Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Adriana Daisy Martinez was born three months ago at three A.M. in the comfort of our own home. It didn’t matter what her last name was, she wasn’t connected to “Alejandro Martinez” the deceased crime boss. He wouldn’t have it any other way, his daughter would be a Martinez. We named her after Alejandro’s mother and Briggs, two of the most important women in his life, besides Adriana and I. She weighed five pounds, six ounces when she was born, and had a full head of dark black hair and bright, tantalizing green eyes like her daddy. I was in labor for twelve hours and Martinez never left my side for one second of it. Holding my hand through the pain, breathing right along with me. Helping the mid-wife deliver our baby girl. And just like her father, she never slept at night, but had no problem sleeping during the daytime. Austin, Briggs, and the kids flew in for Adriana’s birth, and Amari couldn’t have been happier to have a girl for a cousin. Seeing as the baby Briggs had a few months prior to me giving birth was just another boy, leaving Amari outnumbered.
Martinez let me decide what I wanted to do with telling Briggs the truth about our father. After giving it a lot of thought and consideration, I decided I wanted her to know I was her half-sister. Even though I knew a part of her would be heartbroken to know her father wasn’t the man she remembered. Martinez and I sat her and Austin down when they came to visit a few months after I moved to Italy. She took the news harder than I imagined, but she was also happy to know she had another family member in this world other than her uncle.
I never told her the truth behind her parents’ death. There was no point in shattering her heart again. It wouldn’t bring her parents back and it would only take away the only family Martinez had left in the world. She would never forgive him if she knew the truth. I couldn’t do that to him. It was a secret I would take to my grave.
“There you—” I stopped dead in my tracks.
He was passed out on the couch with a sleeping Adriana on his chest. She looked so tiny against him. He had his arms securely wrapped around her, holding her close to his heart. His baby girl had replaced me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They both looked so peaceful together, I couldn’t help but stand there and watch my sleeping beauties.
He stirred, opening his calm, serene eyes. Looking adoringly at me with a mischievous grin. He still loved seeing me in my ballet attire, and if he weren’t holding the other girl in his life, he would have taken advantage.
“Well, hello there, Mrs. Martinez.”
I smiled, leaning up against the wall. Loving that he still called me that. I preferred it to our new name.
We got married a few weeks before I gave birth. We had an intimate wedding on the beach near our home with just him and I. He was adamant that Adriana was going to be born into a marital family. Saying what kind of example would we be giving her if her parents weren’t married when she was born. It’s not like it mattered. He wasn’t ever going to allow her to date, let alone get married. I already felt bad for the poor boy who would fall in love with her. He would have to answer to Martinez. The thought alone was scary.
Adriana had him wrapped around her little finger, and she knew it. After all these years, I woke up every morning to him lying beside me. Never alone. And once Adriana came along, he had his arms full. Most of the time I was wrapped on one side of his body and her on the other.
He finally slept.
Of course as much as a newborn would allow. Which wasn’t much.
“How long has she been out?” I asked, lying next to him in the nook of his arm. He pulled me tighter.
“I just got her down a little while ago,” he groggily replied, kissing the top of my head.
“Seems like she got you down too, old man,” I giggled, loving that the man who never slept before no longer had that problem.
“This old man just finished working you over this morning. I’ll remember that tonight when you’re begging for my cock.”
“Martinez,” I chastised, leaning up to look him in the eye. “Is that the way you talk when you have our daughter in your arms? She’s going to grow up to love a guy with your dirty mouth, just watch.”
“Not if I have something to do about it. She’s not dating ever. And if she does, I’ll just put a hit out on him.”