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My eyes catch on Remi as she's seated in one of the plane seats, Jori on her lap as he plays games on the iPad I got him this morning.
She agreed to come to Italy with me and since last night, we've managed to sneak kisses here and there. I can't stop staring at her though. Especially when I saw her surprise at the fact that we'd be boarding a private jet.
I still haven't told her about the mafia, much less my position in it.
She giggles as she points to something on the tablet, Jori laughing in response. Leaning over, she whispers in his ear and I zone out.
My seat across from them has the perfect view of Remi's beautiful face. Her legs are cutely crossed, Jori sitting in the space between them, and her arms are wrapped around him, warming him up from the cold plane air —
"Luca?" Jori calls and my gaze transfers to him. He's gotten better at not calling me 'Sir.' The formality of it stresses me out.
"Sí, piccolo?"
He lifts the iPad to my face and grins widely, showing his little teeth, "Say cheese!"
My face remains stoic as a flash and the sound of the camera go off. Jori giggles playfully and Remi pouts in amusement.
"C'mon, what was that?" She teases, looking at me with an indecipherable look on her face, "Don't frown, Luca. Someone could be falling in love with your smile."
That makes a smile grow on my face. Another flash goes off and Jori giggles and jumps excitedly.
"I got it, mommy!" He exclaims and I can't help the chuckle that escapes me.
"Good job, baby!" She kisses his cheeks, "Team work makes the dream work."
I roll my eyes, the corners of my mouth turned up in amusement as I watch her.
•••
Hours passed before Jori fell asleep in his own recliner seat, wrapped comfortably in a blanket and drooling on the pillow he'd fallen asleep on.
In the meantime, Remi and I sit together, her feet on my lap as she stares out at the clouds in the night sky. I'd ended up massaging her feet as she traces my arm tattoos with her fingers.
Music plays from a set of AirPods, one in my ear, one in hers.
"What does this one mean?" She cuts into the silence, her tone pensive as she curls into me. Her finger traces over a stick and poke I got in Milan. It's a cross with a smaller one in the cross section of it.
I got it when Farrah entered the family and updated it in New York when baby Serina was born to signify their entrances to the family. The conversation carries on for a moment before she glances over to Jori who only shifted slightly in his sleep.
"I'm glad he's sleeping through the night." I think out loud.
Remi nods, "Me too." Then a pause as she turns to look back at me and climbs into my lap. We wrap our arms around each other before she stares right at me. "What do we do after this mess is over?" She questions.
I gently rub her back, reminded of the scars she hides under her shirt. "What do you want us to do?"
She tilts her head and chuckles, "Don't answer my question with a question."
"Why not?" I smirk, my heart lighting up as she buries her head in my neck with a small smile on her face. I kiss her head, "We do whatever we want. You want a three-story mansion with fifteen bathrooms and a ridiculous amount of backyard space, I'll get you a three-story mansion with fifteen bathrooms and a ridiculous amount of backyard space. Just say the word."
"I'm good with my apartment." Remi huffs out a laugh as she leans back and looks at me, "Who's to say you even want to be with me when this mess is over?"
I arch a brow at her, my jaw ticking at her words, "Remi West, I have no doubt in my mind that I will always want you."
I'm slightly shocked that she's gotten me this whipped this quickly.
It's her voice, the way she cares, the way she doesn't necessarily depend on me for anything. She had a plan beforehand, I just stepped in and offered my help — it took time to get her to accept it. It's her stubbornness, her beauty, her being a good mother ...
I should've known it was over for me when she walked up to me at the café.
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