by T. O. Smith
✣ ✣ ✣
“Do I really have to stop working?” I asked Salvatore as I sat at the bar in the kitchen while he cooked later that evening.
“Yes, tesoro.” Salvatore told me as he continued stirring whatever was in the pot. “I will not risk you losing the bambino just because you want to work.”
I scowled at his back. “I don’t even have to do much, Salvatore.” I grumbled. “I’m just going to lose my fucking mind if I sit in this huge ass apartment all by myself all day.”
He placed the lid on the pot, leaving whatever he was cooking to simmer, and he turned to face me, crossing his arms over his muscular chest as he leaned against the kitchen counter. “Mia bella, this topic is not up for discussion.” He told me sternly, as if he were talking to one of his employees. My features angrily twisted. I hated when he talked to me like that. “You will not work anymore while you are pregnant, and that is final.”
I angrily got up from my stool. “Fuck you.” I snarled as I stormed out of the kitchen.
"Tesoro, do not walk away from me.” Salvatore warned silkily.
I just childishly flipped the middle finger over my shoulder as I rounded the corner, heading towards the stairs. A shocked gasp of air left my lips as Salvatore’s large hand suddenly wrapped around my arm and spun me around gently but firmly. I stumbled slightly, and he instantly gripped my hip to steady me.
"Donna, you are going to drive me mad.” He warned.
“Welcome to my fucking world.” I snapped up at him. “My job isn’t even stressful, Salvatore. All I do is sit in a chair all fucking day unless I’m required to walk to one of your meetings.”
He closed his eyes, drawing in a long breath of air to calm himself before he opened his eyes again, looking down at me. He was silent for a moment before he clenched his jaw, contemplating his next words. “If I allow you to continue to work, Sasha, it will be on my terms.”
“Name them, and we’ll see.” I told him, not backing down.
"Donna esasperante.” He grumbled, making me arch an eyebrow at him. I hadn’t been with him for a month and not know that he just called me a maddening woman. “You will be moved into my office where I can keep an eye on you, and when I say take a break, you take a break. If you get tired, you will lay down and take a nap. I will not have you overworking yourself, do you understand, amore?”
I nodded. “I can work with that.” I told him. I leaned up and pressed a light kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”
He shook his head at me, pressing another kiss to my lips before he walked back into the kitchen. “By the way, amore,” he called over his shoulder, “Madre and Padre have been informed of your pregnancy, and they will be coming over tomorrow evening for dinner.”
“What’s this I hear about a pregnancy?” Vincent asked as he stepped into the apartment.
I turned around and scowled at him. “Don’t you have your own home or some shit?” I snapped, suddenly aggravated.
He arched an eyebrow at me and watched as I spun around on my heel and stormed barefoot into the kitchen. One evening - I just wanted one evening to myself.
And what was it with Vincent showing up in the apartment unannounced and uninvited all of the time?
“Mood swings already?” Salvatore asked me.
I scowled at him, and I saw his lips twitch as he fought down a smile. “Vincent, my feet hurt.” I heard Ashley whine.
I glared over at Vincent, and he shot me a sheepish, apologetic smile. “You have got to be fucking shitting me.” I snarled.
Salvatore leaned over and grabbed my hand, gently tugging me towards him to where he was standing at the stove. He wrapped an arm around my waist, rubbing my flat belly soothingly. Ashley stepped into the kitchen, and Salvatore pressed a kiss to my temple, holding his lips there for a moment until he felt me relax slightly.
“Why is she even here?” I demanded to know.
“I didn’t have anyone to baby sit her.” Vincent explained. Ashley scowled at him. “And Madre called me with the news, so I had to come over.”
“She refuses to stop working.” Salvatore grumbled in distaste.
Vincent barked out a laugh. “Did you expect anything less from her?” Vincent asked him. “You should know by now that mia sorella is not going to stop working just because of a bambino.”
I saw Ashley’s face darken a little with rage, and I simply arched an eyebrow at her. She clenched her jaw and excused herself to go use the restroom. “She’s got a fucking problem.” I spoke up once she was out of the room.
“Do not stress yourself, mia bella.” Salvatore warned me gently. “She will never have me, tesoro. Be secure in that knowledge.”
The house phone rang, and Salvatore reluctantly let go of me so that I could go answer it. “Bianchi residence.” I stated when I answered.
“I would say congratulations on the news of your baby, daughter, but I’d rather shoot myself.” Pops spoke through the line. I tightened my hold on the phone, my face paling. How did he know? “You had better hope you miscarry that fucking thing, or I swear, I’ll make you wish you had.”
The line went dead, and the last thing I heard was Salvatore shouting my name as I collapsed to the floor, the phone clattering next to me.
E I G H T
S A L V A T O R E
I sighed as I pressed a kiss to the back of Sasha’s hand, resting my forehead on our joined hands afterwards. Vincent stepped into the room, two cups of coffee in his hands. “You’re going to need this if you plan on staying awake until she regains consciousness.” He stated, speaking in our native language.
“Thank you, brother.” I thanked him gruffly, also speaking in Italian.
“Anything new?” He asked.
I shook my head, turning my head to look at my beautiful wife after. As soon as she had collapsed, I had called 9-1-1 and had her rushed to the emergency room. After informing the doctor that she had received a phone call before she collapsed, he informed me that she probably passed out from shock, and after running some more tests, dehydration had probably played a part, too. But she did have a minor concussion from where her head slammed into the tiles.
So, she was now hooked up to an IV to give her body fluids to hydrate her, and the doctor had already had an ultrasound performed to make sure our child was still okay.
But fuck, when she hit the floor, my heart stopped.
“This shit has got to stop.” I snapped, suddenly angry as I thought of something happening to Sasha because of this bullshit.
“Not here, Salvatore.” Vincent spoke up.
Sasha released a small groan, and I jerked to a standing position, watching her intently as she slowly opened her beautiful blue eyes and tiredly looked up at me. I reached over and ran the tips of my fingers over her cheek, watching as she closed her eyes, leaning her head into my touch. “Tesoro, you scared the absolute hell out of me.” I told her softly.
“Pops called.” She informed me.
I clenched my jaw. I figured it had to be one of her family members. “You will not be answering the house phone again, mia moglie.” I told her sternly. “And I will be blocking your famiglia from calling our casa.” I informed her. “This has gone on long enough, and I will not have another scare like this, amore.”
She yawned softly. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Salvatore.” She admitted.
I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know, amore.” I told her gently. “The doctor will want to see you, and then you can get some more rest.” I told her.
She looked up at me. “Will you lay with me?” She asked timidly.
“Of course, mia bella.” As if I would want to do anything but.
The doctor stepped into the room, and I stayed standing by Sasha’s bed while Vincent took the chair that I had previously been sitting in. “Good to see you awake, Mrs. Bianchi.” The doctor told my wife with a kind smile.
She smiled back at him, but she didn’t bother saying anything. She looked so exhau
sted that I just wanted to push him back out of the room and allow her to sleep, but I knew I couldn’t. Even though it was just shock and dehydration that caused her to pass out, I knew that she needed medical attention due to her minor concussion.
“Mrs. Bianchi, it seems that you passed out from shock and dehydration. Since you are pregnant, you need to make sure you drink plenty of fluids, especially water. It’s extremely important that you do.” He told her.
She nodded in understanding, and her hand went up to her mouth to cover it as she yawned again, her face flushing slightly in embarrassment as she did so. I brushed my fingertips lightly over her cheek, watching as she subconsciously leaned into my touch.
Fuck, I was falling hard for this woman.
“How does your head feel?” The doctor asked her.
She shrugged. “Small headache, that’s all.” She told him.
“Good.” He told her. “You had a minor concussion, but everything is fine. Once your IV drip finishes, I’ll monitor you the rest of the night, and then depending on your hydration levels, I will allow you to go home tomorrow morning - sometime before lunch.” The doctor informed her.
“Thank you.” She told him.
He nodded and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Sasha instantly scooted over on the bed, silently telling me to get on the bed so she could go back to sleep.
"Fratello,” Vincent started, drawing my attention to him as I kicked my shoes under Sasha’s hospital bed, “Madre has a suspicion, and I’m not sure I want to hear it because I may just kill the woman currently carrying my kid.” He told me.
He held his phone out to me, and I silently took it, looking down at it to read the text message.
Ashley is hiding something, Vincent.
I thrust his phone back at him, my jaw clenched angrily. “You made sure she doesn’t have any kind of access to phones, tablets, laptops, anything?” I snapped at him.
“Yes, fratello.” Vincent snapped back at me in exasperation. “Do you take me for a fucking idiot?”
“Sometimes.” I retorted. He narrowed his eyes at me, but I didn’t give a fuck. Ashley could be putting my wife’s life in danger, and I would become the feared mafia don that everyone knew me as to protect her if I had to. “Get home and search her things and every nook and cranny of your place, and if you don’t find anything, search mine because I have a feeling that woman is still working with the Reids, and I won’t have Sasha in anymore danger than she already is.”
Vincent was already striding to the door by the time I finished speaking. “Trust me, Salvatore, if she is, she’ll wish she had never met me.” He promised.
I wanted to put a bullet through that woman’s fucking skull, and had she not been carrying a Bianchi heir, I gladly fucking would.
✣ ✣ ✣
S A S H A
I padded down the stairs in my bare feet, a light sweater wrapped around my shoulders and a yellow sundress on. Salvatore had informed me that his parents were going to be here when I got out of the shower, so I tried to make myself as presentable as possible even though Salvatore had told me over and over again that they wouldn’t care if I came downstairs in sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt.
Salvatore looked up at me the moment I walked into the kitchen. He set his glass of wine down on the countertop and reached out to grab my hand, pulling me against him. He leaned down to kiss me, but he quickly straightened up and tightened his hands on me when we suddenly heard shouting coming from the door as we heard it open.
“You can’t do this to me, Vincent!” Ashley shouted at Salvatore’s brother.
“Like fuck I can’t!” He roared at her. Even I flinched at the rage in his voice. Salvatore smoothed his hand over my back. “You are putting my fucking family at risk as well as my unborn child, and don’t you fucking try the ‘it’s not your baby’ bit because I’ve had a fucking DNA test done. Get your ass in that kitchen!” He shouted at her.
“Someone want to explain something to me?” I asked, looking up at my husband.
“Ashley has been informing your family of everything.” Vincent snapped when he stepped into the kitchen, not giving Salvatore a chance to answer me as he pulled Ashley into the kitchen behind him. “And we’re sitting down as a family to figure out what to do with the traditore.” He snarled, glaring down at Ashley with so much hatred that she flinched back from him.
“Come on, amore.” Salvatore said softly as he tugged me gently in the direction of the kitchen table where his parents were already sitting.
Salvatore’s mother glared at Ashley with so much anger in her eyes that I actually slowed down my steps. I knew I had done nothing wrong, but just the thought of being on the Bianchi’s bad side made me sick to my stomach.
"Calmati, mia moglie.” Salvatore soothed as he pulled out my chair for me.
I took my seat across from his mother, and Salvatore sat next to me instead of at the head of the table. Vincent sat next to me, leaving Ashley to sit at the end of the table, which would have normally been across from Salvatore’s seat had he not decided to sit next to me.
“Lay it out, Vincent.” Salvatore’s father spoke up, using usual English so I could understand what was going on.
"Madre texted me to tell me she suspected that Ashley was hiding something, so I went home and searched her things. After making her strip, I found a cell phone that she was using to stay in touch with the Reids.” I clenched my fists on my lap. Salvatore gently squeezed my thigh. “She informed them of her pregnancy, and they had been working together this entire time to try to find the perfect moment to kidnap Sasha.”
“And if I hadn’t had security set up around my building and outside of my apartment the weekend that Ashley stayed with Sasha and I, they were going to do it that weekend.” Salvatore informed us all.
The weekend my mother called me to tell me she left my father. It was a tactic to draw me out.
“You fucking traitorous bitch.” I snarled as I jumped up from my seat.
Salvatore got up as well and placed his hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged him off as I stormed over to Ashley. Vincent and their parents were now on their feet by this point, ready to protect me if need be.
Ashley glared up at me. “Fucking lose the attitude!” I yelled at her. I wrapped my hand around her throat, shoving her back in her chair, tightening my grip the slightest bit so I could see the fear flash in her eyes. “I’m not the one, Ashley, and I’ve warned you of that once before.” I reminded her quietly. “I didn’t live with those fucking assholes for all of those years and not learn a thing or two. I spent four fucking years of my life in prison fighting for my life day in and day out, and I’ve dropped bodies without batting a fucking eyelash. Unlike the rest of this family, I don’t give a flying fuck if you’re carrying Vincent’s kid or not.”
“They won’t let you hurt me.” She choked out.
I tightened my grip even more, and she reached up to claw at my hands. I felt Salvatore grip my hips in a warning. “Did I forget to mention that I don’t fucking care about the consequences?” I snarled down at her.
Salvatore pulled me back from her gently, and Ashley sucked in a large breath of air. I could see her pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat. “You have about five months before you have this kid, Ashley.” I reminded her. Her face paled. “And you better count down the days because you’ll be fucking lucky if I allow you to live for betraying this fucking family,” I snapped at her, “for putting both me and my child at risk.”
She got up from her chair, her eyes slightly panicked. “The Reids -”
“Won’t do a fucking thing for you, Ashley.” I barked at her. “They don’t care about anyone but themselves. I know from experience.”
“You betrayed them!” She shouted at me. “You left them to marry into this one!”
“Wrong!” I shouted back at her. Salvatore squeezed my hips gently. “They left me to fucking die! I was kidnapped by fucking bikers, and I had to figh
t my way out of there, and I spent four years in fucking prison and not a single fucking one of them came to visit me while I was there, suffering for the shit they made me do because I’m family!" I yelled at her. “They will use you until you’re no longer a use to them, and then they will destroy you, Ashley!”
Tears streamed down her face, but I held no sympathy for her. I was angry - fucking livid.
I snatched myself away from Salvatore and glared at him and his brother. “And you two.” I snarled. Salvatore only stared at me coolly, not a single expression on his face. Vincent looked pissed – not at me – just at the situation. “If I meant so goddamn much – if this marriage was for my fucking protection – you two should have done a fucking better job at it. This is why I fucking told you,” I snapped, looking at Salvatore, “that I was better off taking care of myself because I can’t fucking rely on anyone else but myself.”
With that, I stormed out of the room and ran up the stairs. I rushed into a spare room, ignoring Salvatore rushing after me, and I locked myself in the room, sliding down the door, exhaustion and the weight of the world weighing down on my shoulders.
I was stupid as fuck to ever rely on anyone but myself.
N I N E
I woke up screaming.
My heart pounded erratically in my chest as I gasped for air, desperately clutching at my throat, terrified that he was still constricting my air ways.
A shriek left my lips as the bedroom door swung open, and Salvatore’s large frame filled the doorway. I scrambled off of the bed as he rushed over to me. I crashed into him, clutching at him as he tightly wrapped his arms around me, soothingly whispering to me in Italian.
“He killed you.” I sobbed out, my words barely coherent through my tears.
“I’m here, amore. I’m okay.” He told me softly, somehow understanding my gibberish despite the fact that I was crying so hard that I barely understood myself.
