by Zoey Parker
“I need to know if Lionel set you up,” I said, drawing the shears down Jake’s chest and pressing down until a thin red line appeared in their wake. “I need to know if my own father betrayed me, or if it was just you, the sack of shit foster brother I grew up with.”
Jake swallowed hard. I could see the whites of his eyes bulging, and I could tell he was scared. “I wanted to be the leader,” he hissed, confirming my suspicions. “Lionel, that dumb fuck, always wanted you.”
Despite the anger surging through my body, a small part of me felt relieved. So, Lionel hadn’t wanted to betray me after all. He’d loved me. He’d known I was his true son.
“Is that so?” I jabbed the shears into Jake’s thigh. He cried out in anguish and blood soaked through the fabric of his pants, draining into the tub. Another surge of anger hit me and I stabbed harder, driving the sharp point of the shears down with as much pressure as I could apply.
“When I found out about your girl, I knew I could fuckin’ get a lot of money for her,” Jake said.
“That was a mistake,” I said solemnly. “That was a huge, huge mistake. And you are gonna regret that for the rest of your life, which is only going to be about ten minutes.” I pocketed the shears and opened the bathroom door. “Ciro, Tommy,” I barked. “Get these assholes into the back of your truck.”
Twenty minutes later, the five of us were in a field, near where Jake and Rico had dumped Isabella. They were on their knees, with their hands bound, in front of me. Rico was whimpering and praying in Spanish under his breath. Jake was staring straight ahead, his face white and bloodless.
“Are you both ready to say goodbye?”
Rico looked up at me, praying louder than before. I grabbed my gun and aimed it, taking the safety off. I shot him in the head and he crumpled to the ground like a doll.
Jake didn’t say anything. I walked up to him and inspected him from every angle. Even though he looked pathetic, I couldn’t drum up an ounce of sympathy for him. I couldn’t make myself care that he was bleeding and cold, not when he’d kidnapped my wife and made her suffer. He could have killed her.
“Goodbye, Jake,” I said softly as I fired the gun at his forehead.
“Yo, boss,” Ciro said. He and Tommy jogged over to me “What are you gonna go next?”
I put my lips in a thin line. “I’m going to see my wife,” I told him. “You clean this shit up.”
Chapter 35
Isabella
My mouth went dry as Zane told me the horrible story, from beginning to end. I couldn’t believe it; I wanted to clap my hands over my ears and sing really loudly to tune him out. But part of me was fascinated, like driving past a car crash and being unable to look away.
“And they’re dead?” My words came out as a rough whisper.
Zane nodded. “They’re gone,” he said, reaching over and putting a hand in my lap. “Ciro and Tommy took care of the bodies.” He looked at me. “I guess this leaves me in control of the family business.” Massaging my hands, Zane’s dark eyes found my own. “How do you feel?”
I bit my lip. “I’m exhausted,” I said softly. “I…” My voice trailed off. Suddenly, it didn’t matter. Well, it still mattered, but I realized there was no point in getting upset over something Zane had done. After all, just because he was my husband didn’t mean I could control his choices. And honestly, I was so angry at Jake and Rico that I thought they deserved it. They tried to hurt my baby. I could have forgiven them for taking me, but not for trying to hurt my baby.
Just then, a nurse came in. Tears welled up in my eyes when I thought she was going to tell Zane he had to leave. But instead, she smiled when she saw the two of us huddled so close together. “That’s cute,” she said. “Excited about the baby?”
I bit my lip again, remembering Zane’s reaction to my pregnancy. He hadn’t exactly been thrilled. Now I was worried that he didn’t care that much after all, that he’d only taken care of Jake and Rico to protect my honor.
“I’m thrilled,” Zane said. He reached forward and put a tender hand on my lower belly. “I can’t wait to meet my son.”
I shook my head. “No, we’re having a daughter,” I insisted, looking up at the nurse. “I can tell.”
The nurse chuckled. “When was the last time you had an ultrasound?”
“Um,” I looked away, feeling blood rush into my cheeks. “We haven’t had one yet,” I said softly. “There have been some…complications at home.”
“We need to get you booked, then,” the nurse chirped. “That’s important. Gotta make sure we have all the fingers and toes.”
I smiled wanly. “I think we have everything,” I said. “Ever since I got here, the baby’s been moving nonstop.”
“I bet,” the nurse said drily. “Tell you what, let me check with the obstetrician on duty. He may be able to fit you in for an ultrasound in an hour or two. What do you think about that?”
“Really?” My eyes filled with tears. “I can’t wait to see my little girl!”
“Our little man,” Zane said. He patted me on the tummy. “I know it’s a boy,” he said to the nurse with a wolfish smile. “I know I couldn’t make a girl on the first try.”
The nurse rolled her eyes. “Little girls are just as good,” she said. “I’ll be back,” she replied when it became clear we weren’t going to stop bickering. “And, Mrs. Ricci, I want you to rest. Your body has been through a lot. Try to drink as much water as you can, okay?”
Zane nodded. “I’ll take great care of her,” he insisted. “I promise.”
When she was gone, I let out a long sigh. “This feels like a dream,” I admitted. “I can’t believe we’re here.”
Zane swallowed. He scooted a little closer to the bed and took both of my hands in his. I winced; my wrists were still a little sore from being bound so tightly.
“Isabella, no matter what happens,” Zane began, his voice thick with emotion. “No matter what happens, I promise I’ll always take care of you. I promise I’ll always be there for you. I’ll always make sure you and the baby are well taken care of. You got that?”
I nodded. “What about the money?” I asked softly. “My father’s fortune. Where is it?”
Zane sighed. “I need to meet with Lionel’s lawyer tomorrow,” he said. “I need to get some things straightened out. I’ll find out from him, but I’d rather we keep some of that in savings. Little Antonio is going to need a college education,” he added, rubbing my belly. “And I already have a house.”
I frowned. “It’s not that,” I said. “I just…I don’t want to mooch off of you, Zane. And I can’t lie and pretend I make a lot of money. Hell, I’ve probably been fired from Maison Bridges. I haven’t been to work in days.”
Zane laughed. “Baby, you ain’t mooching off no one,” he said. “And fuck that place. If they want to fire you, let them. After you have the baby, I don’t want you to work anyway. The best moms are stay at home moms, and that’s what you’re gonna do.”
I blinked at him. “Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I’m more than sure,” Zane said confidently. “My wife isn’t going to embarrass herself working at some restaurant,” he added. “You’re going to be comfortable, Isabella.” He looked at me intensely and I felt myself almost shying away from his gaze. It was as potent as the look he’d given me the first time we’d met, drinking grappa in the bar of Maison Bridges.
“Are you the leader of the family now?”
There was a beat of silence.
“I guess,” Zane said in a way that made me think he knew for sure and just didn’t want to tell me. “How do you feel about that?”
I thought about it. On one hand, I didn’t like the idea of our daughter growing up around violence. I didn’t like the idea of Zane coming home late, drenched in blood. I didn’t like the idea of him having a secret life, of us trying to hide from the IRS day in and day out.
“I don’t know,” I said softly. “I mean, how would life be? What would it be like, Zane?”
He shrugged. “Probably wouldn’t be too different from how things are now,” he said, stretching. “I mean, I’d have more control. Ciro and Tommy listen to me; they treat me like a leader. And Jake was always a snake; he had to be dealt with sooner or later.” Zane looked at me and grinned. “You think you’re up to being a mob wife?”
A red blush overtook my cheeks and I had to look away. “I don’t even know what that means,” I said quietly. “I mean, are you going to have a mistress?” I felt my blush deepen.
“Fuck no,” Zane said. He squeezed my hands. “I promise, Isabella. I won’t ever mistreat you, baby. You’re my wife.”
I swallowed hard. I was getting emotional again, and I couldn’t even begin to explain why. “This is a lot to take in. I mean, I don’t know. Will we be in danger? What’s going to happen to the baby? Is the baby going to grow up around the mafia?”
Zane shrugged. “I didn’t, really,” he said. “I mean, Lionel initiated me when I was a teenager. But before then, I didn’t have any idea of how tough things were. He made sure I was pretty isolated from all of the violence.”
I blinked. “And you think we’d be okay?”
Zane laughed drily. “Yeah, Isabella. No one is gonna fuck with me now. No one would be dumb enough to do that. We lead the biggest business in this part of New Jersey, and as long as we don’t get cocky, I think we’ll be fine.”
“I see.”
Just then, the nurse barged back in the room. “Good news!” she chirped loudly, oblivious to the fact that we’d just been having a serious conversation. “You can get an ultrasound today! In fact, I’m going to wheel you over in just a few minutes!”
“Oh, my God, I get to see the baby,” I said happily. Tears streamed down my face; Zane wiped them away with a rough tissue that was on the top of the cabinet. “I can’t believe I get to meet my baby!”
“Believe it,” Zane said. He leaned down and kissed me on top of the head.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” I whispered. “I’m really sorry, Zane.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Zane whispered into my hair. “Everything’s gonna be all right now, Isabella.”
I believed it, too. As the nurse helped me into a wheelchair and wheeled me out of the room, I closed my eyes and thought about how much had changed. I’d thought Zane was a monster, the kind of man to be avoided at all costs. But that didn’t explain my intense attraction to him, or the fact that I felt abandoned and horrible after he didn’t call me.
Then, when everything happened and he found out I was pregnant, I didn’t think he’d ever want a life with me. Even when he married me, I didn’t think he wanted me. But now I was starting to understand the sacrifices he had made. He’d hunted down Jake and Rico like dogs, and punished them for me. He’d done that to protect my honor because I was his wife. He’d done that because he cared about me. My eyes filled with tears for what felt like the hundredth time that week. Zane was my husband, and he loved me, and he’d never hurt me. He was mine, mine, all mine. And we were going to have a family together.
“Are you ready?” There was a cute, chipper ultrasound tech helping me out of the wheelchair and onto the table. She pulled up my gown and draped a blanket over my bare legs. My belly already looked bigger than it had last week.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a mom,” I breathed softly.
She grinned at me. “It’s an incredible feeling.”
Zane was standing at my side, with my hand in his. It was the most tender I’d ever seen him look, and I could barely breathe.
“So,” the ultrasound tech began as she smeared some cold jelly on my stomach, “you guys want to know the sex of the baby?”
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Babe, I’m exhausted,” I mumbled into the pillow as I crashed into bed. “Can’t you get up?”
Zane groaned and finally extricated himself from the bed. “Fine,” he said in a voice that sounded as tired as I felt. “But it’s your turn the next time.”
I grinned to myself. Our baby was sobbing loudly in the other room, but I knew it was only a matter of time before Zane would provide comfort.
“You’re a good dad,” I murmured as I felt myself drifting back off for a few precious seconds of sleep. “You’re such a good dad.”
When I woke up again, sun was streaming through the windows of our bedroom. At my request, Zane had redecorated the whole house. Now our bedroom was done in soothing colors: periwinkle and silver, with light wooden accents. It wasn’t nearly the epitome of masculine furnishings he had previously espoused, but I could tell he liked it. I liked it, too; it brought me comfort during the long sleepless nights where we first brought the baby home.
It had been a year since that horrible night in the woods. I had nightmares about being kidnapped for months. They didn’t go away until Zane bought me my own gun — it was even pink — and taught me how to shoot. He took me to the firing range early one morning and guided my hands and arms, showing me how to take someone down for defense and for the kill.
Zane was still in the business. It was different than I thought it would be. He didn’t stay out late most nights, and from what I understood, the violence had really decreased with Lionel’s death. Even though Zane and his father hadn’t been close, there was still a lot he wouldn’t say about his father now. He gave me some excuse about how it was bad luck to speak ill of the dead, but I knew better; despite everything, Zane had truly loved his father.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Zane said as he strode into the room. He grinned at me and set a tray down on the bed. “Don’t think I forgot,” he added in a teasing voice.
“Good morning,” I said, blushing. “This is the latest I’ve slept in months!”
“I know,” Zane said. He yawned and I felt slightly guilty. I could tell he was tired, but I really appreciated him helping out with the baby. After all, a lot of masculine Italian men wouldn’t even lift a finger, but Zane was a great co-parent. “I brought breakfast,” he added.
The heavenly aroma of bacon, sausage, and eggs filled my nose. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling until my lungs ached. When Zane handed me a fork, I fell upon the food and started eating like a maniac.
“I love seeing you eat,” Zane said. “You’re a healthy Italian Mama who needs to keep up her strength.” He grinned at me. “In all ways, baby,” he added, slipping a hand under the blanket and grasping my bare thighs.
I blushed deeply. Zane and I had a really intense sex life. Even when I was pregnant, he couldn’t get enough of me. It was like we were addicted to each other, and the only cure was ripping off each other’s clothes and tumbling into bed for an hour or two.
“I miss you,” Zane said. He leaned over and nuzzled my neck, sending shivers of arousal through my body. “I miss you so much.”
“Mm, Zane,” I moaned softly as I turned my head to the side and pressed my lips against his in a passionate kiss. The breakfast tray went crashing to the floor as Zane climbed on the bed and ran his hands down my body. My nerve endings jumped and cried out for his touch, and I felt myself shivering with lust.
“Oh, Isabella baby,” Zane groaned as I slipped my hands down his back and clawed at the skin under his shirt. He bit my earlobe, sending a spike of lust through my body. “I want you so bad.”
From the other room, a loud cry made Zane jump apart from my body. I could have cried with frustration; between my legs was thumping and soaked with arousal.
“It’s your turn,” Zane smirked. He flopped down on the bed and recused the tray from the floor, nibbling at a piece of discarded bacon. “Your son is hungry.”
Rolling my eyes, I got to my feet and slipped into a kimono before padding into the other room and taking baby Giorgio in my arms. He was a great baby, but that didn’t excuse the fact that he spent most of his time sobbing. He’d had colic from a young age, and then I just secretly thought he was jealous of all the attention Zane and I gave
each other.
Giorgio was a beautiful baby. His eyes had been blue, like mine, but now they were dark, like Zane’s. His blonde hair was just beginning to grow and in the dim light, it looked like a messy halo around his head. When he saw me, he stopped crying and lifted his arms to be held.
“You are too smart for your own good,” I muttered as I scooped him out of his crib and held him firmly against my chest. “You know that? Too damn smart.”
Giorgio cuddled against my body and I took a deep smell of his milky, soft scent. He was a perfect baby, aside from how fussy he could be when Zane and I were trying to have adult time.
“I love you, baby,” I told him. “Thanks for sticking with me. I know that night was pretty hellish, but you made it out alive, didn’t you?”
