Caterina narrowed her dark eyes. “Unlike you, he doesn’t have to be a Neretti to have my kindness and my compassion.” Jerking her chin up at me, she added, “And my love.”
My lip curled at the word love. “You’re free to do whatever you want, but I’m sure as hell not touching him.”
Staring at me in horror, Caterina demanded, “Leandro, do you even hear yourself right now? Despite what happened between you and Drea, Luca is innocent.”
“I will not raise another man’s child.”
“He might not be yours biologically, but he can still be your son.”
“Do you think Callum would raise a bastard child?”
“If he wouldn’t, I would leave him.”
Nodding, I replied, “Exactly. He wouldn’t.”
“I can’t say what he would do. I would think if he loved me and knew my father had symbolically held a gun to both my stomach and to the head of the woman who raised me, he would find a way to swallow his pride and forgive me.”
“I’m trying to forgive her.”
“When she wakes up–” Caterina paused to give me a pointed look. “Not if, but when she wakes up, you might’ve found a way to forgive her, but she willneverforgive you for treating Luca the way that you are.”
As I stared at Luca, I shook my head. “I can’t,” I choked out.
A nurse appeared in the doorway. Glancing between us, she asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Besides my brother being an unimaginable asshole, everything is fine,” Caterina huffed.
“Forget it. There’s no use trying to talk to you.”
Without another word to either of them, I stalked out of the room. When I got back to Drea’s room, I was glad to see Vittoria had arrived. She’d pulled a chair over to Drea’s bedside and was holding her hand.
Nodding at her, I pointed a finger at Rafe. ‘I want to talk to you.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Why did you tell Caterina I wouldn’t hold Luca?”
“Because you won’t.”
“She doesn’t need to know my business.”
“Your sister flew in from Boston to bring breastmilk to your son, and you’re being a little bitch about it?”
‘He’s not a Neretti!”
“I’m pretty sure his bassinet bears our name.”
“That’s just because Drea and I are still legally married.”
“I’m not listening to your bullshit anymore.”
“Whatever,” I mumbled as he started to the elevators.
He paused before turning around. “Maeve wants to come in the morning to see Drea. If she wants to visit Luca, I don’t want to hear you say a damn thing since he’s not your son.”
At a gasp behind me, I turned around to see Vittoria staring wide-eyed at me. Ignoring her, I stepped back inside the room. I don’t know why I suddenly felt territorial over Drea. It was so overwhelming that I took the seat Vittoria had been in.
I took Drea’s hand in mine. The sight of her naked ring finger sent a punch to my gut. I stroked my fingers over her knuckles.