Page 24 of Angel's Forever

“Just make sure you look after my malyshka. If anything happens to her, I will hold you personally responsible.”

I heard him laugh at the end of the phone. He knew I was only half-joking with him. I knew he would give his own life for Gabriella, the same as Hudson. If anything did happen to her, it wouldn’t be their fault.

“You know I would die for her, Viktor. If I cause her to be hurt in any way, I give my personal permission to make me pay for it. You know we can’t thank you enough for what you have done for Rosa. You have become the father figure she has always needed in her life. Now I need to talk to Hudson and my men to make sure we have everything covered, just in case Vincent tries anything.”

“I’ll let you go and will update you as soon as I hear anything more. Send my love to my malyshka for me.”

“I will. Talk soon.”

With that, he ended the call.

I just hoped we could get to Vincent before he did anything.

Chapter Thirteen

GABRIELLA-ROSE

I HAD WOKEN EARLY this morning again and went through the same routine as I had every morning for the past two weeks: rushing to the bathroom to be sick. I had a good idea what the problem was; after all, I had been through the same thing three times before.

I was pregnant, I was sure of it. I was just too scared to go and take a test to find out.

I knew that Hudson, Nico, and Gino wouldn’t act in the same way as Vincent, but the longer I didn’t know for certain, the more chance I would finally have of becoming a mother. I wanted that more than anything in the world. I always had. I wanted to hold my child in my arms for once. The memories of the three children I had lost through miscarriages were in the forefront of my mind. I was so frightened that it would happen yet again.

There was part of me that was ecstatic to think that I could be pregnant with the child of the men that I loved. However, there was still the pain and fear of everything I had been through before bubbling under the surface, just waiting to rear its ugly head at any moment.

That was why I was hiding it from the guys. Not because I didn’t want them to know, but because I was scared. So far, I thought I had managed to keep it from them, but I knew they were getting suspicious. The fact that I would sneak out of their rooms early in the morning so I could go to my own bedroom was one factor. The other was that I hardly ate anything at breakfast in fear of the nausea building back up again and having to run out of the kitchen.

My thoughts compounded when Hudson announced last night that he had made an appointment for me at the local clinic to go and see his doctor. I knew I would have to be honest with him and tell him my suspicions. Hudson had asked Gino to take me, and the appointment was today at one-thirty. I was excited and worried at the same time.

Hudson had gone to the office today with Nico, leaving me at home in the apartment with Gino. I was currently sitting in the living room sipping some water, desperately trying to ease the nausea in the pit of my stomach, both from the pregnancy I knew would be confirmed today and the worry of telling everyone. I didn’t hear Gino walk into the room until he placed a cup in front of me and sat down.

“So, are you going to tell me the truth? Or are you going to make up another excuse?”

I looked over at him as he spoke. I could see the concern on his face, which I knew he didn’t need. I wasn’t ill. I was just pregnant. So why was I so worried about saying the words?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a little under the weather, that’s all.”

He shook his head, not believing a word I said. He got up, sat next to me, and took my hand in his. I looked down as he gently rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. I felt a finger touch my chin as he gently moved my head up and around to meet his eyes. A lone tear fell from my eye and down my cheek. He gently wiped it away with his finger and smiled.

“You know exactly what I am talking about. Why don’t you just be honest and tell me the truth? The one all of us suspect.”

They couldn’t know. I had been so careful to make sure they didn’t notice too much. How would they? I just wanted them to think I had caught a bug. I thought I had done enough to make them think that. They seemed to take my explanation every morning when I said I wasn’t hungry, and I always made sure to eat in the evening when the nausea had passed.

I looked at Gino sitting there, waiting for me to speak. I ran through all the explanations I could give in my head in a matter of seconds.

I couldn’t hold it back any longer. The look in his eyes pushed me over the edge and the tears started to fall. The pain I had been feeling all this time for the precious lives I had lost in the past started to boil over. His strong arms immediately engulfed me as he carefully pulled me onto his lap. He just held me as I let all the worry leave my body.

The tears started to slow, and I concentrated on my breathing to gain control of my emotions. I was sure I must be pregnant, as my hormones were completely ruling my emotions currently.

“Tesoro, please tell me what is wrong. I hate seeing you so upset. Whatever it is, we can work through it. I promise you.”

I took one last deep breath and spoke. “I’m pregnant. At least I suspect I am. I have all the same symptoms I had when I was pregnant before with Vincent until…well, you know the rest.”

I had told Gino everything when we had been alone for those two days before Hudson’s birthday. I wasn’t sure if the guys would tell him, and I wanted him to know everything about me.

He pulled me into his chest and pressed a kiss onto my hair. “We all assumed you were. You haven’t hidden it as well as you thought, tesoro. We just chose to play along until you decided to be honest with us. Why do you think Hudson finally made you an appointment at the clinic? He isn’t trying to meddle in your life. He just wants you to be happy and to make sure you’re well.”

I looked up at him with unshed tears still in my eyes.