____________________

.

.

.

The last two weeks were extremely stressful for Dr. River Johnson. Mateo was in the ICU, healing from the GSW which had fortunately missed any of the major organs. She had wondered how many other times had he taken bullets except the two that she knew of.

But that was the reason she was the most stressed. It was the twins' tutor, Mrs. Nancy Davidson. After the very suspicious behavior that day, River had almost always been around the twins – she refused to leave them alone, especially not with the very obvious rat in the house.

Of course, Nancy was going to grow alert but River had managed to mask it as paranoia after Mateo was shot.

.

.

.

"I don't know. The doctor said he should wake up any moment." Alessia shrugged as she got off the elevator.

It was the kids' break time and the kids were in the kitchen with Janet while Nancy had gone to her room.

"Hmm... Call me when he wakes up." The surgeon sighed as she played with the hem of her shirt.

"Oh look who's up!" River looked up in time to see Mateo looking at her, surprised.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" River asked, quickly sitting up as Alessia passed him the phone.

"Like I was shot in the fucking gut." Mateo said, a smirking playing at his lips.

River took a moment before she burst out laughing, remembering what he said in the OR an year ago.

"Classic." She said as she sat down on a chair. "The bullet got your appendix. Nothing to worry about."

"How do you know that?" Alessia asked as she shoved her head next to her brother.

"I worked there. I have my sources." River shrugged, feeling half her worries wash away now that he had woken up and looked fine.

"Did you contact your family?" Mateo asked.

"Nope." She rolled her eyes. "I am not that dumb."

"But hey, can't you just get them an encrypted phone as well? Only to call me?" She asked, hopefully.

"I had thought about that but it's better for them to have as less contact with you as possible." The Capo gave her an apologetic look and she nodded.

River was glad that they were back to talking.

"And Mateo, I want to tell you something."

River had his complete attention.

"Yeah?"

"It's just that-"

"WE WANNA VISIT YOU!!" The kids jumped in front of the phone and grabbed it from their mother's hand.

"Babies!" River groaned.

"I am not a baby, Mommy!!" Lucas groaned.

"I thought we had decided otherwise?" River looked at her son.

By the time, Kiara had the phone to herself. "Why can't we come visit?"

"Because it's dangerous out here. You have to stay safe."

"That's what I am trying to say-" River started but was again cut off.

"But Dadda-"

"No buts-" Mateo stopped. "Wait WHAT?"

"We wanna come visit you." Kiara pouted.

"No before that." Mateo said; his voice came out breezy.

"I am not a baby." Lucas said.

"No after that." He blew out a breath, waiting anxiously for the answer.

"After what Dadda?" Kiara whined.

"That!" He pointed out, his heart swelling to the point of bursting.

"Dadda." River whispered to them and Mateo felt his lips tug upward.

"Alright. We will be outside." Alessia smiled as she placed a kiss on her brother's cheek. Adam smiled at him and walked out with Alessia.

"You didn't know?" Lucas asked.

Mateo grinned at him. "Of course I did, young man. I just didn't know you knew."

"Mommy told us last day." Kiara hugged her mom while she smiled at him, placing a kiss on their daughter's hair.

"She did?" Mateo grinned at her which she returned with an eye roll. Classic River.

"Yeah, she told us your story." Lucas smiled, climbing onto his mom's lap.

"Hey, I told you my story." River pouted while Mateo let out a laugh.

"When can we see you, Dadda?" Kiara pouted, identical to her mother's.

"I am not the doctor here." He shrugged, his yes back on the mother of his children. The kids too turned to look at her.

"Hmm.." She pretended to think for a moment. "Well, usually you need to stay for another week or so to get out of there. But I guess you could leave early considering you are coming home to a very capable doctor. If you promise to not do any work and get lots of rest that is."

"You think you can do that Capo?" She quirked a brow at him.

He chuckled. "I can pull that off, doctor. I promise."

"And I will be your nurse." Kiara raised her hand.

"And I will do your work for you." Lucas piped in.

"Oh that will be very helpful." He grinned, leaning back on his bed.

"Excuse me Mrs. Adesso?" River looked over at someone Mateo couldn't see. "It's time for their class."

The kids groaned as soon as they heard it.

"They will be there in a moment." Mateo noticed that River's voice had a slight edge to it. Was everything alright?

"Sure."

He heard the door close.

"Let's surprise everyone. If anyone asks, say Dadda isn't coming for another two weeks." River smiled sweetly at the children but her eyes held fear.

"OKAY!!!!" The kids hugged her and turned to Mateo. "Bye Dadda!" They waved in unison.

"One more thing." Mateo said. "Call me Papa."

"Papa?" They both sound equally confused.

"It's Dadda where I come from." He smiled, his eyes darting towards River who had her eyes on the door.

"Okay.. Papa." Kiara tested the word in her lips and grinned.

"Papa." Lucas nodded and smiled.

"Okay bye babies." River smiled at their children, brushing the curls off of Lucas' face.

"I am not a baby Mommy!" Lucas groaned as he kissed her cheek.

"Bye Mommy!" Kiara kissed her other cheek.

"Bye Papa!" They turned to the phone and Mateo air kissed them which they returned before climbing off her lap and running out the door, closing it with a bang and yelling a "Sorry!!" from the other side of the door.

"So you told them." Mateo smiled. She looked back at him and smiled, nodding, her eyes still reflecting the fear in her heart.

"You okay?" He asked. He would think it was because of the truth finally being revealed to the kids but her change in demeanor at the sight of that lady earlier, a voice he didn't recognize, told him that she had something to do with it.

"I don't trust their tutor." She lowered her voice.

Mateo nodded. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because none of you are here and I don't trust anyone else. What if they figured it out and attacked when you are not around? And I didn't want Alessia or Adam to come over when you were in the ICU."

He nodded. "There's a vent-"

"I know. I fixed the lights and found the hidden weapon compartment." She smiled gravely.

Always a step ahead.

"You can trust Alfredo and Janet." Mateo sighed. Alfredo was Mateo's father's most trusted man and though he was old, he helped out in Wyoming to take care of Dante and he had heard from Janet that he was helping River dust up her shooting skills and if her words were to be believed, she was good.

She nodded.

"I will be home tonight."

She narrowed her eyes. "You only woke up today. You should wait till until tomorrow at least."

"Sure. And let you worry for another twenty-four hours or so? No thanks."

She rolled her eyes, pursing her lips. "I always wondered how our kids turned out to be so sassy!"

Mateo let out a laugh. "Look who's calling the pot black."

"It's 'the pot calling the kettle black' genius."

"Yes ma'am." He mock saluted her.

She rolled her eyes again. "See you."

"Today." He smiled.

"Today." She breathed.

.

.

.

Mateo groaned as he climbed down the steps of the private jet.

"Slowly Mateo, your wifey and babies aren't going anywhere." Alessia said as she kept a strong hold on his crutch. He was to use a crutch so that he didn't put pressure on the right side of his abdomen.

"You mean, wifey-to-be." Adam asked. He was already on the tarmac, tapping his foot impatiently. Man child.

"When are you going to wife her?" Alessia asked.

"When she is ready." He rolled his eyes. "Can we handle one problem at a time please?"

"Please and all huh? You big softie!" Adam snickered and all the Capo wanted at that moment was to whack his best friend's head with his crutch but he was cent percent sure that the traitor would go bitch about it to his little best friend, who also happened to be Mateo's son.

"For the sake of our sanity, keep your mouth shut, Adam." Alessia said as she helped her brother down the last step.

Adam stuck his tongue out and said, "Alright grandma. Now take thirty minutes to reach the car."

Mateo hit Adam's leg with the crutch as soon as he reached the car on which Adam was leaning.

"What was that? I am telling Luke!" Adam whined like a kid while Alessia rolled her eyes.

"And I am telling the doc that you are trying to rush me." Mateo imitated him.

His eyes widened. "Who? River?"

Mateo nodded and gave him a smug smile. "Which other doc is waiting for me back at the ranch?"

Adam looked genuinely panicky.

"How about this? You don't tell doc and I won't tell Luke."

"Works for me!"

.

.

.

The front door opened as soon as the car stopped in front of the driveway.

A middle-aged woman walked out along with Janet. Mateo guessed her to be Nancy Davidson, the kids' tutor and the woman River didn't trust.

"Mr. Adesso!" Janet came forward to give the boss she had helped raise a hug and Mateo looked over to see that Nancy's face had gone pale.

River Johnson was never wrong.

And this woman was being too obvious, which meant that she was not doing this by choice.

"Papa!!!!" His two little babies came rushing down the stairs.

Mateo grinned, passing Janet his crutch, feeling the pain in his abdomen when he tried to bend down. Fuck this.

"Don't even think about it." River walked out after the kids, narrowing her eyes at him playfully while he winked at her.

The bambini hugged his legs, making sure they didn't touch his abdomen. Mateo could tell that the surgeon had already given the instructions.

[bambini - babies]

"Come here." River said as she bent down and picked their children up, positioning them on each of her hip. Mateo put his arms around them, holding River's shoulders.

"Did you guys miss me?" He asked.

"Yes!!" The twins exclaimed in unison while River rolled her eyes yet again.

"I am putting this on the group." Alessia showed her phone which had a picture of them standing like that.

"Send it to me." River said as she placed the kids back down and pointed at the Capo and then at the door. "And you, in your room."

"Yes ma'am." Mateo mock-saluted her for the second time that day and took the crutch from Janet, who was beaming at the couple and their kids. She could already see how beautiful a family they would make.

Mateo walked in, paused and sighed when he realized one thing. "Fucking stairs."

River narrowed her eyes gesturing to the children who luckily didn't hear what he said because they were busy talking to Adam, Alessia introducing herself.

"One, mind your language around the kids and two," She said, taking his hand, "Janet and I moved your essentials and some clothes to the ground floor guest room."

"You told her?" He whispered as he walked forward with her, his eyes darting to Nancy and then Alessia who caught his eye and nodded discretely.

"Yeah, you said I can trust them."

"That doesn't sound like you."

"Well, I couldn't do it all alone now could I?" She winced when he accidentally pressed the crutch on her foot.

"Oops." Mateo grinned sheepishly while she narrowed her eyes before letting out a chuckle.

"And you?" He asked.

"Of course, I am staying with you dumbass. Who else is going to take care of you?" She said matter-of-factly.

"You sure about that? We will have to share the bed. Unless you moved another one in." Mateo moved his face close to her ear and whispered huskily, a smirk on his face as he waited for her reaction.

But River being River just rolled her eyes at him. "We have slept together. Twice. I don't think you need to worry about my discomforts."

"Nothing can get you to blush huh?" He sighed, giving up for the time being.

"You want me to blush? Really?" She quirked an eyebrow as she pushed open the door to the room they were temporarily staying in.

"Yeah, why not?"

"How old are you again?"

"What does age have to do with anything?"

"Touché." She nodded while he grinned again.

She helped him lay down on his bed and sat down next to him.

"Thanks River." Mateo said sincerely. "Thanks for telling them."

"Well, they had every right to know." She smiled, playing with the hem of her shirt. "What now?"

"We have to deal with an obsessed Russian woman and then maybe things could get a bit better, I guess." He said.

She nodded and then looked up, smiling again. "How's Michelia and Enzo doing?"

"You met them?"

She nodded again, her smile getting wider as she hopefully forgot about her worries for these fleeting moments.

"They went back to Chicago." Mateo said. "Leo said they will visit next month or so after he dealt with the work that piled up while he was away."

"Hmmm.." She breathed out. "You too must have a lot of work piled up right?"

"Yeah.. About that, can I do office work doc?" Mateo asked her, flashing a goofy grin.

She returned his grin only for it to turn to a glare the next second. "So much for promises. But sure, go ahead. As long as you don't move from the bed."

He nodded.

She got up from her seat and fixed the duvet for him. "I am going to tuck the kids in now. It's way past their bed time. Then I will bring you your dinner and medicines."

Mateo nodded again, a smile plastered on to his face.

She made her way out. She turned around to close the door and he said again, "Thanks River."

"Shut up." She groaned and closed the door making him let out a chuckle.

Mateo rubbed his face with his palms, running his fingers through his hair.

He desperately needed a hair-cut. It had grown way too much over the last month and long hair DID NOT suit him, AT ALL.

But then he sighed, a soft smile forming on his face.

Mateo looked back at the closed door, reminded of what he felt the first time he had met her.

He wanted her to be the mother of his children. And there she was, the mother of his children.

Alessia was right. He needed to wife her.

And for that he needed to finish off everything with Mona so that River and their children were not affected in any way.

As far as the Mafia was concerned, they never play dirty so the family of the made men were always safe but Mona was a psychopath with a personal vendetta and her target wasn't him or the children, it was River and he had to keep her safe at all cost.

Mateo played with his phone for a few minutes when it lit up, a message from Ricardo popping up.

What?

Mateo quickly called him and he picked up at the first ring.

"What's going on?"

"There is a message carved onto his chest. 'Friend or not, you pay with your life if you try to take away what's mine.'"

"You mean-"

"Mona killed him because he shot you." Ricardo breathed. "Seems like this happened the same day you were shot from the condition of the body."

"Hmm.." Mateo hummed and hung up without saying anything.

That woman was crazy. And he was not going to take any chance.

He texted Alessia and Adam to come to his room.

They were with him in no time, sensing something bad though they didn't know what it was.

"Where are they?" Mateo asked, sitting up, letting out a grunt as he did.

"The kids are asleep. River's getting dinner for you." Alessia said as she sat down on the couch.

"What's going on?" Adam asked as he fiddled with the zipper on his hoodie.

"Matthew Morris is dead."

"Good." Adam smiled.

"Mona killed him."

"What?" Alessia stood up. "Isn't he like her right-hand man or something?"

"Yes."

"This woman is crazy." Adam said, the smile had been wiped off from his face, replaced by worry. "Mateo, I am worried."

"I am too." He scratched his brow. "We need the place combed and cleared of all the rats."

Alessia nodded and walked out.

"I will keep an eye on the kids." Adam said. "Keep doc close."

Mateo nodded, his forehead wrinkled with worry. "She can protect herself. But I am going to keep her close to me anyway."

.

.

.

____________________