Chapter Thirty-Eight Caterina
My eyelids fluttered for several moments before I could finally open them. As I stared up at the tilled ceiling, I realized I wasn’t within the confines of my four-poster bed at home. I was in a hospital.
A deep voice startled me. “Kitten, are you awake?”
When I turned my head on the pillow, I met Callum’s concerned stare. Anguish lined his handsome face. His dark hair was unkempt like he’d been running his fingers through it. “Hey, my love,” he croaked in a pained voice.
As I furrowed my brows, I desperately tried processing why I would be in the hospital. Foggy wisps of memories swirled in my mind. A half-naked woman on Callum’s lap. Running out of a club into the street. Being hit on the head. Waking up tied to a chair.
When Carmine’s cruel, sneering face appeared in my mind, a shudder ran through my body. “Oh God,” I murmured.
Callum leaned forward to take my hand in his. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
I’m okay. Thank God. But relief was short lived since my agony hadn’t just been about me. A sob choked off in my throat. “The baby?”
A beaming smile lit up Callum’s handsome face. “She’s fine.”
“S-She?” My breath hitched in my chest. “It’s a girl?”
With a nod, Callum replied, “To ensure the pregnancy was still viable, they did a lot of testing. One of the tests revealed the gender.”
“So soon?” I questioned incredulously.
“Aye. They have one now that detects at six weeks. Something about looking for male chromosomes in the DNA to show up, and when it does or doesn’t, you know what it is.” He kissed my fingers before staring up at me with such adoration that my chest tightened. “Apparently, our daughter already takes after her mother with how strong she is.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks. “She”s definitely stubborn like me.”
He grinned. “Extremely. I’m sure the two of you will torture me endlessly.”
I hiccuped a laugh. “Are you disappointed it’s not a boy to carry on the name?”
Callum frowned. “Fuck no.”
“But you need an heir,” I protested.
“And I’m having one.”
“She can’t take over the family.”
A wicked gleam burned in Callum’s baby blues. “Who”s to say we won’t give her a brother or two? Considering how fertile we seem to be, I don’t think it will be a problem.”
I rolled my eyes. “If you think you’re going to keep me knocked up until you get a son, you’re crazy.”
“I’ve got two more chances, right?”
“Exactly. I agreed to only three.”
He kissed my fingers again. “I’ll hold you to it, Kitten.”
“Can I hold you to letting me give our daughter an Italian first name?”
Callum raised his brows at me. “Does that mean our sons get Irish names?”
“Only if they’re ones without crazy Irish spellings that they’ll have to explain to everyone how to pronounce.”
He grinned. “I can work with that.”
As I tried pushing myself up in the bed, I winced. “How long have I been out?”
“Fuck, Kitten, I don’t know. It seems like forever. They gave you something for the pain that kept you asleep.”
“It wasn’t anything unsafe for the baby, was it?”
“No, it was fine.”
“Thank goodness.” As I thought about my time in the warehouse, my father’s face flashed before my mind. “Is he dead?” I questioned softly.
“Aye.”
“By your hand?”
Callum shifted in his seat. “Do you really want to know?”
“I do.”
He grimaced. “While I wanted his death to come by my hands, I honored Rafe’s request.”
My hand flew to my mouth in surprise. “Please tell me he didn’t.”
Callum’s brows popped wide. “Would you rather it had been me, Kitten?”
I shook my head. “No. I wouldn’t wish it for any of you.”
A ragged sigh echoed through Callum’s chest. “Although I wanted my own hands to take Alessio’s life, Rafe needed to do it.” He gave me a pointed look. “Just as I did.”
Although I wanted to disagree, I knew he was right. My father had gone too far for too long. As long as he was allowed to live, Rafe, along with Leandro and Gianni, would’ve been in danger just as much as I was. “What about Carmine?”
Pure evil flashed in Callum’s blue eyes. “I will take care of him”
A shiver ran down my spine. “He’s still alive?”
“He only breathes because I refused to leave your side. Now that you’re awake, I’ll take care of him.”
“Will you torture him?” I whispered.
Tilting his head at me, Callum questioned, “Don’t tell me you’re asking to spare him?”
“My faith tells me to spare him to spare you. That all life–even one as odious as his–is precious.” I slowly shook my head. “But I’d rather be a sinner. I want you to make him suffer because he was going to rape me.” My eyes narrowed. “You should cause him agony because he almost cost us our child’s life.”
“I plan on torturing him for all of it, Kitten.”
“Thank you,” I murmured.
Callum leaned over and brought his lips gently to mine. When he pulled away, his intense gaze bore into me. “I love you more than life itself, Kitten.”
My heart skipped a beat at his words and the intensity in which he said them. But there was still unresolved hurt with him. “While I love you more than life itself as well, I hope you know I’m still angry with you.”
The corners of his lips turned up. “I’d hoped a near-death experience had softened your heart.”
“I’m not joking, Callum.”
His expression darkened. “Don’t think you’re the only one who is angry.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me? Did you find me with a half-naked man?”
“Like I told you before, it was business.”
Shoving him away, I cried, “Fuck you and your business!”
“I told you yesterday before you ran away, nothing happened between me and that dancer.”
“Stripper.”
“Semantics.”
“I saw the way she looked at you. She wanted you.”
“But I didn’t want her.” At the roll of my eyes, he added, “Jesus Christ, Caterina, there isn’t a single woman I want on this fucking planet but you.”
“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” I chastised.
A low growl came from deep within his chest. “I only want you.”
The vast majority of me believed him. Before yesterday, Callum hadn’t given me any indication that he was cheating. At the same time, he had deceived me in the worst possible way. We had to reestablish trust.
I shook my head at him. “Trust is the most important aspect in a marriage.” Tears welled in my eyes. “And you broke that by lying to me about where you were and owning a strip club.”
Callum”s expression grew agonized. “What else can I say or do for you to understand that you’re my entire world?”
“It’s easy for you to trust my fidelity. I’m constantly shadowed by a bodyguard, or I’m on camera at the house. It isn’t fair that you’re not under the same scrutiny.”
Crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk, Callum countered, “Considering you stalked me down to the club, you know more about my whereabouts than you’re letting on.”
With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “It’s just a basic tracking app.”
“I didn’t realize you were so techie.”
“You know I’m not,” I snapped.
“Last time I checked, Gianni had an IT background.”
“Yes, he does handle the family’s technology.”
“All his family’s,” Callum pointedly remarked.
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “Fine. Gianni fixed my phone at the reception, and while you were inebriated, I gave him your phone.” I looked at him. “Happy?”
He gave me a crooked grin. “Although I’m glad to hear you admit it, I won’t be happy until you are.” Squeezing my hand, he said, “Tell me what to do.”
I knew what I wanted to ask of him, but it was difficult. I knew how I wanted him to react, and if he didn’t, he was going to disappoint me even further.
After drawing in a deep breath, I said, “I don’t want you making money off women.”
“It’s just dancing, Caterina. It’s not like we”re trafficking or prostituting women.”
Gritting my teeth, I replied, “I sure as hell wouldn’t be with you if you did.”
Callum exhaled. “Let me guess. You don’t want me having a part in the club, do you?”
I nodded. “Sell your stake of the club to your brothers.”
“You’re really serious about this?”
“Absolutely.”
As his jaw clenched and unclenched, Callum appeared to be weighing my words. “Fine. To ensure I don’t profit anymore on women, I’ll give my stake to Quinn.”
“What about Dare and Kellan?”
Callum chuckled. “Let’s just say I kinda owe Quinn for some extra work he’s done for the club.”
“As long as your brothers won’t be upset about it.”
“They won’t.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes, Kitten. Just like that.” He leaned forward on the bed to where his mouth was inches from mine. “Does that make you happy?”
“A little.”
He chuckled. “What else would you have me do to make you very happy?”
I grinned. “Some epic groveling.”
“And what does that entail?”
Tapping my chin, I said, “Hmm, I would say you owe me many, many orgasms, but since that also benefits you, that’s a nope.”
Callum groaned. “I see you’re going to be cruel and demanding.”
“Aye, I am,” I replied, trying to sound like an Irish wife.
A wicked gleam burned in his blue eyes. “Denying yourself pleasure seems like cutting your nose off to spite your face.”
With a wink, I said, “Maybe I’ll revisit that one.”
Placing his hand on my abdomen, Callum’s expression grew earnest. “What can I do for our daughter?”
Tears once again welled in my eyes. “You’ve already given her the most important thing. A future of her own.”
“I’ll give her the world.” He placed a tender kiss on my lips. “Just as I will you.”
And I knew he meant every word. When Callum had kidnapped me from the Sacred Heart, I thought my life was over. Never would I have imagined it was just beginning.