CHAPTER 89 - ARIANNA
CHAPTER
Arianna
DESPITE HAVING JUST woken up this morning, I’m unable to stop the first thought that comes into my mind. “Are you going to apologize to Liam?” I twirl my finger in Red’s long wavy hair. I love it when he leaves it loose. I love it when he ties it back. I love it in any way it comes.
But I don’t love their bickering.
One of these days it will go too far and they’ll kill each other, resulting in the end of my world.
My hand rests protectively against my stomach. Imagining my baby without its father isn’t something I want to think about.
Red sighs dramatically. “When he apologizes to me, to you and to Maria, yes, I might think about apologizing to him.” Turning, he raises an eyebrow. “I won’t mean it though. Liam deserved it, but I admit I could have picked a better time.”
I roll my eyes, finding it impossible to stay cross at Red for long. Turning over in bed, I glance around the room. The place looks like a bomb has hit it - there’s stuff everywhere. “Are you sure there are no others in here besides the one you found?”
“I’m sure.” Red pulls me back so my head rests against his chest. “There was just the one. It was exactly the same as the first, so we know it was down to Dave and no one else.”
I remain silent. I’m glad the second bug was found and pleased there isn’t another spy in Red’s fold.
I know that prospect bothered him immensely, but the bug was discovered just under the bed, for God’s sake.
So yes, the conversation about the baby was heard, but that also means, like Liam reveled in finding so amusing, everything else was heard too. ..
I’m unable to stop a shudder traveling through my body.
“Hey! What’s all this? Has somebody walked over your grave?” Red pulls me tight. “You’re not cold, are you, princess?”
“No, I’m not cold.”
“Ah, I get it.” Red moves so he’s over me. “You don’t like that they heard us in bed, is that it?”
“Do you?”
Red shrugs. “Personally, I don’t give a shit if Luca Bristoni was forced to listen to us enjoying ourselves. I can only imagine it pissed him off, but I understand that is probably different to how you see it.”
“Yes, it is. And we don’t know whether it was Luca.” I resent even voicing that creature’s name. “Or whether it was members of that weird sect. Just the thought of it makes me...”
“It was Luca.” Red cups my face and stares into my eyes. “Princess, Luca is still on his own. The Eredità della Luce isn’t interested in him. There’s still no word that they are on the scene, and that tells me everything I need to know.”
“But what if Luca has convinced them that this baby I’m carrying is his, like the note said?”
“They can think what they like. We have more power in this city than ever before, and there’s no room in it for them.”
“Then we must ensure our position remains that way.” I look into Red’s eyes.
I know he believes that, and he’s right, but I can’t help but think being pregnant puts me at a disadvantage.
“If they think this baby belongs to Luca, then Liam’s right in that making me more the target and therefore all of us.
In a few months, I’ll have no choice but to take a backseat, so we can’t have another war. ”
Red takes my face with his hands, and I lean into his touch.
“We’re ready for war, but there won’t be one.
However, I can promise you we’ll remain alert, regardless.
Luca is playing games to unnerve us.” He gently presses his lips to mine.
“The Eredità della Luce realize he’s a deluded, pointless prick.
The card he sent was his way of trying to scare us.
The man has a death wish, and his wish will be granted at some point, I promise you that. ”
“I don’t like it, Red.” He’s about to continue talking me out of my mithering but gets interrupted by tapping on the door.
“Christ, can’t anyone give us a break? It’s not even seven in the bloody morning.” Still grumbling, he drags himself out of bed to yank open the door. “Yes? Oh, hello Maria.”
At the mention of my sister’s name, I sit up in bed. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Maria smiles from the doorway.
“I just thought you might want this.” She hands Red my phone.
“You left it downstairs, but you’ve received several messages this morning, so I thought I should bring it up for you.
It’s been beeping like crazy. Oh, and this newspaper was on the table, so I thought I’d bring that too while I was here. ”
As she leaves the room, I take my phone from Red and bring the screen to life with clammy fingers. My heart thumps at the list of text messages. I glance at Red, but he’s flicking through the newspaper. Opening each message, a smile breaks over my face. “They’ve agreed! They’ve all agreed.”
Red’s still staring at the newspaper. “Red! Papà’s allies have agreed to back us.
” Closing my eyes, relief falls over me.
Okay, so I know we didn’t need them onside, but that they’ve agreed shows that I have power with these people.
We both do. And that makes me feel a whole lot better.
“Red!” I hiss, getting annoyed. “Did you not hear me? I said that...”
“Yes, I heard you.” Red’s concentration is still on the paper. “Are all of them on board?”
Frowning, I quickly count the messages. Bloody hell, even that pot-bellied toerag so against Red has capitulated. “Yes, every single one.”
Red hands me the paper. “Then I wonder which of them was behind this...”
Taking the newspaper, a small ball of unease forms. And there it is - the main story on page two:
Baby Joy for Galvatore Heiress
My hand flies to my mouth at the glaring headline, and I rush to scan the rest of the article.
Rumours are abound that Arianna Galvatore, now Mrs Redmond Bateman, is expecting her first child.
This must be especially happy news for her father, Emiliano, who has been plagued with many troubles of late.
It also might mark a milestone in the fraught and longstanding history between the Galvatore and Bateman organisations, showing that with the melding of their families, the old feud is finished.
We have been unable to reach either the Galvatores or the Batemans for comment as yet, but hope to bring you further details and confirmation of Mrs Bateman’s pregnancy as soon as possible.
“One of the men from yesterday went to the papers?” I gasp.
Red’s eyes burn into mine. “It certainly looks like it. Are you surprised?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Or it could have been Luca. He could have been the one to inform the press.”
“Luca couldn’t do that without the press jumping on his whereabouts. Everyone knows he’s gone AWOL.”
“Well, whoever’s done this has made things worse. I haven’t told Papà yet, but now the whole world knows,” I mutter.
But if it was one of Papà’s allies from the meeting or one of the staff who overheard, it’s clear I need to do some culling. Extraneous staff and anyone I deem untrustworthy must go.