Flow: Men of Inked: Southside 2

by Bliss, Chelle

  “First of all, you’re not dying,” he says right away.

  Well, that’s a relief. For a minute, I was wondering if he was going to drop some giant bombshell in my lap, turning my entire life upside down. For weeks, I’ve been worried about how my relationship with Leo could end up with one of us dying, but I never thought some crazy-ass disease would take me before that could happen.

  “Oh, thank God.” My mother gasps and lifts her head from my chest. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Jesus. Everyone needs to calm down.” I pretend like I’m not worried. But to be honest, I was petrified after the doctor came in without a smile. Asking me if I wanted my family to leave meant the news wasn’t going to be something I expected.

  “We’re concerned, Daphne,” my father tells me like I’m the one acting crazy.

  The entire family is staring at the doctor, waiting to hear what the tests have revealed. “Your blood work came back, and surprise,” he says and finally cracks a smile, probably thinking this will be a happy moment. “You’re pregnant.”

  My mouth falls open. “But I just had my period. The test has to be wrong.”

  “How long ago?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe five weeks.”

  “So, you missed a month?” he asks.

  “Not really. My periods are never on time.” After a year of tracking my periods, I chucked the calendar in the trash. There was something up with my ovaries, and I was never a regular girl with a twenty-eight-day cycle.

  “The blood test doesn’t lie, Ms. Gallo. You are indeed pregnant. We’ll order an ultrasound to make sure the baby is okay since you passed out.”

  “I didn’t eat this morning,” I tell him, still thinking he’s yanking my leg.

  “You’ll need to be more careful about eating every few hours, and start prenatal vitamins right away. Other than that, you’re completely healthy.”

  My world’s rocked. I blink a few times with my mouth still hanging open as the doctor walks into the hallway, leaving us behind.

  “You were with the baby daddy last night, weren’t you?” Vinnie says as he pushes against my leg.

  I glare at him.

  “She was with Michelle,” Angelo says, and I instantly want to punch Vinnie in the gut.

  “Nuh-uh. She got in at seven this morning.”

  They’re all staring at me like I’m about to tell them everything, but I’ve never been one to spill my guts.

  “Daphne,” my mother says, but she’s so excited, she’s almost shaking. “My baby’s going to have a baby.”

  “Fuck,” I hiss, dropping my head to the bed, and stare up at the ceiling.

  This is the worst-case scenario. I’m knocked up. A single mother. Not just that, but I’m pregnant with Leo’s kid. It’s like the big man upstairs has it out for me. Why can’t I catch a break?

  “Best You’ll Ever Have?” Angelo says, reminding me he knows all about the mystery man. Well, at least enough to know I’ve been seeing someone on the side but not sharing the details.

  “The father better be an honorable man,” Lucio says as he clenches his hand into a tight fist. “Or we’ll have a problem.”

  “Everyone, stop.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath, wishing I could go back in time and remind myself to use a condom.

  Vinnie’s laughing. “You always think I’m going to knock some chick up, and look at what you’ve gone and done.”

  “Vinnie, don’t start with me.” I glare at him.

  Just as I’m about to lose my shit, Michelle comes running into the room. “Oh my God, are you okay?” she asks as she pushes between my brothers, gasping for air. “Angelo called me and said you were in the emergency room.”

  “I’m fine,” I tell her as my teeth grind together. “Just fucking perfect.”

  “She’s knocked up,” Vinnie says, still laughing his ass off at the irony.

  Michelle’s eyes widen.

  “Yep.” I nod.

  “Oh no,” she whispers and covers her mouth, looking every bit the way I feel.

  Angelo turns to her, tipping his head to the side as he cracks his neck. “You know him?”

  “No,” Michelle lies. “I didn’t know she was seeing anyone.” She shakes her head, but she’s a little over the top with her performance.

  My heart’s pounding against my chest so hard I can barely breathe. I shake my hands, feeling a panic attack about to strike. “I can’t,” I say, and my voice cracks on the last word. “I can’t be a mother.”

  “I want to know who the guy is,” Angelo says again, never letting shit go. “He better step up and take care of his responsibility.”

  “I’m no one’s responsibility,” I tell him, wishing they’d all just leave.

  I need time to process this.

  The baby.

  My baby.

  Leo’s baby.

  Our baby.

  Just when I think life couldn’t get any crazier, God has a way of reminding me I’m not in control.

  “Can I have a minute?” I ask as my nose starts to tickle.

  “Sure, baby. We’ll be right outside,” my ma says before she clears the room when no one moves right away.

  “Michelle, can you stay?” I ask, knowing I need someone to be with me, and she’s the only one who knows everything that’s going on.

  “Of course,” she says, giving Angelo a glance as he steps out of the room.

  “Close the curtain and make sure they’re gone,” I tell her because I don’t want any chance of my family overhearing anything I’m about to say. The blowback would be catastrophic.

  Michelle climbs on the gurney, tucking her leg under her bottom and grabs my hand. “Are you okay?” She laces her fingers with mine and squeezes.

  “Michelle, this couldn’t be any worse,” I whisper.

  “Why are you whispering?” she whispers back, mocking me.

  I tick my chin toward the hallway, knowing full well my entire family is nosy as fuck. “You know how they are listening.”

  “We’ll figure this out.”

  “How?” I ask, peering up at her with tears in my eyes.

  I don’t see a way this finishes with a happy ending. The one damn time I have unprotected sex, I get knocked up. Un-fucking-believable.

  “You’re going to have to tell Leo.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut, letting the tears spill down my cheeks. “He’s going to go ballistic.”

  I’m not sure how I’ll break the news to him. I’ve spent an entire month trying to pretend he never existed, and the entire time, our baby was growing inside my body. God, what if he thinks I was trying to trap him as some part of an evil plan?

  “He may surprise you.”

  “Well, I’m about to surprise him,” I say and start to laugh.

  “Ms. Gallo,” a woman says near the doorway as she pulls a cart behind her. “Are you ready for your ultrasound?”

  Michelle goes to stand, but I pull her back down. “Stay with me.”

  My mother’s right behind the ultrasound technician, smiling from ear to ear as she follows her into the room. “I can’t believe we’re having a baby,” she says like she’s going to be the one giving birth. “This is so exciting.”

  “Yeah. Thrilling,” I mumble under my breath as she scans my bracelet.

  The ultrasound doesn’t take very long, and the technician doesn’t say much while she takes pictures of my uterus. I stare at the black-and-white screen, trying to figure out what the hell I’m looking at, but I don’t see much of anything.

  “Did you see a baby?” I ask as she cleans off her equipment and packs up to leave.

  “The doctor will be in shortly to go over the ultrasound with you.”

  Her words don’t give me comfort. “Everything will be fine,” my ma says, but she doesn’t understand the absolute mess I’ve created.

  Moments later, the doctor walks in, holding the ultrasound pictures in his hand. “Everything looks good, Ms. Gallo. Yo
u’re around four weeks into your pregnancy. You’ll want to follow up with your OB/GYN this week, but as of right now, both mom and baby are perfectly healthy.”

  “Great,” I say, trying to plaster on a fake smile.

  “Here’s the first photos.” He hands me the sheet of paper and points to a tiny speck. “There’s your baby. Congratulations.”

  “I have to go tell everyone the baby’s okay,” my ma says before kissing me on the cheek and leaving Michelle and me alone.

  I stare at the photo and try to think of the best way to break the news to Leo. For a minute, I think about not telling him. Breaking up with him would probably be the best solution. His life would remain uncomplicated, and our secret would stay hidden.

  “Don’t even think it,” Michelle says as I climb off the gurney and reach for my clothes.

  “What?”

  “You have to tell him,” she says with her arms crossed in front of her chest like she’s reading my mind.

  “All right. I’ll tell him.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  16

  Leo

  “Mr. Conti, there’s a woman on the line for you,” my assistant, Katie, says as she stands in the doorway to my office after I hang up with some investors from Australia.

  “Who is it?” I rub my eyes after staring at the computer screen for far too long.

  “She wouldn’t give her name.” Katie shrugs. “But she said it’s urgent.”

  “I’ll take it.” I reach for the phone, seeing the red blinking light for line one. “Please close the door. And, Katie, you can go home. It’s late, and I really appreciate you being here on a Sunday.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Conti.” Katie nods and closes the door behind her, giving me privacy.

  “Hello,” I say, hoping it’s Daphne.

  I’ve been trying to get ahold of her for hours, and she hasn’t returned a single text or phone call. I figured she was busy with her family, but with each hour that ticked by, I’ve become more concerned.

  “Leo, we need to talk,” she says, and I can tell there’s something wrong by the tone of her voice. “But not over the phone.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m at home.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” she says before disconnecting the call.

  I grab my keys, leaving the rest of the work I had left to do sitting on my desk for tomorrow. I rush to her place, driving like a crazy person through the streets of Chicago, not giving two fucks about a ticket or my personal safety. Once there, I slip through the front door of her building as someone walks out instead of using the fire escape.

  I knock, trying not to sound too panicked. “Daphne.” When she opens the door, I’m struck by the paleness of her skin. “Are you okay?” I take her hand in mine, noticing the hospital bracelet on her wrist. “What happened?” I ask before she has a chance to answer my previous question.

  “I’m fine,” she says and pulls me inside. “Close the door before someone sees you.”

  I kick the door closed, not wanting to take my eyes off her. “Why were you in the hospital? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you all day.”

  She walks toward the couch and collapses. “I need you to not freak out.”

  I rush to her side. “What is it?”

  She pulls a pillow into her lap and hugs it tightly. “We have a big problem.”

  At this point, I’m thinking the worst. Either she’s sick or trying to push me away again. I lift her arm and run my thumb underneath the hospital bracelet on her wrist. “Why were you in the hospital?”

  “I passed out.”

  “Why? Did they find something wrong?” I ask, feeling like I’ve asked her twenty times in the last minute and she hasn’t bothered to answer.

  “There’s no easy way to say this.” She pauses and takes a deep breath as her gaze dips to the pillow.

  My heart’s pounding, and I can barely breathe. Daphne’s never been one to beat around the bush, but right now, she can’t seem to get the words out. “Just tell me, Daphne.”

  “I’m pregnant,” she blurts out.

  My head jerks back. “Say that again?” I’m pretty sure I heard her wrong because I could swear she said she’s pregnant.

  She points at me. “You knocked me up.”

  “Holy shit. You’re really pregnant?” My mind is fuzzy, and I’m rocked backward. I’m still not sure I heard her right because my heart’s pounding so hard and fast I can barely hear my own thoughts. “You’re sure I’m the father?”

  I’m not trying to be an asshole. We’ve slept with each other twice, and the last time was only yesterday. That leaves the plane—where we were so caught up in the moment, we didn’t use protection.

  She reaches over and hits my chest with the palm of her hand. “It’s yours, dammit.”

  “Mine?” I repeat.

  I still can’t process the news.

  I’m going to be a father.

  There will be a little Leo or maybe a tiny Daphne running around the house, squealing with delight.

  “Yeah. I’m pregnant with your kid.”

  The news finally starts to sink in.

  “We’re having a baby.”

  “I’m having a baby,” she tells me and pulls the pillow tighter against her stomach. “Unless you want to…”

  “Don’t say it.” I hold up my hand, refusing to let her finish the sentence. “I want it.” There’s no way I’d even think about giving my baby away, or worse, putting an end to the pregnancy. While I’d try to support her if that’s what she decided, I want this baby. Our baby.

  She sighs. “How’s this going to work, Leo? Our families hate each other.”

  “Our fathers,” I correct her. “That has nothing to do with us. They’ll have to figure out their own shit.” I move closer and pull the pillow away from her. “You’re carrying my child.” Placing my hand over her stomach, I stare into her brown eyes. “Our baby.”

  Tears start to stream down her face, and I slide my hands under her legs and pull her into my lap. “I can’t believe this is happening.” She wipes her tears with the back of her hand as she rests her head against my chest.

  “We’ll figure it out. We’ll get married and raise the baby right.”

  She sits straight up and blinks a few times. “Married? Are you fucking crazy?”

  “Listen,” I say, stroking her arms softly, trying to get her to relax. “It makes sense.”

  “How does anything make sense?” she snaps.

  I pull her back against my chest and stroke her hair. “I can’t have you and my child living somewhere else, and I most certainly don’t want another man to raise my kid as his own.”

  “Your asshole is showing, Leo.”

  “Stop, Daphne. I’m being serious. Do you like me, at least?”

  She peers up at me. “I’ve been falling in love with you, but I’m not ready to talk about marriage. This isn’t the 1950s.”

  I place my fingers under her chin, holding her gaze. “I’m falling for you, Daphne Gallo.”

  “This is all too soon. Too crazy,” she says and bites her lip as she closes her eyes. “I’m not ready for this.”

  “I don’t think anyone’s ever really ready, but we will be.”

  “Leo,” she whispers. “We can never get married. We can’t even be seen in public together.”

  I lean forward and press my lips to her forehead. “Let me worry about that, bella.”

  She curls her fingers around my shirt and relaxes in my arms. “I don’t have the energy to worry about anything else tonight,” she says softly.

  “Just rest. I’m not going anywhere,” I promise.

  Minutes later, she’s fast asleep. I kick my feet up, trying to get comfortable. I know I should carry her to bed and leave, but right now, I like having her in my arms way too much to even move.

  “Leo,” Daphne whispers, brushing her hand softly against
my cheek. “Wake up.”

  “What’s wrong?” I grumble with my eyes closed and tighten my arms around her, too comfortable to move.

  “You should go. Someone’s going to see your car.”

  I open one eye and glance down at her beautiful face. “I parked down the street. Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere tonight.”

  “I’m not comfortable.”

  “With me?”

  She shakes her head. “On the couch. I want to sleep in my bed.”

  “So do I.” I slide my arms under her legs and lift her into the air as I stand. I’m not going anywhere tonight unless someone drags me out of here. I’m reeling from the news, and I’m sure Daphne’s still in shock too.

  I gently place her on the bed and crawl in next to her, curling my body around hers. My hand rests on her stomach, protecting the very spot where our baby’s growing.

  * * *

  I only sleep a few hours and leave a note on my pillow, telling her I need to get some stuff done and to text me when she’s awake. I know I have to find a way to make things right if Daphne and I ever have a chance of being together and keeping our baby safe.

  There’s only one person who can help. Someone who knows both players and has a vested interest in bringing peace.

  I’m sitting outside Hook & Hustle, waiting for any signs of life and trying to figure out what I’m going to say.

  The fiery redhead emerges from the front door, looking every bit like Daphne, only smaller. She looks just as I remember her from when I was a little kid, running around this neighborhood.

  I slide out of the front seat and stand in between the car and the driver’s door, not wanting to get too close and scare the shit out of her.

  “Mrs. Gallo,” I call out and wave, smiling to put her mind at ease.

  Mothers are always the key. Even my hard-ass father always listened to my mother, never wanting to anger her too much.

  She stops walking and looks around before her eyes find me. “Yes?”

  “I’m Leo.”

  She eyes me curiously and takes a step closer but still keeps her distance.

  “I’d like to talk to you about Daphne.”