32. Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Serena
I hear Emilio, but I can't open my eyes. It sounds like his voice is underwater, muffled and distant. Struggling to open my eyes, I have to know if my baby is still alive. It feels as if someone glued my eyelids together. As I open them, I see a stark white room and hear beeping and pumping noises. There are bright lights overhead, and Emilio is standing over me. I realize then that I'm in a hospital.
He grabs a cup of water and brings the straw to my parched lips. Taking a few sips, I brace myself and ask the question that I'm afraid to hear the answer to. "Emilio. The baby. Is he alright?"
He gives me a warm smile before answering gently, "He's okay. You are going to be in the hospital, on strict bed rest until he's born, but he's alive. Our boy is a fighter, and so is his momma."
Relief slides over me and all the tension in my shoulders relaxes as Emilio wraps me in his embrace. I feel like I can finally breathe. Wetness trails down my cheeks. I thought I had lost my precious boy, and I can't imagine leaving this hospital empty without my child. Sobs of relief escape me as my chest heaves and my throat burns.
Sniffling and catching my breath between sobs, I have questions to ask. "What did the doctor say?"
Emilio explains about me having a partial placental abruption and how, if I don't stay in bed, I could hemorrhage, which would be life-threatening to me and my baby.
"So we are going to be here for a while, then?"
"Several more weeks, or maybe even a couple of months. It will be worth it, though." He leans over and places a kiss on my lips. "Little Storm, I'm so in love with you."
“Emilio, I was so scared.”
"Your family is out in the waiting room, and they will not take too kindly to being kept waiting." His hands clasp mine before reluctantly letting go. "I'm going to get them."
Giving him a soft smile, I let him go. I can’t help but chuckle when I hear them coming down the hall a few minutes later. My family is anything but quiet.
One after another, my family walks in and comes and gives me hugs. My mom, Dad, brothers, and their wives are all here.
That reminds me. "What happened to Josephine?"
"She's alive for now, but she won't be able to hurt you anymore," Gio spits like there's a bad taste in his mouth.
I know my family kills anyone who poses a threat to us, but they don't revel in killing women. My brothers try to avoid hurting innocent women and children if they can, but this woman tried to take my child from me. "I want her dead."
A look of shock crosses Gio's face. I'm sure he's never heard me say this about someone before.
"She tried to take my baby away from me, and I will kill her myself if you don't. Anyone who ever comes for my child will meet the devil in Hell. I will gladly be the one to send them there."
Still surprised by my outburst, my brother gives me a silent nod, but his eyes are wide. Weirdly, the women in the room seem unfazed by my outburst. They would gladly kill anyone who tried to harm one of their kids, and now I know what that feels like.
A look of guilt smooths over Emilio's face. "I'm so sorry, baby. I brought these people into your life, and they hurt you."
Grabbing his hand and comforting him, I explain, "That's not true. He took a vacation away from work and went out to the secluded cabin. It just happened to be located near my house. He chose to be out on the road that night, but I shouldn't have left the scene of the accident, and for that, I accept it's partly my fault.”
Emilio's brows furrow. "Why would Josephine help Antonio? I didn't even realize they had a relationship."
"Once Antonio went through rehab and recovered after months of suffering, he came to work for you and met Josephine. They apparently hit it off and became a couple, but I never saw them interact."
"I should have seen the red flags and for that I'm sorry. I put you in danger, wife. I never saw them interact outside of regular work interactions either," Emilio recalls, perplexed.
"His motive was revenge for the hit and run, whereas she wanted the baby. She was going to cut him from my stomach and run to Mexico. Josephine told me she'd sell him on the black market there before she allowed me to have him. Antonio worked for your father for years and was angry when he came back to work, after his recovery, not only to find out the empire he helped build had been torn apart by my family, but also that you had started rebuilding. In his head, he didn't think you deserved it, especially after he’d been so integral to your father’s success."
Gio moves closer to my bedside. "Serena, why didn't you come to us when you hit the guy on the roadside? We would have helped you."
My cheeks heat. "I was afraid you'd make me come home. Knowing you didn't want me to have my own life, I was scared that you would call me home and arrange a marriage for me."
I hear a gruff growl come from Emilio's chest. "No other man will ever marry you."
Rolling my eyes, I look back at my brother Gio.
"Honey, it's not that I don't want you to have your own life. All I’ve ever wanted is to keep you safe. You must understand, with the name you carry, you will always be at risk. Our enemies are always in the shadows, waiting to pray on our weaknesses and those we love the most." My brother pins Emilio with a glare. "As your new husband did. It could have been someone out to hurt us by killing you. That's what we were trying to prevent."
Knowing my brother is right, I can only offer a nod in understanding.
When I yawn widely, my husband says, "I think my wife needs to rest."
My family comes and hugs me one by one, saying their goodbyes. Once everyone is gone, I look at my husband. "How am I going to stay in this bed for the next few months? Emilio, this baby isn't due for twelve weeks."
He crosses the room and pushes the covers aside, settling in the bed beside me and pulling me into his arms. "I know, Little Storm. But you can do this. We can all take turns spending the day with you. The doctors say if you can make it at least one more month and they can guarantee our son will survive, you can deliver the baby then come home. Until then, I want you to try your best."
"Of course I will do anything for our child, but it's just so scary. I can't believe this is happening," I say as a single tear flows down my cheek.
"We are going to be okay. You get some rest, and we can talk more in the morning." He places a soft kiss on my forehead, and I drift off to sleep.