Secret Baby for the Mafia Prince (Savage Mafia Empire)

12. Gianna

Chapter twelve

Gianna

It’s crazy what can happen in three years.

Nothing has been the same since the day I found out I was with Luca’s child and I became a mother. I’m staring at her as she is fast asleep.

She has an enviable innocence to her face. A contrast to that of Luca’s. Hell, I have no idea what the fuck he looks like anymore, or if he is still alive at all.

It’s been three years since he left with no trace.

Sophie reminds me of him. Her eyes are the same color as his. The kind of golden brown that reminds you of honey. There’s a striking resemblance between them. From the curve of her smile to the arch of her brow and full lashes, Sophie is almost a mirror of him, or the image of him I remember.

She has the color of my hair and my full lips. I tuck some loose strands of hair behind her ears.

She wriggles a little as she turns to sleep on her side. Her tiny hands spread by her sides. I kiss her goodnight one more time before I leave her room.

Giovanni has been a great help with her. He doesn’t treat Sophie the way Father does or look at her with regret.

My life has been hell for going against my parents’ wishes to get rid of the baby. I’m glad I didn’t succumb to their wishes. Sophie has been my hope. The one person who has kept me going.

Along with Giovanni. I couldn’t have saved my baby without his help.

“Everyone’s dead. Only Omar survived.”

I hear a chattering noise as I walk to my room. It’s coming from the living room.

“Where is mio figlio ?” Mother squeals.

What’s wrong with my brother?

“He is badly wounded. A gunshot to the chest. They don't know if he's going to make it.”

Mother yells and I have no idea how fast my legs have gotten as I race to join them. My heart’s beating fast. Too fast. I can hear the sound resonating through my ears.

“Where is he? Where’s my brother?”

Cyrus stares at me with sorrow in his eyes. He has a wound on his right shoulder. His blue shirt is ruined by the stain of blood. “At the hospital. He has lost a lot of blood.”

My God.

“Who did this?” Father growls.

Cyrus stays mute for a second, slightly perplexed. “I have no idea. But his arm had a mark drawn on it. One I could never mistake.”

“Who is it?” Father’s voice is menacing and deep.

“The De Santis.”

My heartbeat stops for a moment. I shake my head repeatedly, refusing to believe his words. “No, it can’t be.”

It just can’t be them. They’ve been gone for three years with no sign of either of them being alive.

“I’m afraid it is them.”

“Are you sure it’s not some copycat? The De Santis are long gone,” Father replies.

“I was just as surprised as you are when I saw the crest mark. I’m afraid Luca might be back in the city.”

Oh, no.

Hearing his name makes me sick. The thought of him alive, here in New York, stirs my gut in disgust. “You can’t be serious. Luca is gone.”

Cyrus gives me an unsettling look that makes me doubt myself even more.

I’m trying so hard to convince myself that Luca is gone. He has been gone and I need him to stay gone. Dead, like I’ve believed him to be. It’s all I’ve planned to tell Sophie when she gets older.

“I want whoever did this to be dead. No one hurts my son and stays alive.” Father retreats to the hallway and disappears to his room.

“Take me to see my son; I need to see him now.”

Cyrus nods and turns to leave.

Mother follows behind. “Dorothy! Get me my purse!” she yells before stepping out the front door.

Heavy footsteps race through the hallway as Dorothy goes to grab her purse.

I’m stuck with the thought of the possibility of Luca being back. It is unnerving. My blood boils at just the thought of it. Luca has caused me so much pain. Nothing but pain and hatred have thrived in me since he left. I walk back to my room, dismissing the thoughts.

I’m worried about Giovanni, whispering a prayer silently as I fall onto my bed.

***

I wake up to the cries of Sophie in the next room. She is always this loud when she’s hungry.

Half-awake, I drag myself up from my bed to her room. She is by the edge of the bed, almost tipped over.

Oh my God.

“Sophie,” I shriek, as I run to stop her from falling.

She holds onto my arms tight as I grab her. Her wails stop almost immediately as I pull her closer to my chest. She could have been hurt if I had come any later.

I pat her back gently as I walk out of her room. “You’re safe, amore mio (my love).” It’s time for her breakfast.

“Dorothy!”

Sophie raises her head higher and bounces on my arm as she turns to look forward. Her face spreads into a smile when she sees Dorothy walking towards us.

“Good morning, miss. I was just about to check on her,” Dorothy says. Her black and white uniform is fitted to her body.

“Get her some food and give her a bath, please; we will be going out today to visit my brother.”

Sophie lets Dorothy take her; she is very fond of Dorothy as she’s been helping with her since she was born.

I leave for the living room to inform Cyrus of my visit to the hospital. I need to see my brother and how he's doing.

“Ah, Cyrus, wait a moment.” I stop him right on time before he leaves the house.

His wound now has a plaster on it. “How can I help you, Miss Gianna?”

“I have to see my brother today. You’ll take me there. I should be ready in an hour.”

He nods in response. “I’ll get a car ready.”

I turn back to go freshen up in my room when I’m joined in the living room by my mother. She is dressed in a black corporate dress with her blonde hair in a high bun. She looks like she is going out with mild makeup on.

“Mateo stopped by last night.”

Mother’s words stop me in my tracks. I squeeze my eyes shut as I try to steady my breath. I’ve tried to prepare myself for the long-awaited marriage to him. It’s been three years and I still can’t stand the sight of him or the thought of being his wife.

“What did he say?”

“It’s time. He has waited long enough and kept his own end of the deal. You are getting married.”

Even though I still resent the marriage that my mother and father are imposing on me, Mateo has been nothing but a gentleman to me. He accepted my pleas to shift the marriage until after I had delivered my baby, and another two years to care for her; till she was a bit older. I thought by then he would get tired of my games and just leave me be. That I could somehow run away from that reality—being Mateo’s wife. Unfortunately, it seems impossible now.

“When has he proposed for the marriage to happen?” My voice is cold and devoid of emotion. It’s not like Mother is concerned by my reaction to it. She has proven again and again how little she cares for me. Keeping the tradition meant more to them. I’m only still here because they need me to strengthen ties with the Carusos, and to form a stronger alliance.

“In two weeks.”

I turn to look at her. My eyebrows raised in shock. “I can’t marry him in two weeks. It’s too soon.” I’m trying hard not to yell at her.

“We have waited for three long years. You’ve had enough time to be ready.”

“But–”

“It’s final, Gianna. Preparations have started and so should you.” She walks closer to me and closes the gap between us. Her sweet chocolate smell surrounds us. She takes my chin in between her fingers and lifts my head slightly to meet her gaze.

“As much as you might think it, Anna, I don’t hate you or your baby. I’m your mother and I would do anything to protect you. You and your brother mean the world to me.”

Our eyes lock and I swallow a gulp.

“You have to be strong for Sophie, Anna. I’m only doing what’s best for you. With Mateo around, she’ll grow up to have a father, not that bastard that deceived you. My grandchild deserves better and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt either of you.”

I want to tell her I can be better on my own. Sophie would have me and Giovanni. Yet I don’t. It’s useless. Mother isn’t changing her mind when her mind’s set on something. I listen to her instead, in silence, looking at her bright red lipstick.

“A little piece of advice, amore mio , always have a plan. We need this marriage to go through, especially now that the De Santis’ son is back.” She raises her eyebrows and stares at me intensely. “He could be out for revenge and we need Mateo’s men and power if we are going to survive this war.”

Mother lets go of my chin with a stare that gives me chills. It has so many unsaid words shrouded in it. She leaves me on the spot as she walks out the front door.

I walk back to my room to take a bath and change into clean clothes. By the time I’m out and back into Sophie’s room, Dorothy has her cleaned up and in new clothes.

“Mama,” Sophie babbles as I stretch my arms open to carry her. She doesn’t hesitate to jump into my arms with a giggle.

“Who is my princess?” I shower kisses on her face and she laughs and says “Me, me,” in response.

“Oh, yes you are.”

She loves it when I play with her. Sophie wriggles her body in my arms, giggling with every kiss I leave on her face.

Dorothy walks to the door to see who has just knocked.

Cyrus is standing on the other side. One arm in his brown leather jacket. “The car’s ready, miss.”

I nod in response and stare back at Dorothy. “Take her bag to the car. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Dorothy walks back to the chair in the room, grabs the black baby bag and leaves Sophie and me.

I hurriedly unzip one of Sophie’s bags to reveal the stash of money I had stolen and kept.

Giovanni had been careless with my parents’ safe code. A week ago, while he had taken some money, I watched him enter the code. He had no idea I was watching while he unlocked it, as I had him engaged in a conversation.

Sophie watches me as I stash the bundle into my pocket, unaware of what’s going to happen after our visit to Giovanni at the hospital.

Whatever it takes to get what I want , Mother’s words repeat in my head. I’m going to do just that.

Giovanni is still unconscious as I walk into his room at the hospital. His face is pale and his body is still. Sophie reaches for his arm, calling him “Vanni, Vanni,” eagerly waiting for him to respond.

My heart sinks seeing him like this. I take his fingers in mine and squeeze gently. Sophie is stretching down to touch his muscles. He doesn’t move as I hold him.

“Who did this to you?” I whisper, staring at him. I’ve never seen my brother hurt this badly. Luca wouldn’t hurt Giovanni. They were inseparable before this war started.

My words are caught in my mouth as I try to convince myself that Luca couldn’t possibly hurt my brother when I spot the mark on his arm. It’s the crest Cyrus spoke about. He wasn’t lying. I bend down further to inspect it.

It’s the same mark tattooed on the left side of Luca’s chest. I’m not mistaken, as I stare at it longer.

Fucking Christ.

Is Luca truly back? Did he do this?

My head is jumbled with questions I cannot answer. It seems unreal yet so fucking real at the same time.

Luca. Here. The mark. His revenge. I’m about to get married.

Oh God…

I have to leave. It’s not safe for me in that house if Luca is indeed back for the revenge he promised.

The marriage to Mateo is just the final straw for me to never return to that house. I take one last look at Giovanni and squeeze his fingers tighter before I let them go. I’ll be long gone before he awakens. I have no fucking idea if I’ll ever see him again.

“Stay alive, Giovanni,” I whisper in his ear before I leave his room with Sophie. The smell of antiseptic and bleach fills the air as I step out to the hallway. Cyrus isn’t in his seat. Great .

“Excuse me, miss, where is the emergency exit around here?” I stop a nurse dressed in blue scrubs.

She pauses to stare at me, confused.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you have–”

“Please, you have to help me. Someone is following me and he is going to hurt me.”

The nurse looks at Sophie, then takes a moment to contemplate what she’ll do next, before she finally responds. “Go straight down and take a left. You’ll see the back exit.”

“Thank you so much.” I take to my heels, walking faster, before someone sees me and tries to stop me.

Sophie clings tightly to me as I settle her, resting on my shoulders.

The morning air is filled with the smell of smoke as I walk out of the door to the parking lot.

“Where are you going?” a voice grunts beside me, startling me.

It’s Cyrus.