom.”
Karina snorts. “The mansion has a thousand rooms. He can’t spare one more?”
“A thousand?” I shoot a glance at her. She’s exaggerating.
“Okay, a hundred.”
She’s cute, and if it wasn’t for that wicked grin, I’d remind her that Alessandro has always been good to me, protected me. But she has a way of making me lose my thoughts. I want to kiss her and lean in, but the school bell tolls, and the doors open.
We sign Ashton out and head toward the car.
“Daddy,” Ashton says, glancing at me over his shoulder. “Can I spend the night at Ryan’s house? He invited me to sleep over this Friday.”
Did I hear him correctly?
Daddy?
I freeze, and Karina squeezes my hand. “We haven’t met Ryan’s parents yet,” she says, softening the blow. She must realize the same fears that I have. Who are Ryan’s parents? What if they’re part of the Bianchi family?
“You can meet them when you drop me off. Please,” Ashton whines.
We approach the car, and I open the back door, letting Ashton into the backseat. “How about we talk about it more when we get home?” There’s no way that I’m letting him spend the night at a stranger’s house, but maybe we can have his friend over?
The fact he called me Daddy, I can’t say no to him. Does he know that?
What are the chances that Alessandro will approve such a request?
None.
Alessandro doesn’t have kids. He has no significant other. Just random women that he brings home to bed. They never stay the night. They’re not invited to come back either. He’s the typical playboy that isn’t interested in children.