I check my emails and check in with Lucas as I wait. Everything has been quiet on the Famiglia side of things, and my gut is screaming that something is coming.
We’ve been left alone and way too happy for them not to be getting ready to fuck something up. I hate that my brain goes to worst-case scenarios so quickly, but years of experience have taught me to trust my instincts, and right now they’re all on alert.
I open the app for the outdoor cameras to the house, but I get a network down error.
Frowning I turn when I’m called over to retrieve the corrected paint color.
“Good luck,” he says as I wave at him.
As I exit the door and step outside, I hear loud sirens and glance around to see where they’re coming from. An ambulance flies past me, and my heart jumps.
I call the cabin, but no one answers. I dial the satellite phone that was in the room with her when I left, and it doesn’t even ring. I glare at the ambulance that turns up the streett headaing to our local clinic. Every fiber of my being is telling me to follow it, and I curse, dropping the can of paint and running the three blocks.
When I get to the entrance, the ambulance is empty, and there’s a commotion going on in the clinic. I burst inside and catch a familiar paint-covered hand waving about, trying to get her point across.
“SOMEONE NEEDS TO CALL MY HUSBAND!” Her voice sounds so panicked.
“Hey, move! ROSARIO!” I scream her name, and the room seems to freeze.
“Bruno! Oh, thank God. I slipped on the paint and fell off the stool. The phone fell into a bucket of paint, but it worked long enough to dial one-one-two.” I cut her off by taking her hand in mine and giving her a quick glance over.
“Shh, sweatheart are you okay? The baby?” She sobs and doesn’t answer.
“I hit my belly. It hurts,” She admits her fears as the nurses roll her into a room.
“Let’s check on the baby. Are you bleeding?” One of the nurses asks in a heavy accent.
“I...dooon’t…thiiiink soooo,” she cries as she answers, and I climb up on the bed to hold her, to which the nurse starts to protest until she sees the look on my face and stops.
“Ok, let’s get the mobile ultrasound in to see what’s happening. The doctor will be in shortly. Try to take a few deep breaths.” She pats Rosario’s thigh and then looks at me sternly.
Message received.
I place my hand on her belly and rub it slowly, watching as the action seems to calm her. I feel a kick under my hand, and she sobs louder, but this time in relief.
“They hadn’t moved.” She confesses as another kick hits my hand.
“Right on schedule for lunch.” We both laugh as the doctor comes in.
“Mr. and Mrs. Romano, welcome. I heard you had a tumble. How far along are you?” We answer all his questions and are having our ultraasound when someone screams right outside our room.
“What in the world,” the doctor goes for the door when I hear supressed gun shot.
“Don’t. Get away from that door.” I move to lock it, and then I grab the chair and wedge it under the handle.
“Is there another way out of this room?” The ultrasound tech nods and points to a door that says “Authorized Personnel Only.”
“Okay, everyone, move now.” The door handle jiggles, and as we get out the door, someone kicks it in.
I managed to see the same aasshole from the church. The one who gave my wife those bloody roses. He smiles at me as I slam the door shut between us.
“This way.” The tech calls as the doctor helps my wife move through the room.
“Who are those people?” The man asks as we reach a back hallway.
“No one good. You need to call the police and check on your people. We’re leaving. Which way out?” The tech points left, and they turn right.
“You doing okay? The truck is three blocks away. I wasn’t thinking I just ran after the ambulance.” I try to explain as we walk out to the street, but we don’t make it far.
