30

Delilah
“Are you doing okay, Mrs. Milazzo?” Victor asks, looking into the rearview mirror for a moment to check on me.
“I’m fine. Just eating my breakfast.” Which is amazing. This muffin is so sweet and fluffy. She packed me orange juice too. The kind in the box with the tiny straw. I don’t know what it is about those kiddy boxes of juice, but I love them. I don’t care what anyone says, the juice always tastes better.
“We’ll be there in a few minutes, Mrs. Milazzo. Just sit back and relax before your exam.” He stops at the red light, and I look out the window, getting lost in the thoughts of Carmine. Life has been different from what I imagined it would be with him.
It’s hard, and we fight a lot, but it’s always about him being overprotective and controlling. It’s always about me and his fear of losing me, and it’s hard to stay mad at him when he cares about me.
And I like to be called Mrs. Milazzo. There’s a flutter in my chest, the kind I get every time Carmine kisses me or is possessive. He’s insane when it comes to me, and I love it. I’ve never had anyone care about the way he does. With every touch, with every word, he is intense.
That intensity is why I love him and was so nervous to tell him I was pregnant. I knew it would happen soon with how often we have sex and how he refuses to never pull out.
I found out last night, and I have the test and packaging in my purse, so he didn’t see it. I want him to find out, but I want to surprise him. He’ll be so happy, and it makes me smile so hard my cheeks hurt. There’s doubt in the back of my mind, though, and I can’t help but wonder if this is all about the business transaction between us.
Once he gets what he wants, will things change between us? I’m in love with him, and he says he loves me. Well, he did once but hasn’t said it again, and I don’t want to pressure him. I place my hand on my stomach, knowing how much this will change my life-our lives.
I play with the ring on my finger. H was right. I’ve grown to love it just like I’ve grown to love him. I expected this life to be ugly, for him to be ugly towards me, and for me to hate everything about Carmine, but I don’t. He’s a diamond in the rough, just like this ring, and I couldn’t be happier.
The light finally turns green, and Victor presses on the gas. Straight ahead is the entrance to the school, and we get to the middle of the intersection.
“I wonder how he’ll react to you,” I whisper to my belly as I rub it, hoping our child is happy and healthy. “You’re all he has ever wanted.” And there’s that familiar pang in my chest again, the one telling me he never really wanted me to begin with but only wanted a baby. I was only a piece of the puzzle he needed to make his dream happen.
Would I be his dream?
My body is slammed against the door, and my head smacks on the window as metal crunches against metal. Everything slows as the car is pushed to the side. Tires squeal, and glass shatters, flying through the cab of the G-Wagon.
The car flips, and the vehicle that hit us reverses. Victor hangs in his seat; the only thing keeping him in place is the seatbelt.
“Victor?” I groan as blood rushes to my head. “Victor? Are you okay?”
Silence.
I hiss when I try to move my legs, and pain ignites across my thigh. I look down, and a piece of glass is sticking out of it. It doesn’t look close to the artery, so I should be okay, but I’ll still lose blood. Footsteps sound outside, and I tug on the seatbelt to get free, to try and get out, but it’s too late.
The door opens, allowing the sunlight in, and I cringe, holding my bloodied hand in the air to block out the sun.
“Hello, Delilah.” A dark, unrecognizable voice greets.
He crouches down, elbows on his knees, and his face comes into view. I know him. I mean, I’ve seen him around. He is in a few of my classes; he transferred into them around the time I signed the contract with Carmine.
“I’ve been watching you for some time.” His hand reaches out, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I get paid well, too,” he says. “So pretty, Delilah. I hate this has to happen, but Milazzo can’t have you.”
“Please,” I beg him. “Don’t do this.” I tug on the seatbelt, trying to get free, but I know it’s useless. I’m trapped.
He pulls out a knife and cuts the seatbelt free, catching me with an arm by wrapping it around me before I hit the car’s roof. “I got you,” he croons. “It will be all right.”
He drags me from the car, glass catching onto my clothes. The shard in my leg moves, and I cry out in agony. “Aw,” he pouts as if he feels sorry for me. “That looks like it hurts.” He wraps his hand around the piece of glass and yanks it free. I scream and sob at the same time.
He should have left it in. I’ll lose more blood now.
“Mmm.” He licks his fingers clean of my blood, and my stomach turns. I roll over and vomit, the orange juice and muffin wasted. “You taste delicious. I’m hired for a specific reason.” He slides a needle into my arm, and I whimper. What if it hurts the baby?
“No,” I beg, tears wetting my face as I try to get away. “Please, don’t do this.”
He injects me, the medicine clouding my judgment quickly, and his voice sounds far away. “You won’t feel a thing.” He lifts me into his arms and places a kiss on my cheek. “I’ve been instructed to give Carmine little pieces of you. I’ll send fingers, toes, arms, legs, and everything else. He has to know he can’t fuck with the Romanos.”
“Help,” I croak, weakly, sounding more like a groan. My vision blurs, and I notice we are the only cars on the road.
He opens the back door to the ruined SUV he’s driving and lies me down across the seat. My limbs feel heavy. I can’t move.
“No one can help you. I made sure of that,” he says, slamming the door shut.
Shutting my eyes is easier as we move. I can’t handle watching the motion of the car. I try to open the door, lift my arm and reach for the handle, but my limbs are too heavy to move.
Sweat breaks out over my skin, the wound on my leg throbs, and my head hurts. Blood wets the seat below me. I don’t want Carmine to find me like this, but I hope like hell he does. I don’t have my phone with me, so there’s no way for him to track me.