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"Mommy!!" Lucas and Kiara squealed as soon as they spotted their mother next to their car.

"Babies!!" River grinned happily as she crouched down so that both of her little ones could run into her arms. "Did you miss me?" She asked as she places sweet kisses on the side of both of their heads.

"Of course!" The two squealed as they hugged her again. They were so used to being home that going back to school, they couldn't help but miss their sweet mother.

"And no one missed me?" The three looked around and was dumbstruck to see Mateo standing there, wearing a black roll-up shirt and blackish grey denims.

"Papa!!!" The two squealed, Kiara having forgotten that she was supposed to be mad at her father for abandoning them for so long. The two ran to his arms, who picked them up and twirled spun around, pressing many kisses to their hair.

"Papa, you said you were going to be another week!" Lucas said. "Did you say that to surprise us?"

Mateo looked over at River who looked at him with a poker face. "Yep." He winked at his babies who hugged him again.

"George, Davis, Victor." Mateo addressed the three bodyguards as he walked over to River with the kids still in his arms. "You are dismissed for the day." He handed the kids over to River before fishing out his own car keys from his pocket and tossing it at Davis. "Take my and River's cars home. We are taking the kids'."

"We are going out?" Kiara asked.

"We are going to have family time?" Lucas asked as well.

"Yes we are." He smiled. "You both are so smart."

He looked up at River to see that there was still no expression on her face. "Davis, George, get the kids settled on the car seat."

"Yes Sir." They said in unison before taking the kids from River and moving over to where the car was parked.

"Victor, go with them." Mateo rolled his eyes when he saw that River's bodyguard still stood rooted to his spot. "Unless your boss thinks she needs protection from me." He added, a smirk forming on his face as he looked over at River.

River let out a bored sigh and said, "Victor, tell your stupid Capo that he doesn't get to be cocky until I forgive him."

"Really? You are not even going to talk to me now?" Mateo asked his baby mama as he waved a very amused bodyguard off.

River turned to him, caramel meeting chocolate, and huffed, "I don't need anyone to speak on my behalf."

"Come on River-" He put his arms on her shoulder. "Won't you forgive me?" He tilted his head and pouted a little.

River's eyes widened a tad bit; it was after all the cutest she had ever seen him, except when he was being a man-child. She had to control herself with all her willpower to not pull his cheeks like she did with the twins.

"N-no." She scraped out, narrowing her eyes at him. Did he actually think that he could puppy-eyes his way into making her forgive him for the bullshit that he had spewed at him.

Mateo gave her a disappointed pout before stealing a kiss from her. Her eyes widened yet again while he took long strides over to where the children were. He knew that he would be the safest with them.

River narrowed her eyes as she turned on her heels. She wanted to make him suffer for the games he had decided to play with her.

"Come on Mommy!" Lucas yelled from his car seat.

"Coming!" River yelled as she walked over to the passenger's side, getting in while giving the Capo on the driver's seat the death glare.

"You both can take the rest of the day off." Mateo gestured to George and Davis. "Victor, I will meet you at the apartment at quarter to six."

"Yes Capo." The three stated with a nod before leaving the family to themselves.

"Now, who wants ice cream?" Mateo turned in his seat.

"Me!" The kids squealed in unison.

Mateo grinned and looked over at River who just rolled her eyes at him. Mateo's grin didn't falter as he turned back to the road and pulled the car out of the parking lot.

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"I don't want you coming!" River whisper-yelled as she got ready for her shift.

"Why not?" Mateo asked. "I am your husband. What's wrong if I want to see you off at the hospital."

"Because-"

"Don't tell me you are having an affair!"

River paused and turned to stare him down. "That's it. I am never forgiving you."

Mateo pouted. "I was joking."

"Were you in the morning?" She raised a brow, her voice clipped.

Mateo let out a sigh, the playfulness leaving his eyes.

"You are cruel, River." He said as he stood up from the bed.

"Excuse me?" River had no idea what this idiot was hinting at. He had been extremely rude to her that morning and instead of properly apologizing and waiting for her to forgive him, he was forcing himself upon her and cracking jokes that was offensive to her, no matter how trivial it was.

Mateo wrapped his arms around her though she struggled against her. He placed his chin on her head and her face against his chest. "I love you." He whispered.

Though his heart was as steady as it could be, her heart beat picked up pace as soon as he said it. He said it so easily, as if he has been telling her that their whole lives. It came so naturally to him, while her feelings were all over the place, though she admitted that Mateo Adesso was the only man she was currently having any romantic feelings to.

River swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. He was right; she did feel cruel for not being able to say that back to him. "I like you." She croaked out. It was the best she could do right now, but she thought that her baby daddy deserved at least that.

Mateo looked down at her and River was surprised to see that instead of the disappointed she did not want to see in his eyes, they were sparkling with excitement. "REALLY?" He almost yelled.

River's eyes widened. "What?"

Before she could think or say anything else, Mateo's lips were on his. It was a tender kiss, a soft chaste kiss.

He pulled away and looked at her. "I love you." He said again.

River gave him a flat look while he pouted again. She sighed and said, this time meeting his eyes. "I like you."

Mateo leaned in again for another kiss and this time, River joined him midway, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands slipped inside her shirt, caressing her back. River tugged at his hair, pulling him closer. They were as close to each other as they could be fully clothed.

"I didn't know my brother was such a simp!"

The two pulled apart abruptly as soon as Alessia walked.

The Italian woman raised a brow, a smirk on her face as she took in the two disheveled adults in the room, flushed and breathless.

"For fuck's sake Sia, even the twins know to knock before coming in to a room." Mateo glared at his younger sister.

"Especially one belonging to a married couple." Alessia nodded to herself while her brother narrowed his eyes at her.

"You are going to get it from me one of these days!" He exclaimed.

"I would like to see what kind of skill you have that you outrank me at." Alessia flipped her hair sassily while a small smile formed on River's face.

Alessia was such a badass and River was a fan. She was just amazing.

Mateo just huffed and turned to River. "Can we go now?"

"You are going on a date?" Alessia's face lit up.

"Nope." River took her duffel bag and pocketed her phone. "I am starting my shift in fifteen minutes."

Alessia rolled her eyes. "Do you have to? Mateo is here and you forgave him and-"

"It doesn't work that way." River shrugged and then looked over at the Italian Mafia Capo. "And I haven't entirely forgiven him either."

Mateo gave her a disbelieving look while River walked out of the room.

"You have to do something better than trying to seduce her to earn her forgiveness buddy." Alessia commented before walking out.

"I was NOT trying to seduce her!" Mateo said, more to himself than to anybody else. But then a smile instantly appeared on his face at the thought of River telling him that she liked him. From the conversation he had at the beach in Amalfi with her mother, Susan Johnson, Mateo knew that for River to say something like that meant a great deal. And he was going to cherish this moment for life.

He was acting like a school kid but it was fine. It was the first time he was in love and it did not matter that he was supposed to be a ruthless made man of the Mafia. They had feelings too.

He grabbed his car keys and met Victor and River in the living room. "You will take your car and you will keep an eye on her at all times." He ordered while River rolled her eyes. "And you will only leave after I pick her up."

Since she was only getting back, she had to only do a ten hour shift and Victor had sworn to her that he would not be inconvenienced, having to stay awake and run around with her all the time. If she could do it, so could he.

"Bye Mommy!" The babies exclaimed as they were enveloped in her arms.

"Bye babies. Be good, alright?" She replied.

They nodded their head vigorously, identical grins on their faces.

"Mommy will be back before you know it." She placed kisses on both of their heads before getting back to her feet.

"Come on." After he made sure that Victor knew what he was supposed to do, Mateo kept his hand on the small of her pack and guided her out of the apartment.

"Stay with the kids, Mateo." River said. "They have been missing you all this while and you are not giving them the attention they deserve. Why the hell are you following me around-"

River stopped abruptly in her tracks, turning around to face her baby daddy with a glare on her face.

"You are not here just because you wanted to apologize, now are you?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"W-what?" Of course the Capo of the Sicilian Mafia was caught off-guard.

"You did not hurry over here because you were an asshole in the morning." She stated, matter of factly. "You came here because you got intel that someone is after my life."

"What are you saying?" He asked, laughing nervously though he was curious to know how she had that figured out. Of course he was going to tell her what was going on. He just didn't want to stress her out before she was through her first shift. But this woman had already figured it out.

"An eye for an eye." He said finally. "Sergey wants you dead because he thinks we killed Mona. Maybe he didn't kill her after all."

"Or maybe he did." She said without skipping a beat as she continued walking to the car.

Mateo scrunched up his face. "Or at least he has some other agenda because he is not trying to avenge his sister."

"What do you mean?"

"You have a sister Mateo. If he wanted to avenge his sister's death, he would try to kill Sia, not me. Which makes me come to the conclusion that the reason why he wants me dead is entirely different. Or if he really is avenging his sister, then this is him trying to direct all attention to me and leave Sia defenseless, which I doubt she will ever be."

If there was an Alessia Adesso Fan Club, then Dr. River Johnson would probably be the president. That's how much of a high regard River had for her baby daddy's younger sister.

"How do you come up with all of this?" He asked, impressed at the angle she had thought this situation out in. An angle he had missed. She never failed to surprise him.

"I watch way too many crime thrillers for my own good!" River said as she revved the engine. "Or used to."

Mateo shook his head, chuckling.

Dr. River Johnson really was something else.

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"Jesus River, you are River." Mateo rolled his eyes as he watched his baby mama fidget with the hem of her shirt. "And you were here just this morning, remember?"

"Just shut up, Mateo." She give him her death glare. "Let me mentally prepare myself."

Mateo had to bit his lips to suppress the laughter that was bubbling up his throat. The woman shot bullets at enemies with no fear, flew through air with her motorbike and stood up against the very queen of The Sicilian Mafia and yet here she was, biting her nails and fidgeting with her shirt because she was nervous to go back to the work that he knew was just a piece of cake to the love of his life.

"What if I don't have it in me anymore?" She voiced out.

While she thought that she sounded like a loser for saying that, Mateo was just glad that the woman was finally voicing her worries and insecurities instead of bottling it all in until she could not take it anymore.

"Hold up your hands." Mateo said.

River turned to face and gave him a cute confused look. "What?"

"Just hold up your hands." He said, holding up his own.

River's forehead furrowed in confusion but she still did as she was told.

"Are they shaking?" Mateo asked, referring to her two steady hands.

River shook her head, not knowing what exactly this dude was trying to say.

He looked out of the car and at the sky. "Do you see any pigs flying?"

River rolled her eyes. Why was she stuck with idiots like this.

Mateo turned to her and raised a brow, waiting for her reply.

"No." She said finally, knowing exactly what he was playing at.

"Then I guess you are good to go."

It was stupid and childish and lame but it made her feel so much better. So much better that River could not help but lean forward and capture his lips in hers.

Mateo was shook for a moment but then he smiled into the kiss, pulling her onto his lap as his hands roamed her back.

His lips made its way down her jaw and to her neck.

"I- I need to get g-going." River breathed out.

Mateo did not want to let her go but he knew that it was dangerous to have her so close to him right now.

He was going to make love to this woman, but not in the basement of a hospital, inside a car.

River Johnson was a goddess and he was going to make love to her, worship her body. Not fuck her like she meant nothing.

"Go." His voice was strained, the sexual tension having sent his libido into overdrive.

River quickly opened the door and hopped out, fixing her clothes before opening the back door and getting her duffel bag.

She turned to Mateo. "See you at home."

"I will be here to pick you up." He said. He was not going to wait around for her at home.

River rolled her eyes.

"Quick reminder that you have tons of work pending."

"Quicker reminder that none of them mean anything when compared to you."

River had to agree that this Italian God knew just how to make her heart skip beats. If she started to suffer from some kind of arrhythmia, it was entirely his fault.

"Sure." Is all she said before she made her way to the elevator, soon joined by Victor who was going to follow her around like her shadow.

Mateo waited till the elevator door closed. He sighed as he pressed the back of his head against the seat.

He needed to protect them all. Protect all of whom meant everything to him. But how the hell was he supposed to do it when he didn't know who exactly the enemy was.

Someone was right when they said it takes great courage to have a family when you are a made man of the Mafia. The danger is just too real and it's so hard protecting everyone you love from it.

But Mateo was adamant.

He was not going to let anyone hurt a hair on the skin of his loved ones.

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