Mafia love

I’m here to support you. It’s been a difficult time for you, and I will be here as long as you need me.”

“Thank you from the very bottom of my heart.”

“Again, you are very welcome. How are you feeling?”

“Awful. It’s too much.”

“It will get better with time, and remember, every day that goes by is one day less that you’ll have to wait for Luc.”

That sounded hopeful. As with Max and Sinclaire, I didn’t have to tell her that I would be staying here, but more importantly, I’d be waiting for Luc.

“That gives me something to look forward to.”

“It does. Let me get di

I rolled my eyes and chuckled slightly. Claudius was quite a character.

He had the whole tough guy image down to the T, but he’d barely left my side since I’d come home from the hospital. It was nice.

“I think he kind of likes the squirrels, but don’t tell him I said that.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Bread.”

“Bread with something else Amelia. You can’t live on bread.”

“I can’t eat anything. I’m still sick from the crap they gave us back in the prison.” I hadn’t been able to hold anything down and had lost weight in just a handful of days.

“I’ll make you chicken soup.” She got up.

My phone started ringing, buzzing on the coffee table. I winced, still anxious to answer it. I didn’t think anyone could blame me. I looked at the screen and saw it was the hospital again. They’d been calling and leaving messages to contact them. I’d been putting it off because of everything that was going on.

Dad’s funeral, Luc’s trial, Millicent’s funeral in a few days’ time. The last thing I wanted was to be drawn off to the hospital or something medical.

I guess though, now that everything was over, I could take care of myself.

Gigi nodded at me as I answered the phone, and she left me.

“Hello.”

“Hi, is this Miss Rossi?” came a soft feminine voice.

“Yes, speaking.” I adjusted the phone at my ear.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Ferguson at the Chicago General. You are a very difficult woman to get hold off.” She chuckled.

“I’m sorry. I had a lot of things to sort out. It’s been a stressful time.”

That was probably putting it mildly.

“Well, stress is one thing you don’t need right now.”

“No, I agree.”

“Well, that’s a good start. I’m contacting you today because it was revealed in the tests we conducted while you are with us that you are pregnant.”

At first, I didn’t quite hear what she said. Then it hit me. It hit me hard, like someone had thrown a truck at me.

“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?” I narrowed my eyes and pressed the phone closer to my ear.

“Congratulations, Miss Rossi, you’re pregnant.”

CHAPTER 21

Luc

“You look like shit,” Claudius said, looking me over with disdain.

It was typical of him to point out the obvious.

I knew I looked like shit with my black swollen eyes and bruises all over my face.

“What the hell happened to you?” Pa asked.

I sighed with frustration. “Six guys jumped me. Romanos boys. Pricks.”

I wouldn’t last in here. Not because I couldn’t take care of myself, but because I couldn’t control myself. Those assholes thought they could pick a fight with me because it was them against me. They were wrong.

They’d come at me when I was eating the filth they called lunch in this shithole. I took them down effortlessly, but that had landed me in solitary confinement for two days.

“You okay? I mean, are you hurt?” Pa asked.

“I’m alive. You should see the other guys.” They had broken arms and legs.

This place was killing my soul, undoing all the good I’d done in the last few months. It was undoing me, the man I’d become since meeting Amelia.

I needed her. This was the first day I was allowed visitors, and I was going to tell her straight that she needed to move on with her life. Not that I

assumed she would wait for me. I was just hoping. Hoping with my stupid heart, but at the same time thinking with my brain for a change.

I needed to let her go.

I sat with Pa and Claudius around a table in the visitors’ lounge. There were guards everywhere.

Amelia was somewhere in the building waiting to see me next.

I was only allowed two visitors at a time. I guess it was good, though, to get to see her by herself. This would be the first time I got to speak to her in what seemed like forever.

I was so desperate to see her. Desperate to see how she was. I couldn’t believe I’d missed Raphael’s funeral. She had support, but I hadn’t been there. Everyone else had been there for her but me.

“Well, we can now update you on the diamonds.” Claudius straightened.

“I handed them over to the Smithsonian Institute personally yesterday.”

I was proud to hear that. “Thank you.” Once upon a time neither of us would have thought to hand them over. We would have kept them.

“We just wanted them gone.” Pa huffed and frowned. “Caused a lot of trouble.”

“Didn’t they just.” I agreed.

“Too much, we can forget them now and start rebuilding.” Claudius added bringing his hands together.

I was happy to hear that too. “Rebuilding?” I looked from him to Pa.

“Well son, we can pretty much do whatever we wat from here onwards.

For good or bad. Don’t expect us to become cops though.” Pa chuckled.

“Don’t even mention that cop word to me.” Claudius sneered. “Anyway, diamonds aside we have some news.”

“What kind of news?”

“Good and bad. Two good pieces of news, actually.”

I didn’t know what kind of news would be good for me here. “Let’s hear it.” I leaned forward onto the table.

“First piece of news is, Maria contacted us. She said she’s safe in Florida and sends her thanks.” Claudius quirked a brow. “And her love.

Didn’t know you two saw each other recently.”

“She helped me when I was looking for Victor.”

“That all she did?”

I frowned at him. “Fuck, Claudius, now’s not the time. I didn’t do anything with her. Those days are gone.”

“Good, that leads me to good news number two. We managed to reduce your sentence.”

All I could do was stare. “Jesus Christ, how?” Yes, how indeed. How in the world had they managed that?

Claudius leaned in closer and spoke in a low, even tone. “Your cop boys from LA got some dirt on the judge. They also threw in your good deeds from LA. Catching Demarco and all that stuff. However, the bad news is this. The sentence has been reduced to eight months with ten months community service, but on the basis of good behavior. That’s the best we could do to make it look legit. “

I ran my hand across my face. Sinclaire. He had done this. He and Max, most probably. This was what he’d been talking about. God. I’d never imagined him doing anything for me. That guy quite rightly hated my guts.

And… eight months with community service?

Eight months with community service. I would take that over three years.

Definitely, but…

It was still too long. It was still too long to have any expectation from Amelia. She shouldn’t have to wait, and I shouldn’t dare contemplate it. I was a criminal, and in true criminal style, I was in prison. Locked up and out of her world. She could do better than that. Even if her waiting for me really was a possibility, I didn’t know if I could commit wholly to the good behavior part. It wouldn’t be because I didn’t want to. The people here were all assholes. Staff and prisoners alike.