Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War (71 page)

“Can you take Maksim? Let’s take them up to their bedroom. They can eat when they wake up.”

“Of course, baby,” he said, taking Maksim from her arms. “Kyle, Reanna. Sofia can sleep in the twins’ room, on her little princess bed.” It was the bed Sofia would use when she stayed over Nathan and Carter’s house.

Reanna nodded and handed Sofia to Kyle, who stood and followed Nathan and Carter.

“You ready for the dinner tonight?” Nathan asked Carter quietly as they ascended the stairs.

Carter smiled wickedly. “Depends. Have you changed your mind? Can I take my knives?” she asked. “Just the ones I keep around my thigh. Nobody will see them.”

Nathan chuckled. “Not while Niko Bonaducci is there. We don’t need anything present that may encourage us to kill him.”

Carter laughed and conceded, “Fine, no knives.”

“I’m glad.” Nathan smiled.

“Who knows, maybe we’ll have a good time tonight.”

Nathan was pretty sure they wouldn’t, but he didn’t tell her that.

When they made it to the boys’ room, they laid them in their cribs, and Sofia on her bed.

Nathan took Carter’s hand and pulled her to him as Kyle slipped out of the room. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. “Promise you’ll tell me if anyone disrespects you tonight. You’re new to this, Carterina. This will be your first dinner with the New York families. You’ll have to spend the majority of the time with the wives, and they can be vicious at times.”

Carter giggled. “You going beat them up for me if they mess with me, bubby?”

Nathan chuckled. “You’re very funny, but no. I deal with the husband’s, honey. The husbands are responsible for straightening up their wives.”

Her eyebrow arched and a mischievously sensual smile appeared on her lips. “So if I’m a bad girl tonight, and somebody tells on me, how are you going to straighten me up?”

Carter’s arms encircled Nathan’s waist and she pressed her body against his. The muscles in Nathan’s jaw tightened as he gazed at his wife while she teased him. He didn’t say a word, and he damn sure didn’t stop her. She always did this, but she was never prepared to deal with the consequences of her teasing. Nathan had never been one to defer his desires, so Carter had just pretty much ensured that they’d be a little late for lunch.

Her hands lowered from his back and palmed his ass. “Maybe you could tie me to the bed … give me a
good, hard
spanking while you—”

Before she even finished her sentence Nathan was pushing her toward the bedroom.

“Nathan,” she whispered through breathy laughter, “stop we can’t. I was kidding, honey!” She squealed softly when he slapped her ass, and sped up their pace to the bedroom.

Once they were to their bedroom, Nathan pushed her in and closed the door behind them.

~*~

Nathan hurried down the stairs, putting on his suit jacket as he descended. They were going to be late for the dinner if they didn’t leave in the next five minutes. His father would kill him if he was late.

“Carterina, baby! Let’s go, we’re going to be late.”

“Whose fault is that, Nathan?” she yelled from their bedroom.

His. It was his fault. He had gotten caught up for the second time today and ended up fucking Carter in their closet after she put on the sexy red dress she’d be wearing tonight. “Your fault,” he lied. “But I’ll forgive you if we leave in the next five minutes.”

He knew she was envisioning kicking his ass now, and he chuckled as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

Right as he touched the first floor of the house the twins darted past him, coming from the kitchen and heading to the living room. Nathan stopped abruptly in order to avoid colliding with them, then nearly tripped over one of their toys.

“Jesus!” he said as he stumbled. “
Dammit
. Aleksandr and Maksim! What did Papa tell you about leaving toys at the bottom of the staircase?”

Maksim screamed as Aleksandr continued to chase him. When they finally made their way back to the foyer Nathan got their attention.

“Stop!” he shouted.

They both stopped running and looked up at him. He pointed down at the two fire trucks sitting at the bottom of the stairs where they were not supposed to be.

“Put them away,” he instructed firmly.

Maksim walked over to do as he was told, but Aleksandr turned to run again. Nathan had expected that and he put a stop to it quickly.

“Aleksandr Salerno,” Nathan said softly, stopping the toddler in his tracks. He turned to Nathan with a smile on his face, but Nathan’s expression effectively conveyed that this was not the time for play. The smile fell from Aleksandr’s face and Nathan nodded. “Do what Papa told you to do, right now.” He quietly walked over to his truck and pushed it to their downstairs toy closet.

Obedience was not Aleksandr’s strong suit all of the time, but it was important to Nathan and Carter that their sons be obedient. So the moment theirs sons understood yes from no, they began teaching them. Whether it be a small command, such as to stop running in the house, or a command they must commit to memory, like throwing away their trash after snack time, the boys caught on quickly. When the boys could walk, Carter and Nathan began teaching them to assist in cleaning up their toys after playtime. It was to give them just a little bit of responsibility starting at this early age. They could have any toy they wanted, anytime they wanted it, but it was their responsibility to put them away after they played with them. If they didn’t, they were reprimanded. Nathan and Carter were admittedly a bit strict when it came to their rules, but it was for their children’s own good. It was all a part of grooming them. It started as soon as the child could understand instruction. That was how Nathan’s father began with him, and that was how Carterina’s father began with her.

“Finally,” Mickey said, walking from the kitchen with Lucca, Dante, and Gabriel. “Are you two almost ready? I need to gather the guys.”

Nathan nodded, straightening his jacket. “Yeah, go ahead. As soon as Carterina comes down we’re going.”

“I hope you prepared her for the dramatics,” Gabriel said, walking over to the kids who had just returned to the foyer. “They’re not going to make leaving easy for her.”

Nathan nodded. He already knew that. The twins were never happy when he and Carter left them anywhere. It was easier in the morning for work because they were sleeping when they left, but anytime they watched them leave, they screamed bloody murder. He always had to comfort Carter when the boys did that. It was easier for him because he knew they were safe, and perfectly fine at home. However, Carter was like his mother; she came running anytime she heard her babies calling, and shed tears every time they cried.

Even now Nathan saw the boys looking around, slowly figuring out what was about to happen. He braced himself for the water works, reminding himself that they were just having a little separation anxiety. It was normal, and they were perfectly fine …

Okay, maybe it wasn’t as easy for Nathan as he let on.

Lucca came forward. “Dante is on watch here, and I’ll be at the west side safe house as you requested.”

“Make sure you keep them in line,” Nathan said. “I don’t want them slacking off. I want them all doing their jobs. No one other than Anastacia should be driving past tonight. We don’t have neighbors. So if you see anything out of the ordinary—”

“Kill it. I know, Nathan.” He gave him a pat on the back. “I got it. There’s no way they’d be doing anything but their jobs with me around. Trust me, cousin.”

“I do trust you, Lucca. That’s why you’re staying here.” Nathan had increased security because he couldn’t get rid of the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had been there for months and he couldn’t shake it. It was starting to irk him. He had no idea why he felt something bad was going to happen soon; maybe today, maybe tomorrow, or maybe a month from now, Nathan had no fucking idea.

Lucca gave Nathan a nod before heading out the door.

“I’ll be going down to the gate after you leave,” Dante said. “Gabriel and I thought it may be easier to take the kids into a different room while you two slipped out the front door.”

Nathan chuckled. “Yeah, that might have worked five minutes ago, but they’ve already figured it out.” The toddlers were little geniuses. He knew they’d caught on, and were already prepared to put up a fuss.

“You think so?” Gabriel asked with a frown as he bent over to pick up Aleksandr.

The moment Gabriel touched him, Aleksandr scrambled over to Nathan and held on to the leg of his pants. Maksim followed his brother and did the same.

“No,” Aleksandr whined, his eyes already glistening with tears. “Da-da.”

They both reached up to him simultaneously.

Nathan sighed as he bent to pick them up. “Dante, can you bring me the tissues from the kitchen. I’ll need a handful on hand for Carterina.”

The twins rested their heads on Nathan’s shoulders, and tiny fists gripped his suit jacket tight.

Gabriel chuckled. “She’s going to be a wreck, Nathan. They’re going to think you beat her on the way there or something.”

Nathan flipped Gabriel off just as Carter came to the stairs.

“All right, I’m ready to—” Carter paused at the top of the staircase. “Oh no,” she whispered as she looked at the boys clinging on to Nathan. “Oh no.”

Nathan gave his wife a stern look. “Carterina, we have to go.”

She shook her head slowly while she descended the stairs. “Don’t make me do this. I’m not my father. I can’t turn away from the tears. I’m weak.”

“Baby, they’re fine. They’ll only cry for a little bit, and then they’ll get over it.”

“Or they’ll hate us forever for leaving them!”

“Carterina,” Nathan sighed impatiently. “For God’s sake, woman. You’re a cold-blooded, French crime boss, a mafia princess, a stone cold killer ….”

She pouted. “No, bubby. I’m a mommy.”

Maksim chose that moment to lift his head and reach out to Carter. “Ma-ma,” he cried. “Ma-ma, some go.”

Translation,
“Take us with you, Mama. I can’t live without you, not even for a few hours.”

Well played, munchkin
, Nathan thought.

Carter’s arms extended with no effort from her at all. She glided to Maksim and he flew into her arms. “Aww, baby,” she soothed, holding him close. “Mommy and Daddy promise to be home soon.”

The moment she said the words the dramatics began. The twins cried as they gripped on to Nathan and Carter’s clothes.

“No, Da-da,” Aleksandr wept. “Maksi go, too, and Sandr?”

Nathan looked at his son’s flushed, tear-stained face, and admittedly had to say a small prayer for strength. “No, son. Maksi and Sandr will stay home and wait for Mama and Papa, okay? We’ll be back, I promise.”

When Aleksandr broke out in a loud wail, Maksim followed suit. He pressed his face into Nathan’s jacket and his tiny body shook with sobs.

Nathan reached out for Carter’s hand. “Be strong, woman.”

She frowned and took his hand. “I am being strong,
man
. Let’s go,” she whispered somberly.

They held the boys until they got to the front door. When Gabriel and Dante took them, all hell broke loose. They screamed and cried
ma-ma
and
da-da
, while Nathan and Carter tensely walked to the door. When the door opened, even their men looked over at the house wondering if the boys were okay. They sounded utterly devastated. Nathan was very close to just saying fuck it and staying home, but he didn’t. He placed gentle hands on Carter’s shoulders and led her out of the house.

Covering her face, she released a pained groan.

“Just keep walking, baby,” he encouraged as they walked down the front stairs of the house to the driveway. “Don’t look back. They’re fine.”

“I’m not looking,” she whined. “I can hear them, Nathan. Why are they still crying?”

Nathan rubbed her back and led her to her side of the SUV where one of the men stood holding her door open. Once she was in, Nathan went over to his side. Just as he’d suspected, Carter was wiping her eyes when he got into the car.

Sighing, he handed her a tissue. “Baby—”

“I’m fine, bubby,” she smiled at him, “I promise. I just hate the crying, that’s all. It never gets easier to leave the house.”

He brought her close to him and kissed her lips. “You’re a good mommy, baby.”

“And you’re a good daddy,” she whispered, resting against his side. “We’re totally kicking-ass at this whole being parents thing so far. I think they like us a lot.”

Nathan nodded his agreement. “They must. I only cry like that for people I love, so they must love us.”

Carter laughed softly and Nathan smiled, happy he had made her laugh. “I wasn’t aware you cried like that.”

Nathan shrugged. “Everyone needs a good cry every now and then, Carterina,” he joked. “Feeling better?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Good,” he murmured, and kissed her forehead.

The front door opened and Shadow Walker entered the driver’s seat. Nathan frowned, not expecting the man. He was about to ask him what he was doing here, but Shadow answered Nathan’s question before he’d asked it.