Page 37 of The Doctor's Promise
He hauled her up and carried her into the living room where Rafa was fighting with another man—and winning. Noemi screamed, and Rafa looked up just as the man threw Noemi at him. Rafa caught her and pushed her behind him.
“What the fuck do you want?” He yelled, and Noemi could see blood running down his face. Behind her was the breakfast bar. Surreptitiously, she reached behind her, her hand groping for anything they could use as a weapon. There was a flash of light, and she realized the attackers were taking photos on their phone. Rafa lunged at them, but Noemi pulled him back. He was a strong man but against two of them…
Noemi’s attacker smirked and nodded to his accomplice, and they went out the same way they came in—through the unlocked sliding doors that led to the deck. Rafa cussed loudly, and then went to the doors, locking them. Rafa and Noemi stood in shocked silence for a long time before Rafa came to her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and touched his face. “But you’re not.”
“I’m fine. I’m going to call the police. Then afterward, we’re getting out of here. If I were alone, I’d say fuck it, but I’m not risking the two of you.” He splayed his hand over her belly and at that moment, Noemi knew she would keep the baby.
The police came, and they gave a statement, but the police told them it was probably an attempted robbery, and that they would keep a look out. Noemi read that as ‘they’re long gone, forget about it.’ She could see Rafa wasn’t happy with that answer, but he didn’t press it.
As soon as the officers left, he turned to her, his green eyes full of fury and concern. “Sweetheart, let’s get out of here.”
Noemi obeyed him, and within a half hour they were on the road.
They checkedinto a hotel in Carson City, but Rafa insisted they fly back to Seattle as soon as they had gotten some sleep. “I want you far, far away from here.”
She cleaned up his head wound, which looked much worse than it was, and he tried to persuade her to see a doctor, but Noemi knew she was okay. “I’ll probably just ache tomorrow. I was lucky; those stairs weren’t too steep.”
“We were both lucky. I just want to know who the fuck those guys were.”
Noemi dabbed at his forehead with the rubbing alcohol, and he winced. “Like the cops said, probably just opportunists.”
“Opportunists don’t throw pregnant women down stairs. Opportunists steal. They took nothing but photographs of us.”
Noemi gave him a half-smile. “He didn’t know I was pregnant, baby.”
They gazed at each other for a long moment, then both began to smile. “We’re really going to do this, huh?” Rafa said, his eyes shining, and Noemi laughed.
“I guess we are.”
He kissed her softly. “I love you.”
“Right back at you, big guy.” She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder. “I’d show you how much, but I really am wiped out.”
They laid down together, and Rafa tucked his arms around her waist as they fell asleep. As she gave into unconsciousness, Noemi knew that when they woke up, they would have to plan for a very different future than either of them had expected.
Zani flickedthrough the images on the text message he’d just been sent. Rafa. Noemi. These bastards had followed them to the cabin, attacked them, taken photos of them. It was a warning. Had they said anything to Rafa, given him a clue that it was Zani’s fault they were attacked? He felt sick. Were his brother and his lover hurt?
Jesus…
No. They couldn’t have told Rafa anything, or he would have been on the phone asking Zani what the fuck he’d gotten himself into in Europe. Zani closed his eyes. He’d been more than just reckless. His love for cocaine had led to his owing money to men who didn’t give credit… ever. Zani had thought he was untouchable. Now he knew he wasn’t, and neither were the people he loved.
And he had no idea how to save them.
18
Chapter Eighteen
Noemi and Rafa decided not to tell anyone about the baby until past the three-month mark. “That’ll give Leo some time to come to terms, and anyway, it’s traditional.”
Rafa grinned at his lover as they sat in his kitchen one morning a week after their return from Lake Tahoe. “Like any of this has been traditional.”
Noemi chuckled and linked her fingers in his. “Then a little bit of tradition is probably called for.” She rubbed her belly unconsciously. “I should go get it confirmed at the hospital, though. They’d keep it on the down low—they’d have to—and, don’t freak out—but I want to just check everything is okay.”
Rafa was immediately alert. “You’ve had pain?”
“A little but that’s not unusual, so don’t get panicked,” She waved him down as he began to rise from his chair. “After all, my body is changing. I’m still waiting for the morning sickness to kick in.” She leaned over and brushed her lips against his. “Sure you’ll still want me when I’m all fat and huge?”
