Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 503 -

*Olivia*

I hummed a soft lullaby, gently stroking the back of the precious child in my arms. Elio was fast asleep and I held him steadfastly. He was growing so big, and I knew that soon I wouldn't be able to carry him like that anymore. I laid my cheek onto his soft curls, closing my eyes as I swayed back and forth gently like a slow dance just for the two of us. I couldn't even begin to explain how much love I held for him in my heart. I would do anything for him. He was the greatest joy I had ever been given.

The soft lullaby I had been singing ended and before I could begin again, I heard the sound of footsteps just outside the door, heavy, like something was weighing them down. The door creaked open, the spot of light from the hallway cutting through the dark room.

My heart leaped to my throat as my husband stood in the doorway, glancing at me and Elio with such sheer palpable relief. I knew instantly that he needed to talk to me. I gently moved Elio to his crib, laying him down.

He stirred slightly as I laid him on his back, clenching his fingers as he stretched them over his head but eventually, he relaxed and fell back into sleep once more. I tucked him into his baby blanket, settling his stuffed sharkie in his armpit. I turned to Gio, who watched me with a warm look in his eyes. I tiptoed out of the room, grabbing Gio's hand as I passed and led him out into the sitting room of our suite. We left the door open, and though I was still a bit worried about leaving him to sleep in there alone, our security measures had tripled since he had been kidnapped.

I reassured my anxieties, remembering all the locks and changes we had implemented to make sure a repeat never happened again, not to mention that the baby monitor we installed was strapped to the wall and was solar-charged, so there was no chance of removing the batteries.

We'd spared no expense to make sure Elio would be safe from now on.

I let Gio into our room, gently shutting the door behind me as I placed the new monitor on the nightstand. I stepped closer to him, lightly brushing my palm against his cheek. There was a bit of stubble there, a shadow that he hadn't shaven yet.

"Gio?" I asked, wondering what the vague look in his eyes meant. Normally I could read him like a book, but I was lost now.

He leaned into my touch, grasping my hand and holding it to his cheek like I might disappear or like he was trying to reassure himself that I wasn't just a dream version of myself. I was startled when I saw the shine in his eyes, the welling of a tear in the corner of one, and I immediately stepped closer, pulling him into a hug.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I demanded, my head racing with possibilities.

Never before had I seen him shed a single tear, except for the night Elio had been taken. I was the emotional one in our relationship, and Gio was the rock who kept me from floating away into the clouds.

It felt weird and alarming to have it reversed all of a sudden.

Gio held me tightly, clutching me in his arms as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. Then with a heavy whisper in my ear, he said, "It's over."

At first, it didn't register in my head. Over what? Was he breaking up with me? Did he want a divorce? Then why would he be clinging to me like this? What on earth was he-

Then it hit me like being slapped with a bag of bricks. These were the words I'd been longing to hear for so long now.

"Oh," I said, eyes wide in realization.

The heat welling up my eyes hit a crescendo as tears poured down my cheeks in an overwhelming sense of relief, and then I was holding my husband just as tightly as he was me. I sobbed into his shoulder, not even sure what I was crying about, but his words echoed through my mind like a mantra.

It was over. It was truly, truly over... no more would I fear every person who passed me on the street. There would be no more double-checking every lock in Elio's room before bed, no more hesitating over the motivations of every person I met, no more looking over our shoulders for someone to stab us in the back.

And there would be no more wondering if today would be the last time I would see one of my loved ones.

The endless fear and anxiety we'd been put through were over. My tears seemed like they would never stop as I cried into my husband's chest, gripping him tightly. Eventually, we both ended up on the floor, me in his lap in a twist of messy limbs.

I cried until my eyes were raw and red and nothing more was coming out, but we sat there together for what seemed like forever. Just as he had his hands in my hair, comforting me with soft kisses to the forehead and my cheeks and nose, I comforted him right back, my palms on his jaw, keeping the two of us as entwined as possible as he held me so tight it was almost painful.

But all I felt was safe and secure.

And hopeful.

"What now?" I finally asked after my tears had stopped, my voice hoarse after the sobs had wrecked it to pieces. I pulled back from Gio just enough to look into his eyes, searching for whatever he had planned next.

He had yet to tell me what he wanted to do-about the family, about me and Elio, and whether we would be staying here. Whatever he decided, I would have to be okay with it, even if he wanted to remain the Don. As long as I had him with me, we could work through anything.

"Well..." Gio started, sending me a crooked grin, his emotions completely open for me to see and feel.

I could feel his heart racing under my palms, and I wasn't sure if it was anxiety or excitement that was reflected in his eyes... or maybe it was both.

"In a month, I will announce my retirement as the Don," Gio declared with a sure smile.

I reeled back in surprise, positive I had to have heard him wrong, but the moment I saw his smile, so loving and understanding as he caressed my cheek with one hand, bringing me close so that I could feel the heat of his breath caressing my skin, I knew he had made up his mind.

"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly, feeling bad now that he might be doing this for me and not because he actually wanted to. "I want you to do this for you and not for me. Elio and I-"

"Are my priority." Gio cut me off firmly, giving me a half-scolding glance. "I didn't make this decision just because of that. I admit I'm a bit nervous about leaving the position. I don't know what else I'll do with my life, but the family needs new leadership now, and I want to be with you and Elio for a long time, without the danger of my position as Don. I'll name a replacement and we can go wherever you want." "Anywhere?" I beamed, my mind bursting with the possibilities of a new life for us.

We could move to one of the other cities in Italy, stay close but allow my son to grow up in the country he was born in, or maybe we could move back to the States, to be closer to Dahlia and my mom. James and Becca would love to have us close, I was sure of it.

The world was so wide, though, and I wanted to see all of it, to show Elio everything it had to offer and let him experience all the things I never got to as a kid. But I realized as I gazed into the warm eyes of my husband that it didn't matter where we went.

"As long as we're together." I smiled, bursting with happiness.

"Of course. You can't get rid of me yet, carina." He chuckled, laying a kiss on my temple. "We'll have to hold a big party for it, invite everyone in the family, so if I could have your help with that, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course! You can count on me," I said with a grin, then I quietly added, "and Dahlia."

He rolled his eyes with a fondness to it that I adored. As much as he complained, I know he loved Dahlia just as much as I did.

"Just make sure you two don't go overboard." He sent me a stern look but I leaned up to kiss him and changed the subject. "So who are you naming as your successor?" I asked cheekily.

I could tell by the look he sent me that he knew exactly what I was doing. But he loved me too much to call me out on it.

"I don't know yet." He sighed, allowing me to distract him. "I don't know who would make the best choice for Don. James chose me because he trusted that I'd know how to handle it. No matter who I choose, someone's going to be resentful." "Do you know who you want yet? Did you pick out a few candidates?"

He shook his head. "Not yet, but I will. I have to, after all."

"Gio," I said, grasping him by the cheeks and forcing him to look at me. "You will make the right decision. I know you will. Trust your gut and go with it."

"That's rich coming from you, Miss Overthinker." He grinned.

"Hey." I winked at him. "That's Mrs. Overthinker."

"Oh, really?" he smirked. "So there's a Mr. Overthinker in your life, is there? Careful or you'll make me jealous, carina."

I giggled, bending forward to lean my forehead on his. "Of course there is. I'm looking right at him. You know I would never dare to marry anyone but you, dear."

"That's better," he said teasingly, capturing my lips in his.

He took away my breath, swallowing my moans as he entangled our tongues together. I gripped his curls, pressing my ass down onto his lap and wiggling until I found exactly what I wanted.

I smirked, grinding my ass on the shadow of his cock through his pants, and listening to the little groan he made at the sudden friction.

"So," I started innocently, breathing heavily as I broke apart just enough to see his dilated pupils and the dizzy hunger on his face. "Where are we moving to?"

And just as I predicted, Gio pinned me onto the floor, forcing my legs apart as he pushed his bulge toward my core. I moaned, loudly, wrapping my legs around his waist, staring up at him coyly. "Wherever you want, carina." He smirked indulgently.

Then he pushed into me.