Page 72 of Pretty Little Disaster

“Lorna, what’s happening?” Jonah sounds freaked.

“What do you think’s happening?” I stare up at him and try to breathe the way the woman on the video Nic sent me, did. Why did I tell him those classes were a stupid idea?

“No, you said you had two weeks before that would happen.” He stares at me and shakes his head.

“Well, I guess you pointing that gun at me got things kicking off a little early.” I kneel on the couch, twisting my body so I’m leaning over the armrest.

“How could you know I’d be here?” I have loads more questions and need a distraction from the pain. “And why you?Surely Gio would have had his professional kill me at the same time as my father.”

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.” Jonah uses the hand he’s not holding the gun with to grab some cushions and place them under my belly for support.

“According to Gio, his man stopped answering his calls as soon as he heard Dario DeMarco was after the man who killed your father.” Jonah shrugs.“And this isn’t how things were supposed to happen tonight,” he assures me.

“I’ve been parked up in a van outside the Marchetti place for hours. Gio’s girl was going to cause an argument between you and Nic, so you left early and I was going to…I was going to drive by and…”

“You were going to kill us both?” I rest on my elbows and breathe, the pain in my back is splitting, and all I want is for Nic to be here so he can tell me it’s going to be okay.

“I called Gio when I saw you leave by yourself, he told me to follow you, see where you headed, and make this discreet. I guess he’s figuring Nic wouldn't need a district if he doesn’t have you,”

“All this is about getting the fuckingdistrict?” I can feel another pain building and I panic because it’s happening too fast.

“It always is with these people, Lorna. They feed on power,”

I realize that he’s rubbing my back now, but I’m too scared to push him away in case that gun goes off.

“So, you’re going to shoot me, here in your girlfriend's house.”

“She’s not technically my girlfriend, yet, bu–”

“Answer the damn question, Jonah.” I feel something trickle between my legs, something that keeps on coming despite me trying to clench, and as it soaks into the couch, Jonah steps back in horror.

“What the fuck isthat?” he asks.

“That was my waters breaking, which means this baby wants to come. So, unless you intend on using that fucking gun to kill me, would youpleaseget me to a hospital?” I manage to get my words out all while making sure I don’t panic. I can only deal with one crisis at once.

“Boss, we have a situation.” I turn my head and see Jonah has his phone placed against his ear.

“The girl...” I assume that's how Jonah refers to me to his Mafia buddies. “She’s… the kid’s coming out of her, like, right now. And I know what we agreed but I don’t think I can…” He turns away from me. “I’m not killing a fucking kid, Gio,” he whisper-yells into the phone then takes his instruction before he hangs up.

“Just breathe and don’t panic,” Jonah tells me when he turns back around and steps back toward me. I may be in pain but I manage to breathe a sigh of relief.

“I need drugs, Madalina’s done this twice without but even she says she’s having them for sure, next time.” I shift my position, getting ready for him to help me to the car. I left the party without my jacket and my cell’s in the pocket. I don’t know Nic’s number by memory, so I’ll just have to call him when we get to the hospital and hope his baby will hang on for him to get there.

“You don’t need drugs,” Jonah assures me calmly and I smile at his optimism. I'm sure he’d feel differently if he were me right now.

“I’d like to try them all the same.” I laugh, preparing myself to get up, but just as I start to stand he pushes me back down.

“You don’t need them because I’m going to make the pain go away, right now.” He presses the barrel of the gun against my head.

NIC

Icarry on trying her cell and it keeps ringing through. I’ve covered most of the house and now I’m really starting to panic.

“Nothing out the back,” Madalina informs me as she rushes to join me in the lobby. I press the phone to my ear and call her again and when we both hear the sound of a chirpy ringtone coming from the door beside us, I burst straight through it. The guy slumped in a chair on the other side of the door, scrolling through his phone, suddenly jumps to attention.

“Your jacket, sir…miss.” He comes toward us and I shove him out of the way so I can follow the sound of the ringtone through this makeshift cloakroom. I flick through the rails of expensive coats until I locate the one I know belongs to Lorna.

“Shit, her phone’s in here.” I drag it out of the pocket, looking at my sister, and then back to the phone in my hand.

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