Page 31 of Luca
“Because our family is very old fashioned,” Aiden stated matter-of-factly.
“I bet if you get a girl knocked up, they’ll do whatever you say.”
He didn’t bother correcting me. We both knew they’d do whatever Aiden said or decided. They learned early on that a sure way to lose their sons was to enforce their will on them. Mother couldn’t discipline or control the boys, so I ended up getting a double dose of all her disciplinary actions.
Life just sucked sometimes.
“Can you help me?” I rasped, locking eyes with him.
If circumstances were different, I’d hide my desperation. But I had to do this. It was for my girl. So she could get a taste of freedom and a happy life. Not the one bound by the Irish mafia.
“Fuck,” he grumbled. “I’m going to be in pig shit if it ever comes out.”
Hope lit up in my chest. “It won’t,” I said quickly. “Nobody will ever know. I won’t tell anyone. Not even Áine.”
Aiden shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t give a shit if the world knows. I’ll put them all in their place. Arseholes.” My lips curved at his response. That was so my brother. Up for any challenge. “I’m curious, how come Áine didn’t help you?”
I swallowed. My brothers and her would be the hardest thing to leave behind. Money too but mainly them.
“I didn’t dare ask her,” I admitted softly. “She’d help me, but I didn’t want her to keep a secret from Cassio and Uncle Jack.”
A sardonic breath left him. “Well, it was Uncle Jack who put you in that predicament. And Cassio King fucked you over. So he owes you big time.”
That was neither here nor there. I wouldn’t dwell on the past. It’d get me nowhere. I had to think about the future.
“Would the baby's father be willing to go with you?” Aiden asked quietly. “I hate for you to be alone.”
Tears burned in the back of my eyes. A lump formed in my throat, threatening to get me sobbing. Pregnancy had made me so goddamn emotional that I was getting on my own nerves. Never mind anyone else’s.
Suddenly, Aiden pulled me into his chest and the tears won. My body shook with sobs and my brother’s comfort only made me cry harder. It made no fucking sense. I haven’t even lost my family yet but I mourned the loss. Brothers. Cousins. Even my mother for all her hard-ass ways.
“We’ll get through this,” he murmured into my hair. “First we end this line up of men for you to marry. Think of it as a vacation until we get through all the bullshit. One day, we’ll all sit by the fire, share tales of our adventures and yours might be the greatest one of all.”
Above us the sky suddenly thundered, the first signs of an impending rainstorm.
It was the first omen of the bad things to come.
ChapterThirteen
LUCA
Iwatched Margaret saunter into the building of her Ob/Gyn, her mouth wrapped around the straw of her fruit smoothie. She had been drinking those like they were going out of style.
Once she was inside, I made my way into the building too. I used the staircase reserved for employees of the building. Benefits of buying out the business of the top obstetrician in the country.
Her family wanted her to be treated by their family doctor but he suddenly became “unavailable,” courtesy of my bribe. I lined up Dr. Calabro who was one of the best. She also happened to be on my payroll.
She kept me up to date on Margaret’s and baby’s progress. It also allowed me to be present at all Margaret’s doctor’s visits. Unbeknownst to her.
I took my normal spot in the room behind the one where Margaret would be seen. Just as I took my usual spot, the door opened and I watched through the window as Margaret made her way into the room. The only thing that separated me from her was the one way glass that would allow me to observe the appointment.
“You must be the fastest or best organized doctor on this planet,” Margaret observed. “I have yet to even pick up a magazine when I come for my appointments.”
My lips curved up. She didn’t know she was getting preferential treatments. The doctors figured the sooner they saw her and she was out the door, the sooner they got rid of me.
“We pride ourselves on our efficiency,” Dr. Calabro lied with a smile on her face. The woman couldn’t stand me but she liked Margaret. I fell from her graces when I made her see Margaret through her appointment rather than rush to her emergency C-section she was supposed to perform.
“You know the drill,” Dr. Calabro told her, smiling as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves.
