43

Skyler’s POV
The mere thought of her made my mind relax, and whenever I imagined her eyes colliding with mine, a sense of calm washed over me. I wanted to feel her body against mine as I hugged her close to my chest, wanting to shield her from the evil and cruel thing we called life. In just a week, she had captured my heart with a single glance, and I couldn’t begin to comprehend what was going on around me.
My parents taught me to protect my family, even if it meant taking a bullet for them. People called me so many things that I learned not to care and I killed so many people that it became a routine for me. I thought I was born without a heart because what kind of man kills people without thinking? But the first time I saw her, my heart beat for the first time.
She was a sweet little vixen who begged to be contaminated, and I wanted to be the one to do it. Her deep brown eyes penetrated my soul and elicited an emotion in me that I still didn’t understand. The one thing I wished I had done was to have asked for her name.
But I guessed her name would be as lovely as she was, and I would be the kind of man who would promise to keep her and protect her with all my heart. I hoped we’d run into each other again soon, and if we did, I’d definitely ask for her name. I could easily find her now, but I wanted to know by asking her because I didn’t want to invade her personal space.
Dexter appeared in front of me and asked, “What got you thinking so deeply?”
“Mind your own business,” I grumbled, flipping him off.
“Oh, it’s a girl?” He made a girly sound and clapped his hands in mock excitement.
“Shut up,” I yelled, slamming him across the face.
Dexter was like a brother to me, and I knew I could confide in him with anything, but something inside me told me to keep quiet until I had my girl with me. Dexter’s chuckling made me scowl, and I wanted to rip his head off.
“What are you two idiots arguing about now?” sighed Arcado as he walked through the door.
“Skyler here, has a tiny wittle crush on some girl, he’s had that expression all day,” Dexter chuckled.
I balled up my hands into a fist and took a few deep breaths until I felt better. When Dexter saw this, he immediately shut his mouth and sat in the chair. Given the chance, I could easily take him down, and he knew it, which was why he became quiet.
“Jeez, I was teasing you,” he grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Well, try not to,” I said as I returned to my phone.
My mind couldn’t concentrate on the situation at hand; all it could think about was the girl I met at the club. Somehow, my mind and heart seemed to agree that she was beautiful, and I couldn’t agree more. I just wanted, no, needed her to be mine, or I’d go insane thinking about her every second of every day.
“Go get the girl,” Arcado encouraged, rising from his seat.
Before I could say anything, his phone rang. He took it from his pocket, checked the caller ID, and answered. He just nodded his head for a few seconds, saying nothing. His jaw was clenched, and he had a murderous expression on his face. He hung up with a mumbled okay and turned to face both of us.
“There was a bomb on the Mexican grounds,” his eyes slitted.
Dexter and I both sat up quickly from our chairs and began sprinting towards the door, our eyes widening. We would punish anyone who dared to plant a bomb. We signed an agreement with the Mexicans that said we would protect them no matter what, and we weren’t about to break that promise any time soon.
Brittany called out to her father, “Papa.”
Arcado’s face lit up as he said, “Hey sweetie.”
“I need to leave, but I’ll be back soon, okay?” He knelt and embraced his daughter in a bear hug.
Griselda appeared in front of us and smiled at us. Arcado’s eyes softened as he looked at his wife and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Their love was stronger than ever, and I was proud that Griselda had broken through Arcado’s defenses.
“I’ll be back,” Arcado said softly, his gaze fixed on Griselda.
“OK,” she replied, giving him a small smile, but I could see the worry in her eyes.
Arcado sighed and turned to face us, signaling us to get moving. I walked out of the living room, my gun secured to my belt straps. Being a mafia member was a dangerous job, and I could understand Griselda’s constant concern; we never knew if we’d make it back alive or if we’d be killed on the spot.
To say the least, sitting in the car felt suffocating; everyone was on the verge of losing their minds if the Mexicans lost any of their people. Arcado kept looking at his gun and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.
We arrived at the Mexican grounds in about fifteen minutes and jumped out of the car in a flash. People were scattered everywhere, with some crying and others standing solemnly. I knew most people had lost their families at that point, and seeing them so empty broke my heart.
We heard gunshots inside the mansion and immediately reached for our belt straps, pulling out our guns in unison. Arcado motioned for me to turn left, and I silently made my way to the window.
———————–
Griselda’s POV
As I stared at the boxes in surprise, they felt light. Despite the fact that it’s been three months since I found out I was pregnant again, and it still surprised me. These three years have been a blessing; Arcado has been a wonderful father, and our love has grown stronger than ever. But my constant worry was killing me; I knew he was a mafia boss, but his absence terrified me to no end.
Brittany has blossomed into a lovely young lady, and my affection for her has grown with each passing day. I had no idea how a mother’s love could be so powerful until I met Brittany. We had our ups and downs, but we dealt with them as a family.
“Aren’t you staring at them again?” From behind me came a light voice.
I chuckled, shaking my head; I recognized that voice anywhere; Sophia had begged me for three months to tell Arcado, but there was no way “He was always going out to do his duties at the right time, and I wanted to surprise him with something creative.
“You should tell him,” she suggested as she stood beside me.
“I know, but I’m not sure how to tell him.” “I sighed and leaned against the counter.
My baby bump was getting bigger by the day, but it wasn’t visible enough for Arcado to notice, just a tiny little bump. I fell in love with the baby inside me when I first took the test, and when I asked Brittany if she wanted a sibling, she was overjoyed.
“Oh my god!” exclaimed Sophia, clapping her hands together.
“How about we do a little gender reveal?” Her eyes widened as she pondered her own question.
“However, I’d like to find out with Arcado,” I pouted.
“Come on, it’ll be the best gift for him.” She enthusiastically clapped her hands.
I sighed and she dragged me out of the bathroom, walking towards the doctor, I looked around the quarters and shivered with fear. I couldn’t believe we were in a different mansion, I couldn’t get the fear out of my head whenever I walked into a hospital.
Pulling open the door, she stepped in, leaving me trailing behind her. As I looked around, my body shook and bile began to rise up my throat. Swallowing, I begged the gods to help me relax. My hands quickly moved to my tiny bump, and I began to stroke it gently.
“Hello Doc,” Sophia said politely.
He smiled up from his papers and motioned for me to take a seat. He sighed and jotted down everything that appeared on the small screen.
“What brings you here, Griselda?” He inquired as he opened a drawer.
“I took pregnancy tests three months ago, they all came out positive, and I wanted to find out the gender of the baby,” I said, clutching my shirt in my hands, unsure of what to say.
I didn’t feel right being here without Arcado holding my hands, I didn’t want him to be upset with me for not telling him, so I planned a big and creative surprise for him. I wanted both of us to be aware of this pregnancy.
The doctor instructed me to lie down on the hospital bed. I relaxed against the bed, lifting my shirt. Sophia was by my side in an instant, her eyes glistening with excitement as the doctor prepared his ultrasound for use.
He warned, “This is going to be cold,” before rubbing a cool liquid on my stomach.
It took him some time to locate the baby’s gender, but when he did, my breath caught in my throat. He was hunched over and appeared to be sucking his thumb. I stared at the screen for what seemed like an eternity, tears welling up in my eyes.
He exclaimed happily, “Congratulations, it’s a boy!” before rubbing the liquid from my stomach.
As I stood up, a small smile formed on my lips. I’m not sure how my heart knew it was a boy this time, I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I just had to tell Arcado and hope he didn’t mind, I’m not mad at myself for not telling him sooner.
“Let’s start the party!” When we got outside, Sophia yelled.
Sophia already had pink and blue harmless chemicals laying around in her room and told me to put the blue one in a black container so it wouldn’t show after two hours.
I sighed as I paced back and forth, it had been three hours since they had left and there had been no sign of Skyler’s voice exclaiming he was hungry. I became anxious, biting my lower lip and checking the time again.
After a few moments, I heard voices in the living room, my face lit up, and I dashed out of the kitchen. He stood in the center, arms crossed, a stoic expression on his face, listening to what Dexter and Skyler were saying.
His eyes met mine, and the moment our gazes met, it felt as if everything stopped. My heartbeat accelerated as his darkened eyes swept over me, and the room became too hot as he stared into my darkened eyes.
Walking over to him, I gently grabbed his hands and dragged him into the kitchen without saying anything. I came to a halt near the table, swallowing the lump in my throat, and turned to face him.
“Here, pour it in there,” I said, handing a liquid.
“In the box?” he inquired, raising his eyebrows.
I twisted my hands anxiously as he began to pour the liquid into the box, nodding my head. It took a few seconds to start up, and when it did, the blue chemicals began to pour out. Sophia squealed, and the others were stunned.
Sophia laughed at Arcado’s perplexed expression, but I was nervously biting my lower lip as his gaze shifted to me. His gaze swept across my face, and a grin spread across his lips.
“You’re pregnant.” He exclaimed in delight.
I returned his smile and stood on my tiptoes to peck his lips. I drew back, resting my head on his chest as his arms wrapped around me, shielding me from the harsh world.
“I am, and it is a boy,” I said softly.
He drew away, kissing my forehead, and a tug on my jeans diverted my attention away from him. Brittany stood there with her arms wide open, demanding to be picked up, and Arcado chuckled as he bent to pick her up.
“I have a brother,” she said. She kissed my cheeks as she clapped her hands.
Everything seemed perfect at the time, and I wished I could stop time and do it all over again. I wouldn’t be where I am today, nothing has changed.