The Mafia's Babies by Kaycee Romano (rocket ebook reader txt) 📖

Everyone had gotten an idea of what had happened in the last few weeks, but they still had not gotten the whole story. And Alessia had gathered everyone around and asked Victor to narrate the tale. 

"I had been looking for Matthew for a while, and when I did find out who he was, I was a little hesitant at first, because I worked for the Italians and him for the Russians." 

"I think there will not be such a disparity ever again." Dmitri chuckled. 

Mateo took in a deep exasperated breath as he pulled River close to him. "Did you really have to invite him?"

"This is the last time. One more moment of peace and solidarity before the two Mafia families go back to being rivals." She said. She was enjoying the moment. The peace and calm and the knowledge of no known enemies lurking in the shadows. Yes, enemies were inevitable in the life that she had chosen for herself and the kids, but she believed that it was all worth it. 

She was, after all, with the man she loved. 

"Anyway, I finally gathered the courage and visited him." Victor said. "He was not unhappy to see me, but he wanted me to become a spy for the Russians." 

Adam narrowed his eyes at Dmitri, who shrugged. "What? It was not my idea!"

"I didn't want to. And he decided he didn't want a brother." Victor shrugged. 

"And Ian comes in where?" Adam asked. 

"Ian was Matthew's boyfriend of seven years. It was some sort of police-criminal romance." Victor said. "When Matthew died, Ian approached me saying that I should help him take revenge. I didn't relent and I thought that he wouldn't be able to do anything against the Mafia."

"It was the day that the car accident happened that I realized that Ian was not going to stop at nothing." Victor exhaled. "I realized that whether I joined him or not, he was going to go ahead with whatever he was planning and he was not going to think twice before hurting anyone." 

"And then he let me know of what was happening, and I hatched a whole plan." Alessia smiled. "I went under cover and tried to figure out everything, and when I realized that there needs to be another trigger for some improvement in the condition, I manipulated Ian through Victor into kidnapping the kids and keeping them safe while I combed through our system for a rat. And when I found none, I decided to take him down." 

"You could have let us in on it." Michelia smiled, proud of her sister in law.  

"The only thing that mattered to me was the kids' safety. That being secured, I didn't care about anything else."

.

.

.

Two weeks later...

"Who's the architect here? That's right, I am. So step back!" River watched her best friend yell at her boyfriend and his best friend who were trying to nail in a wooden plank to the tree house that Sebastian was building for the kids.

Sebastian looked down at his best friend who was sipping on her milkshake and munching on her lemon cookies - yes, that's right; The lemon cookies were back - as she watched the commotion.

"Johnson, ask these idiots to back off!"

She threw her hands up and shook her head. "Hey, this is between you three!"

"Did you just call us idiots?" Adam narrowed his eyes at him.

"What else am I supposed to call you? Stupid?" Sebastian retorted.

Adam was ready to get his gun out but River beat him to it. "Adam, threaten my brother and I will pluck your fingernails off."

"I knew it! I knew it!" Adam stomped on the ground like a child. "You love him more!"

"Of course she loves me more, dumbo. We go back thirty years!"

River decided she was going to enjoy her snacks somewhere else. She wanted some peace. But the front yard had the kids and the puppies running about. And the backyard had these annoying idiots. She decided that the indoors were the best place to be.

"There you are!" River looked over at the sliding doors to the patio. Alessia stood there all sweaty and red.

"What's up?" River got up, grabbing the plate and glass.

Alessia looked over at the boys and then back. "Come with me!"

"You are pregnant!" River blurted out, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, I am not!" Alessia's shushed reply told River that she too doubted it.

"Do you have any pregnancy tests with you?" River followed her into the kitchen.

"That's what I wanted to ask you." Alessia was clearly nervous.

"Wait, I will ask Jacqueline to get some." Jacqueline was coming over after her shift in the hospital ended.

Alessia nodded anxiously and took a seat on the counter stools.

She did not want to be pregnant. She could not be pregnant. She still had to kill Antonio. How could she get pregnant before killing Antonio?

"She will be here in an hour." River said, putting her phone back in her back pocket and picking up her food. 

"Come with me!" Alessia dragged River all the way to her bedroom. Banging the door shut, Alessia plopped down on her bed face down. 

"Sia..." River sat down on the edge of the bed. 

"How did you know?"

"Know what? That I am ready for motherhood?" River asked. 

"No, that I think I am pregnant." 

"There's only a few things that can shake a woman like you." River chuckled. 

Alessia turned her head to face her sister in law, and narrowed her eyes. 

"Sometimes, I hate that smart ass mouth of yours." She confessed. 

River let out her angelic laugh and then wiggled her eyebrows as she said, "Oh yeah? Your brother happen to love it!"

Alessia raised her brows for a moment before it hit her and she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Ewww... gross woman!"