HARD TO HANDLE

Florence, Italy

“Are you for certain he’s mine?”

Rod glanced down at the crowd from the balcony, eyeing the blonde bombshell sitting across from another woman. She was holding a dark haired little boy with olive skin, just like Alessio’s.

“Her father was an arms dealer, but once he ratted out the crew, we followed all of his connections, including his daughter. He’s yours. We pulled a DNA test.”

“Do you think she knows?”

Rod shrugged,“She doesn’t seem to sleep around and from what we heard hasn’t had a steady boyfriend in years.”

Alessio breathed in deeply as the woman cradled their son to her as the young child cried.

“How old is she?”

“21.”

Alessio jerked his head to face his best friend and bodyguard.

Rod nodded, “Yes, she was only 18."

Making him ten years older than the young woman before him, Alessio churned.

Why did she lie? What was her real name and why was he drawn to her like a moth to a flame?

She gave a side hug to the lady in her company and waved as they parted ways.

“Get the car.”

“It’s alright, honey,” she soothed her toddler,“We only have one more sale to make.”

As Alessio watched from a distance, she carried what appeared to be canvases from her car.

“Details?” He spoke into his phone as Rod drew closer to the woman and child.

“Paintings.”

“Stolen?”

“No, I don’t recognize them.”

An older lady appeared and seemed to be delighted at the delivery. She handed over some cash while admiring the piece and Maeve looked relieved.

“Grazie.. grazie..”

“Come on, Xavi,” she said to the toddler, “Time to go get you home.”

She could sense someone following her. Her father had taught her how to survive on her own. She knew where he was at all times, but he didn’t know her.

She’d lost track of him somehow when the wars started, Sicily and the New York mob attacking the other for profit and clientele.

Somehow she knew he was going to figure it out, but she’d kill Alessio Moroni before he could ever touch their son.

“She’s smart. She knows I’m after her.”

“She probably does. I’m not privy to her ever mentioning your name the last three years.”

“She wouldn’t, Rod. There’s no trace of me to her if she was working as a whore.”

Rod winced. His sister had been murdered by a john when she worked the streets.

Alessio Moroni didn’t apologize, though. He wasn’t the type to do so.

“What is she doing?”

“She’s been hold up in a hostel with her son.”

“What is his name?”

“Octavius or something close.”

“She remembered what I said.”

“Which was?”

“I would name my first son or daughter Octavius or Octavia.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I do not know. I do not know this girl from the next, except that she is the mother of my child and she must be protected and under my care as soon as possible.”

Maeve hurried into the hostel with her son, waving to the front desk clerk before climbing the stairs two by two to get to their room.

“Oh, my poor boy..” Maeve sobbed, “I’ll get us out of this. He’s here.. I know he is.”

Alessio’s men surrounded the building, but they couldn’t make themselves known.

It hadn’t always been like that.

They owned parts of Italy, even Florence at one time.

Now, all of the New York and Italy crime syndicates were warring over turf and clientele and it had been a bloodbath for two years.

“I do not want my heir or his mother to be harmed,” Alessio said to his men, including Rod, after he stepped out of the black Sedan, ski mask over his face.

“Got it, boss..” he heard collectively in his ear piece.

Shots rang out as the owner of the hostel brandished his own weapon.

As long as he lived, Alessio still hated innocent casualties, but this was his life and he had to live it or die.

“Every room,” Alessio said, “Anyone who resists and attacks, shoot them, but not my son or his mother!"

He barked orders Italian, some in English.

He could hear the screams, the busting down of heavy doors, but no more shots after that.

Then.. he heard her:

“Oh, God! Please don’t take my son! Please?! I beg you!! I beg you!! He’s all I have!”

Alessio, his own weapon gripped tightly in his hand, stepped into the doorway of the room where Maeve and their child were shielding themselves from the onslaught.

“Vanozza?”

She heard his voice, a voice calling out for a fake name she’d given him almost four years before. A voice who’d called out her name when they’d spent the night together.

“Or is it.. Maeve Moxley?”

“Alessio Moroni…” she shuddered, “I won’t tell anyone. Please don’t take my son.”

“Our.. son.. stellina…”

Alessio nodded to another one of his men who struggled to take Xavier from the grips of his mother.

“No!!! No!!”

She fought hard and she fought dirty.

Alessio smiled when she bit Carlo’s finger, but grabbed his hitman’s wrist when the man recoiled and was about to strike her.

“Please just leave us alone!” Maeve pleaded.

Alessio breathed in deeply as he held up a hand.

“He is my heir, Miss Moxley, but he’s not the only one coming with me.”

He turned to Rod, “You know what to do.”

“He’s beautiful, Alessio,” Nonna Carmine cooed as she held her great grandson, “Looks just like a Moroni.”

Alessio sat in his leather chair across from the playroom Carmine had renovated for his own father when the elder Moroni was a child.

“Yes, he’s… a Moroni,” Alessio cradled the whiskey shot to his chest and sighed, “My heir.”

Carmine smiled.

“She’s a young girl, Alessio. I understand why she kept him from you, but you have both of them now so be happy.”

“I don’t have her. I have him.”

Carmine scowled at her grandson,“You do what’s right, Alessio! You know that woman is his mother and you will see to it that she remains unharmed.”

“I don’t love her.”

“Love has nothing to do with it!” Carmine said, her head shaking wildly at the thought,“Your grandfather and I were arranged. We fell in love eventually.”

“But did you?”

Carmine frowned, bouncing her great grandson on her knee.

“Of course we did, Alessio. It took some time, yes, but he.. he was my rock and I miss him every day.”

Alessio was a bastard to even ask. Yes, his grandparents had an arranged marriage, but they were so good to each other, so pleasing and loving.

Alessio joked about how loving they were.

“Ten kids… must have been wonderful nights, nonna.”

“If this little one wasn’t in earshot, I’d tell you where to go!”

Alessio took one last look at his son and left the room, making his way to the elevator and up to the third floor of his mansion where he was keeping Maeve.

“Has she roused?”

Rod shook his head,“Joelle is in there taking her vitals right now.”

Alessio stepped in to see his personal nurse standing over a sleeping Maeve.

“All is well?”

“Yes, sir,” Joelle nodded, “She should be waking up shortly.”

“Leave us,” Alessio said, running a hand through his jet black hair. His mocha colored orbs zoned in on Maeve’s content face. Her golden locks flowed freely, like a halo around her head and shoulders.

She stirred, her moans reminding him of that night… the first and last time they’d seen each other.

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, allowing Alessio to see the dark blue eyes that he remembered so well.

The way she looked at him while riding his cock, the want exuding from them as he took her hard.

He’d no idea who he was sleeping with, but to him she was just another whore.. a beautiful, sweet lady of the night who was smart and funny, turning him on with not only her body, but with her wit and charm.

“Wake up.”

The demand came out far too brash and he knew he had a feisty kitten on his hands when she scowled at him and flipped him off.

“Where’s my son?!”

“Safe. Where have you been?”

“I’m sure your goons know. Why are you asking me?”

“Because you are the person I want to hear it from.”

“You’re a monster.”

“Like your father?”

Pain reached her eyes before Maeve sat up straighter, “My father was a good man.”

“Oh?* Alessio breathed in deeply and leaned against the wall opposite of Maeve,“How so?”

“He kept me safe and you killed him. I hate you all.”

Ahessio shrugged,“I didn’t kill him, darling, but I would have. He was a rat who deserved it.”

Maeve sighed,“Of course you’d feel that way. You’re an evil man.”

“Your father killed people, Maeve. Marinate on that for a time while you tell me why you kept my child from me.”

Maeve huffed,“Let me see my son. Bring him to me!”

Alessio nodded to Rod who’d stepped in,“Get the boy.”

“The boy? His name is Xavier....Xavier Octavius.”

“Whatever. I might change it now that he’s in my custody and I have DNA to back up his paternity. What would you do for him? Can I pay you?”

Maeve rolled her eyes,“I’d die before I let anyone take my child.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Alessio!” Carmine appeared behind her grandson with Xavier in her arms,“I’ve warned you.”

Maeve studied her face and then felt such relief when she set the boy down on the floor and Xavier ran to his mother with open arms.

“What are you going to do to us? Are we in danger? I’ll do whatever you want to survive this and take care of my baby…”

Alessio looked to his nonna, Rod, and then back to the mother of his son.

He was going to have to do the last thing he ever wanted to do in his life.

“You’ll become my wife, Maeve. You have absolutely no say in the matter unless you never want to see our son again.”

“You’re a bastard cad,” Maeve said as she held Xavier close to her, “I cannot stand this life and I never have! Let me go and you’ll never have to deal with us again.”

Alessio motioned for his men to leave the room and he stepped closer to the bed, eliciting a tense moment between the two adults.

Xavier was oblivious to the whole debacle. He was a joyful little boy who rarely even saw his mother cry. Maeve had been strong for both of them because she loved her child with every fiber of her being. Just as Alessio would, Maeve would die for her child.

“You’ll do what’s right for our son, Maeve. You can have your men, I can have my women, but we will be joined as one so no harm will come to you or our child. There will be rules set in place for you and let's be honest...there's really nowhere you can go now."

Maeve shook her head, “But I’m the rat, according to you and your goons."

“Then you know what that means. You aren’t safe without becoming a Moroni.”

Maeve sighed, “From what I heard, I’m not safe either way. There will always be danger lurking around every corner when it comes to the two of us.”

Alessio shrugged, “Within these walls and under my protection, you will be. No one will mess with what is rightfully mine.”