City Of Sin: A Mafia & MC Romance Collection
Page 106
“I can’t let you do that,” I said as respectfully as I could.
“The fuck you can’t. What are you in cahoots with him?” Franco hissed.
“In cahoots it with him? The douche bag was going to kill me remember?”
“Then why the fuck can’t I kill him?” Franco growled, his hands balled into fists.
“I need him alive, at least for a little bit.”
“It better be to fucking torture him,” Franco said relaxing a bit.
I let out a chuckle. “You can do whatever you want with him, but I need to see who else, on my side was in on it. I don’t want to tell you how to run your business, but I’d suggest you do the same.”
“He’s right boss. There was no way this was gonna be just two guys,” Marco added.
“Unless it was,” I added. “I need to be sure.”
“And how are you going to do that?” Franco asked.
“Well, word’s probably out that Jimmy is dead, so that fucks things up a bit, but I still have a plan. I need to get his phone though. I think I might be able to get it out of evidence since it’s not really evidence anyway. I knew one of the cops who questioned us.”
Marco raised his eyebrows. “Santonelli?”
“No, Williams.” I laughed and shook my head. “So we had two cops out of four in that bunch?”
“We’d make quite a partnership. Imagine the connections we’d have together…” His words trailed off.
It had been a joke, but it was the fucking truth. Together we’d have this town by the balls.
I took out my phone and looked down at my contacts. I was so glad I’d put them in when I’d gotten it. I texted Williams.
Marco was texting too, as was Franco.
“I’m having Donnie bring Theresa up. I don’t trust her to be anywhere but with me.”
I understood what he meant. I wanted my parents to show up so I could warn them already. I was about to call again when a doctor walked into the room. “Dante Ranetti?” he called out. I walked over to him.
Franco, Marco and Lina followed me.
“Annalisa wants to talk to you.”
“I’m her father,” Franco said. “I’ll go.”
The doctor looked at Franco, fear in his eyes. “Yes Sir, I know you’re her father. We’re giving her the best care, but she asked for Dante.”
“Fine, we’ll both go,” Franco growled.
“Just Dante,” the doctor said looking at me.
“Is she out of surgery already?” I asked, walking toward him.
“No, she hasn’t gone in yet. There’s a slight complication,” he said, glancing at Franco. He stepped between us and started ushering me toward the locked double doors. “Please, come talk to her so we can get started with her surgery.” The doctor held his badge in front of the doors making them open. He pushed me through and closed the doors behind him. Franco had been right there. He looked pissed. I worried for the doctor and for myself when I got back.
“I don’t understand,” I said as we walked down a hall. “Isn’t she unconscious?”
“No, she’s awake, being prepped for surgery.”
“And she wants to talk to me? Why?”
“I’ll let her tell you.” We’d stopped walking and the doctor indicated an open doorway.
I could see Annalisa lying on a bed. There were two women around her, one was doing something with her IV, the other was putting her hair into a shower cap type thing. Even like that, even after being shot, she was still so fucking beautiful.
“Dante,” she whispered when she saw me.
The nurses looked up and left the room. “I’ll give you five minutes,” the doctor said from the doorway.
Annalisa nodded.
I walked over to her. I stood over her holding her hand. She looked really small in the bed and I tried not to look at the place I knew she’d been shot. It really had been all my fault. I should have been there and it was my guy who did it. “Babygirl, what are you doing? There’s a bullet in you and they need to get it out.”
“I know,” she said. “But there’s something I have to tell you first.”
I knew all about confessing shit right before you died or thought you were going to die. You’d be amazed at the stuff fuckers said before they were offed. “Annalisa, whatever it is, you can tell me after they get the bullet out. It’s not going to change anything anyway.”
“It might,” she said softly.
I didn’t care what she said. What could she possibly confess that was half as bad as any of the shit I’d done? I’d humor her though. “Alright Baby, what is it?”
“Well, you know how I told you I was on birth control pills?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
She bit her lip.
“Oh Baby, are you saying that you lied? Is that what this is about? Babygirl, I would have made love to you anyway.”
“You would have?” she asked looking into my eyes.
“Yeah, I think so. Do you know how sexy you are?”
She smiled. “I swear I thought I was on them. I only found out today that they were sugar pills.”
I leaned down and kissed her. “It’s not a big deal Babygirl. It was a mistake, and besides what are the odds anyway?”
“Odds?” she asked.
“Yeah, the odds you’d get pregnant.”
She stared up at me but said nothing, though the look in her eyes said it all.
“Oh fuck. I—I got you pregnant?” The next question that almost came out of my mouth was, “Is it mine?” but I realized it had to be. I was her first and she was with me every night after that.
“I’m sorry,” we both said at the same time.
“You’re sorry?” I asked. “Why are you sorry? I’m the one who got you pregnant.”
“But I said that I was on the pill. This is my fault…and you don’t have to do anything. That’s why I didn’t even tell you earlier.”
I’d been leaning down close to her but I pulled back. “Earlier? You knew earlier?”
She nodded and the tears started to fall. “Yeah, I found out after I gave the phone to your sister.”
I was crushed she hadn’t told me. “Why didn’t you tell me? None of this would have happened if you would’ve told me. I wouldn’t have left that basement, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have let the woman carrying my baby run around the dock at midnight, that’s for fucking sure.”
“I know...and that’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew if I did you’d never go...or…” She stopped talking.
“Or what?” I prompted.
“Or you’d go and take me, but not because you wanted me, but only because you wanted the baby. I had to know that it was me that you wanted, that you loved.”
“You had doubts?” I was crushed.
She nodded. “Yeah—no—I don’t know. I’ve been so tired and haven’t felt well, and super emotional, and then after I gave Rita the phone I forgot to take it back. I needed it because your number was in it. I went back for it, and she was talking to some guy laughing about you…how you fucked your way out of another one and how you’d used me.”
I was furious with my sister and I wanted to tear her head off, but one look at the broken angel in front of me took all of that anger away. “Baby, how could you believe her?”
“She’s your sister. She’s known you your whole life. I’ve known you a few weeks. I didn’t want to believe it. Lina said not to believe her, to go with my heart. I let you go. I went to the docks.”
I leaned down and hugged her. “Yeah you did Baby, and I showed up, so no more doubts okay? Everything is good between us. No more secrets. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from Jimmy.” I looked down at her stomach, where the gauze was, the blood seeping through.” Is there...can you still have children? We can try again.” I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. Five minutes ago, I didn’t even know I wanted kids, and now, after losing one, I wanted to try again.
“I—Dante…” she said.
She took my hand and moved it over to about an inch above her pussy. “This is where my uterus is. Jimmy didn’t shoot the baby.”
“So you could still be pregnant?” I asked, looking at the several inch distance between the gunshot and where she held my hand.
“Not could be. I am.” She handed me a little black and white picture. There were some plus signs on it and a little blob in the center.
I looked at her confused.
“Well, that’s the baby,” she said, her nose still running but a laugh coming from her. “It’s just a blob now.”
I held the picture and hugged her again, being careful of her wires and wound. “Annalisa, I know everything now. I’ll be here when you get out of surgery. Please go.”
She shook her head.
“Knock, knock,” the doctor said from the open doorway.
“Everything set Annalisa?” he asked. He looked nervously at me.
I usually loved when people were intimidated by me, but not ones who were going to have the lives of my girl and baby in their hands.
“Dante, I don’t think I should. I could lose the baby.” Tears began to fall down her cheeks.
I looked from her to the doctor. “Is that true?”
“We always have to inform patients of all of the risks before a procedure. There is a slightly elevated chance of a miscarriage for women who are under anesthesia than women who aren’t.” He looked at Annalisa. “It’s just a slightly higher percent.”
“What about keeping me awake? What about an epidural?”
“That’s an option, but I don’t think it’s your best one. This wouldn’t be like an epidural you’d have when you’re in labor. The bullet is in a totally different place, and so we’d have to numb more of you. There are nearly equal complications from epidurals this early on in pregnancy. In addition, your blood pressure would be raised, which isn’t good.”
“Can I not do it at all? It doesn’t hurt that much.”
“Annalisa!” I said. “You can’t just keep a bullet in you.” I looked at the doctor. “Can she?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s lodged next to your liver. It hasn’t done any damage, but it could shift at any moment. It’s a jagged piece of metal in your body. It has to come out. It has to come out now.”
I took both of her hands in mine. “I know you’re scared. I’m scared. I’m scared I’m going to lose two people I love, but it has to be done. The doctor said it’s a low risk, and Baby, if for some reason the worst happens,” I looked up at the doctor. “She could get pregnant again right?”
He nodded. “There is no reason you couldn’t get pregnant again right away.”
“See, so if for some reason the worst happens, we can try again. I promise, we can try every day until it happens.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
She looked down at her stomach and then up to me and finally to the doctor. “Okay. I’ll go under.”
He and I both sighed in relief.
It was amazing how fast they moved after she said that. I barely had time to give her a kiss before they wheeled her from the room. I was left standing there, staring at the empty space her bed had been holding a picture of what looked like television fuzz in my hand.
I walked back to the waiting room in a daze. What if something happened to her in surgery? What if something happened to the baby? It was stupid because fifteen minutes earlier I hadn’t even know I was going to be a father, and now I wanted that baby more than anything. Yeah, I wanted him or her for myself, but I also wanted him for Annalisa. It was something she wanted and I didn’t want to see her hurting.
I pushed the doors open and walked in a daze into the waiting room.
Franco rushed over to me. “Is she alright? What did she want? What was the complication?”
“I—uh…”
He stared at me waiting.
“She’s in surgery now. She wanted to tell me— to tell me…” I handed him the picture.
He took it and looked at it. “What the fuck is this?”
“She’s pregnant.”
He looked up at me then back down at the photograph. “That’s not even possible. She’s a virgin. She’s never even been on a date.” He looked at me.
I knew it was written all over my face. I was pinned up against the wall in a second. The photo fluttered to the floor as he held me against the wall by my neck. “I’m gonna fucking kill you.”
I was seeing tiny flashes of light on my vision when I thought I heard my father’s voice. “Get off of him!” he shouted. There was a scuffle and Franco let go of me.
“What the fuck is the matter with you?” my dad yelled at Franco.
He turned toward my dad and shouted, “Your son violated my daughter and knocked her up!”
My dad’s eyes went wide. I could see the same anger in his that was on Franco’s face. “You forced yourself on his daughter and got her pregnant?”
I shook my head. “No… No. I mean, yeah I got her pregnant.”
My dad slapped me on the back of my head.
“But it wasn’t like that at all, She wanted me to.” I rubbed my head where he’d hit me.
“You son of a bitch!” Franco screamed.
I was once again, shoved against the wall.
“Franco, calm down.” This time, it was Marco talking. “You’re drawing attention.” He was right. Security was walking toward us. “It’s all right,” Marco said.
The guard stood there until Franco stepped away from me.
“I’m sure what Dante meant was that he didn’t force Annalisa. He was locked in the basement. She had to have gone down to see him.”
Franco still looked pissed, but stepped away from me. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Franco was glaring between me and my father. My father looked like he wanted to kill Franco and slap me again. I had so much more to tell my Dad, but I couldn’t focus on anything until I heard word on my girl and my baby.
The entire mood of the room changed when my mother walked in. Franco and my dad relaxed a bit and I felt the facade I’d been holding up crumple. She walked straight over to me and threw her arms around my neck.
“Mom...I fucked up big time,” I said, hugging her tightly. “Everything is so fucked up and it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have tried to take Franco’s shipment and none of this would have happened.
“Everything is going to be fine now. We got you back.” My mom stepped away from me and looked me over. “You’re okay right?”
I nodded. I was far from okay, but I knew what she meant.
“Is it Jimmy? Your father got a call on the way over from a friend on the force saying he’d been shot.”
“Yeah, Jimmy was shot. He’s dead. I killed him.” I looked over at my father. “I had to kill him Dad. He was a traitor. He was going to kill me and Franco. He was going to let them kill you, but most of all, he was hurting my girl. He had her on the dock and he was going to rape her.”
“Your girl?” my mother asked. “Who’s your girl?”
I took a breath. “Annalisa, Annalisa Morelli is my girl. I love her more than anything in the world and I’d do anything for her.”
My mother smiled and squeezed my hand.
My father looked confused still. “What was Annalisa doing on the dock with Jimmy?” my father asked, though he was looking to Franco, as if it was his plan.
“She let Dante go. They were running away together,” he said through clenched teeth.
Both of my parents turned to me for an explanation.
“He’s right,” I said, feeling the sting of tears that I wouldn’t let come. “She let me go and we were supposed to meet at midnight. Only I wasn’t there because I thought Annalisa was standing me up. But she wasn’t standing me up. It had been a trick. As soon as I realized, I told Lina and Marco and
rushed to the dock, but it was too late.”
The color drained from my mother’s face. “What do you mean it was too late? Where is she?”
I nearly lost it when she asked that.
It was Franco who answered, “She’s in surgery getting a bullet removed.”
“Jimmy shot her. I shot him. Well I shot him first, but he got off a round. He shot her in the stomach.”
“Is she going to be all right?” my mom asked.
“I don’t know. The doctor said that…” I stopped talking because Donnie walked in the room with Theresa. She ran over to Franco who wrapped his arms around her.
Donnie was glaring at me. I didn’t blame him. I wasn’t my biggest fan right now either.
Franco was whispering in Theresa’s ear.
My mother squeezed my hand again, as I watched the two of them. I had no idea how I was going to explain any of this to Annalisa’s mother.
Franco released her from his hug and she turned slowly to face me. She wiped her eyes and walked over to me. I’d faced down the world’s toughest criminals and mob bosses without flinching, but as she approached, I was terrified.
She opened her arms and pulled me into a hug. “My husband says you saved our daughter.”
“I didn’t really—”
“You got Marco for help?”
“Yeah.”
“And you went to the docks to save her?”
“Yeah.”
“You shot the man that shot her?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“And you got her here?”
“Well, Lina called 911. I just put pressure on the wound until the ambulance arrived.”
“You could have run,” she said.
“No…no I couldn’t have. I couldn’t have left her there.”
“My husband says you claim to love her. Do you?”
I nodded my head. “I love her more than anything.”
“She’s strong. She’s a tough girl. She’s going to be okay.”
I nodded my head. “Yes, she is. She’s in surgery now to remove the bullet.”
“You were saying there’s a complication?” my mother asked.
“Well, it’s not really a complication. I mean, I don’t think of it as one...but...well, there was a delay in starting the surgery because Annalisa is pregnant. I got Annalisa pregnant.”