Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 386 -

*Olivia*

I levered myself slowly down into a chair in the kitchen, running my hand over my swollen belly with a soft smile. Across the room, Gio, the lines in his face deeper than when I met him, swung our eldest through the air while he giggled in pure delight. Little Enzo would be turning three at the end of the month, but he still loved the game he pronounced "ay-play" instead of airplane. Gio looked up suddenly and caught me watching. I waved sheepishly, patting my stomach, where our twins were still growing. He just grinned and lifted Enzo for another round.

A loud, heavy knock sounded on our kitchen door, cutting through the sound of Enzo's laughter. and I turned to answer it. I tried to take a step forward, but my feet suddenly felt like they were stuck in quicksand. The faster I tried to move, the further away the door seemed, and the louder the knocking got.

***

With a gasp, I sat bolt upright and ran a hand over my flat stomach, feeling a strange pang of disappointment. The moonlight seeping in through the curtains cast the familiar shape of the bedroom Gio and I shared in stark relief. I glanced over to check on him and found the bed beside me empty.

A knot of cold fear twisted my stomach.

The knock came again, and I realized that hadn't been a part of my dream at all. The door in the sitting room swung open, letting in a sliver of yellow light, and Gio's broad shoulders stepped into the pool.

The knot released, and I exhaled. At the very least, Gio was alright.

But why were we being woken in the middle of the night?

As my fear abated, I suddenly realized I'd fallen asleep naked once again, and the covers were pooled around my waist. I doubted anyone could see me from the door, but old instincts made me pull the comforter to my chin.

Gio had clearly only taken the time to shrug on a pair of pajama pants before opening the door, and the light revealed how low they rode on his hips, exposing the V-shaped muscles of his pelvis.

I didn't know why we were being woken up, but if it wasn't urgent....

"What?" he demanded, his voice made gravely by sleep.

Gabriele responded, low and urgent, "We have news. It can't wait."

Gio sighed, and I saw him run his hand through his hair in silhouette. "Alright. I'll be right there."

He shut the door and turned back to see me sitting up. "I'm sorry we woke you, carina."

I yawned and dropped the covers. "No worries. It sounds like something important is going on. I'll come with."

I stood, and Gio's eyes dropped briefly to my bare body. I smiled. Even in dire circumstances, I enjoyed knowing he couldn't help but look at me.

Then, his gaze returned to my face as his mouth opened in surprise.

"No, this isn't "

I began grabbing clothes off the floor. I didn't know who was going to be in this meeting, so I should make sure to be fully dressed. I found a pair of jeans I'd worn earlier in the week, the bra I'd shed earlier, and a T-shirt dangling out of a drawer, but no underwear.

Gio stepped into my line of sight and grabbed my shoulders. "Please, let me speak to Gabriele first. This news could be anything. Just let me hear it, and then I'll tell you."

I shrugged out of his hold. I was done being sidelined, done replaceing everything out last. I put on my jeans. "Is there any news other than Dmitri news that would make Gabriele wake you up in the middle of the night?"

Gio opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. "I sincerely hope not."

I grabbed my bra. "Then I'm coming with you. This isn't the sort of reasonable safety precaution I promised to agree with you on. You're just trying to protect my mind, and I'm not going to be any less scared sitting here and wondering what terrible thing might've happened."

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. "Carina, I wish you'd let me "

"Don't you trust me?" I asked suddenly.

Gio blanched. "Of course, but-"

"Then you've got to trust me to know what I can handle." I slipped on my bra and pulled the T-shirt over it, then crossed my arms. "I'm coming with you. I don't want to be babied anymore, and I deserve to know what's happening with a homicidal mobster who's made direct threats against me and the people I love."

"Anything you want." Gio wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in, burying his face in my hair. "I love you."

I pressed a kiss to his cheek and tried to swallow down a brilliant grin. I shouldn't be so excited to learn about violent mafia business, but I couldn't help feeling like I'd finally gained access to a club I'd been standing outside of for months. "I love you too. Now, get dressed, or Gabriele's going to have both of our heads," I said.

Gio laughed and began pulling on his clothes. "Now you really sound like you belong here."

He dressed quickly, and in what felt like mere moments, he was throwing open his office door and leading me inside by the hand. Gabriele waited in a standing position in front of the desk, but Gio gestured to me to sit in one of the red leather seats next to the man. I sat, but turned the chair so I could face both of them equally. Gabriele regarded me coolly but did not protest as Gio sat behind his huge desk.

"Report," Gio barked, suddenly businesslike.

I'd seen this mafioso side of him before, but never when I really understood, never when I got to be part of the meetings. The only meeting I'd ever been invited to before, I'd blubbered all the way through as Gio planned to give himself up. Now, as an equal participant in what was to come, the sharp edge in Gio's voice made me squirm in my seat and think about what would happen when we got back to the room.

I'd been on the outside for so long that I'd forgotten how hot Gio's effortless air of command was.

"Alessandro and his men have been riding Lorenz's ass." Gabriele interrupted my train of thought and brought me back to the moment. I dug my fingers into the leather of the chair, an old trick I used to use in boring classes in high school to stay attentive. Of course, I wasn't bored now.... Focus, Olivia!

Lorenz was the bastard who had hired Joey Mancinni to put those notes in mine and Dahlia's notebooks, the one who chased us out of school. Maybe one day I'd get as bloodthirsty as Gio or Dahlia in my revenge, but right now, I just want to see him humiliated.

"They know all his civilian haunts. There are a few bars, a few restaurants... a bowling alley he goes to on a daily basis." Gabriele shook his head. "They're working on mapping the weak points in his security, but we can more or less put eyes on him whenever we want."

Gio nodded slowly. "All good things, but I want to hit both of them at once. Dmitri keeps slipping out of our grasp. I don't want to give him a chance to wiggle away again. When we hit, we hit everyone."

"We'll keep our eyes on him so it's simple to strike when we're ready," Gabriele said.

Gio hummed. "Give it to somebody other than Alessandro. He's done well. I want him in the strike force, and he doesn't perform well when his attention is split."

My mouth fell slightly open, but I snapped it quickly shut again. Alessandro just took his first life, barely a week ago. Did Gio really believe it was a good idea to put him in that position again?

Was this how quickly Gio had to grow up when he was rising through the ranks? Never a moment to breathe or mourn, just the next mission to be carried out? My heart panged, and I suddenly missed my mom worse than I had since we arrived.

Gio leaned forward. "This is not the sort of news you wake me up in the middle of the night for."

A slow, sharklike smile spread over Gabriele's face. "Rinaldo finally made it to a decent position in the Russo organization."

Gio banged his hand on his desk. "Why didn't you tell me that first?"

"There was a meeting with their higher-ups tonight, suspiciously late, so he contacted us in advance. We were worried he was made," he continued.

"Is he?" Gio demanded. "Have we lost another one?"

Another? I shot Gio a look, asking what I'd missed, and he shook his head. I pursed my lips but relented. I had to trust him just like he trusted me.

Gabriele shook his head. "Set-up meeting for a new overnight warehouse. Apparently, that's what they call it when they have to put together a safe house on short notice."

Gio steepled his fingers, a new light gleaming in his eyes. "My old friend, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

I leaned forward as well. I had my guesses, but I wanted to hear him say it.

"Russo has been securing housing outside of the city once a month since this bastard started hitting us. We only ever found out after the fact. Tonight, Rinaldo was in the planning meeting for this month's safe house." Gabriele's smile grew even wider. "He has the address in hand. Dmitri himself handed it over."

I leaped out of my chair with a squeal of delight, then quickly sat back down when both men turned to look at me.

"Sorry! I got a little excited." I took a deep breath. "I'm ready for this to be over."

Gio reached across his desk, and I put my hand in his. He squeezed it comfortingly, and I looked up into his deep brown eyes, full of love and warmth.

"I'm ready, too, carina." He turned back to Gabriele but didn't release my hand.

I smiled to myself.

"We have to act quickly. Start putting in calls. I want all our best people on this, and I want them here yesterday." Gio looked down at the top of his desk for a moment, lost in thought, and when he looked back up, his eyes burned with righteous anger. "For Vincent, for Emiliio, for all the men they made us put in Eterna-this ends now."

His determination lit a spark in my veins. Dmitri had taken so much from us, but no longer.

We were going to make him pay.