Page 56 of Bulletproof Baby

"Yes. I think she is," I tell the doctor who no longer has a team of young doctors around him.

I look at Lia who's fucking exhausted. The doctor checks and pushes a button on the side of the bed that gets Twyla back in the room.

"We're ready."

A little over an hour later, Ava Grace Barrone is born at five pounds even. She's the tiniest little pink thing I've ever seen with light brown hair and bold blue eyes, like mine. This little human looks like me, but then I see her mother's nose and ears with little points at the rounded tops.

"We're parents," I whisper as Lia holds our daughter in her arms. I can't believe this shit. "When do we get to take her home?" I ask.

"We're going to run some tests and make sure she can hold her body temperature. And as long as she's nursing and we get a good first bowel movement I don't see why you can't take her home after a few days. Let's just keep an eye on Mom and baby. We'll check in and go day by day. Congratulations you two, and welcome to the world baby Barrone." Dr. Bastian smiles at us as he leaves and the rest of our families are allowed to come in.

Once we all get to gush over how gorgeous Ava and Lia are, I pull Frankie and Armande outside.

"We have two days to get this done," I tell them.

"Get what done?" Frankie says and leans in close. "Are we gonna, um, whack your mother?"

Armande bursts into laughter. "I can't with this guy. Where did you come from, Frankie? I mean, we could, and Hera definitely deserves it, but I don't think we'd include you in that kind of conversation."

I can't help but laugh. "Fuck. No. I hope she falls back into whatever crevasse of hell she crawled out of. I want Lia safe, but also in New York. She's not going back to wherever the fuck she was."

"Good, because I begged her to come visit and convince her to come back," Frankie says.

"I want her folks' place made over. Nothing crazy, but turning one of the bedrooms into a nursery, and the other into a space for her to get some rest. I know she needs to feel safe, but I also want her someplace familiar that won't make her run out of state again. The stairs are a no-go for your place, Frankie, and her apartment is a trauma nightmare on steroids. I would bring her to my place, but I'm not sure about our personal shit yet. So we need to baby up the grandparents' house."

"I'm on it. Budget?" Frankie volunteers.

I pull out my wallet and hand him a black titanium credit card. "Whatever she wants and needs. I'll have my team from Barten out there today. Armande can you take care of that?"

"Of course, my little niece is going to have state-of-the-art?—"

I stop him. "Make it simple and safe so Lia doesn't get scared or anything. While you two handle that, I'm going to handle that last thread we left dangling. If she's going to be back in New York, it's only a matter of time before Caputo finds out. I haven't been able to get the dons together, but I can at least meet with one of them to let them know what's about to happen. I can't have her or Ava in danger."

We all agree on our tasks and I start making calls. There's one don of La Familia that I know will understand what I want and can give me the updates I need because we move in a similar way. One foot in the life and one foot out. He understands business, as well as keeping his family and the love of his life safe.

We agree to meet at Kings and when I show up later that night after a shower and dinner, Don De Luca stands to shake my hand.

"Congratulations, Valentino. Welcome to fatherhood." Alessandro greets me with a welcoming smile as I sit in the booth across from him.

"Thank you. How is it?" I ask him.

"Terrifying, if I'm being honest. But all threats have been neutralized and as long as things stay that way, and no one tries to kidnap my wife again, the Butcher will stay retired. So, what's going on?"

Right to the point. I like Alessandro.

"Saul and I made a deal. He violated that deal and had my wife kidnapped. Well, she will be my wife, and she just had my daughter. I want her home, but if she's not safe in New York City, I'll have to leave and take everything I own with me. That means whatever businesses La Familia is connected to as well. My power—political and financial—vanishes."

"Ease up, Barrone," Alessandro says. "Let's not wield that hammer so recklessly. We all have millions, if not billions, of dollars tied into strategic ventures. You can't just pull out of these deals. That play you made against Saul, the video, the severed finger, kidnapping, and attempted murder? It was smart. The way you've mourned her leaving, and the brutality you've subjected yourself to. Brava!"

"That wasn't an act," I admit.

"Oh, the dons know that, which is why we'll sanction punishment, but not death. Take a finger, an eye, something, but leave him breathing. Caputo is a vile piece of vermin, but he's a profitable vile piece of vermin with the Teamsters in his corner. Just because you don't have business with him, there are two other dons of La Familia that do. And one of those dons has the police union in his corner. Top contributor for the Widows and Orphans of Fallen Cops Fund. Those three outweigh us two, brother."

"If he tries some shit with her again?" I ask him. "You said it yourself. You know how he gets when he wants to own something. He's not going to let it go."

Alessandro dusts his hands together before putting them up like he's surrendering. "May the Lord have mercy on his soul."

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