Exhaling: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection Book 3) by Tuesday Embers, Mary E. Twomey Page A
Authors: Tuesday Embers, Mary E. Twomey
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once. It’s because of our years together that I’m letting you walk about of here.” He pointed his free finger up the stairs toward the bedroom. “She’s carrying my child. If anything happens to that baby, I’m taking it out on you.” He waited for her inhalation of surprise at the news that she’d just kicked a pregnant woman in the stomach, and that Vince was having a baby with another woman. He seethed at Maria, and then growled, “Get. Out.”
Vince released her, ignoring her terrified tears and turning her toward the front door. He opened her purse and took the house key off the ring. When he saw her horror turning back into anger, he pushed her out onto the front porch. “How could you settle down with that teenager? You hate the O’Keefes!”
“You be careful around me, Maria. I won’t be the one to mess you up, but I won’t stop Angelo from sending a clear message we’re not to be annoyed by you anymore. How many people do you think he’s made disappear over the years? He catches wind of you fighting with Fallyn, and I won’t be able to hold him back. He loves that girl like a sister, so step lightly and save your crazy for the next guy with deep pockets you sink your teeth into.”
He slammed the door shut before Maria could get in another word. He ran up to the bedroom, hands shaking as he checked Fallyn’s cheek in their bathroom where she was cleaning herself up. “It’s fine,” she insisted. “Just her stupid rings gouged me pretty good.”
“Let me get my shoes on. I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”
“Vince, I’m fine.” Fallyn’s tune had changed at the prospect of having to face what she was sure would be the doctor telling her that the baby was no more. She wanted a few more hours – days, if she could get them – of being pregnant with her husband’s baby. “The baby’s probably fine, too. She didn’t get me all that hard.”
“Are you crazy?!” Vince reared back from her in shock. “I don’t care if you think you’re fine! The doctor will be the one to decide if you’re okay or not.”
“Don’t yell at me!” Fallyn cried, tears pricking her eyes. “I didn’t do all this, okay? Maria did. I’m not your girlfriend, okay? I’m your wife, and you’re not allowed to yell at me like that.” She turned back to the mirror and dabbed at her dripping wound with a handful of tissues.
Vince wanted to shout, but knew she would only get more stubborn. “Okay. I’m sorry. I think you should go to the hospital. I think it’s okay to be the most amount of protective when a baby’s in the mix. I need you safe. I need our baby healthy.”
At this, Fallyn broke. She gripped the sink as tears flowed down her cheeks, stinging her cuts and embarrassing her at their declaration of her weakness. “I know you’re right, but I don’t want to go! I’m scared they’ll find out something’s wrong and it’ll all be over!” She lifted the hem of her sweater to reveal a mark from Maria’s heel a few inches above her belly button. “She got me good, Vince, but I can take it! I mean, I’m fine! That means the baby’s okay, right? Right?” She wept into her hand, clutching the countertop as she swayed with her sudden grief.
Vince knew only one of them could lose their head in a crisis, and he guessed the pregnant woman had more of a right than he did. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her hand, leading her out of the bathroom and sitting her on the bed. His voice was calm and offered as much comfort as he could spare. “The baby’s probably just fine. I’m being overprotective, so just humor me. What’s a trip to the hospital? We were just at the doctor’s this afternoon. No big deal.” He located her socks and shoes, kneeling before her to put them on her dainty feet. “The baby’s fine. We’re just double-checking so I can sleep better tonight. Won’t you sleep better once they give you another look?”
Fallyn sniffled through
Vince released her, ignoring her terrified tears and turning her toward the front door. He opened her purse and took the house key off the ring. When he saw her horror turning back into anger, he pushed her out onto the front porch. “How could you settle down with that teenager? You hate the O’Keefes!”
“You be careful around me, Maria. I won’t be the one to mess you up, but I won’t stop Angelo from sending a clear message we’re not to be annoyed by you anymore. How many people do you think he’s made disappear over the years? He catches wind of you fighting with Fallyn, and I won’t be able to hold him back. He loves that girl like a sister, so step lightly and save your crazy for the next guy with deep pockets you sink your teeth into.”
He slammed the door shut before Maria could get in another word. He ran up to the bedroom, hands shaking as he checked Fallyn’s cheek in their bathroom where she was cleaning herself up. “It’s fine,” she insisted. “Just her stupid rings gouged me pretty good.”
“Let me get my shoes on. I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”
“Vince, I’m fine.” Fallyn’s tune had changed at the prospect of having to face what she was sure would be the doctor telling her that the baby was no more. She wanted a few more hours – days, if she could get them – of being pregnant with her husband’s baby. “The baby’s probably fine, too. She didn’t get me all that hard.”
“Are you crazy?!” Vince reared back from her in shock. “I don’t care if you think you’re fine! The doctor will be the one to decide if you’re okay or not.”
“Don’t yell at me!” Fallyn cried, tears pricking her eyes. “I didn’t do all this, okay? Maria did. I’m not your girlfriend, okay? I’m your wife, and you’re not allowed to yell at me like that.” She turned back to the mirror and dabbed at her dripping wound with a handful of tissues.
Vince wanted to shout, but knew she would only get more stubborn. “Okay. I’m sorry. I think you should go to the hospital. I think it’s okay to be the most amount of protective when a baby’s in the mix. I need you safe. I need our baby healthy.”
At this, Fallyn broke. She gripped the sink as tears flowed down her cheeks, stinging her cuts and embarrassing her at their declaration of her weakness. “I know you’re right, but I don’t want to go! I’m scared they’ll find out something’s wrong and it’ll all be over!” She lifted the hem of her sweater to reveal a mark from Maria’s heel a few inches above her belly button. “She got me good, Vince, but I can take it! I mean, I’m fine! That means the baby’s okay, right? Right?” She wept into her hand, clutching the countertop as she swayed with her sudden grief.
Vince knew only one of them could lose their head in a crisis, and he guessed the pregnant woman had more of a right than he did. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her hand, leading her out of the bathroom and sitting her on the bed. His voice was calm and offered as much comfort as he could spare. “The baby’s probably just fine. I’m being overprotective, so just humor me. What’s a trip to the hospital? We were just at the doctor’s this afternoon. No big deal.” He located her socks and shoes, kneeling before her to put them on her dainty feet. “The baby’s fine. We’re just double-checking so I can sleep better tonight. Won’t you sleep better once they give you another look?”
Fallyn sniffled through
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