Page 95 of The Red Queen

Chapter Forty-Two

Desi glared at Giovanni’s consigliere, reminding herself that she should absolutely not kick the man in the balls. First, she was eight months pregnant and wasn’t entirely sure she could lift her leg high enough. She’d gained almost sixty pounds with the pregnancy and while she felt like a whale, Giovanni constantly assured her she was beautiful. He loved her fuller figure, her big boobs and ass, her rounded cheeks, and thighs. And second, Tomas was around 500 years old, and she didn’t think he could take a full force kick to the balls.

“You cannot give this…” He looked at Desi like she was some kind of rodent, “… woman… free rein in Malta. The area has been in chaos since Antonio got half the mob boys killed in the airport attack. It’s a black hole and you can’t trust her to take care of it.”

“Giovanni is busy with the Rome negotiations; he doesn’t have the time to clean up Malta.” Desi slapped her chest. “I do. I have nothing but time. I hate sitting around on my ass all day. I should be out working.” When Giovanni opened his mouth to deny her, Desi cut him off. “I don’t mean out there in Malta. I’m not that crazy. I won’t put our baby in danger. I’d work from home, organize our people.”

Tomas snorted his derision. “You wouldn’t recognize danger if it slapped you across the face. You’re a reckless woman, and you’ll be the death of this organization if the Signore gives you free rein.”

Desi launched herself at the man. Who cared if he was ancient. She was going to give him the best asskicking she could in her condition. Sadly, Giovanni caught her under the arms and hauled her back, laughing at the interaction. He was laughing because it wasn’t the first time. Desi and Tomas had been at each other’s throats since Giovanni started inviting her to the consigliere meetings a few months earlier.

Desi and Tomas didn’t hate each other. In fact, they had grown quite fond of each other outside the office. Tomas was to join them that evening for a meal and some wine tasting with Donada and Alina.

Within the walls of Giovanni’s office, they rarely agreed on anything. Desi was headstrong and opinionated, while Tomas was misogynistic and skeptical.

When Desi stopped threatening to stomp Tomas into the ground, Giovanni released her and picked up a cigar from the box on his desk. He offered one to Tomas and the two men moved out through the French doors and onto the terrace, away from Desi. She followed, stopping in the door so she could hear them, but the smoke wouldn’t reach her.

“While I’m occupied with Rome, Desi will take care of Malta,” Giovanni drawled, flicking his ash into the standing ashtray. Desi grinned, but he turned to her and added, “You’ll do it with Tomas’s help and guidance.”

The smile fell from her lips, and both Desi and Tomas began arguing with him and each other. Desi’s snide comments about Tomas’s advanced age turned into threats again when he pointed out that she should concentrate on the birth of her child and nothing else.

Giovanni held his hands up and commanded them to shut up. They did. They knew when the boss was reaching the end of his patience. He pointed at Tomas, “Desi was the second-in-command to a once powerful Mexican cartel. She led her people, orchestrated takeovers, and negotiated agreements. She’s intelligent and resourceful. It would be a crime to not use her extensive skill set within the Savino organization.”

Desi glowed with pride at his praise. He complimented her often and it never stopped feeling good. When she’d worked for Nico, every accomplishment was torn down, the flaws pointed out and her confidence destroyed. No matter how perfect she was, she couldn’t seem to please him. Now she knew it was him, not her. There was nothing she could have done to cultivate his admiration. He was a narcissist. Only capable of loving himself.

Giovanni’s eyes softened as he watched Desi, then he continued, “Desi, you will work closely with Tomas. While you may be capable, you are new to this region and how we do things. He will help guide you on our customs and advise you as you make decisions. I trust the two of you to resolve the Malta situation without me.”

Desi’s eyes met Tomas’s, and she saw that he was willing to capitulate. If he could give way to working with her, then she could do the same.

“Fine,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow. “I get the boss’s chair though.”

They began arguing over who should get the chair. Desi, because she was pregnant, Tomas, because he was the approximate age of an Egyptian mummy. Giovanni turned to look out over the vineyards, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Desi knew he loved the fight as much as the peace. It was in good fun and the two would make peace once they settled around the dinner table, laughing and joking with each other. She truly admired the older man, no matter how many jokes she made about his age and how often she threatened his life.

They finished their meeting and as they left the office, he asked, “Have you decided on a birth coach yet?”

Which started a whole other argument between Desi and Giovanni. She wanted a natural birth at home, attended by a midwife, while he wanted her in a hospital at least one week before her due date, attended by his personal physician.

Chapter Forty-Three

“Touch me again and die!” Desi screamed, then twisted her torso so she could look up at Giovanni who was sitting behind her on the bed. “Give me your gun, I’m going to kill them both.”

She meant every word.

She’d been looking forward to the birth of their child for weeks and now that it was happening, she would do anything to stop it. She felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out. She’d been shot, stabbed, lost a finger, and worse, but she’d never felt pain like this. It was wrenching, gripping, and quite obviously unsurvivable.

“Signora, we must touch you if we are to deliver your baby,” Dr. Danilo said calmly, looking to Desi’s chosen midwife for backup. The woman nodded her agreement but looked warily at Desi as though she didn’t trust the deadly, agonized woman not to summon a gun out of thin air. Desi was the definition of an injured and cornered animal lashing out at those trying to save her.

“If you don’t make this pain stop, I will cut your hands off and feed them to your offspring! Oooooohhh….” Desi flung her head back into Giovanni’s chest and squeezed her eyes shut as the rippling waves of pain washed over her, the pressure in her belly becoming so intense, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and bear down.

When a baby didn’t appear after the contraction, she started shouting at her birth team again.

Finally, Giovanni stepped in, his voice amused but with an underlying steel to it when he spoke to the doctor and the midwife. “You will ignore her threats and continue with your care. She won’t harm you.”

Desi would have argued with him, told him that, even in the process of giving birth to a fucking hippopotamus, she could still murder a bitch, except another contraction hit before she could get the words out. There was less than a minute between them.

Taking Giovanni’s word that he would keep them safe from his deadly wife, the midwife took her place between Desi’s bent legs and gently rolled the nightgown Desi was wearing back to her hips.

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