Identity: …………..People aren’t always who you believe them to be (Miss Taken Identity Series Book 2)

by Scornavacca, Cleo

  I took a deep breath.“Well, Dr. Roth, it’s kind of complicated.”

  “Okay, Rain, tell me what’s going on. Is it your condition? What can I do to help?”He was very focused, but willing to help me, which made me feel more at ease in explaining what I was just about to reveal to him.

  “I’m pregnant, Dr. Roth.”There, I said it.

  A smiled played on his face, but then it slowly faded away.“Why do I have the feeling that you’re not here to discuss the pleasantries of the upcoming birth of your child, Rain?” He sounded concerned, then he looked from me to Tommy.

  Tommy’s lips formed a flat line, but he gave nothing away. I continued with my story.

  “Well, Dr. Roth, you’re partially correct. We came here today to ask for your recommendation of a good OB/GYN based on my medical history. I also need you to be discreet and not tell Dominick about my pregnancy. You are bound by medical ethics, right?”Iwasn’t sure if I had just given too much away.

  “Of course, Rain. Whatever you tell me stays between you and I. I’m your doctor. No one, not even Dominick has the right to any of your medical information; unless of course, you want them to have it.”

  Somewhat relieved, I continued with the explanation for my visit.

  “Dr. Roth, as you know Dominick kidnapped me to seek revenge against my dad, because he blamed him for his father’s decision in giving his part of Kane & Medici to my family.”

  Dr. Roth interrupted me.“I thought that was all behind you now.”

  Tommy chimed in.“So did we, but when I drove Rain down here last week, so she could tell Kane he was going to be a daddy, she walked in on him ordering his lawyer to destroy her dad.”

  I looked down and closed my eyes, so I could get some relief from hearing Tommy’s explanation of the situation. It’s not that it wasn’t true. It was just hard for me to hear. I lived it. Isn’t that enough?

  “I see.”Dr. Roth paused for a moment, digesting what he had just been told.“I take it that you’ve never told Dominick that he is going to become a father?”

  “I’m going to tell him, Dr. Roth, but I need some time. He’ll always be part of his child’s life. I’ll never deny him that.”

  I was firm. I wanted him to know that I was serious.

  “So Rain, how can I help you?”He smiled warmly at me.

  “I need a medical doctor that can help me, not only with my pregnancy, but one that is experienced with women who have blood disorders as well.”I waited for his response.

  “I do know of a doctor in Manhattan. She would be a good match for you, Rain. Her name is Dr. White. She works with women that tend to have conditions that could make a normal pregnancy more difficult.”

  “Okay, great! I knew you would be able to help me.”There was relief in my voice.

  “Not to worry Rain. Let me give Dr. White a call and see if she is willing to take you on as a patient. Give me a moment, I’ll be right back.”He left the room to call Dr. White.

  I turned to Tommy, acting justified in my decision to come here to see Dr. Roth.“See Tommy, I told he would help me and not tell Dominick anything.”

  “That remains to be seen. If we leave this office and Kane is on our doorstep when we get home, then I’m pretty sure you will be feeling very differently about the good doctor.”He was so smug at that moment.

  I grimaced, but said nothing. I didn’t know if it was my newly developing hormones, but Tommy was working on my nerves.

  After a few minutes, Dr. Roth returned with a paper in his hand. He handed it to me and said,“This is Dr. White’s information. I spoke with her and told her briefly about your medical history and she was more than happy to take on your case. Give her office a call tomorrow and they’ll fit you in right away.”He was warm in his statement.

  A relieved smile played on my face.“Thank you Dr. Roth for your time. I knew you’d come through for me.”

  “Of course, Rain. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.”He extended both his hands to me.

  I stood up and placed my hands in his, then I said:“Thank you again. I’ll keep you informed about everything that’s happening. I really appreciate all of your help.”

  He shook Tommy’s hand and we headed out the door. I turned back and looked at Dr. Roth.

  “Don’t worry, Rain. Just take care of yourself and that baby of yours. Dominick won’t know anything you don’t want him to know. You have my word.”I knew he meant what he said.

  Visibly relieved, I smiled warmly and left his office to go home. Home to a new problem. That one being, Marcello.

  As we cruised up the Garden State Parkway to New York City, I called Marcello.

  “Ciao Rain, are you on your way back from you’re appointments? Does that mean we can go out to dinner tonight?”

  He seemed rather happy to hear from me.

  “Yes, Marcello, I’m done with my appointments for today, but I really don’t want to go out for dinner. Would you mind if I just ordered something in for us?”Waiting for his answer, I knew I was making the right decision to stay home. I wasn’t feeling too well at this point.

  “Are you okay? It’s not like you to stay in the house? Are you sick?”Surprisingly to me, Marcello’s voice was laced with a genuine concern for me.

  “I’m not sick exactly. I’ll explain everything to you over dinner tonight.”I stated.

  Marcello was somewhat relieved, but still curious by my actions. He knew from being around me in Capri that I loved to go out. I didn’t like being cooped up, for obvious reasons. Yet now, I don’t mind it at all. The thought of dragging myself out of the house for excitement in the big city was not my idea of fun at the moment.

  “All right, I’ll be here when you get home. We’ll eat and have our talk. I’m looking forward to it.”He added before we hung up with each other.

  I put the phone in my bag and settled back in my seat to relax for the ride home. I was just beginning to wonder how I was going to start my little conversation with Marcello, only to be pulled out of the my thoughts by Tommy.

  “Rain, do really believe this is a good idea? You know, to involve Marcello in all of this.”He sounded like he was setting me up for a lecture.

  I let out a sigh of frustration and resolved myself to the tension that started to build between Tommy and me. There was a tightness that had really never been there before and it’s not something that I’m used to or comfortable with at all.

  I knew he meant well, but he’s not going to take over this situation. I won’t allow it. Helping me is one thing, but it was starting to feel intrusive. I’ve never felt like this where Tommy was concerned, but now I felt like I was constantly having to justify my actions. Something I’ve always had to do with others, but never with Tommy.

  “Tommy, I do think it’s a good idea. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t take the chance on telling him, but Marcello has the power and the resources that can help me to get information in Italy, not easily given out.”I stated.

  “Do you even want to know what I think?”He sounded bland and annoyed.

  “Enlighten me.”My anger grew.

  “I think you’re adding more shit to the pile and it’s only going to get worse. You already have enough to deal with. Now you’re going to ask your ex-lover to help you get informationon your crazy ex-boyfriend? Don’t you see how ridiculous this plan is?”Tommy was more than frustrated with me. That makes two of us. He wasn’t exactly my favorite person at the moment.

  I turned in my seat to faced him. He wouldn’t look at me, not even briefly. He was pissed, but this was my life, my situation. I had to do what I felt was right to straighten out all the excess baggage that was given to me by Dominick’s father, after he revealed in his letter that Dominick was adopted and that I was the heir to his share of Kane & Medici.

  I closed my eyes briefly and then continued.

  “Tommy, I know that you’re not happy with me or this situation, but I have to do what I think is best. You know I love you for
everything that you’ve done for me……"

  “But.”Tommy interjects.

  “But, I need to find out what happened. Dominick is hurt and he’s angry, but most of all, he’s lost and he’s broken. I know about being lost and…about being broken; more than anyone in his life. I get it. I get him. I’m not saying that what he did was right. I’m saying that I understand why, and although it’s true, he could have gone about it very differently; he didn’t, I can’t change that and now I’m afraid he may never heal.”

  It all became clear to me. In that moment, I knew.....I knew that I had to try to fix this. I loved Dominick and I was kidding myself to think that I could walk away from him that easily and with not a hint of regret. I could never be free of him and I honestly didn’t want to be, but I needed to do this on my terms. I needed to stop the bad blood between him and my dad. I had to find out who his real parents were, I also had to tell him that I was pregnant and I needed to come clean about who really owned Kane & Medici.

  Maybe once all of this shit was out in the open, we could move forward and have our life together, a life with our new baby. Not a perfect life, I’m not unrealistic, but our life. ‘Our Somewhere.’

  “Rain, do you really think that you can fix him? You just said he’s broken. Do really want to take him on, now? You’re pregnant, baby and you’re not as healthy as most women are. Do you really want all of that stress on you and on the baby?”Tommy was truly concerned.

  “Tommy, I know it’s not the ideal situation, but nothing has been normal since I met Dominick. I’m not pretending this is going to be any different or easy, for that matter. It’s probably going to be the most difficult time in my life to date, but I love him. You need to hear me. I’m in love with Dominick Kane.”

  Tommy continued to look straight ahead, his jaw tightened and his grip on the steering wheel became even more tense than before. He was not happy about what I just confirmed to him. Only now I was beginning to wonder if it was just his usual concern for me or if there was something more to his reaction. He was holding something inside, I could see it and it was about time he let it out.

  “I can see you’re disappointed with me, but there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”I’m awkwardly pushed Tommy further. I had to find out what else had been bothering him.

  In a split second Tommy pulled the car of the road and slammed it into park. I gasped in surprise. Shit! I think I may have opened up a can of worms I wasn’t prepared for.

  “Okay Rain, truth?”Tommy was nervous and agitated, as he stared directly at me.

  “Of course, truth.”Me, I was nervous and confused.

  “I don’t think Kane’s right for you. If you take him back, which I know you’re going to; he’s going to control every part of your life. He may love you, Rain, but his love is sick and needy. You’ll never be free. Not in the way you want to be. You’ll be more controlled now than you were when you were younger.”He stopped, as he braced himself for my response.

  “Do you think any man is right for me, Tommy?”I was pissed and slightly sarcastic.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”He was defensive.

  “Well, I don’t know. You brought it up. You just said Dominick isn’t right for me and we both know you never liked Marcello?

  “Yeah and look how that turned out, Rain.”

  “So.......”

  “So......what?”Tommy was curious as to where I was going with this. Let me enlighten him.

  “So......answer the question. Do you think any man is right for me? Maybe you have someone that you know in mind.”I devilishly smirked and a wicked smile played on my lips, as I pried the answer out of my best friend.

  Tommy looked at me and studied my expression. My smile faded and I tried to keep it blank at this point. I wanted him to answer my question. Who does he believe is best for me? He brought this up. He needed to own it.

  His jaw clenched. He leaned in towards me and put his hands on each side of my face. He kissed the top of my head and rested his forehead against mine, without letting go of my face.“We can do this together, Rain. Just you and me, like it’s always been.”

  I grabbed Tommy’s wrists violently with shaky hands and took in a quick sharp breath, understanding exactly where he was going with all of this. In all the years Tommy and I had been together, we had never once been a couple. We never did the kind if things that couples do. We never had sex nor been intimate in any way.We hadn’t even come close. It just had never been like that. I didn’t feel that way about Tommy.

  Hopefully, he didn’t feel that way about me and had kept it in all this time. I truly didn’t think he had. I know Tommy. He isn’t that type of man. Sure, he was kind and caring with me, but he was still a real man and he was very sexual with the women he was with.

  When he wanted something or someone, he went for it. His approach was very different from Dominick’s. He was calm and very confident. Women couldn’t say no to Tommy. Well, except for me. Above all, he was very honest. Sometimes too honest. This leads me to believe that his actions are more about being the best friend he had always been to me. This was why I loved him so much. He never thought for himself, but this was not his job. This was my life and it was time that I took real control of it.

  “Tommy, we can’t do this together. The baby is Dominick’s. I can’t allow any other man to raise his child. Not even you. I love you for wanting to sacrifice everything for me and this baby, but it’s not fair. Especially not to you. You’ve sacrificed your entire life to be my friend, to be my family. You were just a kid yourself when you and your family were thrown into my crazy world. It’s all you have ever known. Listen to me, our relationship will never change. We will always be in each other’s lives. No one, not even Dominick can change what you mean to me, but this is not about running interference when my parents were controlling my life. It’s not about convincing my mom, like only you could; that we needed to go to college together. It’s not about chasing my nightmares away and helping me sneak off to get my first tattoo. It’s about me finally growing up and taking a chance on life. It’s about me learning not to be afraid to go after what I want, regardless of the outcome.”

  “Is Kane what you really want, baby?”

  “Yes, Tommy. He’s what I really want.”My voice cracked.

  I took a deep breath and let go of Tommy. I sat back to gauge his reaction.

  “Okay, Rain. If Kane is what you really want, then I’m going to help you get the information you need to help him. But, if he so much as looks at you the wrong way, the deal is off and I take over. Do you understand me?”

  I smiled warmly at my best friend. I reached for him, held him close and whispered in his ear.“I get you and if that happens, and the deal is off, then I still have to do this on my own. You can’t be my fall guy anymore.” I leaned back and took him in.

  “I’ll always be here for you, baby. No one is changing that either.”He gave me a small smile.

  “I know, but you have to live your own life. Get a girlfriend. Have your own child. Really live, Tommy.”I wanted him to know I was serious.

  “Baby, you know I get a girl every night.”He smirked and started laughing.

  “Ugh……, just drive us home already.”I couldn’t help but start to laugh myself.

  The tension was broken and we are back to being our normal selves. It was getting entirely too serious, so I’m glad we talked and removed the weight that was on both of our shoulders. I felt better and Tommy seemed like he was in a better place as well.

  As Tommy continued to laugh and pull back out onto the highway, I thought about how grateful I was to have him as my friend, my family. I was relieved that we got over this little bump in the road with no damage between us. I had to admit that I knew life would never be the same without Tommy in it. I was glad that I wouldn’t have to find out.

  Now it was time to see if I could enlist Marcello’s help on my quest for information. For some odd reason I didn’t think our con
versation was going go quite as smoothly as the one between Tommy and me.

  ****

  CHAPTER FOUR

  PARTNERS IN CRIME

  I wasn’t sure if it was the excitement that I felt knowing I was going to try with Dominick again or if it was the impending worry I felt knowing that I was going to ask Marcello for his help in Italy. Maybe it was just the fact that I was pregnant and that my emotions were all over the place. What I did know at the moment was that I was starving! I really needed to eat.

  We made good time getting back from the shore, even with our emotional stop to hash out our differences along the way. Tommy and I were in a good place again and I was definitely happy that he agreed to help me with my research about what happened in Dominick’s past. I knew that I needed to speak to Dominick about all of this, sooner rather than later.