by Unknown
“Myself,” Nick answered covering his hand.
“You always curse at yourself?”
He grinned. “Really, don’t I have reasons to curse at myself? I’m Nick remember.”
Jon joined in his laughter. “You shouldn’t. You and Lincoln looked great together last night. She even shoved Melanie’s face in the floor with class.”
“You saw that?”
“Yeah. Anthony didn’t though. But Melanie told him. He came looking for you, but you all had left.”
“It was an accident. Melanie shouldn’t have jumped in front of her.”
Jon raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Yeah okay, stick to that story.”
Nick just nodded. “My mom is in town. She showed up unexpectedly this morning.”
Jon’s head snapped in his direction. “Where is she staying?”
“She’s at my place for now. She asked me to buy her a one-way ticket to Italy. She claims she’s left my old man.”
“You don’t believe her? She might be telling you the truth, Nick. Have you talked to your dad or any of your sisters or brothers?”
“Nah, not yet. I want to believe her and buy her a ticket, but that’s a lot of money I don’t have to spare. But I’ll talk it over with Lincoln.”
Jon leaned against the lockers. “That’s cool you want to include her in your decision, but she isn’t going to stop you from helping your mom.”
“My decision will affect her in a significant way.” He held up his hand.
Jon’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell did you do? You got married?”
“Yeah, we did. And could the surprise in your voice at least sound happy for me.”
“I could if I knew the reason you did it! Did you do it to get back at Ant?”
“This doesn’t have shit to do with him. Jon…Lincoln is pregnant. You are the only person that knows. Can you keep it to yourself?”
Anthony stormed into the locker room. In a booming voice he shouted, “Lincoln is what!” His eyes bulged out his head and his nostrils flared so wide, the bruise from his broken nose spread from under his eyes to his cheeks. “You fucking moron! You have ruined her damn life! I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
Jon jumped between Anthony and Nick. “I thought you were gone, Ant.”
“Move, Jon!” Anthony demanded trying to shove Jon aside.
The muscles in Jon’s arms strained as he held back Anthony. “I’m not moving and you’re leaving; that’s an order.”
“Let him go, Jon,” Nick said slamming his locker shut. “If he thinks he can take me down again, let him try. I’ve been waiting for this.”
An irate Anthony spat, “I’m gonna beat your ass to a sloppy pulp.”
Nick’s mouth twisted into a rueful smile. “Why are you so angry, Ant? Are you mad at me because she is pregnant by me or that she married me? Yeah, we’re married. I stepped up to the plate to take care of my responsibility.”
Anthony stopped pushing against Jon and straightened his body. “She is stupid! She doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into with you.”
Nick’s eyes glared and his chest puffed up ready to take on Anthony if it came to it. “The fool is Melanie. You’re here picking a fight with me about Lincoln. How do you think Melanie would feel about that? Would she be happy that her husband is devastated that another man married the women he once loved? Or are you still in love with her and realize you will never have her again because she’s mine now?”
Anthony’s breaths were quick and heavy. “Don’t bring Melanie into this. This is about you and Lincoln. You did it to get back at me.”
Nick’s lips thinned. He pointed an angry finger at Anthony. “I love my wife. I intend to be with her for the rest of my life regardless of what you or anyone else thinks about me as a person. But I don’t have shit to prove to you. Lincoln believes in me and she is the only person I have to please.”
Anthony turned a darker shade than his normal color as the steam in his head came to a boil. “This is not over!” He stormed from the locker room leaving Jon and Nick behind to wonder what his next step would be.
Jon shook his head. “This is one freaking mess!”
Nick face flushed a dark red and his lips stretched so thin they almost disappeared. “If he fucks with Lincoln, I’ll kill him, Jon.”
Chapter Thirty One
Lincoln removed three cups from the cabinet and turned off the pot of water on the stove. Tea seemed to calm her stomach and since she had to cut down on caffeine, tea would be her drink of choice in the mornings.
She dug three herbal tea bags from the box placing one inside each cup. As she reached for the pot of boiling water, she heard the commotion coming from the living room.
Lincoln turned around to see Anthony standing in her kitchen. “What do you want?” She asked, nonchalantly turning around to lean against the sink.
He shouted at her at the top his lungs. “You are just plain stupid, Lincoln! Are you happy you got pregnant by that sonofabitch I warned you to stay away from?”
Her throat tightened as anger and the rush of blood went to her head. “Get out of my house!”
“I’m not going anywhere until you hear what I have to say.”
Her hand knocked one of the cups on the counter into the sink. It broke into large pieces. “I don’t have to listen to a damn thing you have to say. I’m married to Nick and having his baby, so get over it. Go home to your wife and kid and leave me alone!”
Lynette shouted from the doorway at Anthony. “Leave before I call the police, Anthony!”
Lincoln saw Lynette and Carter standing in the doorway. Her mother had her cell phone ready to call the police.
“Call them,” Anthony threatened. “By the time they get here, I’ll have had my say. Damn, Lynette, I didn’t think you raised a stupid daughter. Lincoln must be a disappointment to you.”
“I warned your ass, Anthony. I’m calling them now,” Lynette said as she dialed the phone.
He took a step towards Lincoln. Carter grabbed him by the forearm. Carter’s small frame was no match for Anthony’s strength. He flung his arm and she fell to the floor. Lynette charged after him and he knocked her into the spice rack against the wall before she fell to the floor.
Lincoln stood against the sink in fear as her mother and sister tried again to restrain the out of control man coming after her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her legs shook to the point that she thought she would fall on her ass. She saw Anthony’s mouth moving but she could not hear his words. It was as if everything had shifted to slow motion and what was happening was not real.
As he moved closer to her, all she could think about was protecting her unborn baby. Anthony was going to harm her baby to get even with Nick. She would not let that happen.
Her hand trembled as her fingers closed around the handle of the saucepot sitting on the stove. Without taking her eyes off him, she threw it at him. The hot water flew from the pot to splash over Anthony’s face and down the front of his body. Finally, the fog lifted as she heard his screams as he fell to his knees with his hands covering his face.
Suddenly everything went black.
Lincoln opened her eyes as she felt a sharp pain run up her arm. In a haze, she saw a woman in a blue uniform was leaning over her inserting a needle into her arm. She blinked her eyes to clear the cobwebs.
Then she saw her mother, Carter and then Nick and all looked worried. She saw the deep creases on Nick’s forehead as he tried to hide his fears from her. She swallowed, her throat was dry. “What happened?” She asked, as Lynette held her free hand.
Lynette moved away as Nick knelt down next to her and stroked her hair. “Baby, relax. Let the paramedic insert the IV in your arm.”
Anxiety took over as she tried to sit up. She realized she was on the floor of the kitchen. Firefighters and paramedics were surrounding her. “My baby! Nick, what’s happened to our baby?” She tried to sit up.
Nick held her down. “N
othing is wrong with the baby or you. This is just a precaution since you fainted, Lincoln. They want to transport you to the hospital to have you checked out. I’m going to be with you, and so will your mom and sister.”
Her head was throbbing and her vision blurry as she tried to recall what happened. “Anthony was here. He was screaming at me and fighting with Mom and Carter.”
“I know, baby. You see your mom and sister are fine, right? They called 911.”
His voice was eerily calm and that scared her. “Oh my God, I threw hot water on him. What did I do, Nick?”
“You protected yourself, Lincoln. Anthony posed a threat to you and you did what you had to do. I don’t want you to worry about anything. Your blood pressure is extremely high, baby, so relax, please. I don’t want to lose you.”
She relaxed as paramedics strapped her to a gurney and wheeled her to an ambulance. Outside she saw fire engines, an EMS vehicle, and police cars lining the parking lot. She did not see Anthony. She closed her eyes praying she had not disfigured him for life. That was not her intention.
*****
Nick made himself another cup of coffee and sat down to continue the dreadful wait at the emergency room that seemed to last forever. He’d checked on his mother by phone but didn’t inform her of what was going on. Adding her to the mix would be too much for him to handle right now.
He checked his watch—three hours and counting.
Gabrielle entered the waiting room. She was dressed in her lab coat and scrubs. He hugged her. “Nick, she will be okay. How are you doing?”
He leaned forward in the chair, folding his hands between his knees. “I’m scared, Gabby. Her blood pressure shot up, and she’s so early in the pregnancy…”
“Hey, be positive. Lincoln is strong and healthy and has youth on her side. The doctors are making sure everything with her and the baby is good. Trust them.”
“Ant has gone too far this time, Gabby. He had confronted me at the firehouse. Why did he go after her?” He scrubbed his hands through his hair. “He wants Lincoln to lose the baby.”
She rubbed his shoulder. “I don’t know, Nick. This is totally out of Anthony’s character. Maybe marrying Melanie isn’t what he wanted after all but Lincoln is. He can’t have her since she’s married to you.”
He nodded. “Not that I care, but Lincoln will ask. How badly did she burn his ass?”
“The burns aren’t life-threatening. He has mostly first-degree burns that will scab over. The water must not have been boiling when she threw it at him.”
His voice cracked. “Damn, so he won’t even have a scar to remind him of what he did, but I might lose my baby. This shit is not fair, Gabby.”
She didn’t respond but attempted to ease his mind. “I’m going to check on her. I’ll be right back.”
Lynette returned with food from the cafeteria for him. She sat next to him. “Honey, you have to eat something.”
“Thanks but I’m not hungry.”
Lynette held his hand. “Look at me, Nick.”
He lifted his head to look at her.
“That’s my baby in that room that those doctors are working on. Lincoln has always been a fighter. She will fight for her life and your baby’s life. We can sit out here and pace the floor or put our faith in the hands of God. I’m for the faith, what side are you on?”
Nick replied. “I’m on the same side as you. Ms. Hathaway, I don’t understand how Anthony is winning. How is he getting everything he wants?”
“Nick, that is not true. He isn’t winning a thing. Anthony has made a pact with the Devil. His penance will come because the Devil does not play fair.”
Nick leaned back in the chair. “I wish I could take her away from this until the baby is born. Ya know someplace where she can relax and not have to lift a finger, Ms. Hathaway.”
“Sweetheart, please call me Lynette and a bit of advice for you. The worst thing you can do is over pamper Lincoln. Let her have her independence and let her do for herself while she can.”
“I want her to be comfortable.”
“You want her to depend on you. Honey, you have a job that has you away from home. Who is going to step in for you when you’re not there? As long as there are no complications with the pregnancy, allow her to have her freedom. It will make it easier on the both of you. You won’t be worn out and she won’t get lazy.”
Lynette was right. His mother did everything, while Franco did very little. When he stayed at the firehouse, home life was quiet and free of complaints. He saw Lynette scratch at the bandage on her forehead. She was sitting and comforting him and he had not asked about her injury. “Lynette, how is your head?”
She flipped her hand and smiled. “It’s just a scratch. Jon patched me up and made sure Carter was okay.”
He sighed. “I forgot to ask her how she is doing.”
“She doesn’t have a scratch on her. She is waiting on Thomas to get here. Nick, I can stay for a few more days if you want me to, but Carter has to return to Chicago. Her kids have school, and she has to return to work. Regan and Orlando don’t have a problem with me staying at their house.”
He pinched the space between his eyes. “They know?”
“Yes, and I told them not to come home, that we have it under control.”
He looked up and saw Gabby and a nurse pushing Lincoln in a wheelchair. Lincoln’s color had returned, and she was smiling. He hopped up and was across the room in a flash. “Baby, are you okay?” He asked, kneeling beside her.
Lincoln held his hand to reassure him. “Yes. The doctor says the baby is fine, and my blood pressure is back to normal. I can go home.”
He looked to the nurse for confirmation. “Is she really?”
The nurse nodded and smiled. “Mrs. Barona is in good health and your baby is nice and snug in the womb.”
Nick blew a relieving breath. “Thank God. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
The nurse held onto the handle of the wheelchair stopping Nick from taking it. “Not so fast, there is more. The doctor wants her blood pressure monitored as a precaution for at least a week. So make sure she makes an appointment with her doctor or does a self-check and report the numbers to the doctor.”
“I’m a firefighter trained extensively in first aid and can do that,” he said, holding Lincoln’s hand.
Gabby spoke up. “Nick, I’ll drop by the apartment on my way home from work tomorrow and check her BP since you’ll be on duty.”
Lincoln coughed. “I’m alive and breathing, people. Quit talking around me.”
Nick kissed the top of her head. “Sorry. What do you want to do?”
“I want to hug my mom and sister and then go home.”
“I can arrange that,” he said with a grin.
Chapter Thirty Two
“Nicky, who is that woman and why, is she here? And don’t tell me that woman is your wife?” Isadora asked, following Nick to the kitchen.
Nick opened the fridge to put the grocery away. He had no choice but to bring Lincoln to his apartment. Lynette had to return to Chicago to take care of an issue with her condo and it was too much for him to run back and forth between apartments to check on Lincoln and his mother. He was starting to feel exhausted from the added stress.
“Okay, I won’t tell you. But it won’t change that she is my wife and you’re going to be nice to her or I’ll find you a motel room.”
The older woman folded her tired body in the kitchen chair propping her head solemnly in her hand. “Oh, Nicky, why? Why did you marry her of all people? This will kill your father for sure.”
He took in a deep breath and held it before releasing it through his nose. He closed the fridge and turned to talk to Isadora. “That will solve all our problems if that happens won’t it, Mom?”
“Don’t be disrespectful to the man that provided a life for you.”
Nick balled his fist to his mouth. “Are you freaking kidding me! He provided a hell for us to live in. I don’t know wha
t kind of life you call that, but I didn’t enjoy growing up that way.”
“That was then. You are an adult and doing what you want.”
He pulled a chair from the table and sat down. “Exactly. That means I marry whom I also want. Listen to me, Mom. Lincoln is my wife. She is carrying my baby. Either you accept that or you leave. Do you want to go back to Pop or stay here until I can figure out a way to get you to Italy?”
Isadora lifted her head to look at him. “She is pregnant? She is so thin. Is she sick?”
Nick gave his mother a slight grin. “Well, she isn’t that far along in the pregnancy. But, she had an episode that caused her blood pressure to spike. The doctor ordered her to rest for a couple of days. Her mother offered to stay to help out, but she had to return to Chicago to take care of some business. “Mom, can I count on you to make sure Lincoln is taken care of when I’m on duty?” Nick asked.
Slowly, she nodded her head. “Yes son, I will. When you have that worried look in your eye, as you do now, I see how important she is to you. That look is only for people rooted close to your heart,” she said.
“Lincoln is that woman for me. She is wearing my ring, and we’re having a baby. I’m not a black man and probably don’t have a legal right so say this, but I’m gonna treat her like a queen,” Nick said.
Isadora’s wrinkled hand covered her son’s hand. “Every man should treat their spouse like a queen. You go and check on her while I fix dinner. I will make baked Ziti with a nice salad on the side for her. She needs to fatten up a little, but not too much,” Isadora said.
Nick stood up from the table and kissed Isadora on the forehead. “Thanks, Mom. Once you get to know Lincoln, you’ll fall in love with her.”
“I will try because you love her. Of all my kids, Nicky, you are the special one. I love how you let your heart shine. And you are not afraid to stand up to a person and show your true feelings for someone special to you. I wish I’d had that when I met Franco. If I had stood up to him, I wouldn’t be an old broken spirited woman.”
“Mom, you can stay here in Cleveland. You don’t have to move to Italy to get away from Pop.”