Arranged Mafia Marriage

Michael

I pace the corridor outside the hospital examination room. What the hell is taking them so long? We’d made it to the hospital in Palermo in under fifteen minutes, thanks to Christian’s expert flying skills. A team had been ready and waiting for us when we’d landed on the makeshift helipad next to the hospital. One that Christian had organized at the same time as he’d called ahead to alert the medical staff. They’d rushed her over in a stretcher, and all through, she hadn’t let go of my hand. She’d also seemed to grow paler by the second. Even more than when we’d been in the air. Throughout the trip she’d clung to me, her shoulders shaking every time the helicopter had banked. I had yelled to Christian to take it easy with the chopper and he had managed to smooth out the helicopter and still get us here in record time.

I owe him for that. Hell, I owe all of them for dropping whatever is important in their lives and coming over with me. Not that I didn’t expect it, considering I am the Capo. But still… They are also human. They have their own lives, their own…women?

Holdonasecond. Not one of my brothers… Not even Seb or Adrian have ever introduced me to any of their women… Or ever been serious with anyone, so far, as far as I know. Xander has his childhood crush…but he is far from admitting his feelings for her. Then there’s Adrian. He seems to have noticed Cassandra; and Christian seems to be taken in by the doctor… but that’s just speculation on my part. None of them have ever confessed to ever being in love…

Cazzo! What am I doing thinking about my brother’s love lives? Sure, I want to see them settled and have families… And not just because it is important to ensure continuity of power, but also because I want them to be happy. So why is it that not once in all these years, have any of my brothers ever mentioned anything about finding someone special?

A touch on my shoulder and I turn to find Sebastian at my elbow. He hands me a paper cup filled with a dark brew. I take a sip and the liquid warms me. I toss the rest of it back, feel it rejuvenate me somewhat. I crumple the cup in my fist, walk over to the waste paper basket and deposit it. I turn to find the four of them watching me. Xander is sprawled out in a seat that looks too small for him. Christian is seated opposite him, his elbows digging into his thighs. Massimo leans his hip against the wall, watching me. Seb stands where I had left him, his gaze ticking my progress as I walk over to them.

“Why the hell haven’t any of you married before now, huh?”

“Eh?” Massimo blinks, “What kind of a question is that?”

“A straight one.” I scowl, “It’s not normal that none of you have even brought a woman home to meet the rest of us.”

“And risk scaring her away?” Xander snorts, “Not likely.”

“But that isn’t why you haven’t brought anyone special over to introduce her to us, is it?” I scowl between them, “It’s because none of you have anyone important in your lives.”

Massimo raises a shoulder. “I haven’t met anyone. Not that I was looking. Besides,” he narrows his gaze on me, “since when did you decide it’s important to find out about our personal lives?”

“Guess because he’s married now, for better or for worse; he’s hooked and he wants the rest of us to be balled and chained too,” Seb murmurs.

I frown at him, “That’s not why I asked.”

“It’s the first time you’ve bothered to ask about our personal lives,” Christian points out. “Like I said earlier, you have changed.”

“Huh,” I rake my fingers through my hair, “just because I thought to ask after my brothers doesn’t mean I have changed.”

The four exchange looks.

“You also haven’t asked us once if we’ve made any progress on finding Luca,” Seb points out.

I glare at him. “Speaking of,” I look him up and down, “your time is almost up on that, so have you any inkling on his whereabouts yet?”

“He’s in-”

The sound of the door opening has me jerking toward it. The doctor steps out. She walks over to us and Christian instantly rises to his feet. His gaze eats her up as she comes to a stop in front of me. Yeah, there’s definitely something there… I glance from him to the doctor who shoves her hand into the pocket of her scrubs.

“How is she? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, but we need to keep her overnight under observation.”

“But she’s not in any danger, is she?”

“She’s exhausted, a little dehydrated; Also, her blood pressure and pulse rate are elevated. While she’s not in any immediate danger-” She hesitates and my pulse rate instantly spikes.

“What is it?” I snap.

She stares at the rest of the men, then back at me.

“These are my brothers; you can speak in front of them.”

“This may be something you want to hear in private?”

“Tell me, woman,” I burst out, “or I swear-”

There’s a touch on my shoulder. I turn to find Christian right behind me. He jerks his chin toward the doctor, then shakes his head. Che cazzo! Of course, he has to come to her rescue. Did I say that I wish my brothers would find their own women and settle down? Guess I wasn’t aware of exactly how that would change the dynamics between us when that happens. I glare at him and he holds my gaze. Shit, he’s serious about her? When the hell had that happened, eh? I shrug off his hand, turn to her.

“Look, Doc, I appreciate your being sensitive about the situation, but right now, I only want to find out what’s wrong with my wife, so if you can just spit it out-”

“She’s pregnant.”

Next to me, Christian inhales. A pulse of shock runs through the assembled men. “What did you say?” I growl.

“She’s pregnant,” the doctor repeats herself.

“She’s….” I swallow, “She’s…”

“Pregnant.” The doctor nods, “Your wife is pregnant, Capo.”

“My wife is pregnant?” I open and shut my mouth, “She’s having my child?”

A small smile curves her lips, “It would seem that way, yes.”

My knees seem to give way from under me.

Christian grips my shoulder. “Steady, Capo,” he murmurs.

I blink to clear my vision, then focus my gaze once more on the doctor.

“She’s fine, other than that?”

The doctor nods, “Like I mentioned, it would be best if we kept her under observation overnight.”

I nod, “Of course, whatever you think is best for her.”

“Also,” she glances to the side, “there was-ah- Something else that I think you should know.”

“What is it?”

“I…ah…” She shuffles her feet, “It’s just that-” She straightens her shoulders, “She needs to take better care of herself. She needs to eat well, sleep well, make sure she’s getting her vitamins.”

“I’ll make sure of that.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Anything else?”

She seems like she’s about to say something, then shakes her head.

“Can I see her now?”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Of course.”

She turns and I follow her inside. I walk into the room, almost bumping into the doctor who’s come to a halt inside the threshold. She’s staring at the bed. The empty bed. I glance around the space. The entire room is empty. I stalk toward the door on the far side, peek inside. There’s no one in the bathroom either.

“What the hell?

A draft blows in through the open window. I lunge toward it, glance down at the ground which is maybe five or six feet away. Not too close, but not too far either. Could she have jumped? The hair on the back of my neck rises. She did jump. She managed to get away. My pregnant wife managed to escape. Is she strong enough to have made the jump? How far can she go in the condition she is in? I had found her collapsed on the floor of the room, and now she manages to jump out of the window and leave? My guts twist and my stomach ties itself in knots. I bunch my fists at my side, “What the hell is happening here? Where is she?”

“She… I…” the doc’s voice trembles. I glance at her, find her features have lost all color. She has her fingers gripped together in front of her; the skin over her knuckles is white.

Minchia! Why is she so nervous? I close the distance between us, and glare at her, “Something you want to tell me, Doc?”

“I… ” she shakes her head, “it’s my fault; I agreed to help her. I had no idea she was pregnant. As soon as I found out, I-” I raise my hand and she flinches. Damnit! I lower my arm, brush past her, then out the door. My brothers crowd around me.

Seb takes in my features and his own harden, “What’s wrong, Boss? What happened in there?”

“She did,” I point a thumb over my shoulder, “she helped my wife escape.”

“Karma’s gone?” Christian glances between me and the doctor who’s standing behind me.

I pull out my knife from the small of my back, “I am going to kill her for it.” I am about to turn, when Christian closes the distance between us.

“Leave her to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t waste your time on her. I’ve got this.”

I peer into his eyes, then jerk my chin, “I am going after my wife.”