Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

“Ewww!”
“Enough,” I said firmly. “We’re having dinner.”
Daniele nodded, but he kept his eyes on Simona.
Simona stroked Giulia’s belly as if it was a magic lamp and would grant her
a wish before she returned to her place. Daniele stuck his food-covered tongue
out at her. She hit him. I gave Giulia a look. You really want another one of
these?
“I can’t wait for another one,” she said.
I was in my eighth month when Mansueto had another heart attack. The doctors
weren’t sure if he’d ever leave the hospital again. When he asked me to visit him
alone, dread filled me.
He was pale and thin in the hospital bed. His eyes were even duller than
usual, and he could barely lift his head in greeting when I walked in.
“How are you?” I asked gently as I sank down in the chair beside the bed.
“I don’t have long.”
I touched his wrinkly hand. “You don’t know that.”
He smiled weakly. “I’m going to die, Giulia, and there’s only one thing I
need to do before I leave this earth.”
“And what is that?”
“I want my blood to live on, to rule.” He nodded at my belly. “You carry the
true heir to the name Moretti in your womb. Daniele shouldn’t be allowed to
become Underboss. It’s just not right.”
I leaned back and pulled my hand away. That was exactly why I wished we
hadn’t told Mansueto the gender of the baby. If it had been a girl, he wouldn’t
have been this obsessed.
“Do a dying man the favor of telling Cassio the truth about those kids. He
needs to know.”
I shook my head. “I won’t tell him and you shouldn’t either. Why would you
even ask me to do it?”
He smiled tiredly. “I’m an old man. I don’t have long to live. Cassio would