41. Athena
FORTY-ONE
ATHENA
T he local Ob/Gyn on the island that Manuel and I selected was a female with a local office only twenty minutes from our home. Doctor Ferrari was in her late twenties and beautiful, but it was her bedside manner that had me thrilled with her. Not that Dr. Alleghri’s bedside manner was bad, but Manuel made it clear no male doctor would be delivering our baby.
It was a small compromise I gave in—partly because I didn’t want a male doctor staring at my muff on a regular basis because when my stomach got round and big, there was no doubt there would be a forest dominating my coochie.
Yeah, a female doctor was so much better.
“Could I get a recording of it, please?” I asked Dr. Ferrari as I pulled my dress back over my head. My heart was still heavy, but seeing my baby on the sonogram and hearing the strong heartbeat eased some of that weight. “Manuel was so grumpy he couldn’t make it today.”
“ Certamente . I was surprised to see Signore Marchetti wasn’t at your side.”
I smiled as I turned around to face the young female doctor. We clicked from our first visit, and I was so grateful she’d be delivering my baby when the time came.
“He got pulled in for a meeting at the last minute,” I explained, smiling. “I tried to tell him not much would change from last week.”
She chuckled. “It’s good he’s so invested.”
I nodded. “He’s been amazing so far, but sometimes it’s nice to go out alone.”
“You’re independent. Italian men aren’t used to that.”
I smiled softly, smoothing a hand down my still-flat stomach. “I actually don’t mind it as much as I thought I would.”
“Because you love him,” she said gently, drawing my eyes to her in surprise. “It’s easy to see. And he loves you. You’ll have a beautiful family.”
My heartbeat skipped, then fluttered in my chest. Did I love Manuel? I’d always subscribed to my mother’s views on love, but ever since discovering the truth about my upbringing, I’d started to see things differently.
So maybe that meant?—
A loud thud startled me out of my thoughts and Umbrio busted through the door, looking dangerous and frazzled in a dark suit, his earpiece visible. The guy was at least six and a half feet tall and had the muscle mass of a mountain.
“Hey, I could have been naked,” I protested.
“Never mind that,” he said, flicking a glance at the doctor. “Is there another way out of here?”
Two more guards entered before one slumped to the ground. He was spread eagle, blood pooling all around him with a large slash across his back.
“What’s happening?” I asked, my eyes darting between my guards. “Umbrio?”
He barked orders in Italian that I couldn’t follow.
“ Cazzo ,” Dr. Ferrari muttered, her demeanor calmer than mine. “The emergency exit is down the hallway. It’ll make you an open target.”
The sound of a gunshot pierced the air and the men sprung into action, surrounding me and the doctor.
“Shit, I’m so sorry,” I said, taking the woman’s hand in mine, although I wasn’t sure whether it was to comfort her or myself.
She managed a weak smile. “Everything will be okay.”
Another shot rang out and I tried to peer around Umbrio’s wide shoulders. I could only manage quick, sharp breaths, and not knowing what was waiting for us behind the door was only making matters worse for my racing heart.
Umbrio and his men fired their guns, and it wasn’t long before bullets were raging all around us.
“We have to try for the emergency exit,” Umbrio barked at one of his men. “The door. Cover us.”
“I can shoot,” the doctor said. “I can stay behind and cover you too.”
My eyes widened as I took in my badass doctor with fresh eyes.
Umbrio handed her one of his guns and she changed the magazine as she shoved through the men, taking cover behind the door.
“Go now,” she hissed, taking a few shots.
Umbrio’s fingers wrapped around my wrist. “You are to stay behind me.”
I grabbed his belt and held on for dear life as he guided us toward the emergency exit. One step. Two steps. I winced with each ear-splitting sound but stayed focused on my position behind Umbrio. Another step. More shots. Umbrio changed the magazine, never missing a beat. Two more steps.
And we were at the door.
We stepped through and out into a hallway, my body pressed to his back. My heart was drumming so loudly in my ears that it took me a moment to realize it was eerily quiet here.
Suddenly, a hand gripped my upper arm and jerked me away from Umbrio. I gasped, watching in slow motion as a bullet hit him in the back.
I spun around and a shocked gasp tore from my lips. An eternity passed before I could react, my heart breaking with the realization.
“You fucking cunt!” I screamed, lunging for my mother at the same time a strong hand yanked me back and I fell flat on my ass.
A hood was pulled over my head and I was picked up off the ground, then thrown over a bony shoulder.
I tried to cry for help.
“Shut the fuck up or I’ll snap your neck.”
I stilled as all my thoughts rushed to my baby. I had to calm down, I had to think rationally.
I heard the sound of a car’s engine followed by a door opening. I was thrown onto a firm leather seat and told once again to stay quiet.
As I lay there, the metal of a seat belt digging into my hip, I could think of only one thing: I would never get the chance to tell my husband how much I loved him.