“You did nothing wrong, Catarina. You did what comes naturally to you.”
Looking around the room, I couldn’t find the pretty woman. “Where is her mother? She should put her down to bed.”
Reggie’s face fell as he said, “Her mother died four days ago, and her father is in a coma. We are all she has.”
So, the woman holding her before was not her mother? Looking at the sleeping baby, I wanted to cry for her, “You poor littleBambina. Who’s going to take care of you?” I asked before leaning closer to kiss her forehead.
“We all will,” Reaper said, sitting beside me as he gently caressed the little girl’s head. “She belongs to all of us. Hailey is ours to protect, just like Colin will be when he comes home. We will all look after him. Hailey will want for nothing. We will all make sure she gets everything she needs.”
“Even love?” I asked, looking at the hardened man that Reggie looked up to. I’d met some pretty rough men over the last couple of years, each more dangerous than the other, but there was something about the man sitting next to me. He seemed to be the epitome of danger, but when he looked at the small little girl, I saw a softness, a kindness in his eyes that told me he was telling me the truth.
“Even love. My woman, Remi, is pregnant with our first child. She has a brother and sister that live with us. Ghost has a daughter, Rebekah, and now we have Hailey and Colin soon. Catarina, every child in this club is loved and cared for above all others. I give you my word.”
“Including mine?” Ari grinned, walking over.
Everyone turned to Ari, who blushed as Ghost said, “Really? You’re pregnant?”
The pretty woman I met before nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes as her smile lit up the room around her as her husband picked her up and twirled her around. “I’m gonna be a dad again!”
“My girl gets sick, Ghost, and you will have me to deal with,” the woman with the big pink hair said as she walked towards me. “My name is Roxy. I’m Ari’s momma. If you’d like, we have the playpen set up. I can put Hailey down for you, so you don’t have to hold her.”
Instantly my arms tightened protectively around the little girl as I said, “I don’t mind, really. If it’s okay with all of you, I’d really like to hold her a little longer.”
Reaper, Roxy, and Reggie all smiled.
“You can hold her as long as you want, baby.”
“You hurt her, Player, and it’s the shed for you,” Reaper said as he got up and headed towards the stairs. “Cat, Player tells me you make a mean lasagna. Is that right?”
“Yes, sir. I love to cook.”
“Not sir. Just Reaper. Roxy, Ari show Cat where the kitchen is at. In the meantime, if anyone needs me, I will be getting my ass chewed out. If you know what’s good for you, you will all stay away.”
The room instantly erupted in laughter as Reaper headed up the stairs.
I didn’t understand these people.
They were crass, bold, hardened, yet they were perfect gentlemen when it came to children and the women they loved.
I watched for hours while everyone interacted with each other as if they’d all been raised together since they were children.
They were a true family.
Men and women who chose to be a part of something bigger, something more than their former lives offered. It was rather remarkable. They came from different backgrounds, beliefs, and stations, yet they made it work.
I learned that many of the men in the club had at least one family member die or was incarcerated for some crime. Most had been in the system at one point or another. Those who did have family members were severely protective of them, like Chaos. He had two sisters he talked about all the time. They even lived on the property somewhere, yet they never stepped foot in the clubhouse. When I asked why Chaos simply said they were better than everyone here, he didn’t want them involved with the club. He wanted more for them.
I understood that.
From what I was seeing, I wasn’t sure I could live or be a part of this family as Reaper said I was. Then there was Colin. He was just a baby, a little boy. He needed a safe, loving home, not some clubhouse filled with rough men who constantly cursed and made rude gestures as they expressed themselves. Not that I was one to judge. My own family had its issues too. I just wanted something more, something better for Colin.
No. Like Chaos, I doubted I would ever allow Colin near the clubhouse. What I really wanted was to take my son back home to Chicago. I wanted him raised around a family that loved him and nurtured him. I wanted my parents to meet their grandson. I wanted Gio to welcome Colin into the family. I wanted the security the family offered.
Plus, I missed Chicago.
I dreamed of going back ever since my brother took me to Italy. I worried that word would eventually get back to Angelo, and he would come for me. He really did hate Reggie. I still didn’t understand why, but after what happened, I knew it to be true.
My brother Angelo was always different from the family. He had aspirations and planned on doing something with his life. I was so happy for him that Mr. Valentinetti gave him a job. Angelo was so proud that he was going to work for the Valentinetti family. Over the years, his job took him many places, and with all the hard work he showed, he was rewarded many times. Looking back, I could clearly see the change in Angelo over the years. He had become more calculated and secretive, and when I asked, he would just smile at me and tell me my time would come soon enough. I never knew what he was talking about, but I never thought he would do what he did for one minute.