Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 494 -

*Olivia*

I was strolling down the streets of Naples, Elio strapped to my chest and Gio at my side. In unison, both of my boys grinned at me. Then, a horde of black-shrouded figures swarmed us. I spun around a few times, and when they disappeared, I stood alone in the Italian street. I fell to my knees as a scream tore out of my throat. I'd lost everything. Again.

***

I shot bolt upright in bed. In bed. I sat in my bedroom, the late morning sunlight streaming in through the windows. "Mama?" a small voice asked.

All the air exploded out of my chest in a single sigh of relief, and I pounced on my son. He snuggled into my chest, warm and sleepy, and wound a sticky hand into my hair. I happily let him do it. I always would. I couldn't refuse him another thing.

Tears gathered in my eyes. We'd almost lost him. I never wanted to feel fear or pain like that again.

He squirmed, and I laid him back down in the bed. Gio slept peacefully on the other side of him. I ran a finger down his arm. He, too, was warm and safe in bed.

I laid down next to Elio, close enough that I could watch his little chest rise and fall. We'd almost lost him, but we hadn't. He was back, safe and sound, like I intended to keep him for the rest of his life. If I had my way, I'd never let him out of my sight again.

He babbled and rolled onto his stomach, gumming at the pillowcase. I stroked his back. At the very least, I wouldn't let him out of my sight today. Even the thought called enough tears to my eyes that one overflowed and rolled slowly down my cheek.

Gio stirred, then rolled onto his side and opened his eyes. His sleepy haze immediately melted away as he took in my expression.

He leaned up on one elbow and wiped the tear off my cheek.

"Nothing to cry about, carina," he murmured. "He's back, and he's back for good."

I smiled at him and turned to stare at our son, still in the pajamas I'd put him in the night he got taken. I swallowed and nodded. "For good," I repeated. "Thank you for "

He pressed a finger to my lips. "No thanks. I will always do anything for him."

I kissed his finger. "No thanks, but what about breakfast?"

"Begfiss?" Elio pulled the pillowcase out of his mouth to ask.

I laughed, the sound still wet with unshed tears. "Breakfast, my little man, the most important meal of the day."

He clapped, but the gesture made him fall on his face. I scooped him up before he could become upset and hopped out of bed. "Come on, Papa," I trilled. "I can smell the bacon from here."

Gio laughed. "That's a lie, and you know it."

I sniffed dramatically, smelling nothing but the scent of our room. "No, I really can."

Elio raised his chin like me, but he puffed air out through his mouth.

"Exactly!" I spun him around the room, overcome with the utter delight of holding my brilliant, beautiful son in my arms again.

Gio caught me mid-spin, having stood while I wasn't looking. I stared up into his eyes, deep with leagues of love and passion.

"I believe you both." He smiled. "Let's go eat."

Gio and I both still wore yesterday's clothes, but we could all change after a little food. I pressed a kiss to his lips, grabbed his hand, and headed for the dining room.

I did not think about how we were walking in the exact same arrangement as my nightmare, either.

We waltzed into the dining room to replace Dahlia sitting in front of a massive breakfast that did, in fact, include bacon. She grinned at us.

"I figured you'd be up a little later, so I tried to have this ready for you."

At the end of the table, a special place was set. Elio's high chair had his favorite cup, plate, and grippy toddler spoon, as well as a massive plate of strawberries. Tears filled my eyes again, and Dahlia swept down the length of the table to wrap me in a massive hug.

"Thank you, Dolly," I whispered.

"Anything for you, Olivia," she replied.

"Dally!" chirped Elio in my arms.

We broke apart laughing. She cupped his face delicately, wonderingly.

"You guys got him to yourselves all night," she said quietly. "I arranged this nice breakfast for you to have as a family, but if I don't get to spend at least three hours with him today, I'm going to burst into tears."

Gio laughed.

"Done," I replied. "But you have to share. I'm not going anywhere I can't see him."

She put her hands up. "Fair deal."

With that, she walked out of the room. I got Elio settled in his high chair, and Gio and I took the seats on either side. Before we'd even sat, Elio was already face-first in the strawberries. Dahlia had cut them up and removed the stems, which was good, because he just started shoving handfuls into his mouth and laughing. Strawberry sprayed everywhere, including over the pile of waffles Gio had been reaching for.

"You know," he said. "I think I might actually be in a pancakes mood."

I laughed with Elio at him. The sun shone brightly through the windows, and all my problems seemed far away.

Partway through breakfast, Gio wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at me seriously. "Lorenz called last night."

I choked on the bite of eggs in my mouth. Elio clapped while I coughed, thrilled with the energetic display.

"What do you mean Lorenz called?" I asked as soon as I was able. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

He ran his finger along the edge of his glass. "I thought you deserved a bit of rest. I was going to tell you when we woke up this morning, but then Dahlia arranged this wonderful breakfast and I just-" He smiled a little sadly. "I liked seeing you happy again."

A little of the panic and betrayal eased. Of course, Gio only wanted me safe and happy.

"What the " I glanced at Elio. "um, H-E-double-hockey-sticks did he have to say?"

Gio chuckled. Then, his demeanor grew serious again. "Apparently, Salvatore survived the night. Lorenz has him."

I inhaled slowly. My father survived. Somewhere in this city, he drew breath.

That made me almost as nervous as knowing Lorenz could still reach us.

"Was it just a courtesy call?" I asked, lifting my glass of orange juice to cover whatever expressions my face might be making.

Gio pursed his lips. "Not exactly. He wanted to know if I'd trade myself for him."

"No." I slammed my glass back down on the table, sloshing a little juice over the side. My heart pounded in my ears. I didn't want Sal running around loose in the world, but turning Gio over to the bad guys certainly didn't solve that problem. He was clearly their final target. They would just kill him.

Elio reached forward, grabbing for the puddle and smearing strawberries all over his pajamas as well as his face. I wiped it up automatically and began planning to bathe and change him as soon as possible.

Gio smiled. "That is what I said. I have no intention of putting myself in Lorenz's hands for anyone less valuable to me than you or Elio."

He pinched our sticky son's cheek, then winced and wiped his hand off.

I relaxed a little more. They still needed to replace a way to stop Lorenz forever, but the call didn't mean anything specific, just another attempt to play with my husband. He wasn't stupid enough to- "But I was thinking of mounting a rescue."

My mouth fell open. "Rescue? For Sal?"

He studied my face closely but nodded. "Apparently, he's not in great condition, and Lorenz said something about me regretting the decision. I figured I'd get him out before the Russians could do anything worse to him."

I was shaking my head before Gio even finished his sentence. "Are you really falling for that? Lorenz has to say you'll regret it when you don't do what he wants. That's like, Bad Guy 101. Don't risk anyone for him."

Gio raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth just as Elio stood up in his high chair and grabbed a handful of bacon off the table, yelling, "Bakah! Bakah!"

It took us several minutes to resettle him, double-check the buckles, and clear enough strawberries off his table that I could cut up a little bacon for him. By the time Gio and I were reseated across from each other, I was slightly winded and much greasier than I had been.

And totally happy... having Elio back, even if he threw tantrums and made messes, was better than anything else I could imagine. It made sympathy for Sal even harder to come by.

"He made his bed," I said. "Let him sleep in it."

"Are you sure about that?" Gio began cutting his untouched pancake into pieces. "I know he betrayed your trust, I just thought...."

He put a piece in his mouth, grimaced slightly, but chewed and swallowed it. "I thought you'd at least want him safe, even if you never want to see him again."

I leaned back in my chair. I couldn't think about my father without that pure, crystalline hate I'd felt when I first realized he had to be involved filtering through my veins. He hadn't just betrayed me. He'd harmed my family-my son. He manipulated me into being a tool in that. I needed a word bigger than betrayal for what he'd done.

I opened my mouth to tell Gio just that, to let him rot, but I caught sight of myself in the long mirror on the back wall... my own eyes stared back at me-his eyes. In all my years with just my mother, she had never told me that I had exactly his eyes.

Unbidden, I pictured him on some stained cot, bleeding from a gaping wound in his stomach. He groaned in pain and his eyes, my eyes, rolled up into his head. A burly Russian man stepped in with a massive saw, and I shook my head. "I... I don't know," I said. "I don't want him to be able to hurt my family ever again, but...."

Gio reached across the table and folded his hand over mine. "But you still have that wonderfully big heart."

I smiled a wobbly smile. He knew me so well. No matter how angry I was and god, was I angry-I couldn't quite wish Sal dead with Elio grinning at me around a mouthful of bacon.

"You have to be so careful, though," I said. "No unnecessary risks for this. That's what's most important."

He nodded. "Whatever you wish."

"Now," I said, "let's get back to this family breakfast. Seems you have work to do later."

Gio nodded resolutely.

I turned back to my plate to offer Elio a bite of eggs, which he took one look at and shook his head, and pulled my mind away from whatever was happening with my father. If Gio could bring our son home, he could do anything.