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"Mommy!" Lucas threw himself into his mother's arms as soon as she walked in. "Where's Ki?"

After all, River had told him that she would only come home with Kiara. But she had to break that promise to herself because George had called her and informed her that Michelia was unwell. The little ones didn't need to know that, and Alessia and Davis were more than capable of protecting her child. She knew for a fact that when it came to trouble, Alessia would put up a much better fight that River ever could.

"Ki is with Zia Sia, honey bun." He visibly cringed at his new nickname which brought a chuckle out of my lips. "They both asked me to tell you that they miss you."

"Can I come visit?" Lucas had his cute sad pout on his face and it took all her willpower to shake her head. "She will be home in a week, babe."

"But that's too long." He whined as River walked over to the kitchen where George was perched up on one of the stools, raising his mug of warm coffee when he saw her. He had obviously seen her coming in as sitting in front of him, was an iPad with live CCTV footages from different angles and areas around and in the apartment complex.

"Take over a second, Vicky?" George asked as soon as he saw River's bodyguard who nodded and took the iPad while George left the room.

"I know it's long but we have to wait until she comes home, right?" River asked, caressing the patched up wound on his face. "You have to get well soon too baby. It makes Mommy sad to see you two like this."

"Don't be sad, Mommy." Lucas said, putting on a brave face. "I am fine. And I know Ki is too."

River smiled, placing her little boy on the counter.

"Did Papa come home?" She asked as she moved to the pantry to get a huge watermelon.

"We slept together but he was gone when I woke up." The little boy informed his mother who just nodded silently as she brought the melon over and expertly cut it into two equal parts.

"Are you making watermelon juice?" He asked. She rarely made it but the kids loved it when she did.

"I sure am." River placed a kiss on his tiny button nose before continuing with her preparation.

"Why don't you go see what Zia Lia is doing?" River helped Lucas down the counter, who took off to his aunt's room immediately.

"You people have been working around the clock because of us, right?" River sighed as she got back to what she was doing.

"So are you ma'am." Victor looked up from the iPad. "And you must be under more pressure than any of us."

River just gave him a small smile.

The landline rang just then. River went over to pick the phone up.

"Hello?"

"Hello Mrs. Adesso, I am calling from the security office." The woman at the other end spoke.

River felt bile rise in her throat immediately. She did not want another bad news now.

"What is it?"

"A man just came and asked about you. He had a picture of you. I sent him away saying that I could not reveal private matters but maybe you should come take a look at his face and see if you have ever met him?"

"Alright. Thanks." River said and hung up, turning to Victor.

"Take care of Luke, Lia and Enzo." She said. "I will be back in a second."

He was already getting off of the chair. "I will come with you ma'am."

"No no no." She was frantic now. "Stay here. I will be back before you know it."

She quickly walked into the elevator and pressed the basement button where the security office was situated. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, feeling antsy. Who was looking for her? And how did they reach the apartment – the place Mateo thought was the safest for them?

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Mateo slammed his fist down on the desk as he shouted "Fuck!"

"Capo, calm down." Ricardo, one of Mateo's most trusted men, said. Adam and Leonardo were flying back the day after and until then Ricardo took it upon himself to make sure that his Capo doesn't make any rash decision or lose his cool.

"Calm down?" Mateo's voice was deadly low as he slowly looked up at Ricardo. "They had the audacity to attack my children and you expect me to CALM DOWN?" He shouted out the last words as he shoved all that was on the desk to the floor.

"Yeah, calm down." Mateo and Ricardo looked over at the door to see River there.

Mateo sighed as he sat back down - he had ignored her texts and calls all day and he knew that it was the reason she was here.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Ki?" He asked as he leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes.

River raised a brow, suppressing all the retorts that popped up into her mind as soon as the words left his mouth. She looked over at Ricardo and cocked her head in the direction of the door, gesturing for him to give the two some privacy.

He nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"River-" He started but stopped when he opened his eyes and saw her climbing onto the desk, making herself comfortable. His brain immediately flashed pictures of what he wanted to do to her on that desk.

"Get your head out of the gutter!" River rolled her eyes while he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I am still mad at you." She said, tilting her head.

"I know." Mateo sighed and he got off the chair just enough to place a small peck on her lips. "I am mad at me too."

"Can you just come visit Ki?" She asked.

She could see hurt cross across his eyes as soon as their five year old was mentioned.

"I made a vow-"

"I heard about the stupid vow and I think it's bullshit." River said immediately. "This is our daughter we are talking about Mateo and she needs you the most right now and you are not there for here. I am tired of making excuses."

Mateo bit his lip and after a few moments, he finally nodded.

River let out a deep audible breath. "Finally!" She slumped her shoulders.

The corners of Mateo's lips twitched upward as he watched her.

She suddenly remembered the other reason why she was here.

"A detective from Wyoming visited me today morning."

Mateo stood up immediately. "What?"

River nodded her head. "Exactly, and when I was visiting the apartment, the security lady called me saying someone was looking for me. I go down to take a look at who it was and it happened to be the same dude."

Mateo clenched and unclenched his jaw. There was shit going down already. The last thing he needed was some man tailing his wife-to-be.

"What's his name?" Mateo looked around and River rolled her eyes when she realized that he was looking for his phone, which was probably under the pile of files and gadgets he had shoved off the desk a few minutes ago.

"Ian Sanders." River hopped off the desk and watched him kick around the stuff and finally find his phone which was fortunately intact.

Mateo typed away on his phone, a frown etched on his beautiful face. "He was stationed at LA and got a transfer to Wyoming."

River raised a brow; that was sort of odd, wasn't it?

"Why would he leave LA for Wyoming?" She asked.

Mateo turned to her, his jaws set. "I think we will have to find out."

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Mateo, River and Victor was shocked to not find Davis outside Kiara's room. They rushed to the room to see him playing with Kiara.

River let out a sigh of relief.

"PAPA!!!" Kiara squealed with happiness. Mateo's eyes filled with involuntary tears as he gently picked up his little girl. "Hi my principessa."

Kiara giggled. She found it very funny when he called her that.

"Where's Sia?" River turned to Davis.

"She got a call and left saying it's an emergency." Davis informed her.

River pulled out her phone from her pocket and dialed her friend's number. It was not like her to leave Kiara alone without informing her. What could have happened so suddenly that she had to leave without informing any of them.

The phone went unanswered after several rings.

River looked over at Mateo with a frown on her face. "She is not picking up."

Mateo took in a deep breath, dread filling inside him. What if Sergey had done something to her as River had doubted?

"I will try to track her down." Victor stated immediately and left the room.

"Zia said she will be back soon." Kiara sensed the tension in the room.

"Of course she will be honey." River put on a gentle smile on her face and turned to her daughter and baby daddy. "We are just making sure she is safe and sound like we make sure you and Lukey are."

"When will Lukey come?" She asked in her cute little voice.

River looked at Mateo who nodded at her.

River and Michelia had decided that they were going to go get Lucas, Michelia and Lorenzo. The detective had reached their housing which meant their position had been compromised, and they could not make the mistake of staying there any longer. The two women and the kids had to be moved to a safer place while the rest of them did the fighting.

This was a real Mafia war and Mateo was not going to let River anywhere near it.

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"How can you be so sure that Mateo Adesso isn't behind your assault?" Ian Sanders asked.

Dmitri rolled his eyes and leaned back against his pillows. "Because I don't even know this guy?" Dmitri could make any lie seem like the truth; not even a lie detector could catch his lies.

"Your sister's body was found in his ranch and you are telling me you don't know this guy?" The detective probed.

"I don't personally know him." Dmitri emphasized. "And I don't think he has anything to do with my sister's death either." Dmitri knew that if he wanted her dead, Mateo would do it head on. The Italians had too much pride. "Someone else could have killed her and dumped her body there?"

"Or it could have been Mateo Adesso who killed her." Detective Sanders said.

Dmitri poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue and studied the man who looked around his age. "Why do you want to prove that he did it?"

"I want to prove it because it is what I do." He shrugged.

"Maybe if you take a step back and re-evaluate the whole case with no prejudice against that Italian man, maybe you would be able to find the real killer." Dmitri said and thought in his mind, 'And hopefully stop a Mafia war.'

Mafia wars were never pretty. They played dirty and a lot of innocent people had to give up their lives. Dmitri Petrov was not a pacifist; he loved a good fight. But he did not want any innocent lives taken.

"I will keep that in mind." Ian said.

Dmitri nodded at him. "I think that's all I have to say to you."

The detective nodded and took his leave, exiting the room and turning around only to see River walk out of the other VIP room and talk to Victor. Ian speed-walked to the both of them and got in the elevator with them.

"You don't look like you were here on rounds." He commented.

River looked over at him. He was really good-looking. He had the face and physique of a model and he had powerful aura around him. It was clear that he was no push over. And even more clear from the morning incident that he had an agenda, something which had everything to do with her. She just didn't know what it was. But she hoped to find out soon.

"Well, didn't you know that my daughter is admitted here too?"

"What happened to her?" He asked, but something in his tone told her that he already knew what had happened.

"Mateo and our kids were in a car accident." She said coolly.

"Oh. I am sorry." Though he did not sound sorry at all.

River didn't entertain him any further and quickly left with Victor as soon as the elevator reached the basement.

Ian Sanders took small steps forward, a lazy smile on his face.

"Run as far away from me as you can, Dr. River Johnson. But eventually, you are going to come back to me."

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It had been two weeks. Kiara had come home – well, if you could call the new safe house with hella lot of security home.

But Alessia was still missing. She had told Kiara and Davis that she would be back within the hour but she has been missing for half a month.

Mateo and Leonardo had ordered complete lockdown for River, the twins, Michelia and Lorenzo. But Michelia screamed her way into getting the stuff that she would need to help them with her cyber abilities.

River was becoming increasingly antsy. She wanted to help out but she didn't know how. She was an orthopedic surgeon and a fighter. She knew very well that Mateo was not going to let her anywhere near an actual gun fight and she could not do much helping with casualties without the equipment available at the hospital. She felt completely useless and that was not a feeling she especially liked.

Not to mention, the woman she saw as her own sister was nowhere to be found. And the stupid detective gnawing at the back of her mind.

Nothing was looking up.

"Stop overthinking... to the point that you don't even realize someone else has entered your room." River looked up to see Mateo was home. Mateo was HOME.

"Any news about Sia?" River really couldn't care any less about how the fight was going. Obviously, she wanted it to end and none of them to get hurt but Alessia really mattered to her. Maybe as much as Sebastian mattered.

Mateo sighed and hugged her.

"We will find her."

River's shoulders slumped but she welcomed the much-needed embrace.

"Where are the twins?" He asked.

"Upstairs." She said. "Davis, Victor and George are teaching them to swim."

Mateo pouted. "I wanted to be the person to teach them all of that. It's a father's duty."

River rolled her eyes. And her man-child was back.

"You are doing great as a father." She rubbed his arms. "Except for the times when you act like a dick." She added. Truth is truth.

"But I thought you loved my dick." He winked, snaking his arms around her waist. His usual smirk was in place, none of the stress from a minute ago visible on his face.

River rolled her eyes again. And the cocky flirt was also back. She wondered how he was able to compartmentalize all his emotions like this. She was also good at the same art but he was a freaking master at it without even knowing it.

"Let's go to the kids." She said. "Who knows when you will be coming home next."

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