Page 132 of The Don's Secret Heir

Papa is sitting on the porch in a recliner while Sonny plays in the yard. It’d be an idyllic scene if my life wasn’t falling apart.

“You stole my car.” His voice is almost cheerful.

“Didn’t do me any good,” I mutter as I get out of the car.

I walk up to the porch and perch in my father’s lap like I did when I was a little girl, wrapping my arms around his neck. He hugs me close instinctively.

“What’s the matter,caro?”

I hitch in a sobbing breath and try to restrain myself from bursting into tears all over again.

“Dario is Sonny’s father.”

He blinks, his arms tightening around me. “And he left you? I should have fucking decked him?—”

“No. No, Papa, I lefthim. I didn’t tell him Sonny was his, and he just assumed...”

“That it was someone else.” He sighs heavily. “Oh,caro.”

“Yeah,” I say in a shaking breath and put my head on his chest, his heartbeat calming me down.

He rubs circles on my back and I relax finally, feeling safe and comforted in my father’s arms.

“I missed you,” I whisper.

“I missed you too, honey.”

“Don’t ever do that to me again, okay?”

“Never,” he promises, kissing my temple.

“Do you know I thought Dario killed you?”

He barks out a sudden laugh. “What? Where’d you get that idea?”

“I thought you were on the outs after that fight, and then I found his father’s pocket watch...”

“I’m too stubborn to die,” he says flatly, and I chuckle.

I sit there for a long time, until it’s almost dusk, and when I finally stand up my father stands and stretches.

I smile. His arm must have fallen asleep but he didn’t want to disturb me. Thank God he’s okay. Thank God he’s home.

Everything else might be falling apart, but I still have my father and Sonny.

While I’m getting Sonny ready for bed he frowns.

“Mama where is Dario?”

I freeze in the middle of buttoning his pajamas but then recover.

“He’s at his place. We’re going to be living with Papa again.”

He pouts. “But I like Dario’s place. I like Dario.”

“I know you do, baby, but... it’s just... Dario and Mama don’t get along.”

“It seems like you do,” he says firmly, his little lip trembling. “I’ve seen you kiss him.”