Page 46 of Reign of Fate

The door opens, and in comes Dr. Meridith. “Are you ready for the big reveal?” she asks.

“Definitely,” Elisa says.

The doctor drops a gooey gel all over Elisa’s belly and gets started. “Good strong heartbeat,” the doctor says. Elisa looks up at me, squeezing my hand. I kiss her hand and press it to my chest. “All right now, let’s see if this little person wants to reveal if they’re a baby he or she,” the doctor continues with a smile.

After a few minutes, I prompt, “Well?”

“Congratulations, it looks like we’re having a healthy baby boy,” she says.

I kiss my wife passionately, and the doctor disappears from the room. “Are you happy?” Elisa asks. “I wanted you to have a boy.”

“I would be happy with a girl too. As long as we have a healthy baby, that’s all I need,” I tell her.

“Maybe just a little bit happier because it’s a boy,” she teases, putting her thumb and forefinger up and slightly apart.

I chuckle and help her dress again. We find Raffaele and Evangeline waiting for us outside. Elisa and Evangeline embrace one another, their baby bumps making them more beautiful than ever.

At the same time, the two announce, “We’re having a boy!”

Raffaele claps a hand on my back. “Oh boy! Oh boy!”

Two brothers having sons. I can only hope that our sons will be best friends and watch each other’s backs like Raffaele and I do.

EIGHTEEN

Looks Can Be Deceiving

ZANO

Reno and Dante are toasting to Raffaele’s and Ivo’s good news. My parents believe babies are blessings and are patiently waiting for Dante and my sister, Elena, to have one of their own. Dante is the one who wants to wait. I think he likes the idea of having my sister all to himself. That doesn’t stop him from celebrating Raffaele’s and Ivo’s announcement.

I stand like a sentry by the booth. My job isn’t to partake, but to ensure that our capo, Reno, and Dante stay safe. I’ve been training under Sebastian and Reno for over a year, and they’ve started to give me more responsibilities.

People come in and out of the restaurant, but only one person catches my attention. A beautiful redhead with flawless, creamy skin, her nose dotted with tiny freckles. She can’t be more than eighteen years old, but she’s dressed more like a middle-aged woman, with sensible shoes and a dress from the 1990s. It’s something her mother might have worn.

She glances around the room and spots Raffaele. She swallows deeply, straightens her shoulders, and comes straight for the booth where Raffaele and the others are sitting. Before she can get too close, I step in front of her.

“Sorry, this is a private meeting,” I tell her. She looks over my shoulder and bites her lower lip.

“I have to see Mr. Di Morte, please.” Her eyes plead with me, and she grabs my arm. “Please.”

“If you’d like to take a seat over there, he might see you when they’re done.” As undeniably gorgeous as she is, I take my job seriously, and no one gets too close to Reno or Dante.

“Allegra, what are you doing here?” Francesco walks toward us. He knows this young woman’s name.

“I…I need to see Mr. Di Morte. It’s imperative. Please! I don’t know where else to go,” she says, her voice cracking.

“He won’t change his mind. He’s already told your brother so,” Francesco replies.

“You can’t condemn him for defending his father. He’s just a boy,” she begs. “Dad’s gone, and Vic is running with a wild crowd. All his friends are gone, and I don’t know what I can do to stop it.”

“Allegra, go home. Raffaele’s busy.” To his credit, Francesco looks guilty about sending her away. There’s more to this than meets the eye, but I’m not going to get anything out of Francesco. The woman turns around, totally dejected, and drags her feet as she leaves the place.

Suddenly, from behind us, Raffaele says, “What did she want?”

“The same as always,” Francesco says with a sigh.

“She doesn’t look dangerous,” I say.

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