Chapter 11

Kade

The second I received the bad news, I broke. My blood boiled. Selina had been hurt. Attacked at her own apartment. This was all on me. all I felt was guilt. If I’d never left her… she wouldn’t be in the shape she’s in.

“It’s not your fault, Kade.” Frankie assured me.

“Isn’t it? This all falls on me. I should have married her back in high school. We could be married, but I let him get in the way. I walked away and look where she is now. A single mother that has to shake her ass to support her son. This. Is. My. Fault. All of it.”

Not to mention she’s in Giovanni’s circle now.
A stripper.
Whore.
Another person that could be hurt or worse… killed.
A weakness.

I slid down the wall and banged the back of my head against the wall. I’ve tried to tell myself I hate her now. Loathe the blonde beauty. That’s a lie. I still loved her. More than anything. I just had to ask myself one question. Was that little boy mine? I counted in my head. The math added up. It’s possible. After all, she did name him Kaden.
Kade.
Kaden.
You see the resemblance?
The hair.
His eyes.
The glare he makes when he doesn’t get his way.
The same as me when I was his age.
I lowered my head in my hands and for the first time in years, I actually cried. Tears of pain. Guilt and anger only made more tears to fall. I rose up and glanced at the mirror on the wall. Without thinking, my fist flew into the glass. I cradled my fist and instantly regretted it.

“Fucking hell!” I growled.

I wanted blood.
Revenge.
For her.
Her son.

I leaned against the wall and slid down it once again. I pushed the pain away and completely lost it. My head hit the wall and I closed my eyes, lowering my head. No matter what I did, it seemed like I was always fucked in the end. I heard a knock at the door, but kept my head down. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this. Especially Giovanni. It’s bad enough Frankie seen me at my weakest point.

I felt a tap on my cheek. Giovanni gave me a sympathetic expression. “Kade, I need you to listen to me and listen real good. I don’t want you to go and do something stupid, like storm the streets getting yourself killed.”

“This is all my fault. If only I’d taken her with me when I skipped town, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt. I could’ve protected her!”

“She’s been asking for you. I do believe you two are long overdue for a chat.”

He wasn’t wrong.
I needed to have a nice long chat with the woman I was still in love with.
Most importantly, ask the million dollar question.
Was that little boy mine?

“I need to see her.” I whispered to Frankie.

“Not yet, man. Not until you get that shit cleaned up.” Frankie gestured to my bloody hand.

I sighed. “Just give me a minute.”

“You good, man?”

“I’m fine.”

Everything I said was a lie.
I wasn’t fine.
I needed to talk to someone.
Someone who wasn’t Frankie.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s my best friend, but I need someone else to talk to.
Like one of the girls.
Obviously, Rose was out of the question.
Giovanni would just fuck it out of her.
And Caterina?
She’d tell Lucien who would tell Luca.
There was only one option.
Claire.
Plus, I needed to talk to her.
Break off our little arrangement.

“Where are you going?” Frankie asked panic in his voice.

“Relax, I’m just going to talk to Claire.”

“If you love Selina, you can’t keep fucking Claire. It’s not right.”

“What do you think I have to talk to her for?” I tapped my temple. “You’re a smart man. Figure it out.”

“I see. Now the better question is how are you going to get Selina to trust you again.”

“Very carefully. It won’t be easy, but I have confidence I can get my girl back.”

“You’re awfully calm for this situation. Are you sure you’re not gonna do something stupid?”

“I got this, brother. I’m gonna go have a chat with Claire. Then, it’s time to pay a visit to my baby’s momma.”

“You know.”

“I wasn’t sure, but you just confirmed it. Just tell me one thing. How long have you known.”

“I couldn’t tell you. You know how I am. I won’t tell someone’s secret.”

“Fair enough. Excuse me, I ‘ve got business to attend to.”

Claire took the news better than I thought she would. She was surprisingly calm. She said wished me luck with Selina. God knows I’m gonna need it. I burned her once. Not by choice but still, I hurt her. I just wished I could go back in time. But… I can’t. All I can do now is move forward. Hopefully, I can do that with Selina.

I pulled up to Giovanni’s estate and took a deep breath. Nervousness twisted in my gut as I got off my bike and made my way to the house. I took another breath and rung the bell. A few minutes later, the door opened. Luca answered the door and ushered me inside.

“Kade, we’ve been expecting you.”

“I need to see her. Alone.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’s resting at the moment.”

“Just… how is she?”

“A little banged up but okay.”

“The man… did he… he didn’t…”

“No, he wasn’t going to do that. This was just a message to Giovanni. To me. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Come, Giovanni is waiting for you in his office.”

“How did he know I would come?”

“Frankie told him you were headed this way. I’m… we’re worried about you. That if…”

“I’m not gonna hurt her, Luca. I could never…”

“I know, but you have to understand something. Selina’s like a daughter to Giovanni. You know how protective he can be over those who is very dear to him. He wants to have a chat with you. There are some things he needs to discuss about Selina and her son.”

“Can I see him?”

I needed to see the boy up close to see for myself.

“He’s resting as well. Come on, Giovanni’s…”

“Right here.” Giovanni stated.

I glanced behind Luca to see Giovanni stepping into the room. He looked a little different than I’m used to. He’d traded his suit for a pair of sweats and a plain t-shirt. He gestured for me to follow him. I did and followed him into his office. Once inside, he sighed and poured a glass of whiskey. He took a sip and set it down onto the desk.

“Is it true?” I asked.

“It’s true, son. That boy is your child. Before you say anything, she wanted to tell you. She begged me to let her tell you, but I didn’t think you were ready for that. If you want to be pissed at anyone, be angry with me. Not her.”

“I’m not angry.” I assured him. “I… was angry with myself. I left her when she needed me the most. But I have to know how she got here. I need to know that you found her before any other bastard did.”

“She showed up on the bus one day. Pregnant and alone. Luca was the one who found her. She came into the club for a hot meal and looking for a place to stay. Selina was going to get a hotel room, but he brought her to the estate. She was so sad for the first few months. When she had her son, I offered her a place to stay and a job.”

“A fucking stripper!” I growled.

“Afraid not, son. She was only a waitress/bartender. It wasn’t until later that she became one of the dancers. I didn’t want that for her. Luca either. She practically begged me to let her dance. She said it was her passion to dance again. So, I agreed. Now, she’s my number one dancer everyone goes to. If I had known that she was your girl, I’d never have agreed to it.”

“I hate this. I hate that she takes off her clothes to support her son… my son.”

“You know?”

“I know. I also know that I’ve already missed out on too much. I want to be the man I used to be with her. I want my son to know his father. That is, if you’ll let me be that man to her.”

Giovanni narrowed his eyes and took a step closer. “I’ll allow it, but only if you swear to be a good man to her. Promise me you’ll protect her at all costs. Don’t break her heart again. I’d hate to kill Luca’s nephew’s best friend.”

“I swear to it, boss. If I hurt her again, I’ll put a bullet in my head myself.”

“Good son, that’s what I like to hear.”

Giovanni hugged me.

“I just have one small problem. She’s an ice queen now. She’s not gonna be so quick to trust me.”

He nodded. “Smart girl. I might be able to help in that department.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“How would you like to be her bodyguard?”

“I’d love to.”