“You know it’s not like that,” he countered.
“Do you think this is what I wanted, a baby born into the mafia!?” she said raising her voice.
“Calmati,” he said and took a deep breath, “I’m sorry for upsetting you. I just didn’t expect this,” he said quietly.
“Well neither did I, so here we are. Getting married in a few days, and I’m having your baby. Instant family isn’t that just brilliant,” she bit out sarcastically.
“Bella, please don’t stress yourself out, we can hold off with the wedding…”
“No, I will not walk down the aisle looking like a house or give anyone reason to think I am a promiscuous gold digger,” she said bitterly, “we will wed as planned.”
She had a point, everyone will think he is marrying her because she is with child, and the gossipmongers will have a field day. He just wished she could show more compassion, he wanted her the way she was when he first met her.
“As you will, mio cara, we will continue as planned.”
“I’m tired,” she said quietly turning her back on him.
“Get some rest, I’ll bring you some food later, and we can talk about the wedding then.”
He stood looking at her for a brief moment and then quietly left her to rest, closing the door behind him.
Although he didn’t expect this to happen he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride knowing he was going to be a father. Maybe in time she would grow to love him and they would become a true family.
Chapter 14
Four weeks later…
With the passing of her father, the wedding was postponed but finally the inevitable day had arrived. She stood looking at herself in the mirror, the wedding dress was even more beautiful than she expected. Thankfully there were no signs of pregnancy as yet. Although her breasts were tender, she had gotten over most of her morning sickness which was a relief. To her surprise, Louis went out of his way to give her whatever her heart desired to make this day as perfect as it could possibly be. He even got Natalie to attend the wedding so that she could be the maid of honor.
“You look amazing Bee,” Natalie said as she tucked some of the stray strands of hair back in place, “I still can’t believe this is all happening so fast.”
“It was love at first sight,” she said quietly and stepped off the pedestal.
“You’re so damn lucky.”
You have no idea, she thought.
A slight knock on the door drew her attention but before Natalie could inquire who it was, Louis stepped into the room.
“Hey! You’re not allowed to see the bride before the wedding!” she cried and tried to shove him back out the door.
“I have to see Belinda, it is of utmost importance.”
Belinda looked at him and noticed the serious look on his face, then nodded at Natalie, “It’s okay Nat, will you give us a moment?”
“Ugh, this is such bad luck,” her friend mumbled and walked out of the room.
Louis could hardly take his eyes of Belinda, she was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen, and although he would want nothing more but to have her promise her entire life to him, he had a pressing matter to discuss. And this could very well be the end of this fairytale wedding.
“I had some of my men investigate an issue that has been on my mind for some time now,” he started and walked to the window, “Remember when you mentioned the accountant?”
“Yes?” she said curiously.
“We’ll I never made that arrangement, my father did. So I had him investigated.” He turned to her and took both her hands in his.
“It is true that our parents promised us to each other when we were just children, but my father had ulterior motives. You see, El Pescore has been a front for my father, it was the only way he could invest his money in the United States…” Louis started to explain. He told her how he found out about his father’s business, and how he used El Pescore’s Italian food supplier as a front to legitimize the movement of money from Italy to America.
Belinda was shocked to the core. All this time her pride and joy was a sham. She slowly sat down on the bed with a hundred and one questions flooding her mind.
“I want you to listen to me. I have already moved my father’s assets away from your restaurant, and signed the business over into my name,” Louis said as he stood on his haunches in front of her, “but my father will soon find out, and when he does all hell will break lose. The only way I can secure your safety is if you were my wife.”
For a moment her mind went blank, but clarity soon descended on her and she looked at Louis with both determination and admiration. She knew that what he had done was dangerous but the fact that he did this for her must mean that he cared.
“Is El Pescore in danger of being closed down or destroyed?” she asked.
“No, with El Pescore no longer the front, it will be meaningless for him to pursue it and I will ensure that nothing happens to your restaurant or to your staff.”
“Good, then I will marry you,” she said quietly.
Louis stood up and dragged his hands through his hair, “That’s just it. I don’t want you to just marry me. I want you to want to marry me. I want our child to know that his parents care for each other.”
That took her for a loop, and she wasn’t quite sure she understood what he wanted. Over the past few weeks after her father’s death, Louis was compassionate and understanding and somewhere between, I hate you and I forgive you, she fell in love with him, not to mention that she now carried his child. But it was a realization she opted to bury forever. It took her weeks to come to terms with the fact her love for him would be unrequited.
“You want me to want to marry you?” she asked tilting her head.
“Si, marriage without love is nothing but a business transaction,” he said and kissed the palm of her hand. “I want our child to have a happy home.”
When he did things like that she could not fault him. She wanted him and from his declaration he wanted her too. She sat for a moment and contemplated her future.
“Do you love me?” she asked.
“I didn’t believe this to be possible, but you’ve changed me somehow. And knowing that I might marry a woman who does not love me made me reconsider…” he started and then came to sit next to her, “I am in love with you, which is why I don’t want you to marry me if there is any doubt in your heart or mind.”
She could feel the tears prick her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. For weeks she tried to be strong, harden her heart and show everyone that she was a force to be reckoned with. A woman who refused to let circumstance and tragedy weaken her, but now she could barely keep it together.
“I am in love with you too,” she whispered.
“Mio dolce amore, then we shall marry and take this world by storm. I will protect you and our child all of my days.”
Suddenly her walls crumbled down and a sob ripped through her chest. All her pent up emotions like a raging river, broke the walls that she fought so hard to keep erected.
“Once we are married, I will go with you to New York, and we will start afresh there,” he said as he cupped her face in his hands.
“What will happen when your father finds out about El Pescore?” she asked searching his eyes.
“Let me worry about that, mio caro, I’m his son, and you are now his daughter-in-law, he will find other ways to manage his business. I will help him set up a shelf company in the United States, one that will have no strings to El Pescore or the Benedetti’s,” he reassured her and then pressed his lips against her, kissing her softly.
***
After the wedding, they both left for New York to start their own family. Belinda accepted the fact that her life will never be the same, but with Louis by her side and their child on the way, she knew she could face any circumstance. After her father passed away, she assumed the position as the Donna Benedetti in the largest Mafia Family in the United States.
Louis
earned his father’s respect, despite the fact that he created a shelf company for his family, withdrawing El Pescore as the front for the mafia.
****
THE END
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a family by valentine
Lucy
“What am I going to do?” Lucy asked in a voice high with desperation. She paced the small living room of the apartment she shared with her four-year-old son Jacob.
“Call him,” her brother Chris advised softly from the other end of the phone receiver held to her ear. “You’ve kept this from him long enough. Do you have any idea how hard it was keeping it from Mom and Dad?” he demanded.
Lucy laughed hysterically. The mere thought of rich, famous Seth Landers finding out he has a secret son would make huge headlines and that was the main reason she’d kept it from him. She didn’t want her son exposed to that kind of life.
“You never should have kept this from him,” Chris admonished and she rolled her eyes at the years’ old argument.
“I never should have told you,” she snapped and instantly felt guilty. It wasn’t Chris’s fault that she’d fallen for her brother’s gorgeous best friend from college. She’d met Seth a little over five years ago, while she, herself, was only a college sophomore.
Seth had come back to town to act as best man in Chris’s wedding and after one alcohol-hazed night, he’d left Erie, Pennsylvania, and Lucy in his rearview mirror. The town wasn’t affected as much as Lucy – she’d been pregnant with Seth’s child.
He’d gone on to sign with the St. Louis Cardinal’s professional baseball team and now had a recurring multi-million dollar contract. He loved his high-rolling, celebrity lifestyle and the spotlight it gave him. He’d gone on record numerous times saying how he wasn’t the type to settle down with just one woman and he adamantly claimed not to want children.
Lucy, a straight-A student who loved nothing but studying and collecting books, couldn’t stand the thought of her son being used as cannon fodder for some money-grubbing newspaper or tabloid trash. So, she’d kept Jacob’s existence a secret.
It had worked fine for four years now.
Chris inhaled deeply on the other end of the call. Having moved to San Francisco, California shortly after getting married, he kept in constant contact with his little sister. Ever since she’d gotten pregnant and refused to reveal the father, her parent’s had virtually disowned her. They’d died in a freak car accident a month before Jacob was born. Chris was the only family she had left.
“You can’t do this alone, Luce,” her brother said. “You’re gonna need help.”
“And you’re sure neither you nor Amber can come?” she asked again. He’d already told her they couldn’t get the time off of work, but it didn’t hurt to ask again.
“I’m sorry, sweetpea, I wish we could, but Amber just got this big promotion and I need all the hours I can clock for the mortgage. I know it sounds like we’re brushing you off, but I promise you, I’m not. I can’t take any time off until next month and then God Himself won’t stop me, you just need to make it until then -” He trailed off.
“And it isn’t like I can get a babysitter,” Lucy admitted. “This is a 24/7 therapy treatment and they won’t let Jacob stay with me.” No matter how badly she didn’t want to call on Seth, she slowly realized she had no other choice.
“So, bite the bullet and call him. If he’s an ass, then you let me know and I’ll beat him senseless,” Chris threatened. “But honestly, I can’t see him turning his back on his own flesh and blood.”
Lucy caved at her brother’s trust and faith in his friend. Maybe she had been wrong about Seth, maybe she did owe it to him. Mind made up, she decided she’d call him and ask for help, but she refused to throw Jacob in the line of fire just yet. If Seth came and actually showed some interest in being with her son, then maybe she’d tell him. Only time would tell.
Seth
Seth Landers ran his fingers through his spiky, black hair and laughed at the naughty girl sitting next to him. She leaned against him, her breasts pressed as tightly against his bicep as possible and whispered really interesting things in his ear.
Or, at least what he managed to hear was naughty. The pounding bass pumping through the club’s speakers managed to drown out pretty much everything. Her makeup seemed exotic but he knew the flashing, fluorescent lights always camouflaged the smallest flaws. Even though she looked like Marilyn Monroe at the moment, she was probably more of a Molly Toothless in reality.
But hell, he didn’t care. His beer goggles were on tight and he was ready for whatever ride she provided. Even though it was nearing the later part of January, folks were already enjoying the Valentine’s Day theme. Red streamers hung from the ceiling, the warm air filtering from the vents making them wave and dance.
Every song related to love – or sex – in some form or fashion. In his opinion, Valentine’s Day was the single man’s Christmas. There were so many lonely women and so little time to satisfy them all. The holiday was nothing more than a bachelor’s paradise so he’d taken a head start this year and hit the clubs. Imagine his amazement when he realized that he wasn’t the only one who’d had the same idea.
Women crowded the club, their bodies on display for any onlooker. Desperation clung to them like cheap perfume. Seth counted himself lucky he’d found one that looked decent enough.
“C’mon baby,” she cooed, snapping his attention back to the here and now. She smiled and scooted across the seat to exit their booth, her hand grabbing his and urging him along behind her. “Let’s go someplace a little quieter.”
Seth nodded and tossed a few bills on the table to cover their drinks and followed her lead. Once on his feet, he slung his arm around her shoulders and laughed when they both weaved and wobbled their way to the door. Shoving through the blacked out door, he inhaled sharply when the cold Missouri air hit him square in the face. January in Saint Louis was the coldest time of the year.
Shaking his head to dispel the sudden onset of ringing in his ears, he frowned when it didn’t work.
The girl squinted down at his jacket pocket.
“I think your pocket’s ringing,” she slurred and then giggled for no apparent reason.
Seth pulled away from her and dug in his pocket until he found the offensive little device. Pulling it out, a familiar face from years ago flashed across his screen and he sobered in a hurry.
But before he could hit the send button to answer, the connection dropped. His eyes flicked to the signal strength on his screen and he noted he had full service. Had she lost connection?
The little screen went black as he stood there and let his thoughts run wild. He’d had it pretty bad for his best friend’s little sister ever since he first laid eyes on her.
Seth had rolled into town to act as best man for his bud’s wedding and this little slip of a college sophomore flat out stole his breath.
He remembered that day as clear as if it were yesterday.
He’d pulled his rental car up in front of the Conlay’s modest brick home. A petite girl with a long, bouncy ponytail knelt in the front yard gathering the contents of a spilled bag. He’d rushed from his car to help her scoop the books and papers before the wind carried them away.
Contents safely returned to her backpack, they rose and the moment their eyes met, Seth’s heart lurched in excitement.
He faced five-feet-seven-inches of the most adorable bookworm he’d ever met; her big, brown, doe-eyes nearly cut him off at the knees. He still remembered what she’d been wearing that day as well: a yellow sundress with a pair of those little white tennis shoes.
Shaking his head to clear the lustful fog settling over him, he swiped the screen to the right and held his hand up to his drunken date, motioning for her t
o be quiet. He then waited for Lucy to answer the call.
She picked up on the fourth ring.
“Seth?” she whispered. “I’m sorry it’s so late, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Nah, Luce,” he scoffed. “It’s good to hear from you. What’s it been – six years?” he asked and batted his hand when the drunken woman grabbed at his arm, her face scrunched in a jealous sneer.
“More like five years, give or take a few months,” she answered drolly.
Seth laughed at her sassiness, his gut feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with alcohol.
He’d instantly fell in lust with her the day they’d met, so when he had the chance to spend some one-on-one time with her after Chris’s wedding, he fulfilled his fantasies by giving her the night of her life. A small part of him hated leaving her behind the next morning, but she just wasn’t a good fit for the lifestyle he’d wanted.
She was the kind of woman a man settled down with, raised a family with and grew old with. Three things he didn’t want.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this little call?” he asked playfully and then scowled at himself. The alcohol was messing with his mojo.
“I need your help,” Lucy admitted gently.
Sensing a chance to rekindle some romance, Seth shoved his date back inside the club and pushed the door shut behind her. Leaning against it, he put all his weight into keeping her inside while he made other plans.
“When and where darlin’?” he drawled. “Give me the details and I’ll be there,” he promised.
***
“Why can’t I go with you, Mommy?” Jacob asked in a low and frightened voice. “I don’t want to stay with a sitter, I want you,” he insisted and Lucy pressed her eyelids closed to avert the tears.
She’d had no idea how difficult it would be to look down into her baby’s big blue eyes and tell him that he had to stay with a stranger while Mommy went to the hospital to get better. The only time he’d been out of her sight was when she’d gone to work; barring that, the duo were never far from one another.
Daddy’s Fiancée Nanny : A Single Dad & A Virgin Romance Page 15