Chapter 7
Gio
With Rory’s hand gripping mine, my eyes were glued to the black and white image on the screen.
Unlike the last ultrasound, where our baby looked like a little blob, this time each part of their anatomy could be identified with crystal clarity—nose, mouth, arms, legs, toes, even the vertebrae of their spine.
But the count was still out on whether they sported the appendage that would mark them as the heir to the Bellini empire. The kid was wiggling too damn much for the doctor to get a clear view.
“Seems like we’ve got an active little one on our hands today.
Showing off their gymnastics skills for Mom and Dad.
” Dr. Levy’s chuckle as he chased the baby squirming inside Ro’s belly set me on edge.
I was seconds away from grabbing the wand out of his hand and taking over. I mean, how hard could it be?
Rory squeezed my fingers, right as I was about to pounce on the doctor. “Do you see how much they’re moving, John?”
Tamping down my frustration, I managed to keep it from leaking into my tone when I replied, “Incredible.”
It would be more incredible if I knew whether I’d secured the future of my family, or if I would be stuck in this small-town Hell pretending to be “good guy” John for God knows how long.
I was firmly dedicated to receiving payment on the debt my wife owed me.
If this baby turned out to be a girl, I would hunker down and continue to play out this charade, knocking up Rory over and over until we managed to conceive a boy.
Though my fingers were crossed that we’d gotten it right on the first try.
I’d been away from Chicago for far too long.
Between the time it took to craft my disguise and then insert myself into Rory’s life before getting her pregnant, it had been four years since I had handed over the reins of my rightful place at the head of the Bellini Mafia to my little brother.
While he’d never coveted my role as our family’s leader, having that kind of power was the ultimate aphrodisiac.
Men often killed for a taste of it. So there was a nagging doubt in the back of my mind; I worried that the transition upon my return might not be a peaceful one.
And while I valued family above everything, I would not back down from reclaiming what was rightfully mine.
“Ah, I think we’ve got it!” Dr. Levy declared.
On the edge of my seat, I held my breath.
Then came, “Congrats. It’s a boy.”
Relief slammed into my chest as all the air left my lungs in a rush, and my knees almost buckled.
I did it. I fucking did it!
Rory’s sniffles breached my muted hearing, and it took everything in my power not to roll my eyes. She was constantly crying, and I was so goddamn tired of playing the part of the nauseatingly sweet boyfriend who consoled her multiple times a day.
Soon. We’re going home soon. You can suck it up for a few more days before you flip the switch.
With that in mind, I forced myself back into character.
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Are you happy?”
When I pulled back, she was chewing on the corner of her lower lip. “Are you? I know you were hoping for a girl . . .”
I almost laughed at how she’d swooned for that bit when I’d pretended to be over-the-moon excited to have a miniature version of her. Totally had pulled that one out of my ass, and it was a crock of shit. A daughter did me no good. Only sons could inherit.
“All that matters is that they’re healthy.” Turning to Dr. Levy, I asked, “He is healthy, right?”
The doctor nodded. “Everything looks perfect and right on track for what we’d like to see at nineteen weeks.
” Thank fucking God. “I’ll get a few pictures printed for you to take home, and then you should be good until next month.
You know how to reach me if you have any questions or concerns before your next appointment. ”
There wouldn’t be a next appointment, but I kept that to myself as I extended a hand over Rory’s reclined form to shake his. “Thank you, Dr. Levy.”
“My pleasure.” He handed over a strip of black-and-white prints of our baby boy—my heir.
Matteo and Enzo had thought I was out of my mind when I left on this mission, intent on impregnating my runaway wife against her will but also without her knowledge of what was happening.
The thrill of victory shooting through my veins created an adrenaline rush more potent than anything I’d ever experienced, and I wanted to scream from the rooftops that no matter who the adversary was, I would always come out on top.
Because I was Gio motherfucking Bellini, and I was fucking bulletproof.
“What do you say we go away this weekend to celebrate?” My thumb ran over Rory’s knuckles with our hands clasped over the center console of my car.
The dreamy smile that had been a permanent fixture on her face since the ultrasound faded slightly. With a sigh, she replied, “Sounds amazing, but I have to work.”
“You can’t take a few days off?”
Her lips pulled into a thin line. “I think sometimes you forget that I don’t have the type of jobs that offer paid vacation. I can’t afford to skip out on any of my shifts, not when I won’t get maternity leave either.”
This shit again. She was so fucking stubborn, clinging to her independence.
Enjoy your last few days of freedom, sweetheart, because pretty soon you’re going to be locked back up in your gilded cage until you’ve given birth to my heir.
“Ro, we’ve been over this . . .”
She pulled her hand away, folding both arms over her chest. “Yes, we have, John. I’ve moved in with you, but you promised I could keep my safety net.
That doesn’t just extend to my apartment.
Letting you sweet-talk me out of continuing to work simply because you make enough to support both me and the baby defeats the purpose. ”
“I just want—”
“Did you ever think that I lie awake at night, worried that something might happen to you? That someone might run a red light while you’re crossing the street, or God forbid, you suffer some kind of medical emergency?
” She clutched at her swollen stomach. “What are me and this baby expected to do then, if we’ve become solely reliant on you?
” Pulling in a deep breath, Rory confessed on the exhale, “I need to know we can survive on our own. Is that too much to ask?”
“Of course not.” I laid my hand, palm-up, on the console, curling my fingers in a silent request for her to take it, which she did.
“But I want you to understand that I’ve already taken care of everything in the unlikely event that something takes me away from you and our baby boy.
There’s life insurance, investments, my retirement savings.
All of it would go to you, and it’s more than enough that you wouldn’t have to work three jobs to support our son. I don’t want you to worry, Ro.”
Blowing out a heavy breath, she apologized, “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve been fighting so hard for so long to keep my head above water, and there are too many days when it feels like I’m drowning.”
“I’m throwing you a life preserver. Don’t be afraid to reach out and grab it.”
A sad smile curved on her lips. “It’s hard for me to accept that an offer of help comes without conditions.”
“The only condition I have is that you give yourself a break and take it easy. You’re growing a whole person inside you, and that’s all you should have to focus on for the next few months.”
“Fine,” she agreed grudgingly. “I’ll take the weekend off, but I’m not quitting any of my jobs. That’s non-negotiable.”
“Fair enough.”
Parking behind my building, I rounded the hood to open her door.
Once inside the apartment, Rory shucked her jacket and kicked off her shoes. “Not sure if you had a destination in mind yet, but Vail’s less than an hour away, and fall’s the perfect time to visit before it’s overrun with tourists for the ski season.”
I pulled her into my arms, and a surge of primal possession streaked through my bloodstream, feeling the hard swell of her pregnant belly press against my upper thighs. I had thoroughly staked my claim, planted my seed, and now she carried my son, cementing my legacy.
The only thing sweeter would be the moment when my deception was revealed and Rory realized that she had walked right into my trap. Her world would come crashing down around her while I got everything I was owed and more.
I trailed kisses down her neck. “Is it okay if I keep it a surprise?”
“Mmm.” She gasped when I sucked on a particularly sensitive spot. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”
Walking her backward into the bedroom, stripping away her clothing piece by piece, I gave her my body.
But the whole time I was balls deep inside my wife, I couldn’t stop counting down the seconds until I could shed the facade and reclaim my kingdom.
It was so close I could taste it.