I spent most of the day in a pissed mood.

I wasn’t even hungry.

I’d never been so angry with Griffin. If he thought he could talk to me that way and get away with it just because I loved him, that was an idiotic excuse. I wasn’t putting up with it. I was the one carrying his son, and I would have to push him out in a few months.

Griffin should be kissing the ground I walked on.

My phone rang, and my father’s name appeared on the screen. I knew Griffin would never talk to my father about any of this, so I assumed he was calling about something else. “Hey, Father. How are you?”

“Hey, tesoro.” His mood was somber, like this wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation. He didn’t answer my question.

“Everything alright?”

“I just talked to Griffin.”

I stilled at the surprise. Griffin wasn’t talkative, let alone about our personal relationship. I was surprised he’d confided in my father, even if they were on good terms. “Oh?”

“Yeah. He mentioned what happened.”

“And you’re calling me because…?” I shouldn’t give my father attitude because of Griffin’s actions, but it slipped out.

My father let it slide. “Remember how much this man loves you. Remember all the sacrifices he’s made for you, made for this family.”

Oh no, the guilt trip.

“All he wants is to keep you safe. His heart is in the right place even if his mouth isn’t. He’s a good man, and you’re lucky to have him.”

I never thought my father would take Griffin’s side on anything. Now it seemed like they were conspiring against me. “Father, I know you’re trying to help, but this is between my husband and me. Just because you two are close now doesn’t mean you should gang up on me.”

“I’m not ganging up on you. He doesn’t know about this conversation. I can relate to everything he said because it’s exactly how I feel about your mother, about my children. All I want, more than anything in this world, is to keep my family safe. Griffin is the same way. He’s not asking for a lot, tesoro. All he wants is to protect you. I’m not excusing what he said. But…just keep that in mind. Try to meet him halfway.”

I rolled my eyes because he couldn’t see me.

“Vanessa.” It was like he knew exactly what I just did. “There’s no room for stubbornness in a marriage. I learned that the hard way.”

After I finished up at work, I drove home to our house in Tuscany. I didn’t stay at the apartment again because he would just hunt me down there, and now that we had a beautiful home with a yard, that was where I wanted to be.

Griffin was in the kitchen when I walked inside, working the stove as he made dinner. He didn’t look at me when I walked in, but he somehow knew I would come home that night.

I set my purse on the table and hung up my coat on the coatrack. I didn’t face him right away because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know where to start. I finally turned around and walked toward him, my guard up because I didn’t know what kind of mood he was in. “Listen…”

He turned off the pans and faced me, cooking with his shirt off even though there was hot oil everywhere and it was fifty degrees outside. He stared at me with an indecipherable expression, his look hard and his jaw tense. His eyes were the only gentle thing about him.

“I did some thinking when I was at work today. I know all you want is to keep us safe…”

His eyes softened immediately, like he’d been hoping I would say those magic words to him.

“I know you love us and—”

He cupped my face and bent his neck down to kiss me. It was an aggressive kiss, but it was soft and loving at the same time. His fingers touched my hair, and he kissed me like he loved me, adored me.

I fell into his kiss, feeling all my anger disappear.

He pulled away and looked at me, the love bright in his eyes. Just like when the clouds passed after a storm, the sun was finally revealed. “Let me take care of you.” His hand moved under my shirt to my bare stomach. “Let me protect both of you. Let me lay down my life to keep you safe. That’s all I want, baby.”

Now I actually felt bad for being so angry with him. His only crime was loving me, loving both of us. “I know…”

He moved to his knees in front of me and kissed my belly before he rested his forehead against it. “Please do as I ask. Even if you think it’s ridiculous, just do it for me. We’re a team.” He lifted his gaze to look at me again. “Let me do my job.”

“I will, Griffin. Whatever you want…I’ll do it.” It went against my stubborn nature to say that, but I forced it out for him.

“Thank you.” He kissed my stomach again before he rose to his feet. “And I’m sorry for what I said, baby. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way…it was wrong of me.”

I knew he meant what he said, and that was enough for me. “Thank you…”

He stared at me with his hands on my belly, turning back into my husband. He was cold and rough around everyone else, but when it was just the two of us, he was soft in a way no one else ever got to see.

“But we do need to talk about Bosco, Griffin.”

“And what is there to say?” He rubbed my stomach with his hands.

“I don’t think he’s dangerous. I understand why you’re worried…but I don’t think he’s a threat. If you really don’t want me to be around him without you, that’s fine. But…I do think you’re overreacting.”

Griffin didn’t get angry, probably because I was still willing to give him what he wanted.

“You roughed him up pretty badly, and he didn’t do the same to me…and we both know he has the power to do whatever he wants.”

Griffin gave a slight nod.

“I also think you should give him a real chance. Maybe he wasn’t a good guy before…but he clearly is now. Carmen gave you the benefit of the doubt, and you should do the same for her. That’s only fair.”

He nodded again. “If they stay together, I’ll make a better effort. But until then, I’m not sure how I feel about him. And I don’t want my wife and baby around him if I’m not there.”

“Alright. Does that mean you’ll come to lunch or dinner with us?”

He sighed like that was the most unappealing thing in the world.

“Griffin?” I pressed.

He finally gave an answer. “It looks like I don’t have any other choice.”