Mafia Casanova - M. Robinson Page 0,47

Mommy.”

He leaned his head on my chest, wrapping his arms harder around my neck. She noticed who he wanted to stay with, and I felt a sense of power that he chose me over her.

“Fine.” With a stern glare in my direction, she made her way outside, following after Tristian, I assumed.

I was long past the jealousy. Besides, I held her son firmly in my arms and the necklace I gave her last year for her birthday hung firmly around her neck.

I was still in her heart, and that was good enough for me.

The day went on with normal festivities; we ate, we drank, and Tristian didn’t leave Eden’s side. Later, after Naz was tucked away asleep in his bed. Tristian decided he was going to bring everyone’s attention over to him.

Everything stopped.

Everything.

My breathing hitched; I swear to God, my heart stopped beating in my chest, only for a second. A surge of panic flooded my body, my mind, and my soul at precisely the moment my heart started beating again.

Louder and harder in my chest.

Eden looked over at him, eyes wide and full of fear. “Tristian,” she pleaded in a hoarse tone. She cleared her throat and begged him to stop with that look in her eyes.

The one I recognized; she’d shown them to me several times over the years.

He didn’t even get it. He couldn’t read her at all, not like I could. Or maybe he did, and he simply wanted to hurt her, fully aware he’d be hurting me too.

Two birds, one fucking stone.

“You promised, don’t do this,” she added with the same desperation in her voice.

Tristian’s smile beamed with resent, right down to Eden. It was obvious he was drunk as shit and couldn’t care less about the person he’d sworn to love and protect.

At first, it was like a movie. When you knew something bad was about to happen, the anticipation of knowing what was coming was stronger than the ability to stop it.

I couldn’t stop it.

I couldn’t stop this.

His hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and his fingers brushed down her cheek. “I just want to tell our friends and family who the woman I married truly is.”

Aw hell.

Which was exactly where everything ended up going that night.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“I have no interest in understanding sheep. Only eating them.” —Hannibal Lector

Romeo

A quick grimace crossed her face. It was subtle, but I noticed.

I noticed everything.

The entire room became heightened to some sort of cosmic energy. I knew everyone was there, that it wasn’t just Tristian, Eden, and I, though that’s how it felt. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, knowing this wasn’t going to end well. It wasn’t going to start that way either.

My glance slid to Tristian, and he fucking grinned. His eyes darted around the room, and he smiled with bright white teeth. Teeth I wanted him to swallow after my fist knocked them down his fucking throat if he was getting ready to announce what I think he was.

Once my eyes landed on Eden’s, it was all over. I didn’t need to turn to the clinking to know I was right. Tristian raised his champagne glass in one hand and a fork in the other.

The metal clanked off the glass, mimicking a ringing bell. “Hello! I’d like to have your attention!” he announced, making sure all eyes were on him. Everyone’s but mine. The entire room silenced at an eerie speed as he spoke, “Have I told you how happy I am to be a father? You see, a family is all I’ve ever wanted.”

My gaze stayed intensely absorbed in Eden’s. Hers stayed fixated on mine. This trance was different than anything I’d ever felt with her before. We’d been doing this dance with our eyes for as long as I could remember.

This one was definitely different.

This one held so much emotion.

So much hurt.

Pain.

Regret.

This one would destroy.

Tristian thanked the room for being quiet and continued on with his speech. “I would like to start off by saying that I love my wife very fucking much. She is all I ever wanted. This life. Our son. She’s mine. To this day, I think I love her more than I did when we got engaged, married. Became a family. I have done everything I can for her. I’ve given her my heart and soul. Hell, I’ve given her every new car she could ever want, every designer purse.” He chuckled. “There is nothing on this damn planet that this