by Sam Crescent
“I’m not leaving.”
“It must be something I ate last night.”
“You mean the chocolate and peanut butter toasty with cheese you insisted on making yourself last night?”
“Ugh, I’m going to be sick.”
He rubbed her back as she threw up again. This wasn’t good. He had a feeling he knew what it was though.
“I think you need to go to the doctor,” he said.
“No, it’s fine. It’s just a sickness bug. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. I thought you needed to go and meet with a bunch of people today,” she said. “I can handle this. Believe me, I don’t want you to think of me throwing up. Not when I want you to imagine me doing other things.”
He chuckled. Guilt swamped him. She had no idea.
“It’s fine. I want to stay with you.” He rubbed her back. “How about I go and make you some dry toast and some tea?”
“I don’t know if I can stand them.”
“I’ll go and do it. You leave it to me.” He left her in the bathroom, heading downstairs to her kitchen. He still hadn’t unpacked anything. His meeting today was with the underboss. He couldn’t miss it but he also didn’t want to leave her alone.
He dialed Night.
“What’s up, Prez? I’m about to head out.”
“I need you to arrange a different meet. I can’t make it today.”
“Are you kidding me? This is the only day. We’ve had this meeting planned for three weeks. We needed it secure. You know this.”
Rubbing at his temples. “I can’t make it.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve got personal shit, Night.”
“Any fucking you do can be done a different day.”
“I don’t think you understand me, or you seem to think you’re the boss of me.”
“Right now, I am the boss of you because you’re making decisions on a piece of pussy that’s going to be out of your life by the end of the year.”
“She’s pregnant with my child,” he said.
Silence.
“She is?” Night asked after a long pause.
“I believe so. You need to bring the Doc here. I want him to find out. She won’t go to the doctor and he works for the club so I can keep this to myself for the time being.”
“She doesn’t know she’s pregnant?”
“Bring the underboss to my house. I’ll deal with him and then I can be close in case she needs me.”
“I don’t like this. The capo has eyes on you. You know this is a big risk.”
“It’s a risk I have to take. You know it and so do I. Arrange it and call me back when you have the details.”
He hung up the phone. Anyone else he would have fucking beaten the shit out of for speaking to him in that way. Night was different.
“Is everything okay?” Anna-Beth asked. She was dressed in a suit, looking ready to go to work.
“Oh, no, you’re not going to work.”
“I feel fine. I was sick but I’ve got a lot of work to do. You’ve got business to handle. It’s fine.”
Ever since they had discovered all the previous owners of their houses were in some way happy and together, he’d noticed Anna-Beth kept pulling away from him. He hadn’t professed his love and neither had she, but she clearly was having a hard time dealing with what was going on between them.
“I’m not joking, Anna-Beth. Get your cute ass upstairs, in pajamas now. I will force you upstairs.”
“I feel fine.”
He clicked his fingers and moved toward her.
“Seriously, I’m not a child. You can’t order me around.” She screamed as he lifted her over his shoulder.
“I can and I will.”
“Damn it, Rix, put me down. You’re going to make me feel sick again.”
He rested a hand on her ass to steady her.
“This isn’t fair.”
“Tough.” He dumped her on the bed and started to remove her clothes.
“I can handle myself,” she said.
“No, you could handle yourself but you’re being stubborn and now I get to take over. I’m so much better at getting you out of your clothes than you are.”
“Rix, stop it.”
He cupped her face.
“I don’t want you to miss an important meeting because of me.”
“I won’t. I’ve already arranged everything. I can take care of you.”
“Have you taken care of a lot of women?”
He paused. “No, I haven’t.”
“Oh.”
Not women pregnant with his child but he’d find out the results of that soon enough. He didn’t want to scare her in case she just had a stomach bug. Would it really only arrive every morning? He tried to ignore the little niggle inside his head that told him he really needed to tell her the truth. It wouldn’t do her any good.
Removing her clothes, he kissed her lips.
“If I have a bug, you’re going to catch it.”
“Then we’ll be ill together.” After taking her clothes to the laundry basket, he grabbed some sweatpants and a shirt. Helping her into the pants and the shirt, he decided against any underwear.
“I can walk downstairs,” she said, holding up her hand so he didn’t carry her.
He held her hand, leading her downstairs to her sofa. “Sit, watch television, relax.”
“What about work?”
“I’ll call and deal with them.” He called Night and got one of the boys to pay the accounting firm a visit to let them know she wouldn’t be in for the next couple of days. He returned to the kitchen, making her a cup of tea and finishing off her toast.
He couldn’t cook. Never learned, but these were two things he figured he couldn’t screw up. The tea didn’t look right. It was way too pale and the toast was burnt. Not exactly a good look, but he presented it to her with a smile.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll do something better for dinner.”
“I wonder what,” she said with a smile.
“You know it’s going to be takeout.” He sat beside her, pulling her in close.
Time ticked by.
At the sound of the bikes arriving, he got to his feet to check out the window.
Sure enough, Night was carrying the underboss, who looked disguised as someone else. In another car was the doctor.
At the door, he shook hands with the Doc.
“Night has told me your suspicions.”
“Can you test her without her knowing?” Rix asked.
“I can ask her to give a urine sample. I don’t feel comfortable not letting the woman know she could be pregnant.”
“Until I know for sure, I don’t want to worry her. All the results you get come to me, and I don’t need to give you the usual spiel.” He slapped the doctor on the arm. Returning to his woman, he saw she had a lot more color. He really did believe she was pregnant. Only pregnant women were sick in the morning and perfectly fine for the rest of the day, right? He honestly didn’t know. “I’ve got the doctor.”
“Rix, really? It’s just a little sickness.”
He went to her side, kissing her head. “I don’t want to worry in case it’s something more. Do this for me.”
“I think you’re worrying for nothing.”
He hated lying to her, but for now, that was all he could do. “Please?”
“The doctor’s already here so why not.” She looked past his shoulder with a smile. “I don’t like needles.”
“No needles this time. Just a urine sample if I feel it’s necessary,” the Doc said.
“Okay.”
“I’ve got my meeting to get to,” he said. “You’re going to be okay here? He’s a good guy.”
“I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Good.” He kissed her head. “I’ll be back.”
He left his woman alone with one last warning look at Doc before going to his own home.
“I find this utterly disrespectful. What kind of person
do you think I am?” the underboss said as Rix arrived. “I should have your club completely annihilated.”
“And then you wouldn’t have to deal with the capo responsible for me going to prison. How is your distribution of product going?” Rix asked.
He reached up, holding on to the edge of the door frame as he looked at the underboss. This man had a name but Rix always felt it put the little mafia crew on edge when he didn’t actually use it. It was a lot of fun to see such reserved, controlled men go a little crazy. It was what he liked to do, all the time. He liked to have a lot of fun, especially at the expense of another.
Tilting his head to the side, he waited, watching.
“Now you encouraged this meeting,” Rix said. “You came to me locked up, asking me to follow your lead. I did. I’ve done everything you’ve asked even as I wanted to kill that fucking capo son of a bitch. I want to see his blood on my hands and watch him gasp for breath, and yet, I have him visiting me here.”
He pulled the card from his pocket that Anna-Beth had given him, throwing it across the room. It flicked into the underboss’s face. “So forgive me if I’m not exactly in a good mood. Now you tell me, when will I get my revenge? I know you want to overthrow that asshole and put your own son at the head table. I’m more than happy for you to do that, but if you keep insulting me and my club, then you’re not going to make it out of here.”
“You threaten me when I know you’ve got no grounds.”
“You think I’m worried about your little boys coming after me? You don’t know who you’re dealing with. I’ve got no problem starting a war with your kind. I live for that shit. Me and my boys, we’d run the streets red, all for some fun. Are you ready for the same kind of war?”
He knew the mafia was dealing with internal wars between cities, and at times, between countries. Families all fighting for the same turf, the reputation. Rix and his club would be adding to the mix.
The underboss looked at him, and Rix didn’t need to gloat. He had him pushed into a corner.
“The capo will be paying a visit one night to our exclusive brothel. It has already been voted and the boss has handed out the final warning. The capo will be executed.” The underboss pulled out a single card. “This is your amnesty. You can be there and make the killing blow, but only you. Your men cannot be part of this. Once the capo is dead, you will leave and we will call this even.”
He took the card.
“This is bullshit. There’s no way I’m letting you do this, Rix. It’s a trap,” Night said.
“It’s not. They know I’m serious, and if anything were to happen to me, it would come back on them, ten times worse.” He looked the underboss right in the eye. “They wouldn’t cross me now, not when they have so much more to lose. Would you?”
“I think it’s time we call this a day. I have to get back. You will be safe with us, Rix, so long as our agreement is in place.”
“There is one more thing, my time here, I want it ended. My rightful place is at my club.”
“Then I will see to it,” the underboss said. “Good day, gentlemen.”
****
A couple of days later
Rix stared out across the field, watching Elizabeth’s dogs. They really were a bunch of crazy animals. He adored them.
The doctor had called him with the news and he didn’t know how to tell it to Anna-Beth. She was pregnant.
Tomorrow, he would go deal with the capo, and his conditioned parole had been removed as well. The cop he’d been dealing with had called him in that morning. Everything was coming together like clockwork. He didn’t have a reason to be upset, miserable, or in any way gutted.
Yet, he was.
His time was running out with Anna-Beth. She was going to have his baby, and he was going back to his clubhouse. He didn’t want to lose her.
The sound of thunder rolling in had him whistling for the dogs to come back to him, which they did, with their tongues hanging out of their faces.
“You guys are just too cute for your own good.” He laughed. Hooking them back up to the leads, he walked them all the way back to Elizabeth’s. It started to rain on their return, and she was already waiting with a towel.
“I just knew we were going to have some fun weather.” The thunder hit hard, striking with lightning as well.
“It certainly is.” Together, they cleaned the dogs, drying them off.
It was pouring down with rain.
“Let me make you a coffee before you head back. It’s the least I could do.” She patted his arm.
“I’m not going to turn down any coffee. You know how I like it, sweetheart.” He grabbed a fresh towel, rubbing at his hair as he walked back through Elizabeth’s house. It was a nice place. Clean, tidy. There was a lifetime of memories here all in one place. Reminded him a little of the clubhouse.
The dogs attacked their food and he chuckled. He was thinking of getting a couple of dogs himself.
“Do you want to tell me what is bothering you, or would you like me to guess?”
“You’re too all-knowing for your own good.”
“That I am. I know. I know a lot of things.” She sighed. “I’ve spoken to Anna-Beth. You two talked about the cursed houses thing.”
“We don’t believe in it.”
“I know. Nearly every single couple doesn’t believe in it, Rix, but I tell you, it exists.”
“I’m leaving,” he said.
This made Elizabeth pause. “Excuse me?”
“Next week, I won’t be around. I’m heading back home. I’ve done what I’ve come to do and now it’s time for me to move on.”
“Wow,” she said. “Does Anna-Beth know?”
“No, I haven’t told her.” There were a few things he hadn’t told her.
“Well, if you don’t believe in the houses and everything it entails, why do you look like you’re sucking on lemons, boy?” Elizabeth smiled. “You have feelings for her.”
Rix tapped his fingers on the counter. With his other hand, he nursed his drink. “You know I’m not a good man, right?”
“I have my suspicions and I do watch television. I have some inkling of what you’re like when you’re at your other place.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think she will ever go with me,” he said.
“You don’t believe in the cursed houses bringing people together, but you don’t want to live without her?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Rix, you’re a clever man, but right now, you’re starting to sound a little stupid.”
“I get it.”
“Do you, really? It doesn’t sound like it to me.”
He sighed. “I honestly don’t know what to fucking say right now. Sorry.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve heard it all before. I was married.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “She’s pregnant. She doesn’t know it either. I knocked her up on purpose so I could have my way with her.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how to tell her. I know she loves it here.”
“I take it all of these conversations are to be kept between us?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes, she can’t know.”
“I do find it interesting that you haven’t said the truth so far.”
“Which is?” he asked.
“You love her.”
“Feelings don’t come because of two houses,” he said.
“Oh, come on, the two houses is just some fun. I believe the real magic could be in the time people spend together. Your houses are close, and well, time and closeness always create feelings. You’re in love with her and it scares you. You’ve never been in love before.”
“In my world, having a loved one is close to a death sentence.”
She sighed. “But not always.”
“Of course not always,” he said, rubbing at his temple. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be yelling at you.”
“You know what I think?” she asked.
“No.”
“I
think you need to go talk to her. Staying here isn’t going to provide you with the answers you want. You’re in love with Anna-Beth, I can see that. And the one thing I can safely say I’ve learned from love,” she said, with a smile, “is when you feel something for someone, you will do whatever you can to make it work. You’ve just got to figure out what works for you, for the both of you.”
Chapter Nine
According to Rix, she was fine.
The doctor said it was just a little stomach bug and that she would be fine in a couple of days. She didn’t believe him, so she’d decided to go get a pregnancy test. She wasn’t an idiot. Morning sickness was what she was going through and after going to the pharmacy, she’d taken the test on her lunch break.
She was pregnant.
With Rix’s baby.
The same man who seemed to be pulling away from her and she had no idea why.
Walking home, she didn’t exactly feel the rain or anything. She was numb to it all. One step in front of the other, she couldn’t believe what was happening.
She was pregnant with Rix’s child.
They were going to have a baby together. Once at the edge of the road, she stared at their houses. They seemed so peaceful, not at all like they could cause trouble. It was crazy.
As she crossed over the road, Rix’s front door opened and he rushed out toward her.
“Are you insane?” he asked. “It’s freezing. Let’s get you inside.”
She should just tell him now. Blurt out that she was pregnant with his baby.
He closed and locked his front door. Her little quirk rubbing off on him.
While she watched him, he took her bag and coat and started to remove her clothes. She was still really numb.
How did she tell this man that she was pregnant with his child? They didn’t have any tomorrows. Not really.
“I’ve missed you.” He gripped the back of her neck.
She knew deep down she should tell him no, but she couldn’t do it. Putting her hands on his chest, she moaned as she drew closer. His lips crashed down on hers, and she melted against him, wanting him so damn much.
You can tell him another day.
The last thing she wanted to do was spoil this.
“I want you,” she said, breaking from the kiss.
He held her hand, leading her upstairs. No, she didn’t want him to be slow and tender.