It's only when I wake up that I realize Enzo must have called Lia to sit with me. She's propped in a chair, almost dozing off.
"Miss," she jerks out of her chair immediately as she sees me awake, rushing toward me to give me a hug. "Oh, Lord, I can't believe you're a mother now," she continues to kiss my cheeks, saying a short prayer for me.
"Me neither, Lia," I smile at her, happy to have her by my side.
At least Enzo had been true to his word, and he'd gotten Lia to move in with us for my pregnancy. I don't think I could have done this without her—not when I started panicking at every little thing.
"And Signor Enzo adores you. Who would have thought that a disaster would turn into a miracle?" she gushes, and I refrain from telling her that it's the opposite. What had started as a disaster had devolved into hell.
"He does, doesn't he?" I mutter, but Lia doesn't get the irony dripping from my words.
A while later, a nurse returns with Luca, and I cradle his little body to my chest, trying to feed him from my breast.
That's how Enzo finds me—naked from the waist up, Luca's mouth latched onto one breast, suckling. He stops in his tracks, and his eyes rove over our bodies, a satisfied smile stretching across his features.
"This is the most beautiful sight," he whispers as he comes closer, brushing his hand over Luca's brow.
"Do you want to hold him?" I ask when Luca's done feeding, already fast asleep.
"Can I?" Uncertainty is written all over his face as he looks between Luca and me. I nod, deep down thinking he won't have many chances to do it in the future. And as I see him carefully lift the little bundle in his arms, his eyes so full of love, I waver. Just a little.
Dear God, am I doing the right thing?
He walks around the room with Luca in his arms, all the while whispering words of love in his ear.
Tears suddenly flood my eyes, and I avert my face.
"Hey, are you okay?" He quickly comes to my side, caressing my hair.
"Yeah, it's nothing," I sniffle, "just hormones."
That and seeing Enzo with our son is breaking my heart—especially given the decision I've made.
The next few days are the hardest. My body took a toll from the birth, and I'm barely starting to recover. Enzo is a constant presence at the hospital, so it doesn't give me an opening to contact the agent.
At my last checkup, the doctor declares me fit to be discharged in a couple of days, so I take advantage and ask Enzo to get me some clothes, saying I only trust him. When he's finally gone, I ask Lia to get me some very specific food, ensuring she'll be gone for a while. I don't want to implicate her in this, and it's better if she doesn't know anything.
The room finally empty, I fish out my phone and dial Agent McNaught.
Luca is sleeping peacefully in my arms, and his pure little face, the way he is still innocent of the evils of the world, strengthens my resolve. I can't let my son be brought up in a culture that looks down on women and glorifies cold-blooded killing.
I won't let him end up like his father.
The agent answers on the first ring.
"The offer," I start, faking a nonexistent confidence, "I'll take it."
"You're doing the right thing, Mrs. Agosti," he assures me after we hash out some details.
"I'm in the hospital now, but I have the list of locations at home. I can get it to you as soon as I leave."
"Can you do that? Safely?"
"Don't worry about my husband, Agent. I can handle it," I answer.
He proceeds to tell me about our meeting place and that I'll be taken into protective custody immediately.
"Just... I need my son to be safe."
