Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98469 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98469 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Thanks.” Damien smiles up at him. “You want a bite?”
He stabs a piece and holds it out for Matteo, who takes a bite without thinking twice, and my heart warms. These men can easily be cruel and cold, yet they’re always loving and caring toward my son, proving that violence is a choice—one my sperm donor chose to make when I was growing up.
“Damn, these are good,” Matteo says. “Did you make them?”
Damien nods proudly. “Daddy and I made breakfast for dinner.” He giggles because he thinks he’s getting away with something when we eat food like pancakes for dinner.
“I got the surveys back,” Lorenzo says, delving into business.
“Not now,” Dominick says. “I’m having dinner with my family. We can discuss business later.”
Lorenzo’s brows shoot up, but Matteo isn’t shocked since that’s Dominick’s go-to answer anytime anyone tries to talk business while he’s with us.
“I need to head into the gym to get some training in before the fight,” Matteo says to Dominick. “Wanna join?”
Before he can answer, I blurt out, “You’re a fighter?”
Thoughts of my sperm donor come to mind, and I wonder if they fight in the same organization.
“Yeah,” Matteo says. “I have a fight coming up in a couple of weeks.”
“What organization are you a part of?” I ask.
“Underground,” he says. “I prefer to fight without rules.” He smirks. “You ever been to a fight?”
I nod. “My dad was a fighter for the World Boxing Association.”
Matteo’s eyes go wide. “Who is he?”
“Bobby Johnson … but everyone called him—”
“The Executioner,” Matteo finishes for me.
It doesn’t surprise me that he knows who he is. He’s one of the world’s biggest boxers, next to Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather.
“Yep, that’s him,” I say with a shrug.
“Holy shit, that’s insane. He’s amazing.”
“Yeah, he was also an abusive POS who used to beat on my mom until she finally left him,” I mutter.
Matteo’s grin disappears. “Shit, I’m sorry. Want me to take him out for you?”
“Bad word, Uncle Matty,” Damien says as I gape at Matteo, shocked that he just offered to take out my sperm donor.
But then a playful smile spreads across his face, and I cackle.
“I’m good, but thank you.”
“All right.” He shrugs. “But if you change your mind, just let me know. I could totally take him out. Speaking of which”—he glances at Dominick—“want to come spar with me down at the gym? I could use some actual competition.” He side-eyes Lorenzo, who shrugs.
“It’s not my fault. I don’t want to ugly up my mug,” Lorenzo says, reverently stroking the sides of his face with his thumb and forefinger. “I’ve got a date with Hillary, and she happens to like my pretty face.”
“That’s because she’s shallow,” Matteo points out. “Of course she only cares about your looks.”
“It’s not like that,” Lorenzo volleys. “And you’re just being a little bitch about her because you saw her first, but she wanted me.”
“Watch your mouth,” Dominick growls at the same time Matteo barks out a laugh.
“Only because she knew you were husband material,” Matteo says, “and she’s looking to be a trophy wife.”
“You’re not husband material?” I ask.
He might be a little rough around the edges and a major jokester, but he’s always so nice to Damien and me.
“My brother is a perpetual bachelor,” Dominick says dryly. “He’d rather jump off a tall building than settle down.”
“That’s just because you haven’t found the right woman,” I tell Matteo, who clearly disagrees based on the look he’s giving me. “Look at Dominick. He had no desire to settle down, and now, he’s working overtime to knock me up and make me his wife.”
It’s meant as a joke—sort of—but Matteo’s eyes bug out.
“What?” he hisses. “You’re trying to have another baby? Are you fucking mad?”
“Language,” Dominick comments.
“A baby?” Damien asks. “I want a baby brother!”
“You guys are ridiculous,” Matteo says, standing and violently pushing his chair in, making Damien jump.
“Were you not raised in the same house as me?” he says to Dominick, sounding more serious than I’ve ever heard him before. “Were you not there when our sister was … hurt? All the times our mom suffered at the hands of our piece-of-shit father? I get that you don’t want to deny your son, and Peyton comes with him, but why would you willingly bring more innocent people into this fucked-up world?”
Matteo glances from Dominick to Lorenzo. “Your mom and dad are dead,” he says to Lorenzo. “Everybody we’ve ever tried to keep safe has been hurt in some way or another. It’s irresponsible and reckless to—”
“Enough,” Dominick snaps. “The world isn’t perfect, and ours is even less, but you can’t expect us all to live our lives alone.”
He stands and walks over to Matteo, getting in his face, and for a second, I worry they’re about to fight right here, in the dining room, in front of Damien.