Chapter Forty-Five
Gualtiero
“Iwant to show Rhia and Claudette the pictures of Peanut,” Ella says as we leave Dr. Barnes’ office hand in hand.
Santino and Roberto trail us, close but unobtrusive. Ella doesn’t even notice them. There’s a lightness in her step I haven’t seen in a while, and I watch her for a moment longer.
Dr. Barnes assured us our baby is healthy and developing exactly as he should be.
The fall didn’t affect him.
The relief hit both of us hard enough that it left me briefly unsteady, like I’d been bracing for impact and suddenly didn’t have to anymore.
We enter the waiting room that’s been set aside for us. A few of my men are stretched out on mattresses along the walls, catching sleep where they can. In the far corner, Ella’s friends are huddled together, talking quietly.
They look up as soon as they see us.
Ella breaks away from my side, lifting the ultrasound pictures like a prize as she crosses the room. The girls surge toward her at once, arms wrapping around each other in a tight knot of laughter and relief.
Dougal stays where he is.
He watches from a short distance, still as a shadow, his attention fixed on me.
The sight of him sharpens my mood immediately. He helped her escape once. I have no doubt he’d do it again if she asked.
I hold his gaze until he finally looks away.
Pulling out my phone, I call Mateo. I haven’t had a chance to tell him I’ve got Ella back, and he’ll be wondering.
The ultrasound images flicker onto the screen instead.
I stare at them in awe all over again.
Of course I’ve seen scans like these before, but this is different. This one is mine. Ours.
I’m going to be a father.
I wish Mama and Papa were here to share in this happy moment. God knows they’re rare in my world.
Reality presses in soon after.
I need to decide what comes next. Ella doesn’t want to return to Sicily, but we’ll have to. I have responsibilities I can’t abandon, and I need to continue laying the groundwork for our future life away from all of this.
Antonio approaches, ready to brief me on the arrangements he’s made for our return. As soon as Ella is cleared to fly, we’ll be leaving.
Before he can speak, Dr. Agosti steps into the room, his gaze searching until it finds mine.
I lift a finger at Antonio. “Later.”
Agosti meets me halfway.
“The blood results are in.”
We walk back to our room with my hand wrapped firmly around Ella’s. Her fingers are colder than I like, and I keep my grip steady, grounding, hoping she feels it.
She’s quiet, but her tension carries through the way her hand flexes in mine.
“What if something is wrong?” she whispers.
I squeeze her hand. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. They might still tell us everything is fine.”
She doesn’t answer. The doubt is there anyway, clear in her eyes as she glances over her shoulder at Dr. Agosti trailing a step behind us, searching his face for answers he isn’t giving.
Santino and Roberto follow close. After weeks of relative freedom, I know this must feel suffocating again. But after the attempts to take her, I won’t compromise her safety. Not even a little.
She turns to me suddenly. “How is Alonso?”
I lift a brow, caught off guard. Of all the things I expected her to ask, that wasn’t one of them.
“Alonso is recovering, but his vision is permanently damaged,” I tell her. “He’s back in Sicily with his family. We’re looking after them.”
Relief crosses her face.
“What’s going to happen to him now?”
“That’s his decision,” I say. “We’ll support him either way. He still has a long recovery ahead. I’m sure he’d want to see you when we return.”
Her mouth opens, already forming the argument I know is coming. But we’ve reached the room, and Dr. Smith is waiting.
I don’t miss the way Ella stiffens beside me. We sit on the bed, and I keep hold of her hand.
“Miss O’Neil, I have your blood test results,” the doctor says.
My jaw tightens.
“We’ve identified a concern. Your iron levels are extremely low, which would explain your cold extremities. I’m surprised you haven’t experienced more symptoms.”
“Ella fainted yesterday,” I say. “Could that be related?”
“Yes, quite likely.”
She frowns. “So my iron levels are low—”
“Extremely low,” he corrects.
Her fingers curl tighter around mine.
“What does that mean?” she asks.
“It means you’re anemic due to the pregnancy,” he says calmly, addressing the explanation to Ella, but checking my reaction all the same.
“It’s not uncommon, but iron levels are critical in early pregnancy, for both maternal health and fetal development. When they’re too low, oxygen and nutrient delivery can be compromised. In severe cases, that can affect growth and neural development.”
Something cold settles behind my ribs.
“What do we need to do?” I ask, not taking my eyes off Ella. She’s lost even more color, probably worrying about possible consequences.
“We’ll start an iron infusion,” the doctor replies. “It’s safe and will raise her levels quickly. We’ll monitor her closely throughout.”
“We’ll do whatever it takes,” I say, pulling Ella closer.
The doctor nods. “I’ve scheduled the infusion for nine tomorrow morning. Tonight, she should rest.”
“One more question,” I say. “Is it safe for Ella to fly? I want to take her back to Europe as soon as possible.”
Her head jerks toward me.
“After the infusion, yes. With care for the arm and standard pregnancy precautions.”
Good. I want to leave as soon as possible. While I don’t expect an attack in such a remote area, I’d rather be somewhere I have full control over security.
The doctors leave, and the room feels quieter immediately. I pull Ella into my arms and sway her gently. She’s still tense.
“We’ve got this, angel. This is a straightforward fix.”
“Yeah. I’d like to have more energy again.”
“You’ll need it,” I say with a wink. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Heat floods her cheeks. Her hands slip beneath my shirt, curious fingers exploring until they reach my chest. I hiss softly when she circles my nipples and tugs, mimicking exactly what I do to her.
“You know, they say pregnant women are super horny. Do you think you’ll be able to keep up?” she asks innocently.
My smile turns slow and dangerous.
“Oh, I’ll keep up, princess. My woman will never be left unsatisfied. I’ll take every opportunity to be inside you. But not tonight.”
I catch her wrists gently and pull her hands away.
“You heard the doctor. You need rest.”
She pouts at me, and I kiss her forehead, turning her toward the bathroom and swatting her ass.
“Get ready for bed. I had pajamas and toiletries brought in for you.”
“Tiero,” she whines. “We haven’t even had dinner yet.”
“You’ll get dinner in bed. It’s already on the way.”
“But you don’t know what I’m in the mood for.”
“I ordered half the menu. Something will work.”
She grins at me. “There better be dessert. Something disgustingly sweet so I can go to bed at least partially satisfied. And I want Rhia, Claudette, and Lex to join us.”
I don’t like that idea at all.
“You need rest, princess.”
“I need my friends. After we leave, I don’t know when I’ll see them again.”
She bats her lashes at me.
I grit my teeth.
“Fine. But wear your robe.”