Page 41 of Let Vengeance Be Mine

“And did you?” I’m pretty sure Aria already knows the answer, but I give her the courtesy of one, anyway.

“I did. I held a pillow over his face, and I ended him.” I think back to the way his body thrashed against me, his survival instinct using the last of his strength to try and fight me off. In that moment, I used all the hate I’d built for him over the years to force that pillow down harder and when his last breath left his body, I didn’t feel a shred of remorse.

“Matteo, that must have been awful.” Aria’s eyes fill with tears of sympathy.

“Yeah, well, it’s done now. I carried out what he wanted. I neverdidlet him down when he wanted a job done.” I wipe the lone tear from my eye and hope she doesn’t notice it.

“I want to do things differently. No fucking games.” I slide my hand over her stomach and smile when I feel our son fidget under my palm.

“You're a different man to the one I first met,” she tells me, placing her hand over mine and looking up at me. Somehow, this girl has always seen the good in me, even when it hasn’t been there.

“Thank you for sharing with me what happened. I don’t like the idea of us having secrets from each other.” Her eyes drop down to our hands when our baby moves, again.

“We’re going to make this a happy place, from now on. No looking back at old memories, just happy ones,” she promises. And I nod my head because I’m totally good with that.

ARIA

“Everything is progressing perfectly.” Dr Fabier finishes pressing his hand into my pelvis to check the baby’s position and steps over to the dresser, where his notes are. I can’t imagine how much it must have cost Matteo to fly him out here, it seems over the top considering there are perfectly good doctors less than an hour's boat ride away, on the mainland.

“But…”

“What do you mean ‘but’?” Matteo stands himself up straight from where he’s been resting his shoulder against the patio door frame, watching my examination, sternly.

“Unless you plan on having this baby here on the island, which I wouldn’t recommend, you will have to start making plans for a return to the mainland.” He clears his throat as if he can sense it’s not what Matteo wants to hear.

“Aria is only five weeks away from her due date, it’s not recommended that a pregnant mother fly any less than four,” he adds, causing Matteo to run his finger across his lip and nod like he’s known this was coming. Then he rushes over to help me when I struggle to get myself up into a seating position on the bed.

“I will remain on call, but if something were to happen here, there is no guarantee I would make it here on time, nor do you have the facilities for the event of complications.” The way he refuses to look either of us in the eye when he says that, is just a reminder that the majority of people are terrified of my husband.

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to make those arrangements.” Matteo looks stressed as he marches out the door, sliding his hand through his hair the way he always does when he’s mad, and leaving me and the doctor alone. With him gone, I see an opportunity.

“What kind of complications could there be?” I want to know so I can be prepared.

“Most births go completely to plan, especially when the mother is as healthy as you are. I see nothing that gives me any concern or reason to doubt that you should–”

“But…what are the risks of me delivering here, on the island?” I rush him to the point, putting on a brave face and pretending not to be scared.

“Well, for a start, there would be no pain relief, not all women require it, but many do–”

“That's not a complication. I want to know the risks!” I cut him off.

“Sometimes, the baby isn’t in the correct position for birth, a breech baby can be very hard to deliver, especially without medical assistance. Your baby is already head down, but there’s nothing to say that may change. There are risks of placenta abruption and…Look, there are many risks, Aria. My strong advice is for you to leave this island and return home, or at least go somewhere close to a medical center.” He places his hand over mine and smiles curtly before grabbing his medical bag and following Matteo out.

* * *

Matteo has hidden himself away in his office and I figure, given the mood he was in when he left the bedroom, I should give him his space. Instead, I take a book out onto the porch and somehow manage to get myself into the hammock. I lose myself in the story I’m reading, and with the warm glow of the sun on my face I eventually drift off to sleep.

I don’t know how long I was napping for, but I wake up to his fingers stroking softly over my swollen stomach as I sway, and when I open my eyes the smile on his face looks almost guilty.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispers. “You just looked so beautiful I had to come over and touch you.” I look down at my body and roll my eyes. My stomach sticks out like a beach ball, you can barely see the orange bikini bottoms I’m wearing, and my tits have become so big and heavy they spill out of my bikini top. Which is the only thing I seem to feel comfortable in, with this heat.

“Well, I feel like an elephant,” I assure him, supporting my belly as I twist into a better position.

“I’ve been thinking…” Matteo sighs heavily

“About us going home?” I can see how hard this is for him.

“You heard what the doctor said, staying here isn’t an option.” He drops his head and focuses on his hand when our son kicks.

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