Free Return of the Real Italian Alphas by Bonnie Burrows Page A

functional and began its slow climb to the top. Rico surveyed the room they were standing in, and realized there were about a hundred bodies there.
    “Well, men, we’ve got some time to kill,” he said. “What do you say we loot these bodies?”
    Gabriel chuckled. “Rico, always thinking with your pockets. You’ll be a good boss when all this is done.”
    “Thanks, my friend,” he said with a grin. “You’ve never really been cut out for this racket anyway, have you?”
    “Not really,” he agreed. “My brothers put me up to it. I should have become a Federal Agent instead.”
    “Never even say so,” said Rico with a shiver. “Then I’d have to kill you.”
    “No, I think I’ll take over the other family business,” Gabriel said.
    “You’re going to run the vineyard?”
    “Yes.  Why not?” he said. “I know much of the business from my youth, and the rest I can pick up along the way. It’ll be just like riding a bike again.”
    “No, you wouldn’t want to ride a bike,” Rico said. “That’s too slow. I think I will buy you a motorcycle.”
    Gabriel gave this a moment of thought, visualizing himself riding along with Betsy curled up behind him and their twins in a side car. The wind whistled past their helmets as they smiled at each other and enjoyed the scenery.
    “You know, Rico, I think I would like that,” he said then.
    “What would you like?” asked Betsy as she joined them from across the cavern.
    “Oh, nothing, ma bella,” Gabriel told her. “You would not wish for me to spoil the surprise, would you?”
    Betsy chuckled at this. “Gabriel, you know very well that I would.”
    Both of the men chuckled then. They couldn’t argue with her there.
     
     
    *
     
    The elevator reached the top with an ominous click. They could hear the sounds of fighting outside the door so they made sure their guns were loaded and their weapons were drawn before they stepped outside. The sight of Gaal-det gave several of the combatants pause. Some of them even ran away from sheer terror.
    Even though there were not as many wolves to contend with up here, these enemies were much harder to subdue. Finally, however, the party managed to fight its way to Lupo’s door. Gabriel kicked it open and stepped inside, taking the lance from Gordral when he held it out to him.
    “Thank you,” he breathed, then wielded the weapon as he stormed inside.
    Lupo was sitting at his dinner table as usual. However, this time he had a highchair sitting nearby as he tried to feed the small boy who was seated there.
    Gabriel saw red. “What do you think you are doing?” he demanded hotly.
    “Feeding my son,” said Lupo with a fanciful smile on his face.
    “He’s not your son,” said Gabriel with a deadly sort of calm. “He’s my son.”
    Betsy was fuming now and she stormed over to Gabriel’s side. “He’s lying, Gabriel. He knows I never touched his worthless hide. I never would touch it.”
    “Well, he would have been my son if you’d only cooperated,” Lupo snapped. “I would have been good to you, Betsy. You would have wanted for nothing. Instead, you persist in staying with Gabriel, who by all accounts has got to be one of the worst excuses of a crime boss ever.”
    “News flash, Lupo,” she said tightly. “I didn’t marry Gabriel because he was a crime boss. I could care less about you or your stupid crime syndicate crap. Now give me my child so he doesn’t have to see what’s about to go on here.”
    “I’ll do nothing of the sort,” Lupo growled. “And what is that thing you’re holding in your hand? Do you expect me to believe that’s really Gordral’s lance. Where did you get it?”
    “Under the Vatican, of all places,” Gabriel told him. “Just ask Gordral himself if you don’t believe me.”
    Lupo looked at the man standing behind Gabriel, the one who had handed him the lance. He turned pale, and then turned to a wolf instead. He picked up Mario in his claws and attempted to run