Page 32 of Mafia Doctor's Secret Baby

“Hello?” Emil’s bleary voice comes down the line. He sounds as though he’s half-asleep, but I need him up and ready to fight right now.

“Emil, wake up,” I bark at him. “I’m going to text you an address, you need to come right now. Someone just attacked me in the street.”

“What the fuck?—”

“I’ll explain when you get here,” I promise him. “Just come, okay?”

“I’ll be there,” he promises, and I can tell he’s wide-awake now. This is what he’s been worried about—something happening to pull us both into trouble. No matter how much distance we put between ourselves and our normal lives, we are still our father’s sons, and there’s no way the world is going to let us forget that anytime soon.

I climb out of the car once I’ve sent him the address, keeping my eyes pinned to the door opposite me—the one that leads to her apartment. I didn’t pass anyone on the way down, and I don’t think there’s another way into the building. I should check to make sure all the entrances are covered. I can station Emil on one and patrol the others myself, if that’s what it takes…

But then, another sound draws my attention. It’s the same man as before, advancing around the corner toward me, but this time he has several men at his side. He looks pissed, his shirt stained with blood where I managed to land a blow on him. I can tell from the expression on his face that he’s not going to let me go without a fight.

But if he thinks I’m just going to back down and roll over, he has another thing coming. I grip the knife in my hand and turn to face them, my body tensing, my muscles flexing. With my brother on the way, a knife in my hand, and my family to protect…

These motherfuckers don’t know what’s about to hit them.

15

KATIE

When I wake up,it takes me a moment to realize something is wrong.

My gut is churning by the time I come to, and at first, I think it must be because I heard Polly crying from next door—but when I lift my head and look around, I realize that she’s silent. I reach for the baby monitor, and sure enough, she is out for the count, still fast asleep after the last feed I gave her a couple of hours ago…

The feed that Luca was here for too. I glance to his side of the bed, only to find it empty, and my stomach sinks. Oh, I guess he had to leave early. Work or something? He was kind enough not to wake me, but if I’m being honest, I would have liked to steal a little morning friskiness with him…

But it’s not even that which has woken me. As I slip out of bed, I realize that sounds are coming from the street outside—and I race over to the window to see what it is.

As I pull the curtains open, my hand flies to my mouth. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

Luca is out there, surrounded by men—four, by the looks of it, though he seems to have dispatched a couple others. He’s holding a knife, shining with the remnants of blood…someone else’s, surely? I scan him for injury, but at this distance, it’s impossible to figure it out.

For a moment, I just stand there, unable to wrap my head around what I’m seeing right now. He’s taking on this group as though it’s nothing. There’s another man at his side, who seems to be fighting his corner, but I don’t recognize him. Is this the brother he told me about? It has to be, right?

I think about reaching for my phone to call the cops, but then I remember everything that Luca is caught up in. He likely doesn’t want police snooping around on his business, even if they are meant to be on his side.

And Luca and his brother seem to be dealing with it with some ease, moving with confidence as they take care of their various would-be attackers. Luca’s face is set tight, his mouth in a hard line and his eyes dark as he deals with each of the men, one at a time. I can’t take my eyes off of him. Seeing him like this, it’s as scary as it is exhilarating, and I know I shouldn’t think of it in those terms, but I can’t help it.

But what are they doing here? That’s the part that scares me the most. How did they find out about where he was? Did they follow him? And if they did, does that mean they know where I live…?

I rush out of the bedroom and toward Polly’s room without a second thought, leaning down to scoop her up into my arms and pin her there against my chest. She’s still half-asleep, and she starts wiggling as she begins to wake up, sniffling into my shirt, but I can hardly take it in. All I can think about is whetherthose men out there might have plans that involve me—or my daughter.

Is the door locked? If he had to leave, he might not have been able to lock it behind him. I hurry out and double-check that it’s sealed shut, and it is—thank God. So none of those men on the street can get up here, at least not without a?—

And it’s then that I hear the explosion of breaking glass from my bedroom. I tighten my grip on Polly, who’s crying even harder now, and my heart pounds against my chest. Please, please, let that be Luca, coming here to get me out of this mess?—

But before I can so much as call out his name, a man appears in the living room before me. I freeze, my feet rooted to the spot, as the two of us just stare at each other for a long moment. I don’t know what to say, what to do—I don’t know if I should scream or keep my mouth shut, if I should call for Luca or try to protect myself on my own terms…

I glance to the kitchen, where a knife is sitting out on the counter from the evening before. It might be the best chance I have to protect myself right now. I make a move to lunge toward it, but before I can, the man strides in front of me, blocking my path before I can get any closer.

“I don’t think so,” he warns me, his voice low. I swallow hard. Now that I’m close to him, I can see how terrifying he really is—his eyes nearly black with a hatred that looks like it comes from some place deep inside of him, his hand resting on a gun strapped to his side. I feel as though I’m going to throw up. I’m distantly aware of the fact that Polly is still crying, but I can barely hear it over the ringing in my ears.

“Please don’t hurt her,” I whisper to the man. I know it’s probably fruitless to beg like this, but I know I won’t be able to forgive myself if something happens to her. His eyes dart to the baby in my arms, and a small smirk shows on his face.

“Luca’s daughter,” he mutters, and he shifts a little closer to us. I draw back into myself on instinct, unable to think of anything other than keeping Polly safe. The thought of something happening to her, the thought of her being harmed in any way…it’s enough to make me feel sick to my stomach, and I know I can’t risk this man getting any nearer to her than he already has.

“I’m begging you,” I plead, my voice cracking. “She’s just a baby. She’s not a part of any of this. Take me if you have to, but?—”

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