Married to the Mafia Boss

Shirley

There’s dust in my nose. It’s so fucking irritating. I try to wiggle my nose, but that seems to wake me up more, and then I realize I’m incredibly sore. There’s pain and dust, and I cough some of it out as I blink open my eyes. Noises around me seem distant, almost as though something is blocking my ears as I try to remember where I am and what I’m doing.

Something sharp digs into my back, and I groan out loud, using my aching hands to push myself up. A single thought occurs to me.

My Baby.

I can hear people crying, and that barrier, that blocked ear feeling, is going away, and the sounds of cries intermingled with screaming becomes clearer. Where had I been?

I’d been at a table outside our family bistro with Kira. We were about to share a dessert when there was a huge noise, an explosion, from the store right next door. The force had flung us in the opposite direction, into the middle of the street. The thing stabbing me in the back must be rubble.

Kira.

“Kira?” I call weakly. My voice cracks, so I spit and clear my throat. “Kira?” I call, barely louder.

“Shirls.” It’s little more than a groan, but it’s her, thank God. I manage to sit up and look at myself. I’m bleeding, mostly from grazes and scrapes on my arms and legs. I put my hand on my belly and close my eyes, praying my baby is okay.

I hear the sirens getting closer, and everything is so disorientating. I need to close my eyes, just for a moment.

I’m jolted awake as the ambulance rumbles on the road beneath me. I’m on a stretcher, an oxygen mask over my face. There’s a young, traumatized medic next to me. He sees I’m awake and puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, ma’am. We’re on our way to the hospital.”

I open my mouth, but he shushes me, “Don’t speak. Conserve your energy.”

I shake my head because I have to tell him so they know, “I’m… I’m pregnant, but I don’t want anyone…don’t tell anyone about my baby.”

His eyes widen, and he nods. “We’ll check your baby is okay as soon as we’re at the hospital.”

I nod and close my eyes again.

A strange beeping sound stirs me from what feels like a very short nap. I can feel the cool sheets beneath me and covering me, and I’m sitting up at an angle. My back burns, probably from where the skin grazed, along with the other places I hurt. When I open my eyes, a handsome man in a white coat stands next to me.

He smiles. “Welcome back, Mrs. MacCannister.”

“My baby…” I try to finish the sentence, but he also puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Your baby is perfectly fine. You have nothing to worry about. You’re also doing great, aside from some disorientation. The old brain got a bit knocked around, but with a few days’ rest, you’ll be right as rain.”

He pats my hand on the bed and turns to leave just as Evgenii rushes into the room. “Shirley!”

He approaches my bedside and gingerly takes my hand. “Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re okay. When the line went dead, I thought the worst.”

I can see the worry in his eyes. He isn’t pretending. His voice is shaking, and I almost think he’s going to cry. I feel a sharp stab in my heart that isn’t from the explosion, that’s guilt.

There’s a light knock at the door, and I see Alessandro standing there, looking both livid and concerned.

Evgenii steps aside respectfully and comes to the other side of my bed so they’re both by my side.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Alessandro says, stroking my hair back.

“It’s Mikhail,” Evgenii says suddenly. “He’s been coordinating these attacks, I know it.”

I am instantly annoyed. Evgenii just wants to blame Mikhail because he’s jealous I went on a date with him.

“You have no proof of that. Mikhail isn’t stupid enough to attack the Volkovs and Sorvinos. He wouldn’t declare war against the strongest families in New York.” I shake my head.

Evgenii frowns. “You don’t know what men like Mikhail are capable of.”

“I think I know Mikhail better than you do,” I snap.

Evgenii clenches his fists, and Alessandro walks to the bottom of my bed. “Go get yourself something to drink and calm down.”

Evgenii relaxes and nods, looking at me one last time before leaving.

Alessandro looks at me meaningfully. “Stop letting your emotions cloud your judgment. I mean it. You’re letting them get the better of you.”

I’m about to say something when he picks up my chart. I panic. “Alessandro, I…”

“You’re pregnant.” He puts the chart back. As he walks to the door, I worry, thinking he’s leaving and that’s it, but he shuts the door and sits on the edge of the bottom of my bed.

“You’re not far along. I assume you would have told me eventually.” I feel contrite.

“I just wanted to sort out my own feelings on the subject.” I’m trying to keep emotion out of it, but I care deeply about what Alessandro thinks of me.

“You can still tell me things like this, Shirls. I won’t judge. I mean, with the drama our family goes through, this is minute. The women in our family are pretty crazy,” he gives me a small smile. “But you should probably tell the father of your child. Every man deserves a chance to prove himself as a father and to dote and love on his children.”

I glance away from him. I want to tell him who the father is, but I can’t. He’ll think I’m a fool. “I just want to work out what’s best for the baby and me before I do that.”

Alessandro breathes heavily and pats my leg gently. “Evgenii is a lucky man to be able to start a family with you, so think about it carefully before you make any harsh decisions.”

He stands up, and I want to ask him how he knows, but of course, he knows. Everyone probably knows. I swallow hard and rest back against my bed, closing my eyes.

An hour, maybe a little more, passes when another light knock at my door disturbs me. I open my eyes to Evgenii with his arms full of flowers and balloons, and a giant stuffed get well soon panda bear.

“Pandas are your favorite, so I hunted this little shit down. You should name him, he’s cute. Well, cuter than me, at least.” He laughs at his joke, and I offer him a smile. He straightens my blanket and my IV and adjusts my pillow, fussing over me something terrible.

“How are you feeling now? Do you need more pain meds because I’ll hook you up? How is your pain level?”

“I just want to go home,” I sigh. “I’m sore and tired, but I’d prefer to rest at home.”

“You should stay here until they clear you,” he says protectively. “You don’t want to go home too soon, and they might miss something.”

A firm knock at the door draws our attention. Mikhail is standing in the doorway with a massive bouquet of roses, and before anyone can say anything, Evgenii has launched himself from my side toward him, tackling him to the ground.

I try to sit up, but my body is stiff, so I know I’m not going to separate them. I hit the call nurse button, but nurses and security are already rushing to the fight that has now spilled out into the hallway.

They manage to split the men. Evgenii is nearer to me, so I glare at him. “Go calm down while I speak to Mikhail.” It isn’t a request, and although he looks reluctant, he gives Mikhail one last glare before slowly walking away.

Mikhail straightens his clothes and runs a hand over his hair before walking to me.

“Sorry, he’s on edge.” I give him a hesitant smile. “How did you know I was in the hospital?”

“News travels fast among families,” he smiles and scoops up the bouquet of roses. He sets them closer to me than Evgenii’s flowers, and I know he’s trying to assert dominance.

I rest back and fold my hands over my lap. “I imagine so, but I didn’t think I’d be that important to warrant news.”

“You’re important to me,” he smiles, sitting on the edge of my bed.

I give him a stern look before I soften. “Are there any leads as to who it could have been?”

“Media are saying these latest bombings are terrorist attacks, and they are hunting down the ones responsible. You and I, and our families, know this isn’t radicals. This is someone who is targeting your family.”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - ©.

“Someone who has a lot to gain, especially if the Volkovs and Sorvinos either start fighting amongst themselves or simply fall away slowly.” I raise an eyebrow. I can see he knows what I’m implying.

“That someone is playing a dangerous game.” He straightens his tie, not breaking eye contact. “Luckily, my family has a truce with both the major families. I have no reason to harm them.”

I don’t believe him at all, but I also don’t suspect him. He’s handsome and charming, but I’m on guard. I give him a warm smile. “Well, whoever hurt me, is certainly going to have to deal with Evgenii. He doesn’t like it when people attack me.”

“Like a faithful little guard dog,” Mikhail chuckles before standing up. He knows he isn’t going to dominate me.

“I hope you make a speedy recovery, Shirley.” I nod and smile as he leaves before I relax.