Page 41 of Deadly Don's Baby Contract

“I’m not here for money, Aria,” he says, taking the cup. “It would help, but it isn’t why I came to find you.”

“What then?” He’s nervous, acting sketchier than usual. “You in some sort of other trouble?”

“No, but you are,” he says, looking me in the eye. “Aria, there is no love lost between us. You made a choice. I have no choice. But Vito thinks he can use you to take out Franco. Rumor is that he wants to dethrone your husband and take over. He’s dangerous, and he has his sights set on you.”

I had a feeling that was what was going on, but Franco doesn’t discuss business with me.

“I can handle Vito,” I say to my brother, who knows more than he’s saying. “Or have you forgotten what I am capable of.”

“I thought you’d forgotten.” He smirks. “Vito plans to kill you. He knows you’re pregnant, and that is a big threat. To everyone. He’s gaining support from other families, too.”

“How many men have tried to kill me? Since I was a teenager, men have tried and failed. I always kill them first.” I loathe that my past is a filthy, bloodstained shadow. I had shaken it off and walked away free, and now it’s back to making meme faces of who I really am.

“Aria, this is not the same,” he says. “Be careful.”

“You came here to tell me to be careful?” I smell a rat.

“I came here to see for myself that it was you they were talking about and to warn you. And I had sort of hoped your husband had given you an unlimited gold card so you could pay a guy, but money wasn’t my motive.”

We were close once, he and I, and then I chose to walk away and start over. Without the name, the pain, or the pressure to be what they wanted me to be.

“Thank you for the visit, but we can’t have you overstay your welcome.” If he’s here, someone is following him. My brother is always running from something. “You better go now.” I have noticed the guards are edgy, and my discomfort levels have risen.

“Thank you for the coffee, Aria.” He hugs me, and in his embrace, my brother hands me a small knife—the type of concealed weapon we would carry around with us as children. I watch as he is escorted out of the house, a sense of dread creeping in. The past has caught up with me. I can’t outrun it forever.

Something about his visit doesn’t sit right—why now? If he had asked for money, I would have believed him. Coming to warn me? My brother is a two-faced, slimy, sneaking bastard. He would never risk himself for anyone, not even me. Which begs to ask, why was he here, and how long before the shit hits the fan?

I am about to call Franco and tell him about the visit so he doesn’t hear about it from security when the house goes from quiet to deafening silence. Where are my men? What has my stupid, low-life brother done? Trust no one, Aria, I let him in!

Franco’s phone rings, but before he can answer my call, I’m faced with our enemy, and if I fight, they will hurt my child. “I will come quietly.” I put the phone down on the counter and hope like hell he answers or senses that I’m in danger quickly.

“Ahh, I was hoping you’d kick and scream and give me a reason to hurt you.” Vito chuckles, and his maniacal laughter fills my kitchen. “But quietly works, too.” His men have my arms pulled tight behind my back, and behind him, through the open door, I see my brother, the traitor.

“What do you want, Vito?” I ask him. Maybe I can diffuse this situation before they take me.

“I want you to stay quiet like you said you would and let us take care of business.” He tips my chin up, so I have to look into his cold, dead eyes. Men like Vito have no soul. They’re sad, hollow men with nothing to lose. “You are pretty. No wonder all the boys are fighting over you.”

Chapter 15

Franco

I missed Aria’s call because I was on the phone with the fucking rat. He’s been chasing leads on Vito and digging a bit deeper into my wife’s past. I wish she had just been open with me and trusted me enough to tell me everything.

Instead, I have had to chase down information that she has gone to great lengths to cover up and hide. Like the fact her brother isn’t dead. He’s just on the run, hiding from a pile of unpaid debt.

When my third call goes unanswered, I know something isn’t right. I call my men one after another, and no one answers. My wife is in trouble.

“We need to get to the lake house,” I yell at Luca as I storm out of my office. “Aria is in trouble.”

“What sort of trouble? Is it the baby?” he asks as I throw the keys to the car at him.

“No,” I am afraid to say it out loud. “I can’t reach anyone at the house.”

Luca hits the gas, and I keep calling, praying she will answer. “How did they get to her?” I grind out loud.

“I can’t get hold of anyone either,” Luca says, hitting dial again. “Someone got in. I will see if there’s anyone closer than us who can go up to the house.”

The wait is killing me. Every second is one that something could happen to her. Luca keeps making calls, and I hit re-dial over and over, trying to reach Aria.

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