by Lacey Thorn
“Yes, yes, yes,” she wailed. She dipped her head down and gripped Gabe’s chest with her teeth, giving him a soft nip.
He reacted by thrusting hard up into her. “Fuck! Are you okay?”
“Fuck me,” she begged. “Stop taking it easy and just fuck me.”
Her words seemed to unleash the beasts within them. Soft hands changed to firm grips as they rode her hard. It was every man for himself as they stopped working in tandem and just fucked her ass and pussy. She bit harder on Gabe’s chest to hold back a scream of pleasure and writhed between them. This was more than she’d anticipated, so much better than she’d thought.
Tony gave a harsh cry and she felt him tense behind her. He gripped her hips, holding her tightly against his groin so that his cock remained buried inside her while Gabe continued fucking.
She was close, so close to going over the edge. Gabe slipped a hand between them again and slid it down until he found her clit. He rubbed his fingers over it and she exploded. He thrust three more times, his cock fighting the tightening ripples of her inner walls as she rode the orgasm. Then he was coming too. She felt the jerk of his cock as he filled the condom.
They collapsed in a heap on the bed, both men trying to adjust so that she was between them but not crushed by them. Tony slowly shifted and eased his cock from the snug grip of her ass. They both hissed as he finally slid free. She would be sore there, but it had been more than worth it.
“That was fucking incredible,” Tony stated.
“Or incredible fucking,” Gabe amended, making Gianna giggle.
“I just woke up and you two have me ready for a nap.”
“Anything you want,” Gabe whispered, placing a soft kiss against her temple.
She sighed. It was a tempting idea but there were things she needed to take care of. She’d put them off long enough.
“I need to go to the hospital. Then I need to run a few errands while I’m here in town.”
“Need a ride?” Tony asked.
“I’ll take one to the hospital.” She smiled as she eased up off Gabe’s chest, lifting her hips so he slid free of her pussy. “I need a shower first.” She collapsed to her back between them. “As soon as I can catch my breath and muster the energy to move.”
Chapter Seven
Stephano wasn’t showing any signs of infection. His body seemed to be healing but he still hadn’t woken up. According to Jessie, this was normal and Gianna shouldn’t worry. She hoped her friend was right. The whole family was concerned and she didn’t think any of them would feel better until he opened his eyes and looked at them. Or, even better, until he opened his mouth and told them all he was fine. She really wanted to hear his voice.
Tony and Gabe had both come to the hospital with her this time. Gianna was aware of the looks between her brothers and the two men. Dante had to be aware they were all three sleeping together. Nico kept giving them heated looks but wasn’t saying anything yet. Cristiano was too worried about his twin to notice anything else at the moment.
Gianna had headed straight to him and Phoebe when she walked in. It was her first chance to see Phoebe and the two women embraced. Phoebe was so much more than her business partner. The two women had become close friends over the years. Gianna knew that if she moved back home, Phoebe would be in her corner. And the idea was taking a stronger grip in her mind every day.
“Gianna.” The whisper of her name had her turning. Her baby sister stood behind her. Isabella still looked the same. Her long dark curls and blue eyes marked her as a Marquetti. She’d always been the spitting image of their mother, and Gianna had always been a little jealous of that.
“Bella.” Gianna held her hand out to her sister. Doubt and insecurity filled her. Ten years. It had been ten years since she’d talked to her sister, though she’d kept track of everything that was going on in Bella’s life. Especially the fact that her sister was recently engaged to her long-time crush, Sampson.
Bella almost ran to her, wrapping her arms around Gianna and squeezing her close. She could feel her sister’s tears and it broke her heart. They’d missed out on so much. Treasured moments that should have been shared with a sister lost because of decisions Gianna had made. She hugged her sister back, soaking up the love and warmth in the simple touch.
“I missed you so much,” Bella whispered. “I wanted to call you a million times but I knew you were busy with your modeling and stuff.”
“I missed you too.” She’d like to tell her sister she hadn’t been too busy for her. But chances were that the woman she was back then would have ignored a phone call. She had no one to blame for that but herself.
“I’m so glad you’re home, Gianna. Please tell me that you’re going to stay. I want to catch up on things. I’m getting married.”
Gianna laughed. “I heard. I’m happy for you, Bella. I know you’ve loved Sampson for a long time.”
“All my life it seems.” Bella turned to look at her fiancé and Gianna felt a twinge of envy at the look that passed between them. It was so easy to see the fierce love the two of them shared for one another. Her sister deserved it. Bella would make a great wife and a terrific mother. The thought brought an ache to Gianna’s heart. Those were two roles she never expected to fill.
“I want you to be here for the wedding. I want you to be my maid of honor. Please, Gianna! Please tell me that you’ll at least think about it! I really want my big sister here for my wedding day.”
Gianna couldn’t look into her sister’s eager face and tell her no. Bella didn’t hate her. She wasn’t holding a grudge against Gianna for being gone so long, for not calling or keeping in touch.
“I would be honored to be in your wedding. Thank you, Bella.” No matter what happened when she and her mother finally spoke, Gianna would not let the fallout ruin her sister’s day. She wanted to be at Bella’s wedding, at her sister’s side.
She looked around at everyone. Phoebe and Dante. She could see the love brewing between them. She could see the two of them getting married someday and she wanted to be around for that time too. She wanted to see Angelo marry his Cara. She wanted to be here for Cris and watch him finally meet the right woman and fall in love. She wanted the same for Nico and Stephano. She was tired of being on the outside looking in. She was a Marquetti. She wanted to be with her family.
She soaked it up, the laughter of her siblings, the casual touches. The jokes and ribbing, with the underscore of love and affection. It was so easy to remember growing up with them. They’d fought every day over petty little things but always there had been love. They could pick on each other but no one else better dare. Her brothers had been fierce protectors.
Where had it all gone wrong? One foolish decision. She’d thought she was grown-up and mature. She hadn’t been. She’d been young and stupid. She’d fancied herself in love. Would she do it all differently if she could go back? Probably. Hopefully. But she’d been a different person. Young and full of dreams. Life had been fun and games. She’d felt invincible, as if the whole world were her playground.
She needed air. Memories were overwhelming her. When her dad stepped in, she used the distraction to slip out unnoticed. She had some place to go and she really didn’t want to have anyone with her when she did. Luckily she hadn’t run into her mamma over the last few days. She should have known her luck wouldn’t hold out.
It was easy to see that the woman on the garden bench was her mother. No one looked like her mother. She’d known that it was inevitable that they’d run into each other again. But she hadn’t expected it to be here, in the place Gianna sought comfort and refuge. This was the last place she expected Belinda Marquetti to be. Why would her mother come to the small garden the hospital had put in to commemorate the unborn child?
It didn’t matter. As soon as her mother spoke, Gianna knew the time had come to face her demons and force her mother to hear the truth of what had happened ten years ago. She was so tired of hiding and letting the guilt eat her soul.
/>
“So, you’ve come to confess your sins and pray, Gianna Nicollete.”
Gianna sighed. “No, Mamma. I have nothing to confess.”
“And this is why I say you can be no child of mine. My child should know the precious gift that a child is.”
“Trust me, Mamma. I know that more than you could imagine.”
“You know nothing. You flaunt yourself like no Marquetti woman should. Parading on the television and in all the magazines in your underwear for all the world to see.”
“It’s called modeling, Mamma.”
“It’s called looking like a whore, Gianna. That’s what it’s called.”
Gianna felt the first tear slip down her cheek. “I remember the last time you called me that. Just before you ordered me out of your house.”
“I expected more of you, Gianna. I raised you to be a proper lady, to show Marquetti pride. I raised you to believe in God and obey his commandments.”
Gianna felt her backbone turn to steel as anger flooded her. “And I expected a mother who loved me enough to listen to me, to give me the chance to tell you the truth.”
“There was nothing to say.”
“Nothing but the truth.”
“I took the call, Gianna. The clinic called to verify your appointment. An appointment I knew nothing about. You did not wish to talk to me before you broke commandments and made decisions on your own. You knew all the right answers. You did this. I only gave you what it seemed you wanted. Independence.” Her mother spit the word as if it were acid on her tongue.
“I know.” And there had been no chance to tell her mom how drastically things had changed for her or that she hadn’t known about the appointment either. That had been made by Michael and his mother because that’s what they thought best.
“You should—”
“Enough, Mamma,” Gianna interrupted her mother then moved to stand in front of her when she appeared ready to walk away. “Sit down, please. It’s past time I made you listen. It’s past time you remembered that Marquetti is my name too.”
Her mother glared at her and began working her fingers along the rosary she held in her hand.
“I was alone and scared the day I found out I was pregnant. I knew that you and Pops would be upset with me.”
“We would have figured something out.”
“I didn’t want to see the disappointment in your eyes again, Mamma. You were always disappointed in me. I was your failure. The Marquetti who always screwed everything up.” Her mother’s silence spoke louder than words in that moment and another tear slid down Gianna’s cheek.
“I went to Michael. I didn’t know what to do and he was the father. His mom came to see me a few days later. They both thought it would be best for all of us if I had an abortion.”
Her mother’s hands tightened on her rosary. “You go against our faith, your faith. And you say you have no need to ask God’s forgiveness?
“I begged then. I prayed and prayed and he gave me hell. I was afraid, so afraid.”
“You made your choice, Gianna. You must live with it.”
“Yes, Mamma. I have to live with that choice. I didn’t know about the appointment for the abortion. Michael’s mom made it for me. She signed the permission form required. But I didn’t know about it.”
Her mother’s head finally came up and her eyes met Gianna’s.
Gianna nodded. “That’s right. The day you got that phone call I was two counties over, where I’d scheduled a doctor’s appointment but ended up waking up in the hospital a few days later. I’d decided to keep my baby. I had been having stomach pain but I just thought it was the pregnancy and because of the stress I was under. Turns out I had what’s called an ectopic pregnancy. My baby never had a chance. I almost died. There were days that I wished I did just so I wouldn’t see the hate in your eyes.” She bit back a sob, shaking her head to fight the rush of emotion that threatened to overtake her.
“I wanted you. I needed you to hold me, to tell me it was going to be okay. But I was too scared to call. I thought God was punishing me for getting pregnant outside of marriage. I was terrified and I was alone. So alone.”
“Gianna—” Her mother tried to speak.
“No!” Gianna yelled. “You’ll listen to me this time. I needed you but I was too ashamed to call you. When I finally came home you slapped me and called me a whore. Then you told me to leave your house and never come back. I begged you to listen to me, but you wouldn’t. You always did think the worst of me. I should have expected it. You’ll be happy to know that God punished me for my sins, Mamma.”
“God doesn’t punish, Gianna.”
“But he does, Mamma.” She nodded, beyond caring as she openly cried. “The ectopic pregnancy was just the beginning. The doctor told me that after seeing my uterus, he noticed scarring from endometriosis. I didn’t even know I had endometriosis. I thought the pain I had with my menstrual cycle was normal. I had no idea it was a sign of something more serious and that lack of knowledge cost me everything. The doctor who saved my life told me it was unlikely that I’d ever be able to carry a baby to full term.”
“Oh, Gianna.”
“It’s too late for your concern, Mamma. The girl needed it. The woman learned to survive without it.” She walked over to the statue of Jesus with his arms wide open as if to embrace all the unborn children. “Nine years ago I made a rash decision and had my remaining tube tied to make sure there would never be a chance for me to get pregnant. I’d just earned my first major ad and that’s how I spent my bonus.” She turned around and looked her mother in the eyes. “I was alone then too.
“It was only a few years ago that I spoke with a friend and found out that the doctor might have been wrong. Women with endometriosis can have kids. It didn’t cause my ectopic pregnancy. Those can and do happen to anyone. But none of that matters now. I took that choice away with my decision.”
Gianna regained control of her emotions. The tears were dry on her cheeks while her mother’s face was wet with moisture. “I’m coming back home. I need to be here. I want to see my brothers, Pops and Bella. I’ll try to limit the times that we’re forced to be in the same room. But I’m done paying for something that I had no control over. I don’t need you to tell me things will be okay anymore.”
Her mother sobbed and Gianna hardened her heart and turned away. She was startled to see her father and Dante just inside the garden, standing by the door with Tony and Gabe. Her father looked devastated. She wanted to go to him but she couldn’t. She had just enough strength left to walk away. She hoped.
Dante looked just as devastated as her father. Tony took a step toward her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close.
“Lean on me,” he whispered and she bit her lip to hold a fresh wave of tears back. His offer of comfort and support had her control over her emotions ready to snap.
Gabe held the door open and took her hand as she and Tony stepped through.
One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. She kept repeating that mantra in her head as they walked out of the building and headed toward the parking lot and Gabe’s truck. Gabe held the passenger door open while Tony helped her inside. Tony slid in after her and pulled her into his chest.
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
“The hell you are,” Gabe snarled as he slammed his door shut and started the truck.
“Not here,” she begged. “I need to get away. Can we just drive? I just need to get away.”
Gabe blew out a harsh breath and nodded. He reached over to touch her cheek. “Anything you want.”
She nodded against Tony’s chest. She slipped one hand over and joined her fingers with Gabe’s as he drove them away from the hospital and what had just happened. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to put enough distance between her and the conversation with her mother that had been long overdue. It wasn’t lost on her that here she was running again. But at least this time, she’d been able to t
ell her mother exactly what happened.
* * * * *
Belinda sat on the bench, her sobs racking her body. Arms wrapped around her and she leaned into her husband’s embrace. After all their years together, she would know his touch anywhere.
“Salvatore, what have I done? What have I done?” she wailed, slipping back into her native Italian.
“Our Gianna. Our poor little Gianna,” Salvatore said.
She felt his shoulders shake and knew he was crying harder than she was. Salvatore had always been the heart of the family. He put on a gruff front but the kids all knew he had a marshmallow for a heart. Belinda had been the one to discipline, to dole out punishment when it was required. And she had made a huge mistake. The worst kind of mistake that a mother could make.
She heard her daughter’s word again. “It’s too late for your concern, Mamma. The girl needed it. The woman learned to survive without it.”
She would hear them until the day she died. Ten years she had lost with her daughter all because of a lie. And she’d been too righteous to listen when her daughter needed her the most. How was she ever going to make it right? How could she even try?
Chapter Eight
Gabe drove them around for hours before heading back to the hotel. Tony just held her close. They didn’t speak, both of them giving her the silence she needed. It was comfortable silence, filled with compassion and understanding. It was exactly what she needed. She thought they probably had questions but they weren’t asking them right now and she was very grateful.
“We’re almost there,” Gabe said softly as he turned a corner.
“I know.” She sat up. The tears had dried on her cheeks and now she just felt a heavy sadness.
She’d finally told her mom what she’d wanted to for so long. She’d hoped to see hurt on her mother’s face and she hadn’t been disappointed. Her mother had been hurt. She’d seen the sorrow, the regret flash through her mother’s eyes. And Gianna had hardened her heart and walked away.
