I place my ear against the door and a finger on Laura’s mouth when she opens it. “Shh…”

“I saw you!” Diego yells.

Laura almost bursts out into laughter. Only my hand stops the sound from coming out.

“Fuck …” I mutter, stepping away from the door. “Guess we’re screwed.”

“It’s not like he hasn’t seen ass before,” she muses.

“Really? How many?” I raise a brow.

She shoves her elbow in my waist. “Stop being an asshole.”

“What? If I’m going to be your boyfriend, I’d like to know how far in line I come. It’s only fair.”

She grabs a Bible lying on her bedside stand and slaps me on the head with it. “Frank …”

“You too?” I say, laughing a little at the fact that she punishes me exactly the same way as Margaret does.

“Like you’re so innocent. Your dick’s hanging out all the time.” She folds her arms.

“Only for you.” I smirk, and she gives me another slap with the Bible, this time on my arm.

She throws it on her bed and cleans up her tits and face before she goes to her closet to grab some clothes.

“Get dressed,” she says, as she puts on her panties and a blouse, covering her up naked skin again. Goddamn, I already miss it.

I walk up to her, wrapping my hands around her waist and propping my chin on her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” I whisper in her ear.

She pauses, her hand slowly drifting up to mine. “Thank you.”

“I really am. I wish I could undo everything I did, but I can’t. I can’t turn back time.”

“I know.” A pause follows. “Your wife died because of it … That must be horrible.”

“It is, but I’ve come to accept that now. I had my revenge.”

“And now you have your son too …” she murmurs, glancing over her shoulder.

I softly spin her on her heels and place my hand on the wardrobe. “I want things to be okay between us. Tell me what I have to do.”

She sighs, looking down at her feet while she fumbles with the pants in her hands. “I honestly don’t know. You took my mother away from me. And my little brother … I’ll never get to meet him.” She sniffs, tears welling up in her eyes. “And I hate it.”

I lift her chin up so I can look at the pain I’ve caused. I want to face it. I’m not running away from it anymore. “I promise I will never hurt you like that ever again.”

She nods softly, but of course, nothing I can say will help, so I pull her into my embrace and hold her tight.

“God … Laura … your mother … I can’t even tell you how messed up it is. I mean, I was sent to steal stuff from your father. But then she was there.” I sigh. “I wish I could take it back. I’ve wished it every single day of my life.”

“But you can’t,” she mutters.

“No, and because of that, I lost my wife … and years of my son’s life.”

“Guess there’s a silver lining there.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

She looks up and smiles briefly. “You can spend the time you lost with him now.”

“Hmm … but I don’t wanna do it if it means losing you,” I reply, cocking my head. “And I don’t blame you if you say you don’t want me anymore. I just … can’t get over you that easily.”

She shakes her head, snorting. “I get what you’re saying … Heck, I even felt it.”

I lean in closer, tipping up her chin again. “Is there ever a chance you’ll forgive me?”

“I don’t … I don’t …” she mutters, and I see the agony on her face.

It’s so hard for her.

Not just to forgive me.

But to forgive herself for wanting me … despite the fact I’m her mother’s killer.

I want to make it easier for her, so I press my lips to hers, kissing her gently. I don’t want to overstep her boundaries, so I take it slow and easy. However, she doesn’t push me away. In fact, she’s kissing me back.

“It’s wrong,” she murmurs between our kisses.

“It doesn’t matter,” I say.

“It should.” Her grip on my body tightens.

“If we both want it, there’s no shame in it.”

“I can’t stop …” Her voice sounds heady, and her lips are tantalizing, warm, and needy. Exactly the way I like them.

“Then don’t stop,” I say. “I need you so badly.” My fingers run through her hair in a desperate attempt to get closer to her, but nothing’s ever enough.

“But my mother …” she mutters as our mouths unlatch.

I brush my thumb across her lips. “She’d want you to be happy.”

She closes her eyes and nods. “You’re right.”

“And I prayed to her … every day …” I grab her hand and squeeze. “To forgive me for my sins. I never wanted her dead; you gotta believe me.”

Laura places a finger on my lips and smiles softly. “I understand now.”

I frown. “You do?”

“Yes and no. I understand why it happened the way it did. But …” She taps her index finger against my chest. “Don’t you think you’ll get away with what you did. I won’t forgive you that easily. It’ll take a lot of groveling and begging.”

I smirk at her comment.

“And maybe some cooking and cleaning and ass kissing,” I add.

She smiles too now. “Yeah, that might do the trick.”

Elated, I grab her by the waist and twirl her around in my arms, kissing her so hard I feel like I’m on cloud nine. I know it’s wrong for me to want her so badly after the history we have, but the past is the past, and I wanna move forward.

“I promise I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy,” I say, putting her down again. “And if after all that, you still wanna kill me … I’ll hand you the knife myself.”

She snorts. “You’re making this way too easy for me.”

I shrug. “I don’t care if I die. I deserve it.”

Her brows draw together. “I do.”

“Hmm …” I narrow my eyes. “I seem to recall you wanting to murder me just minutes ago.”

She makes a face. “Like you don’t know how anger feels, Mr. I-Kill-Everyone-For-Revenge.”

I wink. “Got me there.”

“Are you guys coming out yet, or do I need to call the fire department?” Diego yells. “Because that mushy shit smells.”

I laugh and so does Laura, and it’s the first time in a long time that I can genuinely say I’m happy, right where I am right now.

But then I realize … Bruno’s in there too. Right behind that door. And I can’t help but stare.

“You wanna talk to him?” Laura asks.

I nod. “I …” I turn my head to her. “What do I say?”

She shrugs. “Whatever you want. He’s your son.”

I lick my lips and think it over for a few seconds. Laura places her hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “You’ll do fine. You’ve already talked to him before. Nothing’s changed.”

“Everything … has changed.”

She nods, finally understanding what I mean. “But …” She swallows, staring me straight in the eye. “You can’t take him away from here.”

I frown in confusion.

“I mean … you can’t take him away from his family,” she adds. “Diego and Bruno are the only family I’ve got. My father hates me.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Because I saved your son. He wanted to kill him, but I took him and ran, and he never forgave me. Especially because I took Diego with me too. That, and I’ve always been against all the illegal shit he’s in.”

“I see.” I rub the back of my head. I understand what she means, but I can’t stay away either. “But you have to understand … I want to see my son. Even if you don’t want me here.”

“I know,” she replies. “I don’t mind.”

“Really?” I raise a brow. “Your mother’s killer in your house?”

She squints and rubs her lips together. “Stop … saying those words.”

“Already in denial?” I muse.

“Just don’t mention it. Like, at all.”

“Right. As long as I grovel and suck up to you, right?”

She sniggers. “Exactly.”

“Well, I guess that means I’ll be hanging out here even more,” I say with a grin.

“You done yet?” Diego yells. “Bruno’s hungry.”

“Coming!” Laura replies, and I let go of her so we can put on our clothes properly.

I quickly check my hair in the mirror before she opens the door and peeks out. “How do I look?” I whisper.

She muffles a laugh. “Stop being so self-conscious; you’ll do fine. C’mon.”

She walks out the door and goes to the kitchen. The boys are already sitting on the couch, watching the television. And me? I’m stuck in the doorway, unable to move an inch the moment I see him.

“What were you doing in there?” Bruno asks.

I lick my lips, but I can’t come up with an answer. Or maybe I’m too fucking paralyzed by the thought of having to tell him I’m his dad.

“Grown-up stuff,” Laura answers, taking the pressure off for me.

“Yeah … next time, you might wanna grab the buttons scattered on the floor,” Diego says, pointing at them.

Laura cringes, visibly disturbed by the fact that Diego seems to know exactly what went down here. “Yeah, well, sometimes things just get a little rough.” She casually washes her hands and grabs a few tomatoes, dicing them up again as if nothing ever happened.

“Eww …” Diego winces. “I seriously don’t wanna know that.”

“What? Don’t you have girlfriends or something?” Laura muses.

“Of course, I do. I get pussy every day.”

Now, she gives him the look.

The same one she gave me minutes ago before we fucked like animals on the kitchen table.

“Language,” she hisses.

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolls his eyes. “What’s for dinner?”

“You if you don’t watch it.”

“What?” He makes a face and so does she.

“Lasagna.”

“I love lasagna!” Bruno suddenly shouts, almost jumping up from the couch.

“You do, huh?” She winks. Of course, she already knew. That’s why she’s making it.

I smile when I realize he’s been here all along under her perfect care … I can see the love, and it only makes me feel more grateful than I already am.

I clutch the doorjamb and wistfully gawk at her and the boy, but then he looks me directly in the eye, grasping my full attention.

“Father Frank, do you like lasagna?”

Me? He’s talking to me.

But calling me Father suddenly sounds so different … so earthshattering.

Lasagna. Do I like it?

“Yes …” I clear my throat, still smiling. “I love it. Anything Laura makes must taste good, right?” I look at her. “I mean … have you seen her cook?”

She grins. “Already starting with the groveling, I see?”

I shrug. “Better start early if I wanna pay my debts.”

“What debt?” Bruno asks, leaning up on the couch like it’s a monkey bar he can climb.

“Grown-up stuff,” Laura murmurs.

“Aww … Why is everything grown-up stuff? I won’t get to know anything!” He gives me the cutest pout I’ve ever seen, and I’m almost tempted to tell him everything, but I suppose that wouldn’t be the smart thing to do with a young kid. He’d be scarred for life.

“You’ll know when you’re old enough,” she says.

“You don’t wanna know, trust me,” Diego interjects, pulling him down to the cushions before he falls off the couch. “Sit down.”

I go and pick up the buttons from my shirt off the floor, tucking them into my pocket.

“So is he staying for dinner?” Bruno asks.

“Well …” I look at Laura who gives me this weird look, so I guess it’s fine.

“Can he? Please?” Bruno begs her, making her laugh.

“All right, all right. But only because you’ve been doing so well in school.”

“Yay!” he cheers, and I can’t stop smiling or ogling.

Jesus, I’m so fucking weird.

“It’ll take a while before the lasagna is finished, so you two go watch some cartoons, okay? And no buts.” Laura points at Diego.

“Fine.” Diego sighs. “But I’m picking the channel tonight.”

Laura smirks. “Grab a cloth and clean the table, would you? It looks filthy.”

I grin as I walk over to her. “I think I know why.”

When I’m near the faucet, she whispers, “Are you afraid of him?”

As I grab a cloth and hold it under the water, I glance over my shoulder and whisper back, “It’s kind of weird, you know? Telling a kid you’re his father. It’s not something you just do.”

“Why not? What are you waiting for? Some kind of sign from God?”

I shrug. “Maybe. It would be welcome right about now.”

She shakes her head and laughs as she continues to dice mushrooms and onions.

I go to the table and wash it with the warm cloth, making sure to go over it with a disinfectant too. Then I set the table and make sure everything’s perfect. I’m not doing it because I want to avoid talking to the kid.

Of course not.

I mean … he’s just a kid. What’s there to be nervous about?

But when I’m done with all the chores I could possibly do, I’m stuck twiddling my thumbs, waiting for this moment. This one moment when I’ll know exactly what to do and what to say.

However, a sudden idea isn’t what distracts me, but my phone buzzing in my pants.

I take it from my pocket and open the app. My heart comes to a stop when I see the message on the screen.

Coming out to play?

It’s from Julio … and he just sent me a picture of Margaret.