Page 39 of Surprise Baby for the Don

In one future, I’m alive, living somewhere far away from here. Cassidy and I are raising my child together, and I’m content as I can be. But I’m not truly happy. Mateo woke something up in me that I didn’t know was asleep, and it’s not something I can just ignore now that I know him.

The other future is much less certain. There’s more danger, more moments like this. Hell, part of me doesn’t even know if we make it out of this warehouse. We could be fighting for a future that doesn’t even exist. But at least I would die with Mateo, die choosing him and knowing he chose me in return.

I’m in love with him. Living without him is not even an option anymore.

“Let’s go,” I nod at Rocco, sealing my fate in stone.

He moves toward the door, and I follow close behind, my heart pounding as we slip out of the room we’ve been held in and into the dimly lit hallway. There’s a flight of stairs, and I realize we must be in the basement of this building. Rocco and I slowly,quietly, make our way up the stairs. When we reach the top, he puts out his hand to stop me, and I flatten myself against the cold, hard wall, holding my breath.

He peeks around the corner of the stairs, his body tense, alert. I follow his gaze, catching a glimpse of a man standing guard nearby, likely a backup for our dead guard in the basement. His back is to us, his posture relaxed and almost bored. Like our guard, he probably feels like he’s missing out on the real action.

Knowing he’d rather shoot, but not wanting to bring attention to us, Rocco steps forward toward the guy, nearly silently, raising the butt of his gun and coming down hard on the back of his head. His body collapses instantly, a loud thud as he hits the ground.

Rocco looks back at me with a mix of resignation and pity. “This life isn’t for someone like you, Bella.” He sighs. “You should never have gotten involved with this.”

“But I am,” I argue. “And I love Mateo. You do too, Rocco. Wouldn’t you do anything to make sure he’s safe?”

“Of course I would, but it’s different for me. I’m an old man, I’ve been in more situations like this than you can count, and I know what I’m doing. You could be hurt if you stay, and that’s not going to benefit anyone.”

I place my hands on my hips petulantly and stand my ground. “It’s my decision to make,” I tell him firmly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He nods, then turns his back to me, a clear indication that I should follow if I mean what I say. We walk carefully through the building, our eyes peeled for any other signs of life.

He stops abruptly as we near another corner, and he gestures for me to look for myself. I carefully peek over the corner to see another man standing guard at a closed door.

“I think that’s where Mateo is,” he whispers to me. “This is your last chance. Are you sure you don’t want to leave?”

“Positive,” I whisper, my voice barely audible but filled with determination. I’m not going anywhere. Not without Mateo.

He nods, a flicker of respect in his eyes as he studies me. “Okay, Bella.”

Then, without warning, he grabs me, his arm wrapping around my neck as he presses the gun to my temple. I gasp, caught off guard, my body tensing instinctively, but I force myself to stay calm, to trust him. This is part of the plan. It has to be.

Rocco’s voice rings out, loud and commanding, cutting through the relative silence of the building.

“Hey!” he yells to the guard. “Over here!”

26

Mateo

There’s a loud shout just outside the door. It pierces the air, echoing down the hall, sharp and panicked. Carlo’s hired gun’s eyes dart toward the door, glancing nervously at Carlo. With a nod, Carlo gestures for him to open it, his grin spreading wider as if he’s been waiting for this moment. The door creaks open, revealing the dimly lit chaos unfolding beyond. Guards scramble, shouting orders, and I strain to make out the details.

Carlo’s laughter fills the air, rich with amusement.

“Go on, Mateo,” he says, gesturing toward the open door with a wave of his hand. He’s reveling in this, in my confusion, in the twisted sense of power he thinks he has over me.

“What the hell’s going on?” I demand, feeling a creeping dread in my chest, tightening with each passing second.

But Carlo only laughs again, and then David slips in past the chaos and joins him, his eyes glinting with malicious pleasure. And then I hear it, a deep, rough chuckle I know too well. Roccosteps into the room, gun pointed at Ginny’s head.

Her eyes meet mine and she shakes her head quickly, indicating that I shouldn’t do anything. Her gaze darts from mine to her still father on the ground and she closes her eyes completely shut, whimpering a slight bit. Her face is pale, apart from a red mark on her cheek where she was slapped, but otherwise she looks unharmed. I have to believe that this is all a misunderstanding, that she’ll remain unharmed despite the gun pointed to her head.

My stomach churns, my mind reeling as I look at Rocco, at the man who’s been a father figure to me my entire life. The man who’s been by my side, who I trusted with everything. But now he stands here, laughing with my enemies, holding the fate of the love of my life in his hands.

“Rocco, what the fuck?” I manage, barely able to get the words out. My voice feels foreign, strained. “What the hell is this?” I say louder, managing to find my voice.

He tilts his head and presses the gun closer to Ginny’s head, a cold, detached look on his face as he shrugs, as if this is nothing to him. I search his face, looking for a trace of remorse, a flicker of regret. But there’s nothing. Just a mask of indifference, his eyes completely devoid of any emotion.

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