Chapter 5

• ***ADRIANO'S POV***
• FIVE YEARS LATER
• It's been five years since I chased Delta away and there has been no trace of her. She haunts me.
• Her clothes are still in our closet, her hair product, make-up kit, everything my wife loved is still here. She haunts me.
• When I had returned home that morning, a maid had changed the bedsheets Delta had slept on that night and I had fired her immediately.
• Why would anyone do that?
• A loud bang on the door causes me to drag my legs towards it.
• "Are you ready? We need to leave if we want to be on time," my best friend and loyal, Diego says.
• "I am. Tell Luca and Lorenzo to get the car ready," I state.
• The twins still blame me for letting Delta go. We tracked her but never knew where she ended up. I sent men to her Uncle's house but no positive news ever reached me.
• "Get your head out of your ass. You are meeting the Mafia Princess today to talk about building a casino and hotel in her city. Man up," Diego says.
• Oh yes. For five years, this mafia princess has been bossing North Seattle. She is making waves. I need to be her ally. That is the Romano area, but under the mafia princess, we could overtake that part. Slowly though.
• "Get the car ready," I slay slamming the door in his face.
• **
• Two hours later, I walk into the board room meeting, Luca and Lorenzo behind me. Diego Mancini is at my right, his beaded eyes staring at the group of people sitting at the table.
• "Let's get this done," I mutter beneath my breath before I see who is sitting at the table at the far end.
• "Mr. De Luca, pleased to talk business with you," a very familiar voice pierced my ears.
• Snapping my head upward, my eyes match Delta's own.
• I hear my brothers gasp and I stifle the groan trying to escape me.
• We take our seats and the meeting begins. I don't hear anything that is been said, my eyes are glued to only one woman and my brothers keep clearing their throats to get me to focus on what is being said.
• "We can't do business with you, Mr. De Luca," Delta spits out and for the first time, I hear what is being said.
• "Why?" I ask my voice sultry.
• "Because we have other businesses running throughout the town and Mr. Abramov offered a good amount to set up his business in my town," she says her eyes on mine, challenging me.
• The frailed little wife I knew is gone and in its place, a cold-looking Delta is here.
• Five fucking years would do that to you. I should be mad she betrayed me, but now, I want my wife back. I don't care anymore about what happened in the past.
• "I offer triple the amount Mr. Abramov is willing to pay you," I state.
• Delta's eyes hood and she leans forward, I know this is personal, she has a lot to get off her chest, especially as we didn't get enough time to talk that night.
• "It is not about the money. The meeting is over, Mr. De Luca, go home," she states standing and walking away.
• Four of her men follow behind her like dogs.
• "What the fuck?" Lorenzo blurts out and I blink.
• "No for real, what the fuck?" Luca hums too.
• "I'm not letting her slide away from me again," I state walking out of the room and running after Delta.
• Pushing her men aside, I lock my hand around her arm and pull her towards me.
• Her men remove their guns and point them at me.
• "Tell them to put down their Glocks, I will rip their balls out," I spit out.
• "Let the mafia princess go," one bodyguard says.
• My men approach and they pull out their guns too.
• Delta gasps at the disorder being made. She has the final say.
• "Let go, Adriano," she barks out.
• "We need to talk," I order.
• Before she can respond, a tall lean guy walks over to her, ignoring the fact that every man in this room has their guns pulled out and ready to shoot.
• "You've got a call from Ellie," he says his hands pushing forth and I see a phone in his hand.
• Forcing her hand away from my grip, I release Delta and watch her closely.
• "Yes Ellie?" she says into the speaker.
• The other woman says something and Delta's face blanches.
• "He wants to talk to me? Give him the phone please," she says.
• A pause and then this side of Delta I didn't know existed comes through.
• "Hey, Champion. Mommy is coming to the hospital right now, okay?" she states.
• Mommy?
• I look back at my brothers and they share the same look.
• Diego looks shocked as hell.
• Hanging up, Delta starts walking away. I grab her arms and haul her to me.
• "You have a son?" I ask in shock.
• "Yes. I moved on without you. I need to go now, my baby is at the hospital. Jake, let's go," she says, and looking at her friend, he leads the way.
• Everyone lowers their guns and as I watch Delta leave the building, I turn back to glare at my brothers.
• "A baby. And the baby can talk. How long is it since my wife left me?" I ask doing the math in my head.
• "Five years. Enough for a baby to even be in school," Lorenzo provides.
• Delta was a virgin when we got married. Fuck, I made love to her that night and shared my one hideous secret too. One that brought everything crashing around us.
• "Let's go to the hospital," I mutter rushing outside.
• *
• At the hospital, I check in with my influence, and knowing the room Delta is in, I take the elevator to the third floor and go to the ward.
• It's a big room painted in white, but it's the boy on the bed that catches my attention. Delta is crouched beside his bed, her eyes closed and oblivious that four men just walked into the room.
• "Raff, no more stomach bugs, you got mommy scared," she cries out.
• The boy spots us and he speaks, "Mommy who are those men?" he asks.
• Delta looks at me and I see the moment she sees the truth flashed in the air.
• The boy, one would say was a replica of me.
• Mine. My wife walked away with my baby that night and I didn't even know it.
• "None you should have in your life," Delta spits out fiercely striding towards us.
• "Get out now before I call security," she stifles her voice.
• I see red. I know I fucked up but I have a son I missed out on four years of his existence. No more.
• Grabbing Delta with both arms, I step into her personal space.
• "You are mine and now that we have a son, I am not letting you go, madam wife," I say my voice full of spite.
• "We aren't together," she cries out.
• "Legally, we are still bound, Delta,"
• "Fuck you," she whispers enough for me to hear.
• "Be careful with what you wish for, Tesoro," I say, our eyes locking together.