Chapter 18 Rory
Rory
I couldn’t breathe. It was like my lungs were frozen, refusing to expand, as what Dario implied sank in, along with the realization of how truly fucked I was.
When I remained silent, Gio’s uncle dropped the bomb that had the power to blow up my entire world. “Hiding Rory has been a pet project of mine for nearly a decade.”
“Tell me he’s lying,” my husband commanded.
Tears burned behind my eyes as I whispered, “I can’t.” But only because, until this moment, I had no idea he’d been the one behind those anonymous envelopes.
With the full force of Gio’s anger shifting in my direction, he roared, “Have you been working with him this whole time?”
“No.” I shook my head violently. “I didn’t know it was him. I swear.”
“Get this traitorous bitch out of my sight.” No one moved a muscle, staring at him with wide eyes, so he snapped his fingers, booming, “NOW!”
Matteo gripped my elbow. “Rory, it’s time to go.”
“No!” I wrenched out of his hold, reaching out for Gio and catching nothing but air when he stepped back. “Gio, please. You have to believe me.”
His dark eyes had gone so cold that I shivered.
“You’ve made it exceedingly clear how you feel about me.
Makes perfect sense that you’d have teamed up with the man working to undermine my authority and steal my position.
And yet I’m the fool who couldn’t see the truth until he was slapped in the face with it in front of every man I command.
” Surging forward, his hand found my throat and squeezed as he seethed, “Do you have any idea how weak you’ve made me look?
It’ll be a miracle if half the goddamn room doesn’t defect to Dario’s side after witnessing that I’ve lost the loyalty of my own fucking wife! ”
With my windpipe being crushed, I could barely manage a squeak in reply.
“You fucking disgust me,” Gio spat before releasing me suddenly.
Stumbling back, I fell against a solid chest, and two hands locked down on my biceps.
“We’re leaving.” This time, when Matteo spoke, there was no room for argument as he practically dragged me away, but not before I heard Gio scream in frustration that Dario had gotten away.
If I weren’t carrying his baby, I had no doubt Gio would have killed me on the spot. Traitors didn’t get to live, not in this world, anyway. And in his mind, that’s what I was.
He’d gotten his revenge for my running without giving him an heir first, but now my life was truly in danger.
The minute I delivered his heir might be my last one on this earth.
Gio didn’t come to bed the night of the party. Or the next night. Or the one after that.
Sleep eluded me, and while I could have easily chalked it up to the pregnancy and needing to pee at all hours, I knew it was because I didn’t have my husband lying beside me.
And try as I might, I couldn’t imagine a single scenario in which he might be open and receptive to hearing me plead my case.
He’d made up his mind about me the minute Dario uncovered the depth of my betrayal. There was no coming back from this.
On the fourth day, there came a knock on my bedroom door. Rushing across the room, I flung it open, only to sag in disappointment when Summer stood on the other side.
“Hey,” my sister-in-law said softly. “I came over to check on you.”
I stepped back to allow her entry, muttering wryly, “Not much point in checking in on a dead woman walking.”
Summer sighed. “I know right now it feels like the world is ending, but it’ll get better.”
Humorless laughter burst free of my chest. “You don’t know Gio like I do. What I’ve done is unforgivable.” Throat closing up as the gravity of it crashed down on me, I barely managed to stifle a sob. “I’m not going to get to watch my son grow up.”
“Oh, Rory.” She pulled me into a hug, murmuring words of comfort while letting me cry on her shoulder.
Sniffling, I withdrew, wiping at the tears staining my cheeks. “Sorry. I’m a mess.”
Like the mother inside her couldn’t help herself, she tucked a strand of tangled red hair behind my ear. “I think you’re just tired. When’s the last time you slept?”
I shrugged. “Before the party.”
Summer nodded. “Figured as much with the dark circles under your eyes. You’re growing a person, which, I know from experience, is enough to zap you of all your energy. You need to rest.”
My vision grew blurry as tears filled my eyes again. “I can’t.”
“How can I help?”
I blinked furiously, my voice coming out thick. “You’ll think it’s stupid.”
“Never,” she vowed.
“Even after everything, I miss having him here with me. The bed’s too empty. I can’t sleep alone.”
“Okay.” She rubbed up and down my arm in soothing strokes. “How about this? I lay down with you and promise to stay until you wake up?”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” I protested.
“You didn’t.” Summer began leading me toward the king-sized mattress. “I offered.”
Muscles sore from the extra weight I was carrying, I crawled beneath the covers with a groan. Summer climbed onto the spot behind me, stroking my hair.
“If I close my eyes, I might not wake up for days.”
Light laughter sounded. “I could use a mini vacay from the chaos of three little girls. Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
She was nice. Really nice. I probably didn’t deserve her kindness, but I greedily accepted it, nonetheless.
For the first time in my life, it felt like I had a friend.
“Hope you like eggs and bacon!” Summer chirped as she used her hip to close the door behind her because her hands were otherwise occupied carrying a silver tray containing what promised to be my breakfast.
“Sounds great.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her everything I ate these days tasted like sawdust, not when she’d gone out of her way to ensure I was consuming an adequate amount of calories in my third trimester.
“The salty and savory combo was one of my faves when I was pregnant with Aurora. Figured her little cousin might be giving you the same cravings.”
I rubbed a palm over my belly, feeling a kick from the outside, which was a new development. “He seems to like the idea.”
Positioning the tray over my lap, Summer settled onto the mattress beside me. “Does it ever freak you out that you’re growing a penis inside you?”
I choked on the sip of orange juice I’d just taken, several droplets spewing from my mouth to land on my clothes as I coughed violently.
Clearing my throat, I replied, “Um, considering I’ve never really thought about it, I’ll have to say, no?”
She hummed, pursing her lips. “Not gonna lie, it was half the reason we decided not to find out the sex early.”
“What was the other half?”
Assuming it was something simple, like wanting to be surprised at the birth as a reward for the hard work of labor, I sobered up quickly when she said, “In case it was a boy, I wanted the gift of a few extra months where I didn’t have to worry about my innocent baby growing up to be the head of the family. ”
“I wasn’t so lucky to dodge that bullet,” I muttered dryly.
“Shit. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry things went down this way.”
“It’s not your fault.” I waved her off. “Running away only delayed the inevitable. Gio wasn’t going to stop until he got his heir.”
“Eat before it gets cold.” She picked up my fork and handed it to me. “And if you’re feeling up to it, I got permission to break you out of this joint to go Christmas shopping this afternoon.”
I swallowed the bite of bacon in my mouth before confessing, “I’m not really in the mood to celebrate this year.”
“Okay. How about we set up your baby registry instead? Apparently, mafia wives love to spend an obscene amount of money to welcome a new arrival. I almost stroked out when I saw the price tag on the stroller they bought me. And then there were designer baby clothes, where a single piece cost more than my monthly rent before I met Matteo.”
“Can’t imagine anyone will be too charitable after I’ve been outed as a traitor,” I grumbled, my personal pity party in full swing.
She took my hand. “Dario did this on purpose to drive a wedge between you and Gio. If he was responsible for aiding your escape and orchestrating your movements in hiding, I have to believe this was his plan from the start. Once Gio cools down, he’ll see that too.”
Huffing, I shook my head. “I’m not foolish enough to hope for a miracle.”
“Okay, forget a registry. Will you let me and Allie buy you all the things baby boy needs?”
“Won’t that be too hard for Allie?” I still didn’t know the details of what had happened that made her keep her distance from me while I was pregnant, but considering I’d had my own scare not too long ago, it was better for my mental health not to ask questions.
“She’s been doing a lot better ever since going down to visit with Gemma and her boys,” Summer reassured me.
“Gemma has boys?” Gio had mentioned his only female cousin now had a family, but that was the extent of my knowledge about her children.
A smile stretched on Summer’s face. “Yeah, two of them. Chase is two and a half; he’s only a few months older than Aurora. Carter will turn one in January.”
“Cute names.”
She pulled out her cell phone. “They’re even cuter in person. Wanna see some pics?”
“Sure.”
Summer scrolled through her camera roll before turning the screen in my direction. Sure enough, it showed a photo of two dark-haired boys, very close in age. The older one had Gemma’s hazel eyes, the younger one had bright blue ones, which I had to assume had been inherited from his father.
“They’re precious,” I breathed out.
“They really are,” she agreed. “And once we put this bullshit with Dario to bed, we can raise all our kids together like a real family.”
That sounded like a dream. Unfortunately for me, I was stuck in a waking nightmare where my husband would either take my life or take my son the minute he was born.
But since it wasn’t worth dragging Summer down, I gave in to her earlier request. “You know what? Shopping sounds like a great idea.”
“Really?” Her big blue eyes sparkled.