Page 44 of His Unexpected Heir

Astra struggled because the bin really was heavy. “I suspect that your father doesn’t want you to marry me. So, if I’m out of the way, then he won’t be angry with Maria.” She huffed a bit. “You heard her. She and someone else have been trying to poison me.” She stood up and turned to face him. “Sorry, but I haven’t been exercising over the past several months so I’m a bit pathetic in the muscles department.” She gestured to the bin. “Could you pull this out?”

Antonio stopped pacing and turned to look down at her. “What?” he snapped. Then looked down. “What the hell is that?”

She patted the bin. “This,” she said with pride, “is your safety net.” She chuckled, then shook her head. “Well, it’s our safety net now.”

Antonio easily lifted the bin, carrying it to the center of the relatively large cell. “What have you done?” he demanded, flipping the lid off and peering down at the contents.

Astra moved to his side, leaning against him and lacing her fingers through his. “You told me how your father had locked you in here when you were a child,” she explained softly. “Matteo was locked up in an attic at his school. Bailey would sneak food, candles, matches, and blankets under the door for him. It’s how he survived.” She waved her hand over the contents. “I wanted to give you the same security.” She kissed his shoulder.

Antonio groaned, then turned, pulling her into his arms and pressing his face against her neck. “I love you so much!” he whispered harshly.

Astra was so shocked, it took her a long moment to respond. “I love you too,” she replied, then leaned her head against his shoulder. “I was heartbroken when you didn’t call me back, Antonio.” He started to reply, then she smiled. “I understand why, now. I get it. I just…wanted you to know that I was devastated.” She patted her tummy. “That’s why I didn’t realize that I was pregnant. I just thought I was pushing myself too hard, working long hours, and accepting too many assignments.”

“No more!” he told her and kissed her. “You will slow down.”

She laughed, feeling lightheaded suddenly. “This contract with you was supposed to help me slow down,” she told him, then looked around. “How about if we call someone to get us out of here?”

He sighed and kissed her. “There’s no signal this far under the castle, love. We’re going to have to figure out another way.” He gazed down at the bin. “You didn’t happen to purchase a lock pick set for your secret stash, did you?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Nope. No lock pick,” she replied, then pulled out of his arms and bent down to sift through the items. “But how about a satellite phone?” She pulled the phone out of the box and stood up, beaming at Antonio.

Antonio stared at the phone, then at her, a stunned expression in his eyes. “Woman, you…!” he stopped, then pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly.

“I have chocolate as well.”

His response was a bark of laughter, then he pulled back, looking down at her.

“You get the chocolate while I figure out how to get this thing to work.”

Astra bent down again and plucked the foil package of chocolate from the bin. “There’s a battery operated light in here too,” she explained, then walked over and sat on the edge of what might have been a stone “bed” at one time, but was now the perfect height for a bench. “I think we should offer tours of the castle,” she announced, looking around. She peeled the foil away and snapped off a piece of the chocolate, popping it in her mouth. “In fact, one of the ideas I had for a festival was a whole medieval tourney type thing, complete with costumes and crafts. We have renaissance festivals all over the United States that are a lot of fun. The food is awful, but the creativity of the visitors’ costumes is well worth the admission price.”

She went silent when Antonio started pressing buttons on the cell phone. A moment later, she heard him say, “Matteo, could you come down to the dungeon in the castle? Astra and I are in a bit of a predicament.”

Matteo must have replied because Antonio nodded, then started giving directions. Obviously, his brother hadn’t spent much time exploring the castle. Which would make sense since Ricardo hadn’t acknowledged Matteo.

Ten minutes later, Matteo and Edward appeared.

“What the hell is going on?” Edward demanded, staring at Antonio pacing and Astra munching on chocolate.

“Maria thinks that our father is going to be released from prison and will return to the village. Apparently, our father promised her I would marry her if she got rid of Astra.”

Both men glanced at Astra who merely lifted her hand, wiggling her fingers in a friendly wave before she snapped off another piece of chocolate.

“Is she crazy?” Edward demanded coming up behind Matteo.

“Apparently, our father broke her hand when she visited him earlier today,” Antonio explained. He rattled the cell door again. “Can you find the key and get us out of here? I don’t like Astra being down here.”

“I’m on it,” Matteo replied, then spun on his heel, a determined, furious expression in his eyes as he retraced his steps down the hallway.

“I should go alert the authorities,” Edward began, starting to turn away. But he stopped and looked back at them. “Will you two be okay if I leave?”

Antonio nodded then glanced at Astra, who waved the chocolate bar at him. “I’m good!” she laughed.

The men chuckled and Edward hurried away, determination and anger in every stride.

Antonio turned to Astra, who smiled and offered him a square of chocolate. Antonio chuckled, shaking his head but he walked over and took the bite – with his mouth.

Astra gasped, staring at his lips as he tickled her fingers with his lips and tongue. “You’re…teasing me,” she whispered, her body coming alive.

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