“I have no idea. It’s only a tiny shop, but they have the exact things I was telling you about this morning, but I have already spent so much today. I did my part for the economy. We’re in for a raise on the Dow Jones.”
He laughed. “I was very clear, buy whatever you want.”
“I want everything I see, and I can see a lot.”
“Buy lots and have fun, baby. I need to speak with Rachel about your safety. I love you.”
“I love you too, Antonio. Bye.”
Antonio’s heart was melting as she said it so casually and naturally. “Rachel?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The bodyguards have lost sight of you, and they are panicking. I need your exact address.”
Rachel got it from the saleslady and stepped out in front of the shop and waved until they spotted her. She took a scolding from Antonio and apologized as quietly as she could so Anna wouldn’t hear it.
Because it was getting late, she offered to bring Anna directly to the party this evening. She would see to Anna’s dress and hair, make-up and everything she told him. He agreed and made her promise to call him every hour on the hour to let him know where they were.
Rachel was better at taking Antonio’s scolding because she didn’t take them personally. She recognized them for what they were: a loving husband who cared deeply for his wife.
Chapter 43
The party had already started when Anna arrived.
Rachel was still at her side in her plain clothes. She was to hand Anna over to her husband and then leave. Rachel had to get cracking with her packing.
The family was celebrating in a nightclub. Anna looked amazing in her white sequenced dress. A classic beauty, Rachel thought. She had often heard the others comment that she wasn’t as beautiful as Antonio’s other girlfriends, but Rachel couldn’t believe that. Anna had class and an easy smile.
Rachel searched the room for Antonio. She spotted him coming to get Anna. He must have been watching the door.
“Anna, you look spectacular.” He kissed her cheek lightly. “Thank you, Rachel. Will you please stay in case my wife needs to go home early because of her delicate condition?”
“Of course, sir,” she answered, showing no signs that she was worried about the packing she still had to do.
Rachel was brought to a table in the back of the restaurant with the other servants. Antonio had made it clear that she could have anything she wanted except alcohol. He didn’t think the stuff was for women at all.
Antonio brought Anna to his table. A few of his cousins were there. They stood, smiled and nodded at her. They also had flashy looking dates, Anna thought. She didn’t feel comfortable in this kind of dress, but it did fit in here.
“Our parents are sitting up there with their friends. Wave to them, Anna, and smile nicely,” Antonio whispered in her ear.
Anna smiled and turned to look up at the balcony. She waved to her mother, Francesco and her in-laws, and they waved back. Anna saw them explain to their friends who she was. She also saw several men with guns patrolling around the room.
“Why do those men need guns?” she asked Antonio in a whisper.
“To protect you,” he quickly answered her. “Watch the show and eat something. She is eating for two,” he told everyone and laid his hand over her belly.
His cousins smiled. They had been at the wedding too. They knew it was time for her to be expecting.
The show was a variety act. Anna felt as if she were at the circus. It was wonderful, and they were sitting in the front row center.
An act with little dogs came on. The clown would try to get the dogs to do something, but they never did. He turned to the crowd to apologize and the dogs would jump through hoops and walk on their hind legs as soon as his back was turned. Anna clasped her hands together and beamed at the tiny dogs.
Antonio noticed. He stood and went to Rachel. “Anna seems to like the little dogs. Get her a small dog that is friendly. Think about the baby. Something soft, but doesn’t shed.”
Rachel nodded and watched him walk back to Anna, who grabbed his arm and raved about the little dogs.
“I thought you like cats,” Antonio asked his wife.
“I like dogs even more, but don’t tell our cat,” she warned him.
“Oh, don’t worry. I never would.” She sure could be silly. She was a wife and not a woman like the singer now on stage.
That woman had slept with him for money. Not directly, but that had been the outcome of it. She had always wanted something. He remembered sitting here a couple of years ago, and she had come on stage, and he had been taken with her. Now he couldn’t see what he had seen in her. She couldn’t hold a candle to his Anna.
The woman sang and kept her eye on her old flame. He was here with his new girlfriend, she thought. She also thought that the woman was no match for her. Playfully, she danced through the crowd and teased the men. She ended up on Antonio’s lap.
Anna laughed, thinking that it was part of the show. Antonio set the woman on her feet, telling her to leave him alone.
“This is the woman that you are with now? This plain woman?” the woman said with a heavy accent.
Anna now realized that this wasn’t a joke. She was afraid that this was some sort of game to distract him. She sat up straight and looked for Rachel.
Their eyes met and Rachel came forward.
“Doris, this is my wife. Get out of here,” Antonio told her cruelly.
“Her? You married her? But she is plain. I bet she can’t even sing. She is too fat to be a dancer. You always date singers and dancers.”
Anna glanced down at herself confused. She needed to gain weight not lose it.
“Doris, get out of here before my men remove you.” Antonio looked at Anna who thankfully didn’t look too upset.
“Can you sing? He likes it when his women can sing.” Doris threw her microphone at Anna, who caught it before it could hit her in the face.
Antonio rose to his feet. He was livid. His men were there now. They pinned Doris’s hands behind her back.
Rachel had her hands on the back of Anna’s chair, also ready to protect her.
“I could sing ‘Hit the Road Jack’.” Anna smiled at Antonio.
He stared at her shocked, and then he laughed too. He sat down next to her again and kissed her. The crowd clapped for them.
“You aren’t mad, Anna?”
“Why should I be? She was in your past. I know you have been faithful to me. You weren’t even in the country. I’m not the jealous type. Without cause,” she added. “I’ll sing for you this evening. When it’s only the two of us, well the three of us.” She laid her hands on her belly, amazed that a tiny life was growing inside of her.
“I want to hear you sing for our baby.” Neither saw Doris being dragged from the room.
“Wait until you see all the things I bought today. I went a little crazy. I think we will have to have three or four more kids to get good use out of all the stuff that I found.”
“I’m sure you did very well. As we speak, maids are packing up the things that you picked out. We will take it home with us and prepare a room for our baby. I will help you personally. You only have to tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
Anna smiled at him again. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
They enjoyed the rest of their evening, and Anna didn’t think about Doris again.
Antonio did. He worried that his Anna could have reacted differently and even lost the baby. He was lucky to have her as his wife. She was very practical.
At midnight, they kissed. Anna blushed, and Antonio smiled at the thought of never having to worry about who he would kiss at midnight ever again.
Chapter 44
Anna was tired by the time they got on the plane. Rachel covered her up and saw to it that the luggage was on board.
She had easily convinced Antonio to hire a Nanny agency to find them one before the baby was born. All s
he had to say was that it would be better for Anna’s health, and he had agreed immediately. He also agreed to take the catalogs along. They filled a suitcase alone. It was clear that he wanted to pick out a few things for the baby too.
The dog that Rachel had picked out was going to be trained by experts before Anna got it. Having a dog who obeyed would make the couple of weeks wait worth it. The trainer would teach Anna how to get the dog to behave.
Antonio wanted everything to be perfect in his home. Rachel was seeing to it that nothing would go bump in the night.
Rachel was certain that since she had taken over that Antonio hadn’t hit Anna. She reported to his parents that the couple was very happy.
Antonio sat with his men, and they discussed business. Rachel stayed by Anna. They played card games, and Rachel kept Anna fed.
When they arrived in Mexico, the baby’s things were loaded onto a truck. Rachel oversaw everything. Anna waited in the car with Antonio and watched.
“Your Rachel is a real gem. I bet if she gave me an order, I would start to do it before it hit me that I don’t have to take orders from her,” Antonio joked.
“She’s only two years older than I am,” Anna stated. “Why couldn’t I have been more like her?”
“I think you’re fine the way you are. You got submarined by my staff. Even if you had been like her, they wouldn’t have listened to you.”
“Yes, but she would have marched into your office and told you what was going on. She wouldn’t have taken it personally as I did.”
“Your sensitive soul is one of the things that I love about you the most. I don’t want you to change. That is why I gave you someone like her. She will march into my office for you. I have no doubt that she will.” Antonio smiled to himself. Rachel was now part of the family too. He trusted her.
He also thought it was a good idea for his father to think that he had a spy in his house. Antonio didn’t have anything to hide. Rachel could report to his parents and earn a little side money. She deserved it because she made his wife feel special.
“I hope she didn’t forget that vanilla bath scent.” Something about that scent made him horny as hell for Anna.
“She makes lists about everything. I doubt that she forgot anything.” Anna assured him.
Antonio laid his hand over Anna’s and gave it a squeeze. “I love you so much, Anna. I haven’t said this yet, but congratulations about the baby. I know you longed to have one.”
Anna gazed back at her husband. This man had once been a stranger, but was now her home. “Congratulation to you too. I can’t wait to see you dancing with our daughters and playing football with our sons.”
The journey home was a long one, and Anna was dead tired when they finally got there. Antonio swooped her into his arms and carried her in. The new staff was lined up.
Anna insisted that she be put down. This wasn’t the impression that she wanted to make, she scolded her smiling husband.
She held on to Antonio’s hand as they greeted the servants. They were all new faces.
Rachel was introduced as the head of the household. She went right to work quizzing the staff and letting them know that she would make them work or they would be fired without her batting an eye. She especially questioned the cook, warning that she wouldn’t hesitate to try the food before it landed on the table.
Rachel informed them that she and only she would take care of the lady of the house. No one else was to touch her.
Rachel left them telling them that she had to draw her mistress’s bath.
Anna sat down at the table and smiled at Vinnie. His shoulder was bandaged up, but otherwise he wore a suit and looked healthy. “You took a bullet for me,” Anna stated.
“I’d do it again,” Vinnie stated.
“Did you somehow know that I was pregnant?”
“No. Like you said, I took a bullet for you.” He smiled at her. She had brought about a change in Antonio. He was a better man for meeting her.
“Thank you, Vinnie.”
“You’re welcome, Anna. I protect my family, and I always will.”
“Family is everything,” Antonio agreed with Vinnie as he sat down at the table.
Rachel brought out their food. She saw to it that everyone at the table had what they wanted. She set down a sweet caramel roll in front of Vinnie. “It’s my job to know everyone’s weakness. Buon Appetito.”
Rachel left the room. She had heard what they had said before about family. She couldn’t agree more. They were her family and she would take care of them in the best way she knew how. She did her rounds of the house, making sure that everyone was working.
The servants smiled at her, eager to show her that they were working.
Rachel smiled to herself. The house was running like clockwork.
Epilogue
There was a knock on the door. Antonio looked up at his men. He nodded that they should see who it was.
Once the door was opened, Anna burst in. She smiled at her husband, and he smiled back.
“Yes, Anna?”
“Can I talk to you alone. Right now?” she smiled and asked.
“Everyone out.” Antonio laid his papers down and looked at her surprised. The last time she had knocked on his door, she had come in to tell him that they were expecting a boy. He had a room set up for her medical examinations. The doctor came twice a week. Everything was going very well.
Once everyone was out, Anna went to him and sat on his lap. His hands went to her tummy. It was nice and round. He smiled at her knowing that she would tell him something nice.
“Give me your hand. I have a surprise for you.”
He trusted her blindly so he gave her his hand. She laid it on her tummy the way she wanted it and pushed into her tummy with one of her fingers.
At first, he looked at her worried, not understanding what she wanted, but then he felt it. The baby kicked his hand.
“Anna. This is amazing.” He moved his other hand to her tummy too.
Anna pushed her finger into her rounded tummy again. “I’m tricking him so he thinks that my finger is a football.”
Antonio hugged her and then his hands returned to her tummy.
“This makes him seem so real, doesn’t it?” Anna sighed with happiness.
“Yes, it reminds me that we still need to find a nanny for him.” Antonio had received a list with approved nannies yesterday. He lifted it up and scanned it with his eyes. His father had done an extensive background check on each woman on the list.
“Wouldn’t I be the obvious choice to take care of him?” Anna asked him sweetly. “I mean, all I do is sit around reading all day as it is.”
“At nighttime, you will sleep, and he will keep you busy by day. During mealtimes, you will sit by my side. You have duties as my wife. You aren’t only his mother. The nanny will help you so you can be all of those things.”
Anna bit her lip showing that she was unsure.
“Think about the beautiful pink things we have in storage. You will never get to use them if you don’t have time for me.”
Anna chuckled. “True, but still I don’t like the idea of giving our baby to a stranger. She’ll be alone with him. Anything could happen. How can we trust someone with our son?”
“Anna, you worry too much. That isn’t good for the baby. We will pick out a nanny together, and she won’t be a stranger to the child. I’ll tell Rachel to start setting up appointments.” He set Anna carefully on her feet and pushed her towards the door. He gave her a swat on her bottom. “Go play football with my son. He needs to practice.”
“I was thinking I would go out with my dog.”
“Sure, sweetheart. Just don’t go far. You know how I worry.”
“Yes, I won’t be gone long,” Anna said remembering the last time he felt she had been gone too long. Not even Rachel could talk him out of that punishment.
The spanking had been disappointingly light, and Anna had been forced to inform her husband that he wasn’
t hitting hard enough to tickle.
Antonio had then aimed for her thighs and given it to her good. Anna had thrown herself at him when he was finished. It had been one of those rare times when she had been on top and in control.
Afterwards Rachel had asked Anna if she wanted to escape. Rachel told her that she could move her to safety.
Anna had been forced to confess that she and Antonio practiced spankings as part of sex.
Rachel hadn’t believed Anna at first, but Anna apologized for being so messed up and upsetting Rachel. There was something in Anna’s apology that made Rachel see the truth. “He does it because I need it,” Anna confessed with shame.
Rachel had to cover her mouth not to laugh at her employer who she also saw as her friend.
“It’s always the quiet ones,” Rachel stated.
“That’s what Antonio says too,” Anna proclaimed.
The End
Other Books By Rachel Burns
A Man To Guide Her
A Man’s Due
A Sheikh’s Love
A Sheikh’s Secret
A Spanking Good Cook
A Wolf’s Bride
Blind Trust
But I Don't Want To Marry You
Callie Part I, II, III, IV V & VI
Callie The Complete Collection
Chocolate Rewards
Christmas Captive
Christmas On The Farm
Christmas Stories
Class Trip
Daddy’s Little Girls
Daddy’s Little Princess
Daddy’s Sweetheart Part I, II, III, IV &V
Daddy's Sweetheart The Complete Collection
Demon’s Bride
End Of The World Part I, II, III & IV
Facing The Music
Have A Heart Part I, II III & IV
Have A Heart The Completion Collection
Mafia Bride Page 19