Page 40 of Reign of Fate
“Wait for what?”
And that’s when I hear Raffaele’s booming voice. “Baby, that’s the best gift I could ever ask for,” followed by, “Ivo, get in here. You’re going to be an uncle!”
“Christ! You were right,” I tell her.
“Go on. Your brother needs you. He has to share the wonderful news with family, and you’re all he has,” she says, urging me to the door. I clasp the back of her head and kiss her soundly on the mouth. She’s a witch! I want to be with Elisa all the time. I can’t keep my hands off her. Her sweet, sensitive nature fills me with hope, and in our dark world, that’s a gift that can’t be taken lightly.
ELISA
Adriana runs ahead of me to open the door, and as soon as I enter the room, Ivo takes the tray out of my hands and sets it on the coffee table. Raffaele has his wife in his arms, his big palm almost entirely covering her stomach. Evangeline isn’t even showing, but I can see her happy glow at the idea of becoming a mother. I’ve always wanted that for myself. A child of my own to love, but I have that with Adriana. I may not have given birth to her, but I love my little minx. I snuggle Adriana closer to me and look down at her face.
“Why is Uncle Rafe acting weird?” she asks, scrunching her nose.
“He’s happy.” I stroke her hair.
“I’m happy too, but I’m not weird,” she declares, glancing over at her aunt and uncle.
Then Raffaele calls her to him and sets her on his knee, still with his arm around Evangeline. “Guess what, sunshine?”
“What?” Adriana asks with excitement.
“Evangeline and I are going to have a baby. You’re going to be the big cousin, and I hope you’ll help us with the new baby when it arrives.”
“Yippee!” Adriana throws her hands up in glee. “Now I’ll have someone to play with.” She finds her father and says, “Daddy, I need a bigger playroom.”
Ivo laughs. “Uncle Rafe can build a bigger one.”
“Why don’t you eat while the soup’s still hot,” I say. “Evangeline, do you want anything else? More soup?”
“No, thank you. You’ve done more than enough,” she replies with a smile.
Then Ivo asks Raffaele, “Do we postpone the grand opening? Do we move to another plan?”
“Grand opening? I would love to have a night out,” Evangeline says. “It’s been too long. I better get some use out of my fancy gowns before I can’t fit into them anymore.” She giggles.
Raffaele’s jaw tightens, but he nods. “Okay, tesoro, but I have rules,” he warns.
“You always have rules,” she teases, rolling her eyes.
We hang out with Raffaele and Evangeline long enough for Ivo and Raffaele to have a couple of bowls of the hearty chicken soup and over half a dozen biscuits. I told Raffaele that I put together a casserole and instructions on how to bake it for when they get hungry for dinner.
“Thanks for staying with Evangeline,” Raffaele says, he then looks at Ivo. “I’ll call you later to discuss security.” Although Raffaele keeps his tone smooth and even, I can see that there’s more to this event than a simple grand opening.
On our way back to our place, Adriana is excited about the new baby and already planning all the things they’ll do together. She’s a bundle of energy. I’m looking forward to bedtime to catch my breath. Ivo spends the rest of the afternoon with us, mainly hanging out on the floor with his daughter while I do a few things around the house and get dinner started.
With Adriana finally asleep, I tidy the kitchen, and when I’m done, I find Ivo waiting for me in the living room. He stretches his arm across the back of the sofa as he sips from a tumbler with a golden liquid in it.
“It’s exciting news, about the baby, that is,” I say as I approach him.
“Raffaele will make a great father,” Ivo replies, nodding. He pats the seat next to him. “We have to talk about the casino opening.”
I take my place beside him and wait for him to begin. But instead of talking, he tugs my hair tie off and lets my hair tumble loose, then runs his fingers through my locks. “Pick out a sexy red dress. You’ll look fabulous in red,” he murmurs.
“Okay,” I manage to say, completely mesmerized by the feel of his fingers sliding through my locks.
Then, out of nowhere, he says, “I want you to have our baby.” I swallow, my mouth going dry. “Do you want kids?”
“I’ve always wanted a child,” I whisper. “But Adriana is important, and I never want her to think that she’s not.”
