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Mateo had dropped the twins off at the kindergarten before picking River up from the hospital, and like any normal day, Alessia was nowhere around. And Michelia was sleeping like a baby along with her little baby after Lorenzo kept her awake all night with his irritability and crankiness.

This left the two of them, in the master bedroom, finally unknotting all of the sexual tension they had been feeling in each other's presence for the past twenty four hours or so.

"Don't think you are forgiven for what you said yesterday, Mateo." River had to bite her lip to stifle the moan that bubbled up her throat, she taking deep breaths to try and calm herself as her baby daddy attacked her neck.

He kissed and licked his way to her lips and captured them with his. "I know." He murmured in the brief moment he pulled away for air before devouring them again, his one hand going to unbuckle his own pants while the other went inside River's.

"Mateo...." She breathed out, squirming under his touch.

"Hmm?" Mateo was teasing her, playing with her but simultaneously worshipping every inch of her.

The woman in front of him was not some ordinary person to him.

She was the mother of his children and the love of his life.

"Don't mess with me..!" Her voice came out breezy, sexy and his member stood up erect as soon as it was liberated from its restraints.

Mateo pulled down her panties and rubbed his whole length around her entrance.

River threw her head back, clenching her teeth as Mateo's mouth latched onto her breast. His one hand unbuttoning the remaining buttons on her shirt.

River yelped when she was suddenly swept off the ground.

Mateo wanted to play but even he was running out of patience.

He carried his queen to their bed, laying her down gently before lifting her shirt up and off of her.

River's eyes were dilated and desire swam in them. She was trying so hard to not seem affected but it was obvious that this man had an effect on her that nobody else did.

"I love you." He said before inserting the whole of his length into her, making her scream out in pleasure.

"I-"

Mateo stopped her before she could say anything by capturing her lips in his.

He didn't want any response. He knew she wasn't ready. And he was ready to wait for the perfect moment.

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Mateo stared at the exhausted sleeping face in front of him. He felt guilty for not feeling guilty of keeping her up for a couple more hours when he knew how exhausted she was.

They had done the deed again. Multiple times. And man, did it feel good after being celibate for over a year.

"I love you." He whispered again, a smile tugging at his lips when he saw that River's face softened when she heard it in her sleep.

He knew for a fact that River Johnson felt strongly and positively towards him. Even though the feeling was just a fetus and could not be called love exactly, there was still a lot of trust and faith from her side and he thought that that was all that really mattered.

"Stop staring at me like some kind of creep." She murmured making him raise his brow.

"You are awake." He was amused.

She opened her eyes slowly, her chocolate orbs meeting his caramel ones. "You were pricking my skin with your gaze." She said, her voice gruff with sleep.

Mateo chuckled as he pulled her closer to him, their naked bodies sticking to each other.

"Want to go for another round?" He asked.

She blinked sleepily and strained her neck to look over his broad back at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was almost three in the evening.

"The kids will be home in an hour." She said as she sat up on her elbows, trying to shake herself awake.

"I think an hour is good enough time for me to make you cum again." Mateo grinned wickedly while River rolled her eyes.

Why was this dumbass so freaking cocky about his cock?

Because he has a cock worthy of being cocky about.

River rolled her eyes again when she heard her internal voice.

"Let's cook something yummy for them." She said.

Mateo raised a brow.

"You are helping me out." River said pointedly as she sat up, Mateo's eyes going straight to her exposed chest.

He could already feel his erection.

"Can't we do that after another round?"

River turned to him and saw his dilated eyes directed at her breasts.

She tolled her eyes yet again and hit him with one of the throw pillows. "Stop gawking!"

She hopped out of the bed and walked over to the dresser to get a robe while giving Mateo a show of the body he worshipped.

"Why?" He asked, as if he found her order preposterous.

"What do you mean by 'why?'?" River turned to him as she put on her silk robe and fastened it. "You are being creepy."

Mateo gave her a flat look. After the deed that they had done, she actually went and called him creepy, didn't she?

River paid no more attention to him and got her stuff for a shower. She needed to quickly freshen up so that she could put together something for her little ones.

She stood under the shower, letting the hot water rinse away her exhaustion.

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, as if meditating, to release all stress.

She was caught by surprise when strong arms wrapped around her.

"Mateo..." River had gotten used to the warm and comfortable hold and she doubted she would get over it.

"Hmm??" Mateo hid his face in her neck as he took in the scent of his lover, his stubble tickling her.

"What are you doing?" River asked.

"Conserving water." He replied which made an amused smile appear on his baby mama's face.

"You are crazy." She giggled.

"Only for you." River jumped when he bit on her skin.

"What was that for?" She turned to him.

He just winked and pulled her back to him. "Let's enjoy the shower shall we?"

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Alessia stared at the city below her. She was on top of one of the tallest buildings in New York.

Her ringtone was the firing of a machine gun. It was like music to her ears.

She looked down to see that it was Adam Smith, her brother's best friend.

She sighed as she took her phone and slid her finger across the screen.

"What do you want?" She snapped rudely as soon as she picked up.

"Be nice." He was the least bothered by the way he was being talked to. The guy knew the girl like the back of his hand and hence he never took offense of what she did. "Where are you?" He asked.

"Is this about what fratello thinks is going on?" She asked, sounding bored.

"No, you think I care about you?" This comment made her smile though she tried her best to fight it.

"Then what is it?" She asked.

"Run an errand for me, won't you?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes.

"No." She said and hung up the phone immediately. As if she would do anything he wanted her to do.

Adam sighed in satisfaction as he sent he pinpointed her location on the app. He had just called her to find out where she was because she had managed to get rid of all the chips on her and her vehicle and so he had to track her phone down. And she also refused to pick up calls from just about everyone.

Adam continued typing away, sending her location to Mateo

"You two are meant to be together." Leonardo commented.

"What?" Adam turned to his good friend, having not paid attention to what he said a moment ago because he was busy with his work.

"Nothing." Leonardo shook his head, a lazy smile on his face.

He stood by what he said though he knew that his friend had not heard what he had said.

Alessia refused to pick her phone up ever since she was told of the danger that could be looming over her. But she still picked the phone up when Adam called her, probably because she thought that he would call her only in the case of utmost emergency but she still did and that was all that mattered as far as her safety was concerned.

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"Hey."

Alessia closed her eyes, annoyance clear in her expression when she heard her brother's voice.

"I am going to kill him." She gritted out.

"He was just doing his job." Mateo said as he took a seat next to him.

"Why are you not with River and the twins?" She asked.

"They are at home with Lia and Enzo." He shrugged.

Alessia nodded and they both fell into an uncomfortable silence. They never had any heart to heart talk before because of who they were, and how they were. They were siblings but they did not have the kind of bond that normal siblings did and the background they came from had everything to do with it.

"You should go back." Alessia said finally.

"I am not going home without you, Sia." He said.

"Why?" She turned to him. "Why do you care?"

"Sia,,,"

"Nope." Alessia held up a hand to stop him from any more talking. "You are years too late to be talking and justifying now."

"Sia, you know I am sorry."

"Yeah, I do. Except, now I don't give a fuck!"

Mateo took a deep breath. Of course she was never going to listen to him, nor was she ever going to forgive any of them for how her life had turned out. Yes, she was an amazing woman, unlike any other, but the price she had to pay for this new identity of hers was just too great and painful that it was more of a curse to her than a blessing.

"Won't you come home for River and the twins?" It was a dirty card to play but it was also the only card he had up his sleeve so he had to use it, and he was not ashamed of it.

Alessia let out a deep exasperated sigh and turn to her brother.

"Really?" She almost sounded American when she said it.

He just shrugged, a small smile on his face.

"Fine..." She breathed out. She didn't like staying away from her niece and nephew and she did not want River having another panic attack because of this, because she knew that no matter how strong that orthopedic surgeon was, she still couldn't help the overthinking and the following panic attacks.

Mateo smiled to himself, happy with the outcome.

"Let's go home."

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River rolled her eyes when she heard from Alessia what Mateo had said to get her to come home.

She wondered when the brother and sister were going to finally talk it out and get the whole incident behind them instead of just making excuses and beating around the bushes.

She also knew that she was team Alessia on this one because she was the one who went through hell and back because her elder brother didn't stand up for her when she really really needed him.

"Eat this." River placed the sandwich in front of the hitwoman.

"Thanks Doc, you make the best sandwiches." Alessia said gratefully as she took a huge bite from her turkey sandwich, moaning loudly while River laughed. "You make the best of anything, if you ask me." She added with her mouth full.

"Thanks." River chuckled.

The twins and Mateo went out for ice cream and Victor was going to be here in half an hour so that she could go back for a six hour shift from eight to two before she got back and went for the morning shift at nine, where she would start seeing outpatients again. Her schedule was starting to look like the old one and River was all the happier for it.

"You are glowing." Alessia noted, after watching River almost dance around the kitchen for a few more moments.

"Nothing makes a surgeon happier than being back in the ER." River turned to the Italian goddess with a bright smile on her face. Alessia laughed out loud – it was not everyday that you meet a woman who was happy and glowing because of her extreme work schedule.

"I am glad that you get to go back to what you love." She said sincerely. "The past few months you were nothing but a mother. And I hate to think of you as just that. It's a waste of potential."

River smiled as she nodded. Most people would not clearly understand the meaning behind the words that Alessia had spoken but River understood very clearly because she had lived it.

She loved her children. There was no question regarding it. But being their mother and only that was just not who she was. She was a surgeon just as much as she was a mother. All of these were parts of the jigsaw puzzle which made her who she was and if any of it was taken away, then no matter how much anyone tried, she always felt empty, the missing part calling out to her.

Dr. River Johnson. That was who she was.

Mommy of Lucas and Kiara. That was also her.

And these were two parts of herself that she would not give up for the world. She would compromise with the other parts of her identities but she could not with these.

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"Papa, pick me up!" Kiara whined as Mateo laughed, picking both of his kids up and placing them on each of his shoulders.

He scrunched his face when a drop of ice cream from Lucas' cone fell on his shirt but that really did not matter more than his children's happiness, now did it?

"Papa, I can walk!" Lucas whined, wishing for the opposite of his twin sister.

Mateo rolled his eyes as he lowered to the ground and helped Lucas off of him. These two were so different yet so similar, and so much like their parents.

In short, they were perfect and Mateo was the proud father of such a perfect pair of children.

"Where to next, bambini?" Mateo asked his babies.

"Can we go back home?" Kiara asked. "If mommy hasn't left yet."

"Mommy will be gone by the time we get back honey." Mateo pouted as he looked up at his little girl.

"Oh." Kiara really was a mommy's little girl. She always needed her mother away.

Lucas, on the other hand, was at the border. Nobody was exactly sure whose side he was on.

He loved both his parents and talked to and about both of them the same way.

"Then let's go to the beach?" Lucas asked.

"Sure." Mateo smiled.

"I want cotton candy!" Kiara exclaimed.

"Sure." Mateo laughed.

He walked over to the car, holding Lucas' hand and Kiara on his shoulder and helped them to their seats. He buckled them in and walked over to the driver's seat.

He was about to open the door when a strong force threw him off his feet, and he landed on his back.

His eyes widened when he heard the loud sound of vehicles colliding. He looked up to see a blurry image of his car, the crying face of Lucas and then red spots blinded him until all he saw was darkness.

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