31

O-Oisin, it’s me. I sobbed as soon he picked up. S-someone shot Danny a-and Connor.
I don’t even know how the words came out of my mouth. They were choked and congested, but thankfully, he understood me.
What ?! Where are you ? Are you safe ? I’m coming, baby. Fuck. Liam ! I heard him shout.
I’m in the car. Something is happening outside. I hear gunshots. Another round echoed, and I sobbed even harder. I’m so scared. I’m…
The car door opened suddenly, and my brother, Enzo, ripped the phone out of my hand.
Do you remember what I told you about fate, Oisin ? It’s sealed. Hers just as much as yours. He said and then dropped the phone to the ground before crushing it with his foot.
He had blood smeared all over his face and suit. I was shaking when he hauled me out of the car by my elbow.
Miss me ? He asked, and the smile on his face gave me the fucking chills.
Elena
Fear.
I didn’t know what else to feel but that one emotion. It was irrational to be afraid of Enzo, of going back home, but I was. I was utterly terrified of what would happen. It was strange. I shouldn’t have been this scared to head home with Enzo.
He’s my brother ; they were my family, and I should have been happy to be home and safe with them, yet all I could feel was dread pooling in my stomach. My stomach was twisted into knots, and I felt nauseous and dizzy.
I felt sick to my stomach, and I didn’t know if it was because Danny and Connor had died before me, and I was still processing how they looked. Bile rose in my throat once more at the image of the bullet piercing through the center of their foreheads.
I clutched my stomach tighter to keep my contents from coming back up. Or because Enzo was looking at me with a murderous look from the rear-view mirror. Looking over at Enzo, I knew one thing was for sure.
I didn’t want to be here with him. I wanted to be with Oisin and Aofie back at home with my new family. It was horrible to think I sold my blood and my own family, but I didn’t care how horrible I sounded. Oisin and Aofie were my family, and I wanted to be back with them.
I was terrified of closing my eyes and seeing Danny’s soulless eyes staring back into mine, so I remained alert. I must have been in shock or something because I still wasn’t able to process everything.
Danny and Connor were shot right in front of me, and I blamed myself for forcing them to take me out, for making them such an easy target. They should have been home, guarding the doors and gates, not outside where anything could happen.
I kept my hands on my lap, my nails almost breaking the skin of my wrists as he drove us to the Morelli house. Finally, the car stopped, and Enzo dragged me out of the car, only for me to throw up all over the ground.
He let go and shouted in disgust, but I couldn’t stop throwing up. I felt sick and dizzy, and I couldn’t hold it back. It went on for a few minutes as I threw up everything in my stomach until I was gagging and could almost see blood coating the bile on the ground.
Coughing, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and then wiped the tears that fell during my sick moment with the other hand.
Cazzo ! What the fucks the matter with you ? Enzo snarled.
(Translation : Fuck.)
I don’t feel good, I murmured, and I almost stumbled if he hadn’t clutched my elbow.
I don’t fucking care. Get in the house. He opened the door and all but shoved me inside.
My mother and nonna were standing there, and just as I was about to run to them, they became a blur. My body was exhausted from everything that had happened. I fell to the ground and could almost hear the distant sounds of everyone screaming and crying in Italian.
**
I woke up with a pounding headache and groaned in pain as I tried to move. Then, I sat up and closed my eyes as if the room was still spinning around me. I rubbed my face aggressively and forced myself to calm down.
That’s when I saw a Band-Aid on the inside of my elbow. There was clear evidence of blood-stained through ; it was like my body had caught up. I felt the ghost feeling of a needle poking through. I scratched at it nervously while looking around and saw that I was in some strange room.
It wasn’t my room, the one I grew up in. It was some weird room with no carpets or blankets. All there was the bed I was lying on, and that’s it. There wasn’t even a window or dresser or even a bathroom.
It lacked warmth, familiarity, and the feeling of dread grew and grew as I realized I wasn’t being brought back home as a guest but as a prisoner. The door opened with a click, and Enzo walked in looking like the fucking Grim Reaper.
You’re pregnant with that motherfuckers son. He shouted, and my hands went to my stomach instinctively. Did he rape you ? He exclaimed, looking at me in abhorrence. Or were you a fottuta puttana ?
(Translation : Fucking whore.)
It didn’t matter what he was saying. I was ignoring it all. All I could focus on was the news he gave me. Pregnant. I’m pregnant.
It wasn’t surprising with how many times we’ve had sex since my period finished, but it was still a surprise to hear it. I kept my hands there and couldn’t help but smile at the thought of carrying Oisin’s baby.
Yes, we fought, but I was his wife, and he was my husband, and this baby would be our first baby together. I realized that every time I thought I didn’t want a child or would fight with him about my future, it was all stupid and childish.
It made me realize that I was beyond happy that I was pregnant with Oisin. This would be the first child that we’d bring into this world. Happy tears pricked at my eyes as a broad smile appeared on my face.
You’re fucking happy about this ! Enzo screamed, not in shock but in disgust. No fucking way you’re keeping it.
You’re insane if you think I’m aborting it, I shouted back.
Either you die, or your baby dies. My blood ran cold when he pulled out his gun and aimed it at me. You’re not having a child from the Callahan family. Sarebbe un figlio bastardo.
(Translation : He’d be a bastard child.)
Don’t talk about him like that. Enzo, please, don’t do this. I love him. I swallowed emotionally.
I didn’t even get to give him these words first, but maybe when he realized that I was safe with Oisin, he’d let me go.
I love Oisin. He’s good to me. I want this baby, please. Just let me go. I don’t want to be here. I want to be with my husband.
His anger turned into a psychotic animal on the loose as he shot up the ceiling, causing me to scream and cower at the sound. He shouted commands in Italian, and I barely heard his command until six of his men entered the room.
Enzo put his gun away and made a start toward me. I jumped out of bed and tried to run away, but where was I supposed to go ? I cried and tried to hit him, only for his hand to land painfully on my cheek. I begged for him to stop, but all he did was drag me like some dog to the ground.
Kick her. He said.
Enzo, please. I begged as I tugged on his pants, urging him to look at me, to have mercy on me, on my child.
The men looked at him like he was out of his mind and hesitated as they looked down at me.
Don. Two of them protested before Enzo pulled out his gun and shot them. I muffled my screams but couldn’t hold in my sobs as I saw their bodies hit the floor.
Fucking kick her ! He screamed.
Four pairs of feet came at me out of fear for their lives. I covered my stomach as much as possible but didn’t even know if I made a difference. The kicks kept coming at me, and I was screaming and crying, begging them all to stop.
I pleaded and cried in Italian and English, but the men wouldn’t even look at me as they kicked my face, stomach, back, and arms. Everything felt swollen. Everything hurt. I could feel my face throbbing and my body aching, and eventually, I passed out from the overpowering pain.
**
I don’t know when I woke up or how long it’s been since I passed out. All I remember is the feeling of something cool and wet trickling between my thighs and sobbing over what happened. I didn’t know if the blood was from something else or if the baby was still alive.
I wasn’t prepared to think about the possibility of losing the child I barely rejoiced over. It was cruel and unjust, and the thought that I might have lost our first child because my brother was a sadist and an evil man broke my heart again.
I was still on the ground and couldn’t move an inch without it hurting. So, I lay there on the ground next to two dead bodies swimming in their blood. The room smelled like bodily liquids, urine, rusty blood, and death.
All it did was make bile rise in my throat, and I added to the disgusting variations of the smells by adding vomit. I felt excruciating, burning cramps in my stomach, and my hands were beyond battered and bruised from covering my abdomen the entire time.
I closed my eyes and prayed for it to have been enough to protect my baby. I knew Enzo was crazy and had a short temper, but this was…. Something I never thought he’d do. I was terrified of what he would do to me next.