Page 133 of Poison and Wine
I prayed for my child’s safety.
I prayed for Callum to rescue us.
I prayed for forgiveness for allowing my child to be put in danger.
At Carmine’s harsh kick, I groaned as my breath was sucked from my body. Pain, like I had never known, ricocheted through me. As darkness threatened to sweep me under. I fought to keep my eyes open. I knew once I was unconscious, there would be no saving my unborn child.
Just when I thought I couldn’t hold on a moment longer, an explosion detonated from the far wall. Time seemed to crawl to a standstill as debris rained down. Smoke filled the air as Carmine abandoned me to draw his gun out of his jacket. He and my father moved forward to hide behind a few boxes.
As my vision clouded, I desperately peered into the smoke. At the emergence of men, my heart surged. It was Callum and his brothers.
I was safe.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Caterina
My eyelids fluttered for several moments before I could finally open them. As I stared up at the tilled ceiling, I realized I wasn’t within the confines of my four-poster bed at home. I was in a hospital.
A deep voice startled me. “Kitten, are you awake?”
When I turned my head on the pillow, I met Callum’s concerned stare. Anguish lined his handsome face. His dark hair was unkempt like he’d been running his fingers through it. “Hey, my love,” he croaked in a pained voice.
As I furrowed my brows, I desperately tried processing why I would be in the hospital. Foggy wisps of memories swirled in my mind. A half-naked woman on Callum’s lap. Running out of a club into the street. Being hit on the head. Waking up tied to a chair.
When Carmine’s cruel, sneering face appeared in my mind, a shudder ran through my body. “Oh God,” I murmured.
Callum leaned forward to take my hand in his. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
I’m okay. Thank God. But relief was short lived since my agony hadn’t just been about me. A sob choked off in my throat. “The baby?”
A beaming smile lit up Callum’s handsome face. “She’s fine.”
“S-She?” My breath hitched in my chest. “It’s a girl?”
With a nod, Callum replied, “To ensure the pregnancy was still viable, they did a lot of testing. One of the tests revealed the gender.”
“So soon?” I questioned incredulously.
“Aye. They have one now that detects at six weeks. Something about looking for male chromosomes in the DNA to show up, and when it does or doesn’t, you know what it is.” He kissed my fingers before staring up at me with such adoration that my chest tightened. “Apparently, our daughter already takes after her mother with how strong she is.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks. “She's definitely stubborn like me.”
He grinned. “Extremely. I’m sure the two of you will torture me endlessly.”
I hiccuped a laugh. “Are you disappointed it’s not a boy to carry on the name?”
Callum frowned. “Fuck no.”
“But you need an heir,” I protested.
“And I’m having one.”
“She can’t take over the family.”
A wicked gleam burned in Callum’s baby blues. “Who's to say we won’t give her a brother or two? Considering how fertile we seem to be, I don’t think it will be a problem.”
I rolled my eyes. “If you think you’re going to keep me knocked up until you get a son, you’re crazy.”
“I’ve got two more chances, right?”