Epilogue

Legacy

Five Years Later

MILO

I know she is here.

I can see her crouched down on the grass, her arms around Anna as they play. I can smell her perfume, the femininity and allure of her scent forever ingrained into my memory. If I were to stand up and take five strides forward, I could touch her. I could feel the soft curves of her body, run my fingers through her thick hair, rub that sweet pussy that is always so fucking wet for me.

She is here, right in front of me, and yet, as I bring a cup of espresso up to my lips, she does not seem real.

How can something so perfect exist in such an imperfect world?

It is a miracle that she has not vanished, that she has not yet disappeared without a trace, that her entire existence has not been a cruel joke. Every night when I fall asleep with her in my arms, I am afraid I will wake up and it will all have been a dream .

But she is here.

And only God knows why.

But I do not dare ask God the reasons for him bringing me an angel.

He might realize his mistake and take her away.

A mortal man does not stand a chance against a deity, but for my angel, my treasure, I would raise the servants of hell to keep her beside me. I would sell every ounce of my soul to the devil himself if it meant that she would stay.

But thankfully, for my soul, my sanity, and my heart, she is here, in front of me, playing with our child.

"You need to use both hands, Anna," Kiara instructs in a patient tone, her hair glistening in the sun like topaz. "Make sure you have a firm grip, okay?"

"Like this?" our daughter asks, flashing a hopeful smile.

"Yes, exactly like that," Kiara says, kissing Anna's head as she whispers something into our child's ear. Anna giggles as she nods. "Okay, now, aim at the target, and when you're ready, fire."

"Okay, mamma!"

Anna pinches her eyebrows together as she squints in concentration, pointing toward the pink bullseye. Suddenly, she whips her body toward me, her eyes gleaming with humor as she pulls the trigger and streams of water spurt out of the toy gun and onto my dress shirt.

"Annabella!" I scold, standing up. "What are you doing?!" I slam the newspaper on the patio table. "You are in big trouble, principessa." I hold my arms out, wiggling my fingers as I stalk toward my wife and daughter. "Big big trouble."

"Ah! No!" Anna shrieks, giggling as she hides behind Kiara. "Mamma made me do it! I'm sorry, papa, don't tickle me. Please! "

"I did no such thing!" Kiara's jaw drops as she dramatically crosses her arms. "It was all Anna."

Anna peeks around Kiara's thigh, flashing me a bright smile. God, they are identical. There are two of them. Two angels. My angels.

"Mamma's lying," she whispers. "She's lying."

"Oh, is she?" I hum, grinning at my daughter. "Why don't you go inside and find Claudia. I think she is with your brother." I briefly glance at my wife, casting her a knowing glare. "I have a traitor to interrogate."

"Uh oh, mamma," she squeals. "He gonna tickle you now."

"Yes." I lick my lips as I meet Kiara's sheepish gaze. "I am going to tickle her so so hard." I look down at Anna. "Go get Claudia, yes?"

"Okay," she says, dashing into the house. "Claudia! Where are you?!"

When our daughter is out of sight, my expression hardens. "You got me wet, tesoro." I take a step toward her. "You must pay for your crimes."

"Scared of a little water, baby?" Kiara smirks, backing away from me. "You just looked so hot, I wanted to cool you down."

"Hot? Interesting. What about me is so—" I cock my head to the side. " Hot? "

"Hmm," Kiara hums, biting her lip. "It's so hard to pick just one thing."

I reach out and grab her waist, yanking her toward me. "We have time, tesoro," I rasp, brushing my lips against hers. "I would like a comprehensive list."

"Well, let's see—" Kiara expels an airy laugh, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Your mouth, your chest, your hands—" She tugs on my hair. " Your co?—"

"Milo, Kiara!" Gio calls out as he enters the gardens. "Are you ready? We have the jet on standby."

My jaw tenses. "He always has the worst fucking timing."

"We have the whole flight to Germany to finish the list ," Kiara coos, tossing me a wink before spinning around in my arms. "Hey, Gio, we just need to say bye to the kids then we can leave." She pauses, a slight frown marring her brows. "Is Luisa back yet?"

"She will meet us at the airport," Gio replies, his tone low. "I will bring her bags with us."

"Okay, give us fifteen minutes," she says. Gio nods, heading back inside. Kiara clicks her tongue as she looks up at me. "Luisa's been there all day, maybe we should've gone with her."

"We offered," I note, lacing my fingers through my wife's hair, a twinge of pain gripping my gut. "She said she wanted to be alone with him."

"I know," Kiara sighs, leaning into my palm. "But it's his birthday. We should have gone to pay our respects. If it weren't for him—" She sighs. "He deserves our respect."

"Marchello was a loyal man, Kiara," I whisper, taking a deep breath as I pull her against my chest. "But he was not sentimental. I do not believe he would be offended if we missed his birthday. Plus, he is not alone, Luisa is there."

"Sometimes I think she hates us," Kiara admits. "Do you ever get that feeling?"

"No." I press my lips against her forehead. "Her father died a hero, Kiara. He died saving the lives of seven of our men. He did his duty. He stayed loyal until the end."

"But we let him go," Kiara whispers, shaking her head. "We sent him there. We both know how it feels to lose a parent, I just—" She swallows. "I just feel bad for Luisa. He was her only family."

"You are wrong, tesoro." I sweep away a few stray strands of hair off her shoulder as Claudia appears in the doorway, Sergio in her arms and Annabella by her side. " We are her family. She knows that Kiara. She does not blame us."

"Mamma! I found Claudia!" Anna yells, running up to us. She frowns, scanning Kiara's face. "Why you sad?"

Kiara blinks, forcing a smile as she strokes our daughter's cheek. "I'm not sad, baby, I'm just going to miss you and your brother so much."

"He just woke up," Claudia says, smiling fondly at Sergio, a child that she grew for us, that she kept safe and warm for nine months. We owe Claudia a debt of gratitude. She helped make our family whole. Complete.

"Can I come with you?" Anna asks, tugging on Kiara's dress as Claudia hands off Sergio. "Please?"

Kiara pouts, shooting me a defeated side-eye as she bounces Sergio on her hip. "Sorry, baby but this is a business trip. Mamma and papa have to go alone. But when we come back, we can all go somewhere together, how does that sound?"

"But Luisa and Gio are going," Anna whines, crossing her arms. "I wanna go too!"

"Milo," Kiara whispers, nodding at Anna. "Help."

"Anna—" I kneel down in front of my daughter, taking her hands in mine. "We will only be away for three days, principessa," I say. "You will not even notice we are gone. Plus, you love playing with Claudia, right?"

Anna nods, her bottom lip quivering. "Yes."

"Then you should be happy!" I scoop Anna up in my arms, tickling her belly. "Claudia might even give you gelato for dinner!"

"Really?" Anna bursts with excitement as she looks at her mother. "Gelato?"

"Mhmm, sure," Kiara hums, tossing me an icy glare as we head inside. "Whatever you want, baby."

"Yay!" Anna claps her hands as I set her on the floor. "I go color now!"

"We love y—" Kiara begins to say but Anna is already halfway down the hallway. "Wow, I think she just played us."

"Welcome to my life," Claudia laughs, handing Kiara her purse. "Your daughter is cute but very manipulative."

I smile proudly. "That means she will have the brightest of futures."

Kiara rolls her eyes, flicking Sergio's chubby cheeks. "Maybe this one will love us unconditionally." She plants kisses all over his face. Sergio giggles, squirming in her arms. "You love me more than gelato, right? Right?"

"Do not worry, tesoro, at least I love you unconditionally," I smirk as we walk to the front door. "You can find solace in that."

"Very funny," Kiara says, handing me Sergio as she changes into a pair of heels. "Remember, I can teach these children eleven languages, nine of which you will never understand. Don't fuck with me."

I snort, kissing Sergio's soft head. "Are you implying that you will turn my children against me?"

"Words are more dangerous than guns, baby, bear that in mind." Kiara straps a Beretta into her holster. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's go."

"Should I be worried about this trip?" Claudia asks as she takes Sergio. "Luisa did not tell me much. "

Kiara smiles. "There's nothing to worry about, Claudia. It's just a friendly trip. That's all."

"Okay," Claudia sighs, opening the front doors for us. "I will see you in a few days."

"Take care of our children," I say, placing my hand on the small of Kiara's back as we head to the idling SUV. "A friendly trip?"

Kiara shrugs, hopping in the backseat. "The less she knows the better. She'll just worry about Luisa the whole time. It's useless to stress about things you have no control over."

"True," I agree, closing the car door. "Plus, I do not anticipate this trip going awry."

"No?" Kiara asks, tilting her head. "And why's that?"

"Because I will not let anyone destroy my legacy."

"We don't control Germany yet," Kiara notes. "It's not really ours."

"That is not my legacy," I whisper, dragging my thumb along her cheek, her jawline, her lips. " You are my legacy, tesoro. Our children are my legacy."

I could rule the entire world but without my family, I would be the poorest man alive.

But I am rich. So fucking wealthy.

Because of her.

Because she is here.

With me.

Forever.

The end.