Page 70 of Pain and Possession

Noè's baby.

A fucking mafia baby.

"Olive?"

"I think I'm spiraling." I say honestly because I am. My palm twitches with the urge to touch my stomach, I don't bother resisting. Although I know it's far too early to feel him there.

Him?

Marcus chuckles on the other end, "I felt that way too with my first. The spiral with the sixth was way worse to be honest. My partner always wanted a big family."

Six?!

"I won't tell him, but you need to tonight. Give me your word, I will be checking."

"I promise." Is all I manage a million more things settling on my tongue.

What if he changes his mind?

Will he walk away?

Will he be a good dad?

Will our child be groomed the way he was?

Our child.

A smile falls on my face as I blink rapidly trying to clear away the tears. Unsuccessfully as they stream down my cheeks. I'm not sure if I'm happy or it's the sheer mindfuck of it all.

"I'll be calling tomorrow to set you up with an obstetrician for prenatal care, if that's what you two decide."

"Thank you." I mutter not bothering to listen for his reply before I end the call. A small sob leaves my chest, part panic and part… happiness? I never really thought kids would be something I had; it just didn't seem… logical. Bringing another human into the world the way it was. The way I was, I never felt I was someone with the proper capacity for love. The kind of love you need to be a mother, or well a good one anyway. The back door slams open, Rem's angry expression softens slightly when she notices me.

"You were supposed to stay within eyesight. Not sneak out the back to cry on the ground. Stand up." I scowl, unwilling to let her snotty ass ruin my Hallmark moment. Her face seems to screw up into a grimace even further.

"There's not enough Botox in the world to fix your frown lines." I mumble as I stand. She just scoffs, she's pretty and definitely doesn't need any help but fuck her.

"You know you're the girlfriend of the Arcuri family head, carry yourself with a shred of-“

A scream leaves my throat as a gunshot rings out, the sound filling the tight alley. Reverberating off the walls and shattering my eardrums. Rem stumbles to her knees, her left arm hanging down by her side as blood begins to pour out from around the wound. I quickly clasp my hands over it squeezing tightly as she struggles to jerk her gun from its holster with her other arm, "Get inside." She spits between gritted teeth.

Just as she says it the back door swings open again Liner takes less than two steps out, gun raised before the second shot rings out, dropping him instantly. My heart pounds in my chest as I scramble for the door, not moving nearly fast enough before it once again latches and locks.

"Fuck!"

My eyes dart around trying to find the shooter as Rem slumps forward, "Run Olive! They aren't here for us!"

I scramble for her, trying to jerk her tall, muscular frame to a stand only to be shoved back hard, "Go!” She screams, I only shake my head pulling out my phone with bloody trembling fingers. The sound of screeching tires fills the alley before she opens up, firing into the dark panel van barreling towards us.

"Go now!"

I stay rooted in place my fingers finally pulling up his phone number. I quickly put the phone on speaker, locking the screen and shoving it back into my pocket.

"Stupid bitch." She mumbles as I jerk her to a stand, all the while she's reloading and the occupants of the van are pouring out, doors left open to conceal themselves from her bullets. My phone rings another two times as she unloads again, her gunfire punctuated by the occasional responding shot.

Why aren't they firing more? We're outnumbered.

I grunt as I drag her closer to the back door. Another bullet hits her as she screams, slamming into the pavement as I lose my grip on her. I follow her down, watching her eyes close as a strangled sound leaves her throat. Adrenaline rages through my veins as I grab for her gun.

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