Mobster's Baby: Bad Boy Mafia Romance (21 page)

Axel

After I left Portia at the hospital, I called Tony and Ciro.

“We got your men,” Tony said in a gruff voice. “We’re at the Mariner Motor Lodge, outside of Morris.”

He hung up with a sharp click. Adrenaline coiled in my stomach like a snake about to lunge for a rat, and I shivered. The Mariner Motor Lodge was owned by a family connected to the business. They had no problem letting their rooms for our occasional use, whether it was a coke-fueled party with hookers or an “interrogation.”

Tonight, it was going to be the latter.

I drove across town as fast as I could. The excitement and feeling of adrenaline was rushing through me, as powerful as a drug, more powerful than it should have been. I was elated. I couldn’t believe Jackson and Rico had fallen for whatever bullshit stunt Ciro had pulled to get them back under control.

I grinned to myself. Portia was safe, and now it was my time to play.

In the family, you didn’t fuck someone and run. That was the first lesson I’d learned that fateful night in the basement with Leo and Gianni. You didn’t fuck someone, take their money, and expect to get away with it. On some level, maybe Jackson
wanted
to get caught. He wouldn’t have ever done anything so dumb if he thought that this would be the end of his life in the family. Hell, he probably even thought that some would respect him for acting the way that he had.

“Boy, fuck, you were wrong,” I said, hooting with evil laughter. These men, who had ruined my life, who had killed my father and tried to kill my wife and child, these men weren’t going to live to see sunrise.

I pulled into the parking lot of the Mariner shortly after midnight. I saw Ciro’s black SUV parked in a corner of the lot, tinted windows shining in the light of the moon. Back when I’d found Portia in the woods, it had been so cloudy that it looked like rain. But now it was clear. The moon was bright, so bright that I could see my shadow as I walked across the parking lot. The old pavement was cracked and weeds were growing through in places. It was a shitty, run-down motel, but I was glad for it.

My hand tightened around the pistol in my pocket as I climbed up the stairs and headed for room 202. That room was always available to the family, it was a room that had seen a lot of blood and pussy.
And now it was about to see some pussies get bloody
, I thought with a wicked grin. Jackson was a fucking snake. He was going to get what was coming.

I burst in the door. To my surprise, Jackson and Rico were sitting down, drinking beer. Ciro and Tony were sitting on the beds, counting cash.

“Yo, Axel,” Ciro said with a grin. “We got ’em.” Before Jackson and Rico could react, Ciro and Tony pulled guns out of their waistbands and pointed them at Jackson and Rico.

“Oh, fuck me!” Rico yelled. He dropped to his knees. “This ain’t fuckin’ fair! We was supposed to get some strippers up in this joint!”

I leaned down in his face and spat, covering his nose in slime “You ain’t gonna see another stripper for the rest of your life,” I said through gritted teeth. “Not unless you wanna watch Jackson work your pole.”

Rico shivered and I swung my arm back and cracked my fist into his face. I felt the bones of my knuckles meet the bones of his teeth, and he fell to the side, blubbering like a baby.

Jackson was staring at me with a quiet hatred in his eyes. “I knew it would be you,” he said, looking straight at me. Even though I knew Jackson and Rico were outnumbered, a small shiver of fear ran down my back. “I knew you’d come and fuck me in the end, brother.”

Crossing the room in two easy steps, I flung my hand across Jackson’s face, slapping him as hard as I could. “Don’t
ever
call me brother, ever again,” I hissed. “You don’t deserve to call me brother. You stuck a knife in my father’s gut and left him to die in his own goddamn bed like an old maid.”

Jackson looked up at me with yellowing eyes. “Don’t kill me. Don’t kill me, Axel. I’ll do anything you want. I’ll be loyal! I’ll do whatever! Bodyguard! Watch that blonde bitch of yours!”

I hit him again, this time with my fist, and watched him spit out a mouthful of teeth.

“Don’t you ever call my wife a bitch again,” I said solemnly. “Or I’ll cut out your tongue, you understand?”

Jackson was silent. From across the room, Tony and Ciro nodded at me with approval.

“Tie them up,” I snapped. “One at a time. Then bring Rico in the bathroom. We have a little business to discuss first.”

I went into the bathroom and sat on the closed toilet as I watched Tony and Ciro bind Jackson and Rico with their arms behind their backs.

“Gag Rico,” I said with a grin. “He’s got a nasty fuckin’ mouth on him.”

Rico tried to yell but Ciro stuffed a rag in his mouth, covering it with duct tape. I walked over and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him in the bathroom and closing the door behind me. When we were alone, Rico began to sob. I watched his fat, puffy face hyperventilate and finally, I reached forward and yanked the duct tape off his mouth.

“If you make a fucking sound, I’ll put this right back,” I threatened. “You don’t want to fuck with me, you got that?”

“I understand,” Rico said in a trembling voice. “What do you want with me?”

I paced a few steps back and forth. “I want to know why you got involved in this shit,” I hissed. “I want to know why you fucked with my wife.”

Rico looked at me with big, scared eyes. “I didn’t do anything,” he said, stammering like a fool. “It was Jackson’s idea! All Jackson’s!”

I laughed heartily. “You really are a son of a bitch, you know that?”

Rico looked at me. I could tell he was plainly terrified. “What? Why?”

“Because you fucking snitched on your man not ten minutes into this!” I said, gesturing around wildly. “You think you have what it takes to be a fucking hotshot Mafioso?”

Rico trembled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything.”

I laughed in his face, reaching back with my arm and swinging forward, cracking him hard in the face. Blood bubbled under Rico’s nose.

“I don’t believe you,” I snapped. “You fucked with my wife. You’re gonna die, asshole, you know that?”

Rico swallowed hard. Blood was dripping from his nose. “I don’t know, man,” he said. “I don’t know!”

“You don’t know shit,” I said, kicking him to the side. Since his hands were bound behind his back, he flipped over and was prone on his side, wriggling around on the bathroom floor. “Stay here,” I ordered.

Opening the bathroom door, I walked back into the room and grabbed Jackson by the collar until he stood up. We tussled like that for a moment until I punched him hard in the gut and he doubled over.

“Get in the bathroom,” I snarled. “I’m not fucking around, asshole.”

Jackson glared at me. The disgust and hatred on his face was obvious. I could tell he wanted to kill me, or worse.

When we were in the bathroom, I pulled the tape off his mouth and stared into his beady dark eyes.

“You hurt my wife,” I said in a deadly solemn tone. “You hurt my wife, and I want you to die.”

Jackson opened his mouth to speak and I punched him hard, making him recoil. His eyes flew back in his head and blood trickled from his nose and mouth. I dipped my hand under the faucet and flicked water on his face until he opened his eyes.

“She had it coming, that lazy slut,” Jackson said. He cracked a grin at me and I punched him in the gut until he was crying out and whimpering like a baby.

“Don’t you
ever
talk about my wife like that,” I warned. I pushed Jackson into the bathtub on his stomach. His hands were tied and purpling behind his back, bound tightly with a cord. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a pair of shears.

“I feel like taking a finger or two,” I said. “I mean, you hurt Portia. I’m going to hurt you now, Jackson.”

Jackson screamed into the dirty tub as I tightened the shears around his thumb and clamped down until the bone gave and it snapped off. Blood spurted from his hand and Jackson was wailing loudly. A strong thrill of adrenaline rushed through my body.

“Tell me what you did,” I hissed under my breath. “Tell me. Tell me
why
.”

Reaching into the tub, I grabbed Jackson and flipped him around so he was on his back with his bound hands underneath of him. There were delicate sprays of blood, like sea foam, coating the tile on the inside of the tub and Jackson paled when he saw them.

“I need to know if Leo set you up,” I said, drawing the shears down Jackson’s chest and pressing down until a thin red line appeared in their wake. “I need to know if my own father betrayed me, or if it was just you, the sack of shit foster brother I grew up with.”

Jackson swallowed hard. I could see the whites of his eyes bulging, and I could tell that he was scared.

“I wanted to be the leader,” he hissed, confirming my suspicions. “Leo, that dumb fuck, always wanted you.”

Despite the anger that was surging through my body, a small part of me felt relieved. So Leo hadn’t wanted to betray me after all. He’d loved me. He’d known that I was his true son.

“Is that so?” I jabbed the shears into Jackson’s thigh. He cried out in anguish and blood soaked through the fabric of his pants, draining into the tub. Another surge of anger hit me and I stabbed harder, driving the sharp point of the shears down with as much pressure as I could apply.

“When I found out about your girl, I knew I could fuckin’ get a lot of money for her,” Jackson said.

“That was a mistake,” I said solemnly. “That was a huge, huge mistake. And you are gonna regret that for the rest of your life, which is only going to be about ten minutes.”

I pocketed the shears and opened the bathroom door. “Ciro, Tony,” I barked. “Get these assholes into the back of your truck.”

Twenty minutes later, the five of us were in a field, near where Jackson and Rico had dumped Portia. Jackson and Rico were on their knees, with their hands bound, in front of me. Rico was whimpering and praying in Spanish under his breath. Jackson was staring straight ahead, his face white and bloodless.

“Are you both ready to say goodbye?”

Rico looked up at me, praying louder than before. I grabbed my gun and aimed it, taking the safety off. I shot him in the head and he crumpled to the ground like a doll.

Jackson didn’t say anything. I walked up to him and inspected him from every angle. Even though he looked pathetic, I couldn’t drum up an ounce of sympathy for him. I couldn’t make myself care that he was bleeding and cold, not when he’d kidnapped my wife and made her suffer for cold. He could have killed her.

“Goodbye, Jackson,” I said softly as I fired the gun at his forehead.

“Yo, boss,” Ciro said. He and Tony jogged over to me “What are you gonna go next?”

I put my lips in a thin line. “I’m going to see my wife,” I told him. “You clean this shit up.”

Portia

My mouth went dry as Axel told me the horrible story, from beginning to end. I couldn’t believe it; I wanted to clap my hands over my ears and sing really loudly to tune him out. But part of me was fascinated, like driving past a car crash and being unable to look away.

“And they’re dead?” My words came out as a rough whisper.

Axel nodded. “They’re gone,” he said, reaching over and putting a hand in my lap. “Ciro and Tony took care of the bodies.” He looked at me. “I guess this leaves me in control of the family business.” Massaging my hands, Axel’s dark eyes found my own. “How do you feel?”

I bit my lip. “I’m exhausted,” I said softly. “I…” My voice trailed off. Suddenly, it didn’t matter. Well, it still
mattered
, but I realized there was no point in getting upset over something that Axel had done. After all, just because he was my husband didn’t mean I could control his choices. And honestly, I was so angry at Jackson and Rico that I thought they deserved it. They tried to hurt my baby. I could have forgiven them for taking me, but not for trying to hurt my baby.

Just then, a nurse came in. Tears welled up in my eyes when I thought she was going to tell Axel he had to leave. But instead, she smiled when she saw the two of us huddled so close together.

“That’s cute,” she said. “Excited about the baby?”

I bit my lip again, remembering Axel’s reaction to my pregnancy. He hadn’t exactly been thrilled. Now I was worried that he didn’t care that much after all, that he’d only taken care of Jackson and Rico to protect my honor.

“I’m thrilled,” Axel said. He reached forward and put a tender hand on my lower belly. “I can’t wait to meet my son.”

I shook my head. “No, we’re having a daughter,” I insisted, looking up at the nurse. “I can tell.”

The nurse chuckled. “When was the last time you had an ultrasound?”

“Um,” I looked away, feeling blood rush into my cheeks. “We haven’t had one yet,” I said softly. “There have been some…complications at home.”

“We need to get you booked, then,” the nurse chirped. “That’s important. Gotta make sure we have all the fingers and toes.”

I smiled wanly. “I think we have everything,” I said. “Ever since I got here, the baby’s been moving nonstop.”

“I bet,” the nurse said drily. “Tell you what, let me check with the obstetrician on duty. He may be able to fit you in for an ultrasound in an hour or two. What do you think about that?”

“Really?” My eyes filled with tears. “I can’t wait to see my little girl!”

“Our little
man
,” Axel said. He patted me on the tummy. “I know it’s a boy,” he said to the nurse with a wolfish smile. “I know I couldn’t make a girl on the first try.”
The nurse rolled her eyes. “Little girls are just as good,” she said.

We both glared at her.

“I’ll be back,” she replied when it became clear that we weren’t going to stop bickering. “And, Mrs. Riccardi, I want you to rest. Your body has been through a lot. Try to drink as much water as you can, okay?”

Axel nodded. “I’ll take great care of her,” he insisted. “I promise.”

When she was gone, I let out a long sigh. “This feels like a dream,” I admitted. “I can’t believe that we’re here.”

Axel swallowed. He scooted a little closer to the bed and took both of my hands in his. I winced; my wrists were still a little sore from being bound so tightly.

“Portia, no matter what happens,” Axel began, his voice thick with emotion. “No matter what happens, I promise I’ll always take care of you. I promise I’ll always be there for you, I’ll always make sure you and the baby are well taken care of. You got that?”

I nodded. “What about the money?” I asked softly. “My father’s fortune. Where is it?”

Axel sighed. “I need to meet with Leo’s lawyer tomorrow,” he said. “I need to get some things straightened out. I’ll find out from him, but I’d rather we keep some of that in savings. Little Antonio is going to need a college education,” he added, rubbing my belly. “And I already have a house.”

I frowned. “It’s not that,” I said. “I just…I don’t want to mooch off of you, Axel. And I can’t lie and pretend that I make a lot of money. Hell, I’ve probably been fired from Maison Bridges. I haven’t been to work in days.”

Axel laughed. “Baby, you ain’t mooching off no one,” he said. “And fuck that place. If they want to fire you, let them. After you have the baby, I don’t want you to work anyway. The best moms are stay at home moms, and that’s what you’re gonna do.”

I blinked at him. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I’m more than sure,” Axel said confidently. “My wife isn’t going to embarrass herself working at some restaurant,” he added. “You’re going to be comfortable, Portia.” He looked at me intensely and I felt myself almost shying away from his gaze. It was as potent as the look he’d given me the first time we’d met, drinking grappa in the bar of Maison Bridges.

“Are you the leader of the family now?”

There was a beat of silence.

“I guess,” Axel said in a way that made me think he knew for sure and just didn’t want to tell me. “How do you feel about that?”

I thought about it. On one hand, I didn’t like the idea of our daughter growing up around violence. I didn’t like the idea of Axel coming home late, drenched in blood. I didn’t like the idea of him having a secret life, of us trying to hide from the IRS day in and day out.

“I don’t know,” I said softly. “I mean, how would life be? What would it be like, Axel?”

He shrugged. “Probably wouldn’t be too different from how things are now,” he said, stretching. “I mean, I’d have more control. Ciro and Tony listen to me, they treat me like a leader. And Jackson was always a snake; he had to be dealt with sooner or later.” Axel looked at me and grinned. “You think you’re up to being a mob wife?”

A red blush overtook my cheeks and I had to look away. “I don’t even know what that means,” I said quietly. “I mean, are you going to have a mistress?” I felt my blush deepen.

“Fuck no,” Axel said. He squeezed my hands. “I promise, Portia. I won’t ever mistreat you, baby. You’re my wife.”

I swallowed hard. I was getting emotional again, and I couldn’t even begin to explain why. “This is a lot to take in. I mean, I don’t know. Will we be in danger? What’s going to happen to the baby? Is the baby going to grow up around the mafia?”

Axel shrugged. “I didn’t, really,” he said. “I mean, Leo initiated me when I was a teenager. But before then, I didn’t have any idea of how tough things were. He made sure I was pretty isolated from all of the violence.”

I blinked. “And you think we’d be okay?”

Axel laughed drily. “Yeah, Portia. No one is gonna fuck with me now. No one would be dumb enough to do that. We lead the biggest business in this part of New Jersey, and as long as we don’t get cocky, I think we’ll be fine.”

“I see.”

Just then, the nurse barged back in the room. “Good news!” she chirped loudly, oblivious to the fact that we’d just been having a serious conversation. “You can get an ultra sound today! In fact, I’m going to wheel you over in just a few minutes!”

“Oh my god, I get to see the baby,” I said happily. Tears streamed down my face; Axel wiped them away with a rough tissue that was on the top of the cabinet. “I can’t believe I get to meet my baby!”

“Believe it,” Axel said. He leaned down and kissed me on top of the head.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” I whispered. “I’m really sorry, Axel.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Axel whispered into my hair. “Everything’s gonna be alright now, Portia.”

I believed it, too. As the nurse helped me into a wheelchair and wheeled me out of the room, I closed my eyes and thought about how much had changed. I’d thought Axel was a monster, the kind of man to be avoided at all costs. But that didn’t explain my intense attraction to him, or the fact that I felt abandoned and horrible after he didn’t call me.

Then, when everything happened and he found out I was pregnant, I didn’t think he’d ever want a life with me. Even when he married me, I didn’t think he wanted me.

But now I was starting to understand the sacrifices that Axel had made. He’d hunted down Jackson and Rico like dogs, and punished them for me. He’d done that to protect my honor because I was his wife. He’d done that because he cared about me. My eyes filled with tears for what felt like the hundredth time that week. Axel was my husband, and he loved me, and he’d never hurt me. He was mine, mine, all mine. And we were going to have a family together.

“Are you ready?” There was a cute, chipper ultrasound tech helping me out of the wheelchair and onto the table. She pulled up my gown and draped a blanket over my bare legs. My belly already looked bigger than it had last week.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a mom,” I breathed softly.

She grinned at me. “It’s an incredible feeling.”

Axel was standing at my side, with my hand in his. It was the most tender I’d ever seen him look, and I could barely breathe—my chest was swelling with pride and love.

“So,” the ultrasound tech began as she smeared some cold jelly on my stomach. “You guys want to know the sex of the baby?”