He popped the appetizer in his mouth, and locked eyes with him. Robert reached forward and pinched his nose just because he knew how much Gabriel hated when he did that shit. Gabriel jerked his face away and shot him a glare.
Robert chuckled. “Where’s your mother? Have she and Cesare arrived yet?”
Angelo snorted derisively. “That’s still going on? I thought it’d be over by now.”
Gabriel caught Mickey discreetly roll his eyes and turn away, seemingly annoyed by Angelo’s bitter words. Everyone in the kitchen probably wanted to say something to the big boss, but none of them really could. They were either avoiding conflict because they were working for or with the guy, or they were afraid to talk to a mafia boss in such an ill manner.
Gabriel smirked.
Good thing I’m neither
.
Gabriel nodded to Robert and answered, “No, Robert. They haven’t arrived yet.” Then he turned to Angelo and … well … “Don’t be a bitter giant, mate. It’s not really an attractive quality for a man your age.”
All went silent in the room, but the smile remained on Gabriel’s face.
“A man my age?” he asked sternly. “I beg your pardon, young man, I am not bitter.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Don’t be both bitter and a liar, sir.” The man’s expression quickly became a glare. “Yes they are still together and happier than ever. Maybe when she gets here you will get to see how my mother looks when she’s happy … you know, because you’ve probably never seen it, since she wasn’t happy with you.”
Robert chuckled as he stuffed another appetizer in his mouth. “Damn,” he said with a mouthful of food, “he got you on that one, Angelo.”
Angelo’s jaw ticked and he exhaled a long breath. “Do you have a problem with me?”
“I do,”
Gabriel replied.
“You dislike me?”
“You got it.”
His nostrils flared in annoyance. “Do you mind if I asked why you dislike me so?”
Gabriel shrugged. “Sure, if you want. I find you to be too avaricious. You are a selfish, greedy man, and you will most likely be that way for the remainder of your life,” he said honestly. “My father always accused me of the same thing once. He said to me …” He repeated the words Silas used to say to him when he was a child, then translated. “That means
, Gabriel, my son, you mustn’t ever be too avaricious. Greed is a poison. A consumer of the weak. An avaricious man spends his life in pursuit of everything, but always loses in the end. For what is the point of having everything when you lose the one thing that made everything worth having? It’s all just meaningless after that.”
He pointed to Angelo. “You are the classic example of a man that set out in pursuit of everything, but forgot why he wanted it in the first place. So forgive me if I dislike you because of this. I was taught that such greed is the mark of a weak man, and I disapprove.”
Angelo stared at him a moment, and then cocked his head to the side. “You are a brave young man, Gabriel Stone. Do you truly feel safe enough to call a man like me such a name as weak? Do you not fear the consequence of your words?”
“As much as I’d like it to be, Stone that is not my name. I go by my father’s name. Not because I love him, but because I refuse to give him the power of taking away my identity. My name is Gabriel Silvanus Steele, and do
you
truly feel safe enough to threaten a man like me the way you have just done so? Do
you
not fear the consequence of
your words
? Threaten me all you want Angelo Salerno. I’ve faced far more frightening men than you, and one of those men was my father.”
Angelo glared at him for another moment before his features softened and he chuckled. “Damn,” he laughed, shaking his head. “You may dislike me, young man, but I have just become your biggest fan. It’s been a long time since a man has talked to me in such a manner, and you actually managed to say something useful.” He slapped Gabriel on the back and continued to eat appetizers. “I will not give you the satisfaction of the hostile reaction you seek from me, young man. Try as you might to get in my head, you will never succeed at manipulating me. I am not this weak minded man you speak of.”
Gabriel arched an eyebrow at the man’s words. “Hmm…” He was surprised. “Are you sure? I basically just told you off in front of men that work for you. Shouldn’t you be beating me up right now Mr. Italian Mafia boss?”
“I am a forty-seven year old man Gabriel
Steele
. I am not an idiot. Beating you would be an easy task, but one that would also be unwise and juvenile. I am not unwise nor am I juvenile. Then there’s your mother …”
Robert burst into laughter. “There we go,” he laughed. “Anastacia Stone would break your neck if he ever laid one finger on her son. And she’d break mine if I didn’t stop you …”
“And let’s not forget little Anastacia,” Angelo added through laughter.
Gabriel frowned as he looked between the chuckling bastards.
Angelo gave his shoulder another pat. “Like I said, I’m not unwise. I think I’ll avoid the wrath of the Stone women, thank you …”
“I never thought I’d see the day” Robert chuckled. “Don Angelo Salerno afraid of two small women.”
“Would you go up against them?” Angelo asked Robert.
Robert shook his head firmly. “Fuck no.”
The answer seemed to amuse Angelo greatly.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. They were both so fucking annoying.
Suddenly, the sound of a playful, deep male voice and soft, feminine giggles caught their attention.
“Nathan Salerno, you better be good,” she giggled. “I’m warning you, Mr. Salerno, if you so much as take a call—”
“Mmm,” he growled. “Yes, ma’am. You know how much I love it when you threaten me baby. Don’t turn me on right before we have guests over. Save it for tonight.”
She laughed. “I haven’t worn you out yet?”
“Hell no, woman!”
“Well let’s see what I can pull out of my sleeve later on tonight, shall we?”
They walked into view of everyone right as Carter palmed Nathan’s ass with a slap and her other hand rested atop her adorable, round twin baby’s bump. When they looked up and saw the full kitchen they both laughed.
“Oh my God, hi,” Carter said with a bright smile. “You guys made it on time!”
“Good afternoon, Pop, Robert,” Nathan greeted with a smile equally as bright.
They were the epitome of a picture-perfect, deliriously happy couple.
Carter went to her father first, and jumped into his arms. “Daddy!”
He happily welcomed her. “How’s my baby girl?” he asked, hugging her close.
“I’m perfect, Daddy. How was your trip?”
They pulled back after giving each other light kisses on the cheek. Robert had gone on a very secretive trip three days ago. Well, maybe not so secretive. They all knew what he was doing. The man had an addiction; he’d needed a fix, and Angelo had given it to him.
Robert kissed Carter’s forehead. “My trip was wonderful, baby girl. Just what Daddy needed.”
Carter touched his face gently. “Good,” she said with light laughter in her voice.
When they parted, Carter went straight to her Angelo while Robert turned a glare to Nathan and shook his hand. Gabriel had to chuckle at that.
~*~
It wasn’t long before Anastacia and Cesare finally arrived, and Carter had never seen her mother so … bright. Literally, Anastacia was glowing. She and Cesare had called out for everyone when they’d first entered the house, and when they finally made it to the kitchen Carter was pretty sure Daddy Angelo was ready to pass out.
She looked amazing. She wore a bright strapless, yellow maxi dress that fell all the way to the floor. Her hair was in a mess of thick curls—a style Carter had never seen her wear it in before—and she had an incredibly beautiful diamond necklace around her neck that Carter just knew was from Cesare.
“Mom!” Carter and Gabriel exclaimed, walking to hug her.
Anastacia released Cesare’s hand and received them both with a soft laugh. “My babies!” She kissed them both on the forehead. “I missed you two so much.”
“How was your trip?” Gabriel asked.
Anastacia smiled brightly. “It was perfect. Exactly what I needed.”
“You look positively dazzling, Mother,” Gabriel said as he placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Thank you, baby. You must tell me how your first week of school went.”
“You know I will.” With a parting kiss, Gabriel went greet Cesare, leaving Anastacia with Carter.
Carter hugged her mother tightly. “You look amazing, Mama. You’re glowing.”
Anastacia placed her hand on Carter’s slightly rounded belly. “Carterina, you are showing,” she exclaimed happily. “Are you feeling better now, baby girl?”
Carter
had
to tell her mother about the sickness she was experiencing the week before over the phone. She knew she’d been worried.
Smiling, Carter nodded her head. “I’m perfect, Mama. My husband took great care of me.” Carter looked over to Nathan, who was now coming forward to greet Anastacia as well.
The family began to visit as they waited for the guest of honor to arrive. It wasn’t until thirty minutes later that Kyle walked into the kitchen with a baby carrier in one hand, and a pink and brown cheetah-print diaper bag over his shoulder. Carter had never once throughout their friendship imagined she’d see Kyle in such a way.
He looked like a father. He looked … happy. And tired, but still happy.
Carter had gasped when Kyle and Sofia entered. “You’re here!” she exclaimed as she scrambled forward.
Kyle sat the diaper bag to the floor and embraced her with his free arm. “Wow,” he laughed. “Look at you,
bella
. You are glowing.”
Carter kissed his cheek. “How are you, daddy?” she asked him.
Chuckling, he gave her a kiss on the cheek in return. “I’m busy, that’s what I am.” He looked down at his little girl, who stared up at him with bright, sky-blue eyes.
“Oh my goodness,” Carter squealed.
She immediately took the baby carrier from Kyle and brought her to the table. Sofia’s blue eyes followed every one of Carter’s actions as Carter lowered the carrier arm and uncovered the perfect little angel. Her heart melted and tears immediately sprang to her eyes.
“Wow. Kyle, you’re papa …”
Sofia Nicole Valente was definitely daddy’s little girl. She looked exactly like Kyle. She had his eyes, his thick jet black hair, even the attractive thickness of his brows. She was dressed in a pink dress and pink ballerina shoes, with a matching pink bow in her head.
Carter reached forward and took the baby into her arms.
Nathan walked to Kyle and hugged him. “How are you, brother?”
“Tired,” Kyle answered, shaking his head. “This is not easy, Nathan. You better thank God you have a good woman.”
Nathan frowned. “Is everything okay?”
Kyle smiled. “That may be a conversation better left for when we are not in the kitchen with the whole family. I suppose the most important thing is that I’m happy and I love my daughter very much.” He looked over to his precious Sofia being held by a near weeping Carter and laughed softly. “Sofia is my life now.” He pointed to Carter. “Shall we get her some tissues?”
Nathan looked over to his wife and shook his head. “I keep tissues in my pocket now. Her hormones are everywhere lately. I knew meeting Sofia would do this to her, hold on.” He ran over to Carter and squatted down beside her, pulling tissues from his pocket. Carter took the tissues and dabbed her eyes while Nathan took a moment to gaze at the little princess in her arms.
When he finally returned to Kyle, he was hugging Anastacia, who had already met and spent time with little Sofia when Kyle had brought her to meet her Grandpa and Uncle Mickey.
After they embraced, Nathan nodded for Kyle to walk with him. They left the kitchen with Mickey, Dante, and Lucca following behind them and gathered in the living room.
“What’s going on?” Mickey asked with a frown.
Sighing, Kyle sat back on the seat. “I think I’m about to be a single father, that’s what.” He shook his head. “Faith is just not interested. She has no patience for Sofia; the majority of the time Sofia is with me. I had to get a nanny, or else I wouldn’t have even been able to come to work at all the past two weeks. Faith and Sofia have been living with me the past couple of weeks while she looks for an apartment, but she never looks. All she does is shop, with my fucking money, for shit that’s not for my daughter. It’s starting to piss me off. If Carter wasn’t pregnant, I’d ask her to kick the bitch’s ass.” He sighed. “I don’t know what to do. It’s only been two weeks and I’m already having problems with Sofia’s mother. We argue constantly because I won’t fuck her—”
“Then fuck her,” Lucca said. “There you go, problem solved. Keep her happy until you get her the fuck out.”
“I’m not going to get her the fuck out until I find an apartment for her myself. She’s squatting!”
“She’s the mother of your daughter,” Dante said. “I’m not really sure how this kind of thing works, but doesn’t that make you … available to her. Aren’t you obligated to meet her needs?”