Page 83 of The Godfather’s Christmas Twins

“We’ll see. In the meantime, you and I will be spending a lot of time together.” The look he gives this time through the mirror is a leer. It sends a chill through me, but I keep my expression impassive. I refuse to let him see how terrified I am, to give him the satisfaction of feeling his power over me.

The car weaves through Manhattan traffic, each turn taking us further from the busy streets I know. Ricardo drives with a self-satisfied smirk. He thinks he's won already.

My children's faces flash through my mind. If I don’t make it out of this, what will happen to them? Of course, Nic and Bella will take them in. But what about Max? He knows they’re his children. Will he fight for them?

I close my eyes, knowing the answer, knowing the kids will never know the truth about Max. I suppose that’s a good thing. They worship him as their Uncle Max. It would break their hearts to know Max is their father and didn’t want them.

“Don’t you worry, Mrs. Cantore. I don’t plan to kill you.” He must think my closed eyes are a sign of fear. “No, you’re too valuable to kill. When Nic is gone, I know you’ll fetch a pretty penny.”

I turn to look out the window, as if his words don’t affect me. But in truth, they terrify me.

25

MAX

Iland in New York at eight in the morning after flying all night. I have Benny in tow, and as I step out of the private jet, I hand Benny to my men to escort him to one of Nic’s holding rooms.

Benny isn’t my priority right now. Gia is. The thought of seeing her again makes my chest tight. The few days without her and the kids have felt like an eternity. Their absence left a void in my life.

The city skyline spreads out before me, familiar yet different. Last time I was here, I'd been running from my feelings for Gia. Now I'm running toward them, even though I still don't know how to bridge the gap between what I want and what's possible.

I obtain a car and wind through the early morning Manhattan traffic. Memories of my life here flood back. Growing up wanting to be a wise guy like all the Nardone men I used to see on the street. Meeting Nic and growing into brothers. I’m where I am today because of him. I worked hard in school and went to college because he did. I grew in the family business through his support and trust. Fucking hell, he’s going to kill me when he finds out the truth.

At seventeen, I made a vow to Gia’s mother that I didn’t fully understand. All I knew was that she was a good woman mistreated by Gino, as all his women were. Nic and I both cared for her and wanted to help her. When she vanished, we knew what happened and we did what we could to make sure Gia was kept safe. But I didn’t raise her as a godfather might. Nic did most of that. But does it matter? I’m sure it won’t to Nic.

But I can no longer deny what’s in my heart. I'm no longer just Nic's right-hand man. I'm a father who's failed his family by choosing duty over love. I just hope it’s not too late to make that up to Gia and the kids.

Will Gia even want to see me? The way she left Vegas, without a word, tells me I've got a mountain to climb. What can I possibly say to make this right? “I'm sorry” feels pathetically inadequate. “I love you,” words I've never said to anyone, may not be believed. Not after I let her walk away.

The light turns red and I drum my fingers on the wheel. I need to tell her everything, spill my guts. I need to share how empty my house feels without their laughter, how I miss making breakfast with the kids, how seeing her first thing in the morning made each day worth waking up to. But most importantly, I need to tell her I'm done hiding, done pretending I don't want a family. Done putting duty before what matters most.

I tense in anticipation as I near her townhome. If I’ve timed this right and she’s taken the kids to school, I should catch her on her way back from dropping them off. As I pull over to the curb, I see her walk down the sidewalk. Her honey-blonde hair catches the morning sunlight, and my breath hitches. She’s so beautiful.

Doubt creeps in and I debate stepping out. What right do I have to be here? To disrupt her life again? But the memory of her face when I failed to acknowledge her and the kids in front of Nic haunts me.

I want to run to her, take her in my arms, tell her I've been a fool. But doubt holds me back. What if she slams the door in my face? What if she's finally done giving me chances? But even if she doesn’t want me, I have a responsibility to her and the kids.

She's almost at her home. I get ready to exit when I see a black sedan pull up. A man exits, but I can’t make him out. He approaches her. It appears he’s her driver. Where’s she going? To meet Nic? Run errands?

I watch as Gia hesitates, takes a step back, and my protective instincts go into overdrive. I unlatch my door to exit and go to her. He grabs her, tossing her into the back.

“Mother fucker.” I leap from my SUV, my heart hammering against my ribs. The man rounds the car to get into the driver’s seat, and that’s when I realize who it is. Ricky Avila.

Blood rushes in my ears as I raise my gun, but there are too many civilians on the street. I can't risk hitting her. The car peels away from the curb, tires squealing against asphalt.

"Son of a bitch!" Raw fury courses through my veins as I race back to my SUV. I yank open the door and throw myself behind the wheel. The engine growls to life, and I slam the gas pedal down.

The black sedan weaves through morning traffic, already half a block ahead. Every second they gain feels like a knife in my gut. After everything, after finally coming back to fight for her, I let that bastard take her right in front of me.

Rage and fear war in my chest as I chase them down. The thought of Ricky's hands on her, of what he might do to her, makes me want to tear him apart with my bare hands. But beneath the anger is pure, ice-cold terror. I can't lose her. Not like this. Not when I haven't even told her I love her.

I pull out my phone and press the numbers to call Nic, just as I see a phone fly out of Avila’s window. My guess is that it’s Gia’s.Our chance to track her is now gone. I speed up, and he must see me as he makes a sharp right-hand turn.

"Come on, move!" I slam my hand against the horn as a delivery truck pulls in front of me.

“Hey, you in town?” Nic’s voice comes through my phone.

"Ricky has Gia." The words tear from my throat. "He grabbed her outside her house. I'm following them."