FEDERICO

"Hey, promise me you'll hear them out before you say or do anything," Elenora shifts Mateo in her arms and grabs my arm to hold me back before she heads upstairs.

"Mm, hmm."

"Rico." She raises her eyebrow. "Say it."

I sigh, slightly growling. "Fine, I won't do anything or say anything."

"Until..." She prompts me and I roll my eyes.

"Until I hear them out."

"Good." She grins at me as her hand travels up my arm and around my neck, pulling me towards her, and presses her lips on mine in a soft kiss. She leans in further and whispers. "I'm going to drain every last drop of come from you tonight." Her teeth tug on my ear lobe and the blood rushes straight to my dick.

"That sounds painful." It actually sounds fucking amazing. I pull her in so she can feel the obvious bulge on the front of my pants.

She gives me a mischievous smile. "You can take it."

She brushes her lips against mine again. "I love you, you know that?"

"Yes, and I love you, mia patatina." (my little potato)

Matty babbles and I chuckle. "And I love you, piccolo." I kiss his head and he smacks me in the face. (little one)

Elenora smiles and heads up the stairs. Maya stands at the top of the landing. "I thought I heard Matty." She smiles widely and then waves down at me, "Hi Rico, hi Ciccio!"

"Principessa."

"Buonasera, Maya."

Ciccio and I both greet her simultaneously. "Boss, you want me to wait down here for her or should I go up?"

"Wait at the top of the stairs."

"You sure, you don't want me with you?" Ciccio asks.

"I'm sure; you're responsible for the two most important people for me, Ciccio."

I knock twice on the door outside of Tiziano's study before I walk in and everyone inside stands.

"Rico, it's good to see you; glad you could come, figlio." Tiziano shakes my hand and gives me a hug. Teresa also hugs me and kisses both sides of my face as well as my hand.

"Nora, is not with you?" Teresa questions.

"She's nursing Mateo upstairs and then putting him down for his nap," I inform her and then she excuses herself to go see them.

I turn to face the rest of the people in the room. Angela is behind Gabriel and Renzo, hiding her face from me.

"Federico, thanks for coming, cuz." Renzo approaches me first and shakes my hand before pulling me in for a hug.

Gabriel, moves forward next. "What's good, cuz?"

But I don't answer as I focus on Angela. She's shaking like a leaf now that she's not shielded behind them.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Ang." I keep my voice quiet and she begins sobbing. I walk to her slowly and she tenses up as I get closer. I wrap my arms around her; it worries me how much weight she's lost since I last saw her.

"I'm sorry for what Rosetta did to you, for what she made you believe." I keep my voice even and as soft as I can make it.

"No. I'm the one who's sorry, Federico," She says in between her crying. "I never meant to hurt anyone." She continues sobbing.

"I know."

She pulls away from me. "Do you think Nora can forgive me? I understand if she doesn't want to see me, but I want to explain everything to her."

"Elenora isn't mad at you, Angela. She's worried about you and if I'm being honest, she's the reason why I'm here.

"She's not mad?" Angela asks in disbelief, looking at the others in the room.

"No. She knows Rosetta used you and manipulated you."

"I'm sure you guessed by now, Angela didn't go missing from the treatment center, Rosetta had her taken from there. Then she had her sedated before she started dosing her with LSD. It's the reason why Angela was tricked into believing she hadn't miscarried and that Mateo was her baby." Gabriel explains as he walks over to Angela and holds her close to him.

"I'm so sorry, Rico," Angela repeats quietly.

"Why isn't she in a treatment center? It's obvious she's going through withdrawals," I state watching Angela trembling in Gabriel's hold.

Gabriel looks at Renzo. "We...we didn't want her to be easily found by Rosetta or..." Renzo trails off.

"Me."

The door opens and Elenora walks in with her mother and Ciccio. Elenora's eyes meet mine and she smiles, before addressing the others. "Hi, everyone. Sorry, Matty didn't want to go down being around his Zia's."

She heads straight for Angela, whose eyes widen; she grips on to Gabriel, but that doesn't stop Elenora from pulling her into a hug.

Angela looks unsure of what's happening but then wraps her arms around Elenora. They stay there for a moment before Elenora pulls away and holds on to her face.

"How are you doing, Angela?"

Angela's eyes glisten with tears. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Elenora brushes her hair back from her face and keeps her hands on her shoulders and then rubs up and down her arms.

Angela lets out a small sob. "Not good," She moves in to hug her again and cries. "I'm so sorry, Nora."

Elenora shushes her as she rubs her back. "It wasn't your fault."

"I could have killed you or your baby," Angela sobs.

"But you didn't," Elenora says, soothingly. "Don't think any more about it, you need to focus on you now. Getting better, and healthy. Rico and I want to help."

"Rosetta will find me again," Angela tells her.

"She won't," Gabriel reassures her. Elenora moves away as Gabriel holds Angela.

"There's a treatment center in Arizona I've had Domani look into," I announce. "This was before...everything happened, but if you're willing to allow us to help, I can arrange for you to be taken there, tonight even. It's a ninety day program. It offers other services aside from detox," I look directly at Angela. She stares back at me but then looks at Gabriel, her chin trembling as reaches for his hand.

"The treatment center allows for family members or loved ones to stay with the patients, not right there in the facility but nearby; they will allow Gabriel to stay as long as he isn't hindering your treatment obviously," I inform them.

Gabriel holds both of her hands in his. "I'll do whatever you want, baby."

"I want you with me," She tells him and he brings her hands to his lips, before he looks back at me.

"We'll leave tonight," Gabriel tells me.

I nod in return. "I'll make the necessary arrangements; I'll send you a message when to be at the tarmac."

"Thank you, Federico," Renzo walks over to me and gives me another hug. "We won't forget this."

Gabriel and Angela walk towards me and thank me as well as Elenora. "We're indebted to you both," Gabriel tells us.

"No. You're not," Elenora tells him. "We're family."

"We've got to take care of some things before tonight, but we'll see you later, yeah?" Gabriel looks at Rico.

"You bet," I clap my hand on his shoulder.

We walk them out and when they leave Elenora turns to face me. "See, wasn't that better than going in there guns blazing?" She makes guns out of her hands and pretends to shoot them.

"Guns blazing?" I repeat, chuckling. I wrap my arms around her waist and hers come around my shoulders. I nuzzle her neck. "I love you so much."

"Well, you better. I took a bullet for you." She shakes from her quiet laughter.

"I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, mia patatina," I vow and nuzzle her again and she laughs as my stubble tickles her.

"I can't wait until someone loves me like Rico loves Nora," Maya says. We notice we are joined by the rest of her sisters.

"Get in line," Luna tells her and sighs.

Maya turns to Ciccio. "How old are you, Ciccio?" The other sisters snort or giggle at the question.

"Too old for you, cucciola," Tiziano responds, giving her a stern look then focuses his glare on Ciccio. (little cub)

Maya waves her father off. "I know, but I gotta keep my options open."

Teresa gasps at Maya's words.

"So, how old are you?" She turns back to Ciccio.

Ciccio clears his throat, looking around the room. "Uh, twenty one."

"Hmm, fourteen year difference, not bad; we could be the next JayZ and Beyonce," Maya states. I hide my smile in Nora's hair, while her older sisters look at her both in shock and even admiration.

"If you don't end up falling for one of my sisters, let's make a pact. If you're single when I'm twenty then we get married." Maya holds her small hand out to Ciccio and he looks down at her dumbfounded while her parents look like they're going to pass out from embarrassment.

"Um..."

"Come on, Ciccio, it's not a big deal," She picks up his hand and shakes it. "I already made a pact with Mostro that if I'm not married by the time I'm forty, he and I will get married, 'course he'll be sixty, but I think he'll age well."

"Maya Elenora Borrelli!" Teresa exclaims.

"Why do I feel like I'm the one getting scolded?" Elenora whispers to me.

"Maybe because she's just like you?"

Matty cries come through the monitor.

"I'll get him!" A chorus sounds out of everyone wanting to go Matty and then a race begins up the stairs.

___________________

Later that evening, on the drive home after having dinner with Elenora's family, I think about how different my life has become in the last year and a half.

Gone are the days when I would sit and obsess hour after hour about getting revenge on those I was led to believe were responsible for my parents deaths.

The sleepless nights are now mostly due to my son; who I never imagined I would find myself loving as much as I do.

And then there's the beautiful woman by my side, who's love broke down the walls I built around my heart with her smile, her vulnerability and quirkiness, but mostly her compassion and strength.

"Can I come with you tonight? To see Angela and Gabriel off?" She runs her nails along my arm that's resting in between her legs.

I shake my head. "No, amore."

"Why not?" She stops scratching my arm and I sigh wishing she'd keep going.

I look out the window. "You don't need to be there, Elenora,"

"I want to be there," She insists.

"No, Elenora."

"But Rico—"

"I said no!" I snap and Matty wakes up crying. Elenora turns to him quickly and calms him down, shushing him, giving him his binkie and talks to him in hushed tones.

"I'm sorry," I mutter angry at myself, knowing I need to figure out how to control my quick fuse.

Elenora doesn't respond as she keeps talking to Matty. The tension is thick in the car and I notice Ciccio's eyes flicker back to us in the rearview mirror.

"Elenora." I reach for her hand but she moves it away and runs it down Matty's head instead. I hang my head in frustration, taking deep breaths, trying to keep myself under control.

"Elenora. I...I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Why couldn't you just say that from the beginning?" She asks, still facing away. "Why can't you tell the truth from the get-go?"

I turn her towards me. "Because I'm not very good at it, but I'm trying Elenora. And..."

"And what?"

"And I feel weak when I can't handle the thought of something happening to you again, because of me, because of what I'm a part of—was a part of."

She cups my cheek with her hand and lifts my face to look at her. "Stop blaming yourself for something you had no control over, Federico."

I look away but she grabs my face with both hands. "Rico, I don't blame you. Do you hear me?"

She kisses my forehead before she pulls me over her and lays my head on her chest so I can hear her heartbeat. I hold on to her tight and close my eyes while listening intently. She's my refuge, my home.