Page 58 of Merciless Attraction

“For your pregnancy, Miss Marzano,” she says as if that’s common fucking information. “Your blood tests show that you are pregnant, and the gynecologist will confirm dates and things like that.”

Panic stretches around me like a chloroformed napkin and bends me over with every breath coming fast and hard. I can’t be. I try to regain my composure and stand upright to ask her, “Are you sure?”

“Your blood tests show that much. You should sit down. There’s a G.Y.N on site today if you want to talk to her.”

I simply nod as the world seems to go silent around me. The physician assistant's words melt into the air around me. I move through the rest of my appointment with an air of detachment as I think of how to tell Antonio that I’m carrying his child.

At the end of it all, the gynecologist confirms my pregnancy and apparently, I’m around nine weeks. I cancel my physical therapy to treat myself to lunch alone where I get to overthink this in every way possible. However, I don’t have too much time to think things over as two men approach me when I step out of the hospital.

“Good afternoon, Miss Marzano,” the first one says, with gaunt cheeks and hollow eyes puts his hand out. “I’m Detective Morningside. There’s been an incident with your fiancé and we need you to come with us.”

“Is he okay?” I ask as worry rips through me along with clarity. I’d hate myself if Antonio was hurt or worse, dealing with Steve. I pull my phone out to call Bash when the larger of the two steps forward and tears my phone from my hands. “Hey? What the fuck?!”

Morningside flashes his badge and the big one flashes his gun. The detective’s voice is dangerously low as he tells me, “Come quietly.”

Chapter 28: Antonio

Bash and I sit in the corner of a quiet restaurant on Pier 39 waiting for Steve to show up. My mind constantly drifts to Gemma and a part of me wants to be with her, but I need to see this through. I need to see that asshole pay for what he’s done to her.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen. Can I get you started with appetizers and drinks?” The server says in a voice too familiar to me, causing me to turn and look at him. The asshole works here.

“Barry, this is my section, man,” another server interjects before I can react. It’s clear thatSteve’scoworkers have no idea who this asshole is.

Bash grips my forearm because I don’t notice the knife in my hand. I drop the utensil and excuse myself. I can hear Bash saying something to the other server, but my mind is on the ex who is terrorizing my fiancé.

His teasing smile taunts me into following him outside. Of course there are dozens of people around, but a part of me doesn’t care. As long as Gemma is safe from him, she’ll be free to live her life without me. I’m not afraid to go back to prison. I’m a different man than the sixteen-year-old boy the system put there all those years ago.

Steve’s laughter cuts through the air. “You know I was surprised when you showed up with Sebastien. I was expecting some low-ranking soldiers, but look ... I finally got the attention ofTre Fratelli, Don Sebastien Marzano. And my girl’s new fuck toy. I guess you’re a bonus, too, being a doctor and all.”

I take a step closer to him, willing to beat him into the wooden planks under our feet until he’s less than a speck of blood on the wooden boards.

He holds a finger up. “Now, wait a minute. You gave me a good beating once already. I think that’s close enough.”

“What do you want?” Bash asks as he approaches from behind me. The way he moves forces us to take our conversation further away from the people simply enjoying their day.

“I wanted to see Gemma. I was all torn up after her accident,” he chuckles and places a hand over his heart. “Oh wait, no, that was her, wasn’t it? I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to kill you yet. She has this thing where she likes to kill her boyfriends, all Black Widow, you know?”

I move away from Bash and Bash steps forward. We’re cornering Steve and he has no idea what’s coming. Every step we take pushes him into an alley that leads to an area behind the restaurants, so he never believes he’s trapped.

“Where’s my little Gem?” Steve asks as his eyes dart back and forth between me and Bash. Steve pulls out his phone to wave it in my face. “Let me see. You know I never meant for her to crash into the water. I wanted her to crash, but she was supposed to come out of it withmyhelp. I was looking forward to our little reunion.”

Casper clears his throat behind Steve, causing him to look over his shoulder. Casper’s not close enough to do anything, but it’s distracting enough for Steve to step closer to me. Bash makes a sudden movement toward his brother, and I grip Steve by the shoulder. I spin him around and with a move I perfected inside, stab him several times in the side of his lower abdomen.

Each blow is stunted and quick, leaving Steve in disbelief at how fast his life can come to an end. I let him fall to the sidewalk where he’ll likely bleed out. As he grips his wound, Bash kneels beside him.

“Steve, Barry, whoever the fuck you are, your plan worked, and you have my undivided attention. Is there anything you’d like to say now?” Bash asks him.

Steve gurgles a bit before reaching for his phone, but barely has the energy to speak. “Where’s my Gem?”

Casper’s already in clean up mode with soldiers posing as police officers to seal off the area. No one pays attention much as a crew of people in toxic cleanup gear approach with a steel drum bearing a toxic symbol on it. They pick Steve up and shove him inside, but I grab his phone before they take it.

There’s a dot moving along a map on the screen and it’s easy to see that Steve has Gemma’s location at any given time. Anger surges through me and I wish I could kill him again. Instead, I pay attention to where the dot’s moving. It’s not at the hospital.

I call Gemma just to put my mind at ease. I’d much rather her curse me out for not giving her the space she needs, but my worst fears come to life when the voice of Detective Morningside answers the phone.

“Hey, honey,” Morningside taunts. “I was just thinking about you. You see, I told you—”

With him on speakerphone, we hurry to the nearest car and listen as the corrupt detective gives me instructions.

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