“Such a shame you didn’t believe her. My plan couldn’t have gone any better. Threatening her family was easy enough to get her to miss her appointment. Then getting her to snoop on your shipments, well, what a lovely little bonus that was for me.
“But you turning a woman away who is pregnant with your child. That was a surprise. You Italians are so passionate over your women and children. That, my boy, sent her straight into my arms. I must say, you trained her well.”
Jade, he’s talking about Jade.
Bea moves over and wraps me in her arms. Before she held me, I didn’t even realize I was shaking.
“What do you want?” Leo seethes as he moves next to Al.
“Ah, Leonardo, how are you? Disappointed in your soldier? He’s made a bit of a mess, wouldn’t you agree?” Juan drawls.
“What. Do. You. Want?” Leo growls.
“To tear your men apart from within. Isn’t it obvious? I won’t stop until I take over your territories.” The Mexican sounds smug.
“Never going to happen. Now, if you have nothing else to say, I’d say we are done here.” Leo sounds so calm.
“Theputalooks as if she wants to say something.” As we hear a shuffle, a scream comes through the speaker.
Both Bea and I flinch. Al and Leo just clench their jaws.
“I’m so sorry, Alessandro, please help me!” the woman sobs through the speaker.
“Where are you?” Al grunts back.
She screams again, and all we can here is a commotion until her screams go silent.
“What are you doing to her?” Al growls.
“Well, I said you trained her well. I mean she’s aputa, no surprise she’s an excellent fuck. But she’s not very well behaved. Seems you didn’t teach her what’s expected of a woman in our world. That fine piece of ass you call a wife now, she also doesn’t know how to behave, that’s why I had to shoot her. I wonder, have you taught your wife some manners since bedding her?”
“Don’t you dare mention her.” Al’s voice has dropped an octave and sounds deadly.
“Ah, you have it bad. Don’t you Italians ever learn? Your women are your weakness. Anyway, got to go. Someone needs to raise this child of yours. I’ll be in contact.”
The line goes dead.
Alessandro just stares at his phone in silence.
My tears are freely falling now as Bea squeezes me tightly.
Sofia starts to cry which wakes Andrea as he begins to wail in his carrier. I was hoping to get home before he was due another feed, but the call that’s just turned our world upside down has changed things.
I rise to pick Andrea up when Al grabs both my hands.
“Cam,” his voice is hoarse as he lifts my chin to meet his eyes.
I hold Al’s gaze and note that Bea is no longer holding Sofia and has moved to pick Andrea up.
“How long have you known? There is no way that was the first time you found out you have another child.” I don’t care if I look weak in front of Leo, and Bea is family, she won’t see my tears as a weakness.
“The night you had Andrea, Jake got the confirmation.” He bows his head in shame, his voice eerily low.
“You’ve known for six weeks? And you didn’t think to tell me?” I let the hurt bleed into my voice. “This is what you’ve been doing at the office?” I pull my hands from his as I move around him to take Andrea from Bea.
Turning around, I plonk us on the couch and pull my cape over my head. Placing Andrea on my breast, I look up at Al, his eyes dark and full of pain.
“Six weeks, Leonardo, are you serious? Six weeks, and you didn’t say a word.” Bea seethes as she takes Sofia in her arms and bobs her up and down.
