Diavolo

xlvi

SILVIO

        I glanced at the baby crawling on the carpet, drooling and sporting a smile at me. He let out a high-shrieked laughter as he crawled over towards me.

The sides of my lips curled into a smile as I watched him grip a fistful of the fabric of my black pants, using it as an aid to slowly stand on his feet. It was a bit wobbly and shaky, but he'd done it.

        Something soft gripped my heart and squeezed. Shit, I was proud of him.

        "Marcello." I murmured, reaching down to take him into my arms.

        I was still a bit uneasy about holding him, but Finley had slowly convinced me over the last two months that it was perfectly fine. I wasn't going to drop him or hurt him.

        I didn't know shit about kids, or this kid. All I knew was he took a liking to me every time I visited, and he laughed around me. That was it.

        I liked it. Liked the fact that I could put a smile to someone's face by existing.

        He took my thumb in his and attempted to put it in his mouth, but I shook my head. "Not for eating, piccolino."

        Another high-shirked laughter when I denied him my thumb but regardless, he cooed. I brushed a palm down his head full of black curls, my heart warming with an unknown feeling.

        I inhaled a deep breath before placing him back on the carpet to crawl and go about his day. I rose from the couch, twisting my head to take in the sight of Octavius who'd been quietly watching me.

        I knew what he was thinking, shit, I'd been thinking about it since the minute I held Marcello, but it was a bad idea.

        A very bad idea.

        "What?" I asked, my voice coated with irritation. He shook his head, running a palm down his beard with a suspicious smile. "Piss off."

        He walked over to Marcello, running a hand down his hair and smiled softly. He watched his son crawl around, cooing and screaming for a minute before departing.

        He walked over to where I was standing, propping a hip against the kitchen island.

        I raised a brow but said nothing. "You know," he started, glancing over at Marcello. "You would make a good dad."

        "Don't know about that."

        "I think so."

        I rolled my eyes ignoring the urge to tell him to fuck off. "Sure."

        He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the sight of Finley walking through the front door. His whole demeanor changed into something much softer, relaxed as she walked into his line of sight and sought for him.

        He wrapped a hand around her waist, twirling her around and kissing the shit out of her.

        I shifted my gaze, feeling the urge to take my leave because they were the sort of couple that were very open with public displays of affection.

        When I'd first seen them together, I was haunted by the feeling of jealously, this craving to have something they did but now, fuck, I did.

        My little angel of a liar.

        "Hi, Sil." The little principessa greeted with a soft smile, hands wrapped around her husband's torso.