by Sam Crescent
“What is it?” Antonio asked.
“Laura’s pregnant. I figured you’d want to know.”
“She is? I never doubted you, son. You’ve got powerful swimmers, just like your dad.” His father had chosen not to have any more kids. Once his wife had given him a son, he saw no reason to fuck his wife, unless it was in punishment, and then he’d made sure to humiliate her as much as possible as to why he wouldn’t allow her to have his sperm. It didn’t stop him having brats with the women and whores he fucked though. He knew from dealing with the women how his father liked to mess up other women’s lives. It was one area of their lives in which they would never be alike. “Now, we need to make sure she has a boy.”
“There are no guarantees it will be a boy.”
“No, but until we know for certain, you have to remain with her. Of course, you can leave now, and just let the pregnancy take its course. If it’s a girl, once she has given birth, you’ll get her pregnant, until there is a boy, and we can make sure the Davis fortune is cemented.”
“My daughter would inherit,” he said, not wanting any of his children pushed aside.
“No, in our world, your boy will inherit, and if there are any pesky details of it not being the firstborn, we can take care of that.”
The moment he heard his father speak of putting his child in harm’s way, Marcus knew he had to get off the phone.
“I’ve got to go. I hear her.” Before he could let his father spill any more hatred, he hung up the cell phone and placed it on the counter beside him.
There was no way he could do this, or fix this.
Running fingers through his hair, he stood up, turned on the shower, and climbed into the stall after removing his clothing.
His father would take the life of his kid just to keep a fortune in their name.
With the water blasting out heat, he didn’t want to be comfortable. Switching the temperature to freezing cold, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
The cold allowed him to think.
Laura didn’t deserve this.
They had never seen eye to eye, but she didn’t have to live like this, not with him. Not with knowing his family could remove his child from her.
Once he finished in the shower, he had to hold her, to feel her in his arms. Entering this marriage, he’d not liked her at all, and had thought any prolonged time spent with her would be a nightmare.
He loved holding her, relished it even.
Climbing into bed, he waited a few minutes, allowing the blanket to heat him up, before pulling her close. He pressed his face against her neck, and she let out a sigh.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
“I didn’t think you’d come to bed. You’d be out celebrating with all of your family on getting the deed done.”
“I’ve got you to take care of, and I’m not going to let you out of my sight.”
“If all they wanted from you was to make me pregnant, you’ll be wanted to do stuff elsewhere, not be with me.” She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “You feel nice.”
“That’s me. The nice guy.” He felt fucking nervous.
He’d killed men since before he was a teenager, had fucked his fair share of women, and commanded men twice his weight, and he’d never once been scared or nervous.
Laura was pregnant with his child.
Possibly even a girl.
There was a fifty-fifty chance his baby would be a female.
His father would take matters into his own hands, and even though he didn’t know this child, she was innocent. His blood.
She belonged to him and Laura, and he felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him.
There was no way he was going to allow anyone to take his child from him.
He would protect her with his life, and until they found out the sex, he would stay by Laura’s side, no matter what.
Putting a hand on her waist, he didn’t feel any bump or any evidence of her pregnancy.
“It’s hard to believe a baby is growing inside me.”
“I’ll protect you.” He kissed her forehead.
“I know. You always protect your own, and I can accept that.” She looked up at him, smiling. “Thank you, Marcus.”
“What are you thanking me for?” He frowned, a little put out by her smiles and sweet talk.
“Because, you’re not going to leave us. I was so scared I was going to have to do this all alone, but now I know I’m not. I’ve got you.”
“Laura, there is one guarantee I can give you. You will always have me. Always. I won’t leave you.” He pulled her close, holding her tightly, knowing he’d do whatever was necessary to keep her safe, even if it meant breaking his oath to his father. Laura and his unborn child were his main priority.
Chapter Ten
Two years ago
Laura had always wanted to go to a nightclub. Her father had agreed to letting her go out and party with some friends, only she had a nice big butch bodyguard to keep her company, and it meant not a single person was willing to dance with her. Anyone who came close was pushed aside.
She didn’t even know the guy’s name, and he was invading her happy time.
Her friends already had men who were buying them drinks, having a good time.
Standing at the edge of the dance floor, she watched as the men held her friends. Not that they were close friends, far from it. She had merely been at the table, working on some of her research when a party had been mentioned and the invitation had been spread to her.
They had all given her any excuse not to come, if she was busy.
She had come, and she could tell none of them were happy about it.
The last thing she wanted to do was mope, but she couldn’t stand by watching them as her nightmare bodyguard stopped her from having fun.
“I’m going to the bathroom.” She took a couple of steps and glanced over her shoulder to see him following her. “Will you stop? I’m not going to let you come and stand in line for me. I swear I will make your life a misery if you don’t give me this!” She wanted to throw a tantrum, but she never caused a scene. Most of the time she disappeared to her room, waiting for the event or party to be over before leaving.
It was always better for her that way.
There wasn’t a line for the bathroom, and she walked in, seeing Marcus standing in the bathroom, typing away on his cell phone.
He glanced up when he saw her, and she quickly moved into one of the stalls. She didn’t need to go and sat on the seat, pulling out her cell phone and bringing up a game. Any game. She never played games on her cell phone, but right now, it seemed more important to her than going outside where the nightmare bodyguard was waiting to ruin her night. She kept on clicking on the keys, not really understanding the game or what she was meant to do.
“Are you going to hide in there forever?”
“I don’t know why it’s any of your concern. You can leave. I didn’t come here with you.”
“I saw David on the dance floor. That dude does not know how to move.”
“So you’ve met my charming bodyguard. I don’t even know why that doesn’t surprise me.”
He knocked on the door.
“Go away.”
“Nope. I’m staying right here.”
“Women will walk in here.”
“I know, and again, I don’t give a fuck. You know my dad owns this place, right? I can do whatever I want. Even stay and linger outside a woman’s door.”
She got to her feet and opened the stall. “What? What could you possibly want?”
“You want to go out there and dance?”
“No!” She scoffed, the lie falling easily from her lips, and she hated herself for it. Was it that obvious she just wanted to have some fun? She couldn’t recall a time when she had been this controlled. She was supposed to be able to come and go as she pleased.
“You’re cute when you lie. Come on.”
He grab
bed her hand and pulled her out of the bathroom.
David, her annoying bodyguard, was there, waiting, and one look at him, she knew he didn’t approve of what was going on.
“I’m Marcus Giovanni, and I’m taking her to dance. You got a problem with that?”
She expected David to put up a fight, to embarrass her. He didn’t do a single thing.
He merely nodded and allowed them to step away from him.
She was in shock. Her mouth dropped open, and she looked over at Marcus in amazement.
“How did you do that?”
“My name, baby! It’s all in a name. Now, don’t go thinking this is a fucking truce. A girl deserves one dance before the rest of her life is decided for her.”
He pulled her into his arms, and for the first time in her life, Marcus didn’t seem so freaking bad.
****
“Do you have any idea what this means?”
“Yes. It means Marcus and I are going to have a baby.”
“No. We have to get her out of there. We have to protect our child. We can’t let them hurt her like they hurt me.”
Laura sat at the dining room table, still reeling from the secrets her mother had spilled to her.
Her father, he’d not disputed them. He’d just sat in his office looking scared and staying mute as she learned the true horrors of the family she’d been married into. They had risked their lives to tell her the truth, and she felt sick to her stomach. The soup Rosa had lovingly prepared for her sat in front of her, mocking her.
It looked delicious, but right now, there was no way she could have lifted up the spoon and taken a mouthful.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
This shouldn’t have been her life.
Tears filled her eyes.
She and Marcus had found the news out about her pregnancy a week ago. During that time, he’d been pulled away for more work-related matters, and she knew Antonio now considered their honeymoon over.
Marcus had done what was required of him.
At least three nights this week, she had seen the blood on Marcus’s shirt, had witnessed him burning the remains. He’d visited the gym down in the basement, punching the bag over and over until it didn’t resemble anything.
This was her life now.
He’d be gone.
She would have to stay at home or get permission to be driven to wherever she wanted to go.
She sniffled, using the tissue to dab at her eyes, hoping to wipe away the anger, sadness, and bitterness that threatened to consume her.
Marcus worked for a man who would do that to a woman.
Her mother had been on the operating table when they had taken away her ability to have children.
She felt sick to her stomach. There was just no way it was a coincidence. She didn’t believe in them.
The door opened, and she heard it close again.
Her entire body tensed up, but she didn’t move.
“Something smells good,” Marcus said, entering the dining room. “Is mine in the kitchen?”
She didn’t say a word as he hugged her close. He didn’t even notice the tension in her body as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
Marcus was oblivious.
She picked up her spoon, turned it over, and put it back down into the bowl, staring straight ahead.
What was she going to do?
If she stayed here, her baby was in danger.
Marcus returned and sat beside her, at the head of the table, where he would always sit. When his father passed over the capo crown, Marcus would wear it.
“Sweetheart, are you okay? Rosa said she dished you up an hour ago.”
She turned toward him, making him see her face. She had no doubt the evidence of her pain, of her fears, was there for him to see. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“I went to see my parents today. To tell them the news. You know how I had to ask permission, and you got one of your faithful dogs to drive me.”
“Laura—”
“But it was a rather interesting trip. My parents were full of information and wisdom for me. You know my mother wanted a house full of children. Lots of boys and girls. She loves kids. Couldn’t wait to have loads, and when she found out I was going to be a girl, she was so delighted.”
“Laura—”
“She was a healthy woman as well. In her prime. She could have been pregnant with dozens of kids, but a doctor was paid to put an end to her dream.”
Marcus went to reach out to touch her, but she pulled away.
“Don’t touch me,” she said.
“Laura—”
She shook her head.
“No, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear lies. I want the truth. I want you to look at me and to tell me the truth. Tell me what she said wasn’t real. Tell me she wanted to blame someone else because she couldn’t have any more children.” Her heart raced, and she felt sick.
He didn’t say anything.
His gaze didn’t leave hers.
The guilt was there, easy to see.
“You … you took away her right to have children.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“You paid someone to do it.”
“I personally didn’t do it.”
“But you knew. Like, you have come to know everything.” She shook her head, hating herself. “Oh, my God. What the hell have I done? You know you could have fooled me. I thought we could have done this. Put aside all of our differences and been able to have a family.” The tears were falling thick and fast.
She tried to get away, but Marcus grabbed her.
He hauled her back against his chest, not allowing her the chance to get away.
“Leave me alone. Get off me. I hate you. Please, leave me alone. I don’t want to be with you.” She tried to wriggle away, but it was no good. Compared to Marcus, she didn’t have the strength to get away.
She felt pain right down into her core, and she couldn’t believe this was happening. “How could you have done this? How could you? What gives you and your … people the right to mess with people’s lives?”
“It all comes down to a fortune.”
“To money?”
“Yes.”
“Are you freaking kidding me right now? Money. All of this is about my parents’ inheritance?”
“If your mother was to have a boy, you wouldn’t have inherited the fortune. They needed you to be the only child so when I married you, the inheritance, the entire Davis fortune, came to me.”
She pulled out of his arms and it was tempting to hit him, but she would never resort to violence.
“It’s why I didn’t have a say in our marriage. I know you wanted the fortune, but I had no idea to what cost. I always assumed my mom had an accident or was sick after having me, but all this time, it was your family. The men you work for. Their thirst for greed and power knows no bounds.”
“The Davis fortune is ours. The empire belongs to us, but through a bad deal it was lost, and they’ve been working to get it back ever since.”
She laughed. “You think this makes a difference? It’s money. It’s a building. It’s not important. Nothing is more important than a person’s life, and you took away the chance for my mother to have several of them. What if one of them could have been a doctor who cured an illness, or something?”
“We can argue over this, but it’s not going to change what happened. It’s in the past. Your fortune is now mine. Just as you are mine.”
She put a hand to her stomach.
“And what if I’ve got a little girl? Will she be hurt? Will you kill her because I’m not good enough?”
“No.”
“I don’t believe you. How can I have ever trusted you? You’re a monster. You and your family.” She took a step back as he made to touch her. There was no way she wanted his hands on her.
“I would never hurt you. I promise you.”
“Your promises mean nothing to me. If
your family decides my daughter is standing in the way of their precious plans, they will hurt her. Nothing you or anyone else says will stop them.”
“I will never let that happen. I will die before I allow anything to happen to you or to my kid. I will protect you, Laura, of that you have my word.”
She shook her head. “I need to go lie down.”
She turned on her heel and made her way toward the door.
“For what it’s worth, I never agreed to what happened. Not when I found out the truth, and I will take care of you, Laura. You mean too much to me.”
“You mean my fortune means too much to you.”
She didn’t wait to hear a response.
Making her way upstairs, she didn’t go to their bedroom, but entered one of the guest bedrooms. She curled up on the bed and started to sob.
She didn’t know when her life had gotten so complicated, but it hurt so badly. Even as she hated Marcus, she wanted his arms around her, holding her. How messed up did that make her?
****
Marcus didn’t tell a soul about what happened between him and his wife. Three weeks after the revelation he got the confirmation text of his wife’s appointment. They were going to go for a check to see that the baby was okay, but it was too early to see the sex of the baby.
Ever since his father had discovered Laura was pregnant, Marcus had had no choice but to work. Whenever he was called upon, he had to do his job, be it protection detail, dealing with some of their associates, or just to be a presence.
The biggest problem he had was he missed Laura.
He didn’t want to be apart from her.
Right now, she hated him, and he accepted the distance she’d created between them. For three weeks, he’d gone home and found her in another bed. She refused to share a room with him, and when he returned last night, he’d found her clothing also gone.
She was slowly wiping her presence away from his life, and he didn’t fucking like it.
He’d not been the one to do the deed to her mother.
He was the fucker constantly cleaning up messes.
What he hated right now more than anything was his inability to hold her. He had no doubt Laura was planning something.
He’d seen the suitcases packed in her wardrobe, and also checked the history of her searches and she was trying to find places where he couldn’t find her.