26. Rain
Chapter 26
Rain
T he OBGYN stared at me, with a gentle smile. She was an older woman dressed in pink, and her strawberry blonde hair was starting to grey. She had taken a wand, covered it with a condom and lube, and shoved it up inside of me.
“God you could’ve bought me dinner first,” I groaned.
“Well Ms. Ellis-Allen,” the doctor ignored me. “If you turn your head to right, you’ll see exactly who has been making you so sick.”
Slowly, I turned my head, a little feeling of worry in my tummy. I knew it was too late to be worried but there it was.
A bean.
It was flickering and pulsating.
“He already has a heartbeat,” I murmured.
“A he?” She asked. “We can’t determine the sex just yet.”
“Just a feeling,” I told her as she hit a few buttons.
“Well everything is measuring correctly,” the doctor smiled. “Based on the measurements, we’re looking at around thirteen weeks pregnant and a perfectly healthy baby so far.”
Before I could stop them from falling, tears sprang into my eyes and I let them fall. I’d been processing for days and I didn’t understand why I was crying.
Matteo’s baby…
“Oh don’t cry,” she smiled before offering me a tissue.
“Tears of joy, I guess,” I smiled as I dabbed at my cheeks.
“Do you have any more questions for me?”
I took a breath. “The morning sickness… it's getting more and more intense.”
“Hmm,” she studied me. “Okay, I’ll write you a prescription for prenatal vitamins and Zofran. The Zofran will help you with the morning sickness, please reach out if the dosage doesn’t do the trick, I’ll up the dosage.”
I shook my head, once more looking over to the image frozen on the monitor. The bean was still there.
You’re gonna be a mom, I thought.
There was so much I needed to do. Matteo still wasn’t home. He still didn’t know.
“Well, I’ll get my receptionist to set up the next appointment,” the doctor became a flash of pink scrubs exiting the room.
Slowly, I stood up and began to get dressed. When I was done, I placed the used gown on the rolling stool the doctor had set on and exited. Walking up the hallway, I studied the tiles deep in thought.
I’d decided to keep the baby.
Even if Matteo didn’t want any part of being a father, I had my dad.
And I had my own brothers who were strong men, good men, who would help me raise my little one into a good man.
Girl, why do you think this baby is a boy?
I just couldn’t let go of the feeling that seemed to be painted deep in my brain. The receptionist handed me a small card, and two prescriptions after I paid my co-pay.
“Thanks,” I smiled at the receptionist.
“See you soon,” she replied warmly as I turned away and headed for the exit.
Checking the time on my phone, I read the time.
Finished with the appointment.
I shot the text to Nora the second I was outside of the clinic she’d suggested.
Actually Mason and Carmine had suggested it.
Fuck me, I looked around and scanned the parking lot seeing nothing unusual.
How is the baby? She replied.
Furiously, my fingers tapped against the smooth glass of my cell phone. The baby? Bitch, I’m standing around waiting to be kidnapped.
Look do you want your baby daddy back or not? She replied knowing it was gonna get to me in the absolute worst way.
Please don’t ever call him that again, I shot the text back.
So, is the baby good?
My eyes wanted to well up again. Nora was already in love with something that didn’t have thumbs, she was such a good sister. He’s perfect , I replied.
There was a beat in our messages but she wrote back. Good. I’m tracking your movements through the necklace, don’t forget. Carmine and Mason are in position. They won’t lose sight of you. Okay?
Okay, I replied.
Slowly, my hand went to the small locket with a tracker located inside of it.
Mason and Carmine won’t let anything happen to their nephew, I took a breath and began walking slowly towards my car.
This had been the plan all along after Mason had discovered cameras planted in his loft, and Carmine’s home as well as Nora’s.
It was safe to say my home hadn’t been ruled out as well and to draw either Alaska or Matteo’s crazy double out, we’d needed to have them jumping at the bit.
To give her something she didn’t have, something that she might want.
DNA.
She’d wanted Matteo for his weird DNA, as Carmine had figured once they’d found the cameras.
There was a chance our child might have some of the strange and peculiar DNA as well.
Hitting the unlock button on my car, my hand was just on the car’s door handle when a figure moved out of the corner of my eye. I gasped slightly gripping the key fob tight and wondering why I’d thought this shit was a good idea.
Why had I used myself as bait?
“Hello, Rain.”
The blood in my veins had turned colder than ice and I slowly turned to see someone still shrouded in darkness.
“M…Matteo?” I couldn’t stop myself from stammering.
The figure finally stepped in closer.
“No, Stizzy,” he replied. “But I’ve been waiting for you…”
He sounded just like the Boy Scout. His voice was low and full of desire just like Matteo’s. But it wasn’t my man. I was disgusted by the person in front of me.
Xander might have been wearing Matteo’s face.
But he wasn’t him.
“I’m going to need you to come with me,” he said before brandishing a gun. “And please don’t scream but I’d hate to tell Mother we had an accident.”
I felt so nauseous at the thought of harm coming to my baby, and my heart was pounding so hard in my chest.
“Why…why do I need to come with you?” I asked.
A dark chuckle erupted from Xander as he stepped closer and lights from the lamps in the parking lot shined across his face.
Sinister.
“It’s simple…you’re growing something my mother wants and what she wants, she gets…” He shrugged.
“I won’t let you hurt my baby,” I said firmly.
“Be a good girl, and come with me now,” his lips turned into a cruel smile as he pulled me in close.
I didn’t get to think another thought, or utter another word before he was slamming something into the side of my neck. I slipped into a darkness, my mind hollering out for Matteo.
Somewhere, far away, I thought I heard him call out to me.