Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (55 page)

“Gabriel is my son!” he shouted. “Carterina is my daughter. And Anastacia is my wife.
Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
All three of them belong to me!”

Nathan sat forward in his seat, leveling a deadly glare on the phone. “You need to calm yourself, Silas.”

“No,
boy
, I will not calm myself!”

“You will if you want this war to end.”

“Do you think I give a shit about your war? Do you really have any clue to whom you are talking to?” His deranged laughter burst through the phone, filling the silent room. “Do what you think you can do. Cripple my empire! Take my money. Kill every
big and little
Steele you see walking down the street, I don’t give a fuck.
I’m bored
with all of it. I’m bored with the worship, I’m bored with the money, the power, the slaves, and the mindless weaklings that follow me. Burn it to the ground for all I care! You want to find me? Go ahead! Catch me if you can, you little prick, and when you find me, you better kill me because I promise you this: I will
never
stop! You can tell my little family to get ready because Daddy’s coming home soon. We can be a family in life or the afterlife,
their choice
! I’m not taking no for answer. How’s that for your fucking peace talk?”

Suddenly, the line went dead.

An intense rage shot through Nathan’s body and he shot up from his seat with an enraged roar. Never once in his entire career had Nathan ever felt powerless until this moment. Never had he been faced with a man such as Silas Steele. It caused him to slip into a state of uncontrollable rage. Anything he could get his hands on in that conference room, he threw. This was what he needed … the rage, the emotion. The only way he was going to get his family through this alive was to have this passion, this hunger to beat Silas at his own game. The man had fallen. Money, power, nor business meant shit to Silas Steele, and that was the factor that pretty much ensured Nathan had lost the war.

Silas had won. He had nothing to lose, whereas Nathan had everything. This put him at a huge disadvantage. He was no longer ahead, he could now only defend and protect his family from whatever attack would soon come their way.

By the time Nathan finally calmed down, the room was thoroughly destroyed. The door to the conference room opened slowly and his father walked in.

“It’s over,” Nathan groaned, pacing the floor. “Silas won, I lost. I have nothing left, no fucking ideas, nothing. He’s going to attack and there’s nothing I can do about it. I promised Carter. I told her to trust me and now I’ve failed her. I have no idea how to stop Silas.”

“You didn’t lose anything, Nathan,” his father said. “The war is not over, it’s just different from any other you’ve ever fought before.”

“But I don’t know what to do, Pop,” Nathan shouted. “I’ve failed!”

“No you haven’t,” Angelo yelled. “You know what to do—”

“No I don’t!”

“Enough, Nathan,” Angelo shouted. “Failure is not an option in protecting your family. Now tell me what you are going to do next.”

Nathan stopped pacing and stared at the floor in thought. “He wants me to chase him, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction.”

“Fine, then don’t chase him.”

“But doesn’t that put me at a disadvantage?” He raised his gaze to his father’s. “All I can do is wait.”

Angelo shook his head. “No, son, you are not waiting for him. We never wait. It was one of the first lessons I ever taught you.”

“We don’t wait, we prepare.”

“Exactly.” Angelo came over to Nathan and stood in front of him. “Sometimes the best way to win a war is to do absolutely nothing. Prepare yourself for whatever may come your way. Protect your family, protect your home, and protect yourself. Be ready to do everything you must to ensure that you and everyone you love survives. The ones left standing at the end are the true victors.” He cupped one side of his son’s face. “We will get through this, son. Wars like these always end badly for the one with nothing to lose.” They also always ended with tragedy, but Angelo chose not to say that to his son at this particular moment. He knew that Nathan would die for his family if he had to, but Angelo would never let him. If anyone was dying for the protection of this family it would be him. Angelo would protect his son at all cost, even if it meant his life.

Nathan nodded. “I know what to do now. Thank you.” He embraced his father in a hug and just rested there for a moment. “I love you, Pop,” he stated, only because he didn’t say it nearly as much as he should.

Angelo chuckled softly. “I love you, too, son.” He patted Nathan on the back when they parted. “Go home early.”

Nathan smiled, surprised by what his father had said. “Early?”

He nodded. “It’s one of the secret perks of being the boss that I’ll let you experience today. You get to go home early while everyone else finishes your work for the day.”

“We have people that can finish my work?”

Angelo laughed. “Son, we have people for everything. But we will save that lesson for tomorrow. You go home now, be with your family. I’ll be taking tomorrow off to spend the day with my grandsons.”

Nathan didn’t hesitate any longer. He hugged his father once more and left the office for the day.

When he made it home Carter ran to him and catapulted into his arms. He loved when she did that. It made coming home so much sweeter. They spent some of the evening with Anastacia, Sofia, and Gabriel until they all had to leave; Gabriel for a party, and Anastacia and Sofia for dinner with Cesare.

The rest of the evening was family time. They had dinner and the boys nursed, then they headed upstairs to the bedroom. After changing into his boxers, Nathan lay out on his bed with his sons—who were still wide awake—while Carter relaxed in her favorite tub. Nathan was happy to give her the time to relax because it gave him a chance to have a serious talk with his boys.

“Okay, boys. You’re two months now, we’re getting closer and closer to those first words.” Nathan glanced over to the opened bathroom door, spying Carter through the mirror lying back with her eyes closed. He returned his attention to his sons. “We have to plan this before your mother gets in here. I’m just going to plant this word in your head, Papa or Da-da. I don’t care how you say my name, just promise me you’ll say it first.”

Aleksandr and Maksim waved their arms while making the cutest little grunting noises. Their eyes were bright and opened wide as they tried their hardest to speak to Nathan.

Nathan nodded as if they’d said intelligible words. “I know, I know. Mommy carried you in her tummy, and she has all of the milky in those gorgeous breasts of hers, but guess what daddy does.” He paused for dramatic effect. “He pays
all
of the bills.” Aleksandr and Maksim got excited when he’d said that. Big, gummy smiles spread across their faces. Nathan chuckled. “Right. I think it’s important, too. So whenever your mama starts bribing you with cookies and candies so that you’ll say Ma-ma first, just remember that she can’t bake those cookies and candies without electricity.” He pointed to himself. “That’s where Da-da comes in.”

“What are you in here saying to my sons, Nathan?”

He flinched at the sound of Carter’s laughter, startled by her sudden appearance in front of the bed. She wrapped the towel tighter around her body and tucked it in at the side.

“Damn,” he chuckled. “When did you get out?”

She smiled. “I got out just in time to hear you telling my sons that their daddy pays the electric bill.”

Nathan shrugged. “I’m just teaching them facts, baby.”

Carter laughed and came to sit on the bed next to Maksim, “Your daddy’s silly, isn’t he, babies?” She gave both Maksim and Aleksandr raspberry kisses on their chubby cheeks. “You two better say Mama first. I’m still trying to get rid of the stretch marks.”

Nathan chuckled. “How was your bath?”

Carter looked up at him with a smile. “Perfect. Very relaxing. Thank you for letting me have some
me time.
” She leaned over their sons and rewarded him with a kiss.

“Mmm …” Nathan murmured. “You deserve it, baby.”

He gently cupped the side of her face and kissed her deeply. She moaned and gave in to him fully like she usually did … but then out of nowhere she giggled. Nathan didn’t notice at first, he was too caught up in thoughts of where else he’d like to kiss Carter right about now, but then she slipped into a fit of giggles. That’s when Nathan had to pull back with a frown.

“All right, I’m offended,” he said in exaggerated outrage. “When did kissing me become so funny, Carterina?”

Carter laughed harder. “Nathan.” She directed his eyes down toward the babies.

When he turned his gaze to his sons he laughed uproariously at the sight. Both Maksim and Aleksandr had firm grips on their mother’s towel, pulling it as she tried to pry their tiny hands loose and keep her towel on at the same time.

“Help, please,” she laughed.

“You or them?” he teased. “Because I have to say I’m on the side of the towel coming off.”

Carter hit his arm. “Help me, Salerno.”

“Alright, alright. Come on you little muscle men.” Nathan grinned, laughter shining in his eyes. One by one he pulled their little grips loose.

Carter leaned down and gave them both kisses before getting up from the bed and disappearing into the closet.

Nathan wagged his fingers at the little towel stealers. “You can’t do that to your mother. I know you may be hungry, but you must be patient. Now come to your Papa, bambino.” He lifted Maksim from the bed first. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, Nathan reached down and picked up Aleksandr. At two months they were still small enough for him to pick them up with one hand. “There we go, bambinos. How about we watch a little television?”

Nathan relaxed back against the headboard of the bed with Maksim cradled in one arm and Aleksandr against his chest, resting his head on his shoulder. Picking up the remote control on his side table, Nathan flipped through the channels while dodging swings from Aleksandr’s tiny fist toward his face. Soon he just caught the infant’s fist in his mouth and growled.

“Enough of that, baby B.” He gave him a stern look. “You are far from ready to have a boxing match with me. About thirty five more years and I may let you win a fight with Papa, okay?”

“How long do you think it will take for them to win a match with their mommy?” Carter asked as she reentered the bedroom in her pink nightgown. With a wicked smile on her face, she climbed on to the bed with Nathan and the boys. She reached forward and took Maksim from Nathan, placing him to her chest.

“Have we talked about whether or not we want me to train them? Have you even thought about it?”

No, he hadn’t. Frowning, Nathan inhaled a deep breath while thinking about all of the training that Carter had been through to defend herself as a child. Her training had been vigorous and brutal. She’d been injured in more ways than one, but it had served her well thus far.

Nathan nodded his head. “We want our children to have every advantage available to them. It will help them succeed. I don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t train them. What do you think?”

Carter nodded as she positioned Maksim to her breast for nursing. He latched on immediately. “I agree. They have the blood of some of the most dangerous people on this planet. They’ll often be tested. I think along with what you will teach them and what I will teach them, they’ll excel exceptionally.” She smiled and ran her fingers through Maksim’s curly hair. “Our boys,” she whispered. “The three of you mean everything to me, Nathan.” She lifted her head, and looked at him with a serious expression. “You didn’t mention the call today, so I’m guessing it didn’t go well.”

Nathan’s mouth opened then closed tightly, the surprise of her words rendering him speechless.

She let out a long shaky breath. “My guess is that we are going on the defense now. Silas wants something. Is it my mother? What did he say?”

Nathan sighed. A part of him wished he didn’t have to talk about it with her. He wished he could just make this particular problem go away, but he knew he couldn’t. He was stuck. He had no idea what Silas was going to do, and his wife needed to know that so she could be ready, so they all could be ready.

He swallowed and held his son closer, lightly patting his back. “He wants his family. Your mother, Gabriel, you. He said the four of you will be a family again whether it be in this life or the afterlife. Carterina I will
not
let that happen. I’ll die before I let anything happen—”

“Don’t say that,” she said sharply. “Don’t you ever say that, Nathan. I couldn’t even imagine …” She closed her eyes and turned away, not wanting him to see the tears that had formed. “You are not dying. We just have to be ready for whatever he does.”

“I want you to have more security.”

She vehemently shook her head. “I don’t need more security, Nathan. I have plenty.”

He groaned, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “Carter, please don’t fight me on this. I want you safe.”

“I won’t be safe until he’s dead, Nathan. Neither will my mother, nor Gabriel.” She shrugged. “A part of me just wants to give in to him. Lure him here, act as if we want him here then kill him.”