Chapter Thirty-Four Drea
Ibarely heard anything Mother rattled on about. I couldn’t help worrying about what Father might be saying to Leo. What if he decided to tell him about my pregnancy as revenge for Rafe not marrying me?”
“Drea, did you hear me?”
“I’m sorry, Mother. I’m a little distracted.” Glancing around the room, I asked, “Where’s Vittoria?”
A muscle ticked in Mother’s jaw. “We gave her the day off.”
Of course she had. She knew how much I would’ve wanted to see her, so she decided to send her away. “That’s too bad.”
“She does have a life outside of our family. Or did you forget she has children of her own?”
“No. I didn’t.”
My brother, Antonio, appeared in the doorway then with his fiancée.
While marrying Leo had given me wonderful sisters-in-law with Caterina and Maeve, I couldn’t say the same about Marcella.
Unlike me, she had accepted her fate in life to become a perfect mafia princess.
She looked to Antonio before speaking and walked slightly a step behind him.
Just before I could gouge my eyes out, Father and Leo walked into the living room. I searched Leo’s face for answers to my paranoia. When he gave me a tight smile, I knew Father hadn’t revealed anything.
At the same time, the tension in Leo’s expression told me Father had offended him in some way. Before I could cross the room to him, Father stepped in front of me. “Before lunch, I’d like to show you the painting I just acquired.”
I knew there was no new painting. He wanted to talk to me alone. Forcing a smile to my face, I said, “I’d love to see it.”
Jerking his chin at the door, Father said, “You all go on to the dining room. Drea and I won’t be long.”
Leo appeared to want to follow us, but Mother quickly took his arm and guided him down the hallway. Once we were alone in the living room, Father closed the door. “Have you told him about the baby?”
“Yes, I have. We saw the doctor together on Friday.”
“And?”
I shrugged. “And what? He’s happy and excited.”
He chuckled. “Poor fucker. I almost feel sorry for him.”
“I could still tell him the truth.”
The idea had been swirling within me since the wedding. I knew the risk was too great, but at the same time, it might be easier for Leo to forgive me now instead of months or years down the road.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am. The stakes aren’t the same with Leo as they were with Rafe.”
“Of course they are. Leo might not be capo, but he still brings all the alliances that Rafe did. Because of Rafe’s relationship with Maeve, he brings even more to the table.”
Jabbing a finger at me, Father growled, “You keep your fucking mouth shut, got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I swear, Andrea, I can’t get a read on you. One minute you’re locked in and impressing me with your skills to conceal the truth of your pregnancy, and then the next you’re ready to make a catastrophic mistake not just for me, but for you.”
“Okay, I get it.”
With a cruel smirk, he said, “You also need to remember who's paying for all this subterfuge. I mean, that Jersey doctor’s silence and discretion didn’t come cheap.”
“You mean her lies about how far along I actually am?”
“Exactly. The last great hurdle will be the baby’s birth, so we’ll prepare for your delivery at our clinic.”
I gasped. “How will that possibly work when I’m in New York?”
“I’m going to ensure Leo gets land for his casino. Since he’ll need to be here to oversee the construction, you’re going to suggest that you take an apartment downtown.”
My lip curled at the idea of living in Philadelphia so close to him and Mother. Not to mention being away from Maeve. “Fine. I’ll ask to move here temporarily.”
Father nodded. “Dr. Dunbar has assured me, regardless of the time of day, she’ll be there for the delivery and take care of any paperwork.”
My heart sank. “She didn’t seem like the kind of woman to be bought.”
“Everyone has their price, Drea. Never forget that.”
I was seeing that more and more every day. My price to deceive Leo wasn’t a monetary one, but it had a steep cost.
It was one of blood and potential heartbreak.