Page 36 of Whispers in the Dark
I swallow hard, pinching the bridge of my nose, waiting for the memory to wash away to the dark abyss where it belongs.
But I promised Alina I would keep this thing between us a secret, and that’s precisely what I plan on doing.
Vin sighs, tapping a finger on his desk, and then looks at me. “You’re happy?”
I nod.
“And you promise me, this is real? That this isn’t some fucking game that, as the head of the family, I should be informed of?”
I nod again as Leo passes a drink to each of us.
“Then…” Vin raises his glass in the air. “If you’re happy, I’m happy. That’s all I want for you, brother.” I swallow down the emotions crawling up my throat. “To Mauro.”
“To Mauro,” my brothers say in unison. We all throw back our drinks, slamming the empty glasses before us.
Knock. Knock.
“Come in,” Vin says.
The door hesitantly opens, and Samuel appears.
“What is it?” Vin asks, arching a brow.
“Umm…” He steps into the room, holding a sleeping little girl against his chest. His free hand tugs at his collar.
“I didn’t know you had a kid,” Vin murmurs.
“I… I don’t, sir.” He looks down at the little girl and then back at us. “She’s yours.”
Vin spits out his drink. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, no. Not yours, sir. Sorry.” He shakes his head adamantly. And as I look at the girl whose eyes begin to open, I see it. The light brown hair, the tiny straight nose, the grey eyes. We all look at Alex, including Samuel, who says, “Yours.”
Alex stares off, appearing dazed.
Leo clears his throat, gaining Alex’s attention, who blinks a few times, coming to. “Come again?” Alex stands, running his fingers through his hair. “You said she’s mine?”
“Yes, sir.” He holds out a piece of paper. “This came with her.”
Alex takes the letter, and I immediately see the tremble in his hand.
“Dear Alex,” he reads aloud. “Meet Clara, your daughter. I tried to do the whole single-parent thing, but I’m just not cut out for it. Here’s hoping you can handle it better than me. Attached are her birth certificate and health records. She’s allergic to strawberries. Best of luck, Elena.”
“Who the fuck is Elena?” Vin asks, glancing between Alex and the little girl who apparently is named Clara.
Alex stares at the words, swallowing hard.
“Alex?” Leo nudges him.
Alex shakes his head. “She was just some woman. One night. Maybe a little over two years ago.” He begins to pace across the room. “How the hell did this happen?”
“Well.” Vin grins. “When a man and a woman—”
Alex glares at him, and he immediately shuts up.
“What would you like me to do with her?” Samuel asks.
Clara’s big, grey eyes observe everyone in the room before landing on Alex. They stay there for a moment, her heavy lids blinking a few times until she falls victim to sleep, burrowing her head against Samuel’s chest.
