LUCA {Full Book}

5

"Lewcha! Zio Lewcha."

I opened an eye, finding two smashed faces hovering an inch above mine.

"Zio Lewcha!" Nora giggled; Vinny followed, the two of them now poking and prodding my face.

I opened my other eye, my yawn turning to a laugh. "Good morning, Piccolina, Piccolo." I swung my arms up, lifting them as I sat, catching our reflection in the mirror across the room. The three of us had the same mess of black morning hair and the same brown eyes—Romano genes ran strong.

Vinny looked from the mirror to me, twisting his face up. "Mamma?" he asked.

The bedroom door was shut, blocking out the drama on the other side. Gav had fucked up last night and had a fucking breakdown—while I refrained from giving him the beatdown he deserved. It was their drama, but it was his doing, and I'd be damned if he hurt her—the woman who fell to the floor beside me, the woman they said saved my life—the only reason I was here today.

Fuck. "Zio Luca will be right back, stay." I smacked the remote, turning on some cartoons while lowering them to the bed. Then I was out the door, closing it behind me in case Gav was raging again. He wasn't. He was at the far edge of the hotel room, staring out the window.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" I asked him.

He turned around, skin pasty white except for the ash that lined his eyes and the red streaks inside them.

"You need to get some sleep, Fratellino. I know you're in a bad fucking place but today is Giorgia's day! Pull yourself together for your sister. She deserves the best."

He nodded, dead eyes staring at me with such defeat. "Are they awake?" he choked out the question, sliding his stare to the door behind me.

"Yeah."

His eyes sank shut. "Luca, please, I can't face them right now."

No. This was his mess, not theirs. I stepped back to the door, cracking it open. "Don't punish your kids, Gav."

The twins ran out, straight to him.

"Papà!" Nora yelled, both her and Vinny throwing their arms around his legs.

"Mamma?" Vinny yelped, scanning around the room.

Gav looked at me, eyes like glass. "Mamma will be back soon," he answered him, barely controlling his voice. "I promise." He bent down, kissing each of their foreheads before flipping that empty stare up to me. "Will you call or text her? Let her know the twins are up. Maybe she'll acknowledge your calls."

He stood, rubbing the twins' hair before walking away to the bedroom and closing the door, leaving his littles behind, who immediately started after him.

"Hold up!" I crouched down, blocking their path. "Papà needs a nap, so you two are staying with Zio Luca, sound good?" I herded them to the couch while calling Sadie, who didn't answer. Hmm. "Zio needs coffee! You two want to go?"

They nodded. Perfect.

"Andiamo!" Their clothes were with Gav, and I wasn't about to touch diapers, so I threw some jackets on them and loaded them into the stroller.

Last Saturday, I woke up to two chicks hovering over me, both giving me breakfast in bed. Today, I woke up to toddlers laughing in my face, and now, I was about to push a stroller.

Gav needed a good sleep, so I made the trek to Fifth for my coffee shop, parking the stroller next to the doors and lifting the twins into my arms.

"What do you two—" My phone buzzed, Sadie finally calling. I held the phone with my shoulder, pinching it to my ear. "Sadie!"

"Luca! Where are you? Where are the babies?"

"We're grabbing coffee. What would you like?"

"Um, what? A mocha, I guess. Why didn't Gavin go with you?"

Because he's been up all night, crying like a fucking baby because he realized how bad he fucked up and that he might not get forgiven. "Because Gav went to bed an hour ago. We'll be back up in twenty." I hung up, tucking the phone back into my pocket.

"Your parents are fucking drama, just so you know," I told the twins, who were both smiling—yeah, they knew.

At least it wasn't snowing today. I glanced back at the doors—seeing her walking up. No fucking way!

I'd gotten on Gav for saying bullshit last night, but he had nothing on me, king of running my fucking mouth. I looked from Crystal to Piccolina in my arms, those brown eyes staring up at her Zio while my words to Crystal played on repeat in my head. Shit. I lowered them to the ground, then swung the door open.

Crystal slammed to a stop, freezing in place, eyes wide, feet taking her back before spinning around and fucking bolting.

"Crystal! Wait!"

She slowed, taking her sweet ass time to wheel back around, pissed eyes on me.

"I'm sorry for the other night," I shouted. "I suffer from DS."

"DS?" she repeated, cautiously making her way back, following me inside the coffee joint.

"Dick syndrome. Think like a dick, think with my dick, get pissed off and act like a dick. It's genetic, apparently."

"Should you be talking like that in front of your kids?"

"I don't have kids."

Her stare dropped to my sides. Oh. "No, these are my nipoti, nephew and niece, Vinny and Nora. My brother had a rough night, so the twins are hanging with their zio this morning."

"Next!" the cashier demanded.

"I'm sorry again," I told her while herding the twins to the front. "The wolves that raised me are probably rolling in their graves." I bent to the twins' level, pointing to the display case in front of the counter. "Vuoi una ciambella, a donut? Or a bagel?"

"Zio Lewcha, up, up!" Nora jumped against my chest, almost knocking me backward. "Ciambella, peas."

"A donut," I called to the cashier. "What about you, Vinny?"

He stared at the cashier, body locked, the poor guy not moving an inch. I got you, kid. I lifted them both into my arms, keeping them tight against me as I rose. "Make it two donuts, an espresso, and a mocha. For Luca." I tossed a fifty onto the counter. "That's for hers too." I turned back, nodding Crystal forward. "I owed you a drink."

My stare stayed on her while I carried the twins to the pick-up counter, watching that smile as she bantered with the cashier and those curves as she shifted her weight back and forth.

"Lewcha! Lewcha!" Nora's hand was on my cheek, pushing my face to look at hers.

"Sì, Piccolina?"

"Ti voglio bene," she squeaked, tiny fingers still holding my face.

"Zio Luca loves you too. I love you too, Vinny."

"Donuts for Luca!" The barista handed over a bag, and two little hands were instantly out demanding one.

"Here, Lewcha!" Vinny grabbed his donut, shoving it at my mouth, so I snapped a bite, making him giggle.

Crystal stepped up, staring at the twins. "Looks like the Tin Man doesn't need to see the wizard for a heart after all."

Tin Man? Little did she fucking know.

"Coffee for Luca." The barista was back, passing over the drinks. "Tea for Crystal."

She took her drink, keeping my stare as she retreated, spinning her back into the door, ass knocking it open. "See you later, Tin Man. Arrivederci, Nora e Vinny!"

Holy fuck. As if I could want her any fucking more. I raced the twins out the door, shouting after her. "You know Italian?"

"I am Italian," she shouted over her shoulder, shaking that ass and those hips with a one-two punch. There was no fucking way.

As if hearing my thoughts, she stopped, turning back around. "My mother's Nigerian and my father's Italian."

Jesus fucking Christ. She was a cocktail I'd never tried, and I couldn't wait to get a fucking taste.