Page 62 of Stolen Bride for the Don

“The babies are positioned such that their feet will come out first instead of their heads. Charlie wanted to wait in hopes that the doctor’s efforts to turn the babies would prove fruitful, but she kept bleeding and it didn’t stop. All the time in between had weakened the babies so much that even if they were turned the right way, they would not be able to come out on their own.”

I sag against the wall behind me weakly as she continues, “So she agreed to the C-section, and now all we can do is wait and pray.”

I nod in acknowledgement, and we walk back to the waiting area to sit with the rest of the family. It couldn’t have been more than an hour, but the wait was long and excruciating. When the glass doors finally open, we all rush to the doctor walking out.

He gives us a weary smile. “Congratulations folks. Both mother and sons are healthy and–” The rest of his words are swallowed as we all start shouting and hugging each other. I’m happy, so happy, but the joy is hollow because it feels like part of me is missing.

By the time Charlotte is wheeled out of the operating room, hours later, she’s fast asleep, understandably exhausted. Ezra opts to stay with her while the nurse leads us to the NICU wing where the babies are being monitored since they’re still so small.

Thankfully, they can breathe on their own, but they aren’t mature enough to take a bottle or nurse yet. They have to be fed through feeding tubes, and their weight is being monitored regularly.

“The neonatal nurse assigned to the babies is inside with them,” said the nurse that brought us here. She waves us in before leaving.

I was expecting the NICU to be one big room with several other babies, like in the movies, but it’s actually divided into private rooms. So my precious little nephews have a good-size room to themselves, and we can all crowd around and watch their tiny bodies in their separate cots.

They both have the same shock of thick black hair that runs in the Beaufort family. We coo at their adorable potato faces, and, oh my God, they’re so small. They can each fit into a palm, but they’re perfect.

“Is it normal to be this tiny?” Dad asks, his voice suspiciously thick. I glance at him; he’s wiping his hand under his eyes while staring at his first pair of grandchildren.

“Yes, sir.” The nurse in the room flashes Dad a warm smile. She notes, “They’re very healthy. You’ll be shocked at how much they’ll grow within the next week after getting regular meals.”

We spend only a few minutes in the room, watching them sleep, before we’re ushered out. Autumn wraps her arm around my waist and asks, “Want to go wait for the new mother to wake up?”

“Of course.” I smile and walk with her to Charlotte’s private room.

CHAPTER 38

HUDSON

“Why did you let her go if you were going to be like this?” Isaac releases a long suffering sigh. I glance at him sharply.

“Like what?”

“Exactly like that!” Crew answers, snapping his fingers at me. “Glaring around and snapping at everyone. The men held you in reverence and respect, but now they’re just terrified of pissing you off.”

I narrow my eyes at Crew. “Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

Isaac scoffs, “Of course, you do. Because they’ve all been avoiding having interactions with you so you can’t see their fear.”

“You’re being ridiculous. I don’t see what you’re doing in this meeting, Isaac.” I direct the question to Crew, the culprit who invited Isaac. They’ve cornered me in my study and brought up this ridiculous line of conversation when we should be conducting business discussions.

“It’s only been a little under three weeks, Massimo, and your wedding was supposed to be last weekend; it’s understandable that you miss her and her absence hurts,” Isaac trails off when I level a cold stare at him.

“See! There you go again, one word about Andrea and you look as if you might bite our heads off. If you want her that badly, then go get her, damn it. You kidnapped her once, and you can certainly do it again.”

My hands form fists as I redirect my glare at Crew. “Is there a point to this ambush other than you two meddling in my love life?”

“What is going on in your head, H?” Crew asks. “Because your head has certainly not been with us since she left. I knew when you asked me how to make her fall in love with you that this would end badly.”

“Wait, what? He tried to make her fall in love with him?” I inhale sharply, stopping my words. What’s the point in trying to explain that I had asked him how to make her stay, not how to make her fall in love with me? Like they would be able to tell the difference, anyway.

“Damn it, Massimo, you fell in love with her, didn’t you?”

I jolt at that, my heart pumping erratically as I meet Isaac’s concerned gaze. I don’t love Andrea. I want to fuck her. Own her. Possess every inch of her body. Her mind. Her heart. Consume her until I’m all she can think about and. I jolt again.

“Fuck.” I love her.

Crew lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Shit, he really does.”

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