Kira
I feel so rested when I blink my eyes open. I sit up and see the rose sitting on the pillow beside me, and I smile softly. That can only be a good sign. I hope Miguel is open to listening to reason today.
I’m surprised I slept so well, but getting everything off my chest to Miguel in the early morning hours had relaxed me.
I get up and go shower. I take a long one, not out of spite but because I want to feel fresh when I approach him this morning. I’ll judge his mood at breakfast, and from there, maybe we can talk about him releasing me back to my family. Especially now that he understands I need to take care of Raphael.
I dress in slacks and a shirt, and I open the door. Jarred isn’t there. In fact, there is no guard in the hall at all-another positive sign.
I walk out and down the stairs, crossing the room to the dining room entrance.
Miguel is sitting in his usual spot, reading the paper. I suddenly feel awkward and a little less confident about my negotiating skills.
I sit in my chair and smile at the maid, who sets down some boiled eggs on the table. I start to crack one, glancing at Miguel periodically.
He shakes his paper and closes it before looking at me. “Are you going to keep staring at me or say something?”
“I don’t know what to say,” I admit, blushing slightly. I take a bite of an egg but continue to look at him.
“Good morning, for starters.”
There’s a trace of a smile on his mouth, and I return it. “Good morning, Miguel.”
“Good morning, Kira. Now, I think it’s in both of our interests to discuss the current situation and what it means for us.” “For us?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, because there are two parents to every child, generally.” He starts on his own egg, and I don’t respond. This is what I feared. “See, I want to be a part of my son’s life….” I cut him off. “What’s his name?” I ask.
“Sorry?” Miguel raises an eyebrow.
“You want to be a part of a child’s life that you don’t even know the name of,” I say. “Don’t you think that’s a little crazy?”
“I realize I didn’t ask for his name, but you can imagine that I was in a bit of shock. I intend to get all his details from you.”
I shake my head. “No. I told Raphael that he could get to know you when he was sixteen and that it would be his choice if it happened or not. I wasn’t going to force a relationship.”
“Is this you talking or your father?” he challenges me, “because the Kira I knew would have had no problem with me having a relationship with my child whose name I love, by the way. Ironic that my ninja-loving son is named after a mutant turtle.”
“This isn’t a joke, Miguel. The girl you knew was naive. I have raised him, and I know what’s best for him,” I say, trying not to get angry.
“Kira,” I can see he’s also trying to reel himself in, “this isn’t a request. He is my child. I have a right to see him.” I stand up. “Miguel, you are not seeing my child.” “Sit down,” he commands.
I slowly sit down, but I glare at him as he continues, “If you don’t come to an agreement with me so that I can see my child, then Kira, my negotiation with Alessandro will simply be a trade. You for Raphael, and you can see him in twelve years after I’ve kept him from you.” “I didn’t do it intentionally,” I retort.
“You are now. You are denying me my right to have a part to play in
Raphael’s life, and I will have what I want.”
It’s a reflex, really. I grab the egg cup and hurl it at him. It crashes behind him, and before he can say anything, I toss a glass at him. He moves out of the way quickly.
“Stop acting like a child,” he yells.
“Like you?” I shout, throwing a plate at him. I work my way through everything close to me, but in my rage, I don’t notice that he’s getting closer to me. When I turn around to grab something else, he grabs my wrists and holds them so tightly it hurts.
“Stop it,” he growls, “you’re being ridiculous.”
“I have spent a lifetime protecting him, and I will die for him.”
“You once promised to die for me,” he says quietly. “Remember that promise? You promised you loved me and that we would build a life together for the rest of our lives. Why do you get to pick and choose what you’re going to follow through with.”
I’m right close to him, and I can smell that intoxicating musky aftershave he wears. I shake my head.
“You assume my family will let you see him. They don’t even know you’re the father. Only my father knows. Alessandro has no clue, and he doesn’t pry.”
“Then I think it’s time I told him,” he says.
I shake in his arms. “He’ll kill you.”
“Or he’ll be reasonable like a Don should be. We have united our families through this child, so I don’t think he’ll attack me. Not immediately, at any rate. I want to talk to him, then if you don’t want to see me, that’s fine. We can arrange visitations through our families. You can be rid of me. You’ll never have to speak to me again.”
The thought makes me sad, which must show on my face because he looks at me oddly. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what I want,” I say quietly and stop struggling. “I don’t want to see you, but I do. I don’t know how to sort through my emotions right now, but Miguel, I’m begging you to let me get back to
Raphael. He needs his mama.”
Silence fills the room as Miguel’s green eyes stare into my blue-gray ones.
Miguel
Those passionate eyes. I studied them for so long that I could never forget them. I’d remember every speck. I lower my head, and we kiss gently. I let go of her wrists, and she rests her hands on my chest. I hold her arms more gently. We continue to kiss gently, and as I inhale the scent of her soap, I kiss her more aggressively. She whimpers in my mouth but returns the kiss, so I press her against the wall, forcing our bodies together. Where we touch is that old spark that we had thirteen years ago.
I break the kiss to kiss down her neck, and she tilts her head to let me make my way down to her collarbone. I take her breasts in my hands and squeeze them gently. I kiss her other collarbone and kiss back up her neck. I breathe heavily into her ear, pausing.
“I don’t know what to do, Kira,” I admit finally, nuzzling the side of her head with the side of mine.
She takes my face in her hands and turns me to face her, she kisses me again, and I groan into her mouth. Everything about her is as I remember.
She breaks the kiss and whispers, “You need to let me go, Miguel, because while I’m kept here, Alessandro won’t give you access to Raphael.
He’ll want me to confirm you’re the father.”
“There was no one else?” I ask, feeling as though my voice might crack.
“Never,” she breathes, and we kiss again. She slides her arms around my neck, and I wrap mine around her waist. We part after a moment, and the space between us feels cold.
“I will let you go if Alessandro agrees to my terms,” I say finally. “I have to take care of family business, Kira. It’s nothing personal.”
“I know,” she says, looking up at me. “Just do the right thing, though.”
“I will,” I say, stroking her hair out her face. “Go to your room. I’ll let you know once we’re ready to go. It won’t be safe for you if my father comes here. He wasn’t happy about the news.”
“Okay, I trust you, Miguel.”
She leaves and goes upstairs with Jarred in tow.
I take my phone out and message the family to come to the house, meeting in the dining room. I order the maids to clean up quickly as we’re having guests.
I touch my lips where we kissed, and I close my eyes. I’m sure there is still magic, but I have to let her go. It would never work between us. We’re two different families now united by a little boy. I plan to use that as leverage.
The men of my family arrive, including my rather annoyed-looking father, and they all sit down in the dining room. I stand at the head of the table, and as I’m about to speak, my father opens his mouth, “We’ve already discussed what you should do with the girl.”
“You would go behind your Don’s back to make decisions without him?” I ask, looking at each person. They all avert their gazes. “I won’t hear your idea because this child unites the Rossi and Sorvino families, so I plan to use that to our advantage.”
“You can’t negotiate with the Sorvinos for territory or money because your bastard is one of them,” my father roars.
“And yet, that’s what I’m going to do. Now, you have all shown great loyalty to me. We have made so many advancements for the family together. Would I really steer you wrong with this?”
Several of them murmur, but my father stands. “I will not recognize a Sorvino relative as a Rossi. It’s not how things are done.”
“Then you deny your own blood, and that is not done,” I spit back, and my father does a double take. “If you don’t want to accept a Rossi, then leave the Rossi family because we’ve always protected our own.”
More murmurs from everyone, and Lyle steps forward. “I trust you,
Don Rossi. I trust you will do what’s best for us.”
There is a general agreement though two or three people look unconvinced. My father just stands there, silent.
“Padre, I know you don’t want this, but sometimes we have to make necessary changes that are better for the family. I want your blessing on this.”
My father looks at all the faces turned in his direction and sighs. “This will not end well, but I hope you prove me wrong, Miguel. You have my blessing.”
My father knows he was outvoted, especially because he denied his own blood. It was his biggest mistake.
We go over a few details together before I send them all away, except Lyle.
“Go get her,” I say. “She’s coming with us.”
“He could just take her then,” Lyle comments.
“I know what I’m doing,” I say, though I have a seed of doubt in my heart.
Lyle leaves to fetch Kira while I slide into my suit jacket. She comes down, and I gesture to the front door. “The car is waiting.”
She looks up at me with wide eyes, so I quickly say, “Don’t hug me. I have a reputation to maintain.”
She nods, and we leave through the front door to the car.
“Where are we going?” she asks quietly once we’re on the motorway.
“I told Alessandro to meet me at Central Park,” I say, unable to look at her. I know what this means for us-I have to let her go.
“Thank you, Miguel,” she says softly, and I feel her hand take mine and squeeze. I squeeze it back and then move my hand away.
We walk into Central Park together, and I see Alessandro already seated on the bench, smoking a cigarette.
“Alessandro,” Kira gushes. He gets up and opens his arms. She rushes into them and hugs him tightly.
“Were you hurt?” he asks gruffly.
“No, Miguel treated me well,” Kira lies. I didn’t treat her well, I hurt her, and she will probably never forgive me for that.
“Don Sorvino,” I say seriously, “I am willing to let your cousin go home with you now if you agree to my terms.”
“Name them,” he says, looking at me distastefully.
“Raphael is my son and, therefore, future Don of the Rossi family by birthright. I want to see him and teach him about his Rossi family.”
“Is this true?” Alessandro asks Kira, and she nods. Alessandro looks back at me.
“When he is Don, I expect the Sorvinos to pay tribute by giving the
Rossi family the territories that would go to the next in line in the event of Sonny Sorvino’s death. They are his then, not yours or under you.” I keep my eyes trained on his.
Alessandro looks down at Kira. “Is that why your father made you leave?”
“He thought he was doing what was best for me,” she says softly. I know she’s defending her father because Alessandro is not above killing his family members if they cross the line.
“Agreed,” Alessandro says at last. “However, only two of the territories can go to Raphael. I’ll ensure they’re the bigger operations, so the Rossi family makes good money from them. But only once he is Don.”
I hold my hand out, and Alessandro shakes it. “Now come, Kira, he misses you terribly.”
Kira holds onto Alessandro as they walk past me. Our eyes meet, and I see a sadness there that I haven’t seen before. Although I secured my family’s future, I feel defeated. Because Raphael is a Rossi, they will respect the Rossi territories out of respect for Raphael. That protects my family, and we will have a higher income later.
But at what cost?
I watch Kira walk away, and I know I’ve lost out because what I should have done is professed my undying love for her and begged her to stay with me-begged her to let us be a family together instead of a family apart.
She glances back as they reach the gate, and I hang my head. I can’t look at her. I will wait until they’ve definitely left before I take my own leave.