Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (25 page)

He chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised, baby girl. I’m not that bad.”

“Yes you are,” she said honestly. “You don’t like feelings. Most of the time, neither do I.”

“Maybe we should have. I had a lot of time to do things that I’ve never done before while Silas held me captive. Stuff like watch television shows and movies. The father’s on television have real talks with their children. I should have done that more.”

Carter nodded, but suddenly remembered something. “But you used to watch movies with me, Dad.”

“I never listened to those,” he said dismissively while reaching forward, and he gently tugged a strand of her hair. “I can’t believe you let it grow.”

Carter shrugged. “Nathan likes it.”

“Did I forget to teach you about the dangers of people pleasing?”

“Dad, he’s—”

“Your husband. I know, I know.” He rolled his eyes.

Carter chuckled. “Are you pouting?”

Robert glared at her. “I don’t pout, baby girl. I’m saying just because he’s your husband doesn’t mean you have to please him all of the time.”

“Umm … I think it does, Daddy. I do things to please him, just like he does things to please me. It’s called being in a relationship.”

“And what do you know about being in a relationship, young lady?”

“I didn’t know
anything
about it, and neither did Nathan. However, we learned together. It wasn’t easy, but we made it, and all of the shi—
stuff
we went through to get to where we are only made us stronger.”

Her father didn’t say anything for a moment; he simply stared at her with a small smile on his face. “You sound so … grown.”

Carter smiled. “I
am
grown.”

Reaching forward, Robert pinched her nose lightly, making her giggle.

“Stop,” she laughed.

Robert chuckled and pinched her cheek. “Well, you still sound like my baby girl.”

“I’ll always be your baby girl, Daddy,” she said softly.

“My baby girl is about to have some babies of her own.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You’re going to be a good mama, sweetie.”

Carter smiled and sat up on her knees. “I love you.” Pulling her father into a tight hug, Carter closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

“Hey, Daddy?”

“Yeah, baby girl?”

“You know a good way that you can help me know you from Silas?”

“How’s that?”

“If you’d stop covering up the scar on your neck with the turtleneck shirts.”

Robert nodded. “Will do.”

“Also you can wear more color. Like some purple or orange, you know? Something that will really make you stand out—”

Robert chuckled. “No color, Carter. You know that.”

Carter chuckled. “Well, we can make a code. Like a saying or something that only we know. A secret for just the two of us. How about
‘The early bird gets the gummy worm’
?”

Carter giggled while her father lightly pinched her side for teasing him about his top secret gummy worm addiction.

When they pulled back from the hug, he gave Carter a goodnight kiss on the cheek. Laying back in the bed, she made her father tuck her in. Robert did so happily then walked over to the door and cut out the lights.

“Goodnight, Carterina.”

“Daddy” Carter stopped him before he left. He turned around and looked at her. “Whatever happens back home, you know, with you and Mama—”

“Off limits, Carterina,” her father warned.

“I know,” she said quickly. “And I’m not trying to butt in. I just want to make one tiny little request. That’s all.”

Robert nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Please promise me that you won’t fight my father-in-law,” she pleaded. “I love him very much, Daddy.”

Robert didn’t respond.

“Daddy, please. I know the situation will be complicated, but I think it can be worked out without confrontation. You three need to remember that in just months you’ll be grandparents to the same two little angels. I want us to be a family, not enemies.”

“Carterina, your mother shouldn’t be—”

“Don’t say anything!” she cut him off quickly. “Just … think about what I said, and what I asked. Then do what you think is right. Okay? For me?”

His features morphed into an angry expression. “For you,” he said tightly right before he exited.

Carter sighed in relief, knowing that her father would think about it like she’d asked. The last thing she wanted when they got home was a brawl between all of the men that were after Anastacia Stone’s heart.

Closing her eyes, she succumbed to sleep. The only thing on her mind—surprisingly—was Kyle, and the conversation she had yet to have with him.

~*~

Robert closed his eyes to calm himself before walking back into the main area of the jet, angry that his daughter had just pretty much ruined his plan to castrate Angelo Salerno when they arrived back in America. Robert sighed. It wasn’t that he expected Anastacia to be single, he had just hoped that she wouldn’t go back to Angelo. It was never a relationship he approved of, but he supposed he had to let it go. It was probably for the best anyway. His plans had to change after everything that happened tonight. He hadn’t known his baby girl was with child. He definitely had a lot to think about. The last thing he wanted was for Carter to be unsafe. He didn’t want her to be fooled by Silas again.

“Oh, thank God you’re out of there.” Gabriel stood up from one of the seats and sighed. “I’m so sleepy.” He looked over to Nathan. “I get that you’re married, but there’s no way in hell I’m sleeping apart from my sister tonight. No offense, but I don’t know, nor like, any of your friends yet.”

“None taken,” Mickey said, raising a beer.

The guys all chuckled. Frowning, Robert shook his head in disappointment. All of the young men had beers in their hand, and appeared a little more than tipsy.

Without another word, Gabriel walked to the bedroom cabin in the back of the plane, entered the bedroom, and closed the door behind him.

“Nice guy,” Kyle said through a chuckle. “Packed with personality.”

“It’s surprising considering he spent eight years in a basement,” Nathan stated. “I was surprised to hear that English accent, though. It’s different from his father’s.”

“He was raised in London,” Robert explained as he took a seat next to Nathan. “We need to talk, Nathan.” He had spoken the words quickly because he wanted to get the conversation over with. It was one thing having talks with his daughter, but a totally different story having talks like this with his daughter’s tipsy significant other. However, he knew Nathan wasn’t
too
drunk, and he would remember the conversation. Robert didn’t trust because he’d been stabbed in the back too many times. He’d lived his life devoid of true friendships or true camaraderie … hell, he didn’t even trust his own brother. Even though he hated to say it, he trusted this kid. He trusted Nathan Salerno with the most important person in the world to him. His daughter. “Listen to me closely, Nathan because I will never repeat this again,” he said firmly. He hesitated before he spoke again. “I … trust you, with my daughter.”

Nathan’s eyes grew wide for a moment, but he pulled himself together fast enough for Robert to not be annoyed by his shock.

“Wow, Robert—”

Robert raised his hand. “Don’t talk. I’m not finished yet.” Robert sighed. “Look, I know I gave you a hard time when I roughed you up a little, but you showed me what kind of man you are a lot quicker than I thought you would. Gabriel told me what happened while I was gone. You’re a good husband to my daughter. Tonight you showed me that. You protected her, Nathan … even when you thought it was me. You didn’t care who I was, or what you’d heard about me, you protected your wife, and that is a man that I can respect. That’s a man that’s
almost
good enough for my baby girl.”

“Almost?”

“Yes,” he nodded, “almost.” He glared at him at him for a moment. “Nobody is good enough for my daughter, Nathan.” His features quickly softened again. “But your drunk ass comes damn close. So yeah,” he slapped Nathan on his back as he stood up and walked to his original seat on the far side of the plane, “you have my blessing and approval. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still watching you.”

“Got it,” Nathan said with a nod. “Thank you, Robert.”

Robert waved his hand, dismissing Nathan’s gratitude. “Whatever. Just try to keep the cackling to a minimum tonight, gentleman. I’m old, I need my sleep.”

“Don’t mind us, Robert,” Lucca said. “We’ll just be tossing back beers all night to celebrate Nathan’s exceptional, multiple baby producing sperm.”

They all laughed like the true idiots they were, causing Robert’s nostrils to flare in annoyance. He laid back in his seat, closed his eyes, and was just about to press play on his jazz music when Mikilo said something that caught his ear.

“Yeah, well don’t forget about Kyle’s baby producing sperm,” Mikilo said. Instantly the young man’s eyes widened and he closed his mouth tight. “Shit,” he mumbled.

“Kyle’s?” Nathan, Lucca, and Dante yelled simultaneously.

Robert frowned.
Hmm … this just got interesting
.

Kyle slapped his brother across the head. “You fucking big mouthed idiot!”

Mikilo rubbed the sore spot on his head. “Don’t get mad at me!” he yelled back at him. “You’d have had to tell them eventually, you dick! The kid is already born.”

“You idiot!” Kyle yelled, slapping his brother in the head again. “Shut the hell up, Mickey!”

“What?” Nathan exclaimed. “Please tell me he’s just fucking around, Kyle!”

“You’re father’s going to murder you,” Dante said. “He told you to—”

“I know what my fucking father told me!” Kyle snapped. “I didn’t mention it because it’s no big fucking deal. I’m handling it.”

“What the hell does ‘
handling it’
mean?” Lucca asked.

Kyle shrugged. “I’ll give the mother some money and make her disappear. That’s probably all she wants anyway. She’s trying to trap me, talking some bullshit about she loves me.”

“Maybe she does love you, Kyle,” Dante sighed tiredly.

Kyle snorted. “I fucked her, Tae. That’s it. I made her scream, and she got attached like an idiot. The lying bitch knows absolutely nothing about me. She wants something, just like the rest of them do.”

Lucca frowned. “Sometimes I wonder why you even bother with women if you hate them so much.”

“Correction, Lucca, I dislike lying, manipulative bitches. Sadly, the majority of women in this world happen to be manipulative bitches.”

Mickey shook his head, disgusted by Kyle’s words. “You’re so full of shit, Kyle.”

Kyle pointed at himself. “I’m full of shit? I don’t think so. I’m just telling the truth.”

“So you’re saying that you’ll never find a woman in this entire world that is not a manipulative bitch?” Dante asked as he leaned forward in his seat.

Kyle chuckled and took a long drink of his beer. “No, I’m not. I’m just saying they’re hard to find …”

“Then you will find one, a good woman,” Dante said.

Kyle snorted. “Well, I did find one once,” his gaze went to Nathan and he smirked, “but we all know what happened to that.”

Robert’s eyebrow arched, but he didn’t say a word; he immediately knew who the boy was talking about. Robert watched as the expression on Nathan’s face darkened to a cold glare. He wanted to chuckle, but he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. They obviously thought he was sleeping.
Of course
Kyle was in love with Carter
. Robert shook his head. It was Cesare and Angelo all over again, except with a little incestuous twist. Well, at least Carter didn’t lead the boy on … At least Robert
hoped
she didn’t. Then she’d be just like her mother. Anastacia’s love life was, and had always been, a fucking mess.

Robert tuned in just in time to hear Nathan let out a deep chuckle before taking a long sip of his beer. Not good. It seemed the conversation was already fueled with enough alcohol.

“What happened to that, Kyle?” Nathan asked. “Did you string her along for a year, fuck all of her friends, co-workers, and every other trashy piece of ass that walked into the bar she worked at right in front of her face, then wait until she fell in love with someone else to sing your
sad
song of lost love?”

Robert smirked.
Oh come on, Nathan
, he thought. Get up and beat the fucker that dared to confess his love for your woman into submission. The kid was an underboss for Christ’s sake. Robert could see it clear as day in the Nathan’s eyes that he wanted to beat the shit out of Kyle, but he didn’t move. Robert wanted to tell him that playing favorites would just give him headaches in the future, but there was no point. Nathan wasn’t going to attack Kyle like Robert knew he wanted to, like—in Robert’s opinion—he should. He was too loyal to his brothers. Attacking Kyle, like any other underboss would, would only diminish their bond. It was the right decision for Nathan not to fight, regardless of what Robert thought he should do. Had it been any other man that disrespected him in such a way, Robert knew Nathan would’ve had him six feet underground by now. It was just the way things went in this world. One should never covet the Underboss’s wife. Especially if he loved her.