Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (66 page)

Gabriel snorted. “Don’t act like you don’t love it when Nathan
services
you. Hell, I’ve heard you getting
serviced
out here in the pool more than once.”

“Your nosey ass needs to stop listening,” Carter laughed and elbowed his side. “What myself and my husband do in
our
pool is
our
business. It’s not like we do it right in front of your house.”

“My pool house is right around the corner from this pool, Carterina. I clearly heard your loud ass screaming, ‘
Oh God, Nathan, yes! Please don’t stop
, a handful of
blank-mes
, and numerous grunts and moans, all for a full damn forty minutes.”

“Shut up!” Carter splashed him. “My kids are out here, don’t say that. They don’t need to know about that stuff.”

Gabriel laughed. “How the hell do they think they got here—”

“What in heaven’s name are you two talking about?” Anastacia asked sharply, cutting them off.

Carter put her hand in her brother’s face and looked over to Anastacia. “Mom, Gabe was talking about you getting your rocks off with Cesare.”

“My … rocks off?”

She nodded slowly with a mischievous smile on her face. “Yeah. You know, a little
bow chica wow wow
…” She stood up from the step and began rolling her hips while singing “
Bow, chica wow wow
” over and over again.

The second Anastacia caught on to what her son and daughter were talking about her mouth dropped open in shock. “Oh my … are guys talking about …”

They both burst into laughter.

“Oh come on. Don’t look at us all shocked like you’ve never done it before. We’re your children for God’s sake.”

Both of them screamed when Anastacia began to splash their silly behinds with water.

“Ahh! Mom! You’re getting my hair wet!” Carter screamed.

Anastacia pulled over Maksim and instructed him to spray his mother and uncle with his spray gun. He eagerly did as she’d instructed, and laughed joyously when both Gabriel and Carter finally got in the pool. The other two children joined, and a full-on splash war began.

Chapter 25: A husband & a father

When the front gate to his estate opened to allow him entrance, Nathan felt a ton of stress fall off of his shoulders. Coming home was the best part of his day, and he thought about it almost constantly, which is a drastic change from the way he used to think before his wife came into his life. Before Carter, Nathan couldn’t care less whether he was home or not. He had spent most of his time on airplanes, traveling the world, taking care of business for his father, but now, life was completely different. The life that he once knew was now a life he barely recollected. Now he was a family man. Now he hated leaving home for long periods of time. Now every time he walked through his front door he was greeted with love from the three most important people in his life. Three people that adored him, valued him, and genuinely needed and wanted him in their lives. It was an amazing feeling being a good husband and father. There was no greater feeling for a man than the one that came with knowing he had made his family happy.

When he entered the gate, he made a stop at the security house to do his nightly run-over of the day with them.

“Welcome home, boss,” Samuel, the head of the night shift house security, said. “I heard everything went perfectly with your first pin, congratulations.”

Nathan nodded. A
pin
was what Nathan had to do after Carter had left the hotel today. It’d be hitting the papers in the morning. Not only did the powers that be want the hotel shutdown and redone, they wanted a good bust. There had been numerous crimes committed and an unsolved murder involving cop. Someone had to answer for those crimes, so it was Nathan’s job to
pin
them to an individual. He’d chosen Mr. Clay, the former hotel owner. The NYPD would look like heroes after finding all of the young men and women that were being used as prostitutes there. There were some willing prostitutes, but even more purchased ones. The majority of the purchased prostitutes were teens, either runaways or kidnapped. They were all in not so good shape and addicted to drugs. It was a sad scene, but a scene that would serve its purpose to strengthen the partnership the Salernos had with many high-ranking authorities in New York City. They had their culprit, and they were satisfied. Job successfully completed.

“Thank you,” Nathan said. “The security reports for today please.”

Samuel handed over a stack of papers, which showed all movement recorded from his home as well as the shift changes of his men.

“Only three non-resident visitors today, sir, and that was your mother-in-law and the Valente brothers. Anastacia came this morning after you and Mrs. Salerno left for work, and left around five tonight. The Valentes came at about three, stayed until four-thirty, then they and Ms. Sofia left. Mrs. Salerno came home at noon and hasn’t left since. Shadow Walker dropped her off and left.”

Nathan nodded, pleased to hear that Shadow was finally back in the country. “Very well.”

“Frankie came to the gate about an hour ago to let me know about the security increase at the safe houses.”

The safe houses were the houses built ten miles in the distance on both sides of the house. It was Carter’s idea after Silas had threatened to attack their family. “Yes,” Nathan said. He had increased security simply because he had a gut feeling that he should. “I just wanted some extra protection out here for a while. There will be no security breaches at my home, Samuel.”

Samuel nodded. “Never, sir. We’re always vigilant. We wouldn’t let anyone come close to this gate unless they have clearance.”

“Good. With any luck, things will return back to normal soon. Maybe you will go back to running shipments.” A lot of the men that were now doing security at his home were men that once did shipment protection. Shipment protection was were all the action was. They traveled constantly, and were responsible for getting products to a client as well as ensuring the client paid for each shipment in full. If one had that job, they had the trust of the boss and the underboss. Aside from being on the personal security team of the boss or underboss, being chosen as a shipment protector was one of the organization’s highest honors.

“Well ….umm … I’ve actually been waiting for an opportunity to talk to you about that, sir.”

Samuel’s hesitant tone caused Nathan to lift his eyes from the security reports in his hand. “Is everything all right, Samuel?” The man looked as if he were afraid to tell Nathan something.

He cleared his throat and looked Nathan in the eyes. “Well, as you know, I just got married last year …”

Yes, Nathan remembered. Samuel had invited him and Carter to the wedding, and Carter had made him go. Nathan had been reluctant at first because he wasn’t really a fan of social gatherings, but Carter had been right. Judging from Samuel’s reaction to their attendance, it really meant a lot to the man that Nathan had taken the time out of his day to attend the wedding as well as the reception.

“Tracy had our baby girl last week. Thank you again for the gifts you and Mrs. Salerno sent. It really made Tracy’s day, and mine, too.” He smiled.

Nathan wasn’t aware of any gifts, but he acted as if he were. It was another one of Carter’s superwoman abilities. She was a business woman, an amazing mother, and an exceptional boss’s wife.

Nathan smiled. “We’re glad you liked them. Now what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?”

Samuel nodded. “My job. I know that I was transferred from shipment and a lot of guys are anxious to get back to that, but I’m not one of them.” He sighed. “It’s just that with my daughter being born and everything, this job, and this night shift, has kind of been perfect. I know you already had men that have earned your trust protecting your family, but I guess I’m asking you to consider me for a permanent position here. I know the trust and honor that comes with this position, and I am prepared to show you everything I have done for this organization for the last ten years—”

Nathan lifted his hand to stop the man from rambling. “The job is yours, Samuel,” he stated. He already knew everything about the man; he didn’t need to be told anything else. “If I didn’t already trust you, you wouldn’t be anywhere near my family. I’ll start you as the head of nights. Can you handle that? It’s a lot of work.”

“Absolutely I can, boss,” he answered, obviously happy about Nathan’s job offer.

Nathan nodded, and shook his hand when he extended it. “Very well then. Have a good night, Samuel.”

“You too, boss. Thanks a lot.”

After saying his goodnights to the rest of the men, Nathan got back in his car, and drove the distance up the long driveway to his home. The first floor lights were on, and it was seven o’clock, so Nathan knew they would be in the kitchen making dinner.

Parking the car in front of the house, Nathan cut it off and opened the door. After removing his holster and storing it securely in a compartment under his seat, he grabbed his suit jacket, closed the car door, and headed for the house. He stuck his key in the door and had barely even turned the lock before he heard the twins screaming.

“Da-da! Da-da! Da-da!”

Laughing softly, Nathan opened the door slowly, knowing that they were standing right in front of it. The smell of dinner immediately came through the door, as did the excited screams from his sons.

“Watch out, bambinos,” he laughed. “Papa has to get in the door.”

He slipped in the door without knocking either of them over as they jumped up and down excitedly at the sight of him. Just like Nathan did every night he came home, he tossed his jacket aside, reached forward and gripped the front of their cute little footed-pajamas in each hand, and snatched them up from the floor, lifting them both high in the air. They screamed and laughed hysterically.

Nathan brought them back to his level and gave each of them a loud smooches on their cheeks. “You miss your Papa, bambinos?” he asked, causing them to cling to him tightly and nod.

“Miss you, Da-da,” Maksim exclaimed with a bright smile.

Aleksandr grabbed Nathan’s nose and fell into a fit of giggles when Nathan shot him a playful glare.

“Da-da, Ma-ma talking,” Maksim said.

“Talk!” Aleksandr repeated very loudly in Nathan’s ear. “Wit Gam-pa!”

Nathan’s brows shot up when his son said the new word. “Grandpa,” he corrected with a proud smile. “New word. Did Mama teach you that?”

“My Gam-pa!” Maksim said, excitedly bouncing in Nathan’s arms.

“Yes, Grandpa.” He gave them both another smooch while walking with them toward the kitchen. “You’re little geniuses, just like your mama.”

The boys then proceeded to tell Nathan about their day. From what he could understand, they had gone swimming with their mother, uncle, grandmother, and Sofia, who they referred to as Sofi. They also ate a lot of snacks and cookies, which they both seemed to be very excited about.

As they neared the kitchen, Nathan heard music playing and Carter laughing with her father.

“Daddy, you promised me you’d dance with me tonight,” she jokingly whined.

“Will you stop your pouting, child,” he grumbled. “I never promised you. I said I’d consider it.”

“I’ll stop when you dance with me. You owe me this, now come on!” She stomped her foot and shot him a glare.

Robert chuckled. “How do you figure I owe you a dance, Carter?”

She placed her hands on her hips. “I have a whole list, bud. One, because you made me dance with an imposter when I was little. Two, because you missed my wedding. And three, because
I said
so.”

Robert laughed uproariously. Once his laughter had calmed, Nathan heard him say, “I miss you very much, baby girl.”

Carter smiled. “I miss you, too, Daddy.”

The sound of a bag being opened came over the speakers. Nathan had no idea what it was, but the smile fell from Carter’s face, and she stared at her computer screen with her lips pursed while shaking her head back and forth.

“I still think it’s the most ridiculous candy for a serial killer to love, Dad.”

Robert chuckled. “What would be more appropriate?” he asked, his mouth sounding full.

Carter shrugged. “Twizzlers. Maybe a Snickers. You know, something a little more gangster than Gummy Worms.”

He laughed. “I’m not a gangster, baby girl. I’m a hit-man.”

“So am I … on a good day.” The moment she finished her sentence, she looked up and saw him standing at the kitchen entrance, the twins in his arms bouncing to the music. “Oh,” she squealed, scrambling over to greet him. “Nathan’s home from work.”

Nathan chuckled. “Hi, baby.”

Carter stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on his lips. “Hi, honey,” she said with a soft smile. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving.”

Maksim reached out for her and she took him, walking back to the counter where her computer sat. She turned it around toward Nathan.

“Say hi,” Carter told her Dad.

“Hi!” Aleksandr yelled, waving at his grandfather. “Hi, Gam-pa!”