Page 38 of Surprise Baby for the Don

My fists clench at my sides, the anger boiling over, hot and consuming. I want to tear Carlo apart, to make him pay for every second he’s kept Ginny and Rocco here, for every threat, every insult. But I can’t lose control. Not yet. Not until I know she’s safe.

A door creaks open, and I turn, my heart pounding as I see a glimpse of another room, dimly lit and cluttered with boxes. A figure is slumped on the floor, bloodied, battered, but alive. Rex. The man himself. He’s barely conscious, his face swollen and bruised, but he’s breathing.

“Surprise!” Carlo’s voice is laced with smug satisfaction, and I can feel his gaze on me, watching, waiting for my reaction. “He owes us, Mateo. And when people don’t pay up, they don’t get to dictate the terms.”

I turn back to Carlo, my expression hard, my voice low and filled with barely restrained fury. “You’ve made your point, Carlo. Now let them go. This doesn’t have to go any further.”

Carlo laughs, a sharp, grating sound that grates on my nerves.

“Oh, but it does, Mateo,” he says, his tone mocking, his eyes gleaming with malice. “This is just the beginning. The old deal isoff. It’s time for a new arrangement—one where the Savinis get what they’re owed.”

“And what exactly is it you think you’re owed?” I ask, my voice steady, controlled, though every word feels like a struggle, like I’m holding back a tidal wave of rage.

Carlo leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Power, respect, territory. Everything your family has taken from us, everything we’ve been denied.”

“You’ve crossed a line, Carlo,” I say, my voice low, dangerous. “You wanted your fucking money, you should’ve sent me an invoice for it. Kidnapping my staff and threatening me is unacceptable. It’s about time you learn your fucking place.”

Carlo laughs, the sound sharp and mocking, and he leans forward, his gaze cold, unyielding. “You’re the one who needs to learn his, Mateo. You’ve lost your edge. You’ve gotten soft, gone legit and forgotten what this business is meant to be. Your father would be ashamed.”

“Enough,” I seethe, tired of his games and empty insults. “You want to kill Rex St. Croix? Be my fucking guest, he’s been nothing but a thorn in my side since the moment he darkened my doorstep. You’d be doing me a favor, honestly. But youwilllet his daughter go. You will let Rocco go. Or you’ll be leaving this warehouse tonight in a body bag.”

“We’ll see about that,” he says quietly.

25

Ginny

In one swift motion, I slip my hand free from the zip tie and reach up, looping it around the guard’s neck and pulling tight. His eyes widen, a choked sound escaping his throat as he struggles, but I hold on, digging my heels into the floor as I pull with every ounce of strength I have.

Just when I think I might lose my grip, Rocco lunges forward, tripping the guard and sending him crashing down to the floor. The impact is brutal, his head smacking against the concrete with a sickening thud, but Rocco doesn’t stop there. He stomps down on the guard’s face, his expression cold, relentless, until the man stops moving altogether.

For a moment, I stand there, trying to catch my breath, my heart racing as I process what’s just happened.

I’ve never seen a dead body before in person. Not outside of a funeral home, anyway. Better him than one of us though. My stomach twists sharply, though it has nothing to do with the earlier pain I felt. I can’t help but vomit on the spot. I’m hunched over, my hands braced against my knees as my body shakes fromthe exertion.

There’s no time to dwell on it, though, not a moment to waste. Rocco turns his back to me, holding out his wrists.

“Untie me,” he says, his voice gruff but steady.

I look around for something to cut through his zip ties. His hands definitely aren’t small enough to just slip through them. I crouch down, forcing myself to not give any real thought to what I’m doing, and pat down our guard until I find a pocketknife in his pocket. I pull it out and fiddle the switch until a small, sharp blade pokes out. I cut at the zip tie with precision, dropping the knife like it’s a hot coal the second Rocco is free of his bondage.

He pulls his hands apart, rubbing his wrists before bending down to pick up the guard’s gun. He glances at me, his expression unreadable, a flicker of concern in his eyes.

“You need to get out of here,” he says, his tone firm, almost commanding. “Now. This isn’t the place for you. It’s going to get much worse.”

I shake my head, determination hardening inside me. “I’m not going anywhere,” I tell him resolutely. “Mateo’s walking into a trap because of me. I’m not just going to leave him here. Besides, this place is crawling with Savini men. How exactly do you expect me to get out without putting myself in more danger?”

“Ginny,” he says patiently. “If I know Mateo at all, half of his men are outside right now. Just get outside and one of them will get you to safety.”

“No,” I nearly shout, my mind made up. “I’m not leaving him to die.”

Rocco lets out a frustrated sigh, his jaw clenched as he stares at me, clearly torn between wanting to argue and knowing we don’t have time.

“If you want to get yourself killed, that’s on you,” he mutters.

I nod in agreement, trying to keep my emotions in check as I consider his words. I look back down at the dead guard, and it hits me all over again. This is Mateo’s life. This is the life I’m actively choosing by walking into danger.

For a split second, I can see my life flash before my eyes, but it isn’t my past. It’s my future. I see what could happen if I walk away from this right now, if I leave Mateo to die.

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