Page 105 of Vows of a Mobster
“Isn’t the senator her dad?” I questioned her.
She frowned at that. “No, that was her stepdad. She called both of them dad.”
The silence lingered in the air. How could one young woman have such a complicated history?
“She disappeared today,” I hissed low today. “The Irish have seen Brianna. Do you know what that means? She could have been taken.” I took a deep breath to calm down. “What is it that the three of you are up to?”
Marissa flinched at my words, and Daphne’s lip trembled.
“N-nothing,” Marissa stuttered. It was the first time I had ever heard her stutter.
“Marissa?” I warned her, leaning towards her.
“Please, Mateo,” she whispered. “Don’t do this.”
“Do what? I’m trying to help her.” I was amazed my voice was low, while fury boiled inside me.
“Emma is sick,” Daphne ended up answering in a shaky voice. She was trying to keep her face brave though. “She’ll be sick for a while.”
I flinched at those words. It didn’t sound good.
“Can she be moved today?” I asked both of them. I would get the best doctor’s and we’d make her better. I promised Brianna she would be my first priority, and she would be. I would take care of her and her daughter.
“Tomorrow would be better,” Marissa uttered in a low voice. “She barely made it here in the car”
I nodded. I would find out everything but right now the need to see my woman was clawing at me. I had to make sure she was alright.
“Where is Brianna?”
“Second floor, door through the left, Emma’s bathroom,” Daphne answered.
“You two will stay here. We have things to arrange.” They both shared a glance then nodded.
I went back into the house, Antonio right behind me. “I got this, Antonio.”
“I know you do,” he assured me. “I will ensure all is good and will then leave you with your woman.”
It was his job to ensure I was safe, but fuck, did he really think Brianna was a danger to me? He scouted the rooms, and when we entered the bedroom Daphne mentioned, it was like entering a little princess room. Antonio and I were two dark figures in the pink world, and we didn’t belong.
I heard whimpers in the bathroom and tensed immediately. Was Brianna hurting?
“Shhhh,” Brianna’s voice came through. “It’s okay. I got you.”
The door was wide open, the smell of medicine and vomit hit my nose. Brianna sat on the tiled floor, with Emma wrapped in a blanket, her mother’s arms around her, rocking her gently.
“It hurts, Mommy.”
Brianna’s eyes were closed, exhaustion all over her. Her face was pale, tears lingering on her dark eyelashes. She rubbed her daughter’s back in a slow, comforting motion.
“I know, sweetie. Try to sleep, it will help.” Brianna was barely keeping it together. She kept swallowing hard, her voice shaking.
“You are not going to leave?” Emma wrapped her arms around her mother and I saw tube inserts on her hand. The little I saw of her face, she was pale as a ghost, tears dried out on her skin. The little girl from Marissa’s party was gone and replaced by a fragile child. I felt like the worst bastard. I selfishly kept her away from her daughter while Emma needed her mother. Why didn’t she tell me?
Because she doesn’t trust me.
“I’m never going to leave you,” she vowed. “Now try to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
The little girl buried her blonde hair into her mother’s chest. Antonio put his hand on my shoulder. I glanced at him. It was the first time I saw tears glistening in the man’s eyes. He nodded and left. If I was a better man, I would leave her too. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t tear myself away from this woman. I wanted to ease all her pains, be there for her, whether she needed me or not.
