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

Okay, why is she laughing like a maniac remembering a time when she killed perfectly good food? The inner River did not like anyone messing with food.

"You don't want to know the kind of pranks River used to pull in college." Jacqueline gave her a smug look while her eyes widened as she shook her head frantically. Those are stories best hidden in River's family house' attic.

"Yeah?" Valerie looked excited and curious. "What did she do?"

"A story that can wait until after rounds and OP?" River gave her the 'I am the senior here, remember?' look and she immediately slipped back into her curious and zealous intern mode.

"Okay rounds time."

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"Trust me babe, I asked the doctor to come see you two days ago." Leonardo was explaining to a very moody Michelia who was rocking their son in her arms.

"Then why isn't she here?" She scowled. "Maybe you should go remind her again because obviously, unlike you, the nice lady has a job to do."

Mateo wanted to intervene but he was keeping mum. He did not want to rile her up. She was going through her baby blues.

"I will go and ask her-"

"Request, Leo, request!" Michelia glared.

That was a bit too loud and had Enzo waking up and wailing.

"Okay how about you both handle my nephew?" Mateo got up from his seat. "I will go find the doctor."

Michelia nodded while trying to calm her son while Leonardo gave him a grateful look.

Mateo Adesso made his way out of the room and into the elevator, only after telling the men to make sure nothing happened to the three of them inside that room.

He reached the first floor and as luck would have it, the first person he came face to face was the last person he wanted to see in the hospital.

"Mr. Adesso, looking for Dr. Johnson I presume?" She mused; a smirk plastered on her face.

"Hey you!" Before Mateo could reply that it indeed was the case, a woman bulldozered in and stood facing the five-foot seven Barbie doll in front of him.

"I don't know what your problem is, but leave Johnson be, okay?" She snarled. "She's already going through a lot and the last thing she needs is you adding baseless rumors after rumors into the gossip mill."

"Excuse me? You can't talk to me like this!" Bianca squeaked out, though she looked genuinely scared of the other nurse at that moment.

"Or what?" Jacqueline took a step forward, folding her arms across her chest. "You gonna shove your tongue down the Director's throat to make sure I get fired? Then do it. But for now, get lost!"

The brunette nurse was dumbstruck and scattered within no time. And the rest of the onlookers seemed as if they never knew the nurse in question was capable of such a stunt.

She turned to me and lowered her voice, "I know you both slept together but I just don't want all the nonsensical talk about what happened last year going about right now."

He raised his eyebrows. Did something happen? Was she in trouble?

"Is she okay?" Mateo asked, wondering why he worried just as much about her as he did an year ago.

"I hope so." Jacqueline replied, more to herself than anyone else and walked away.

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Mateo stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, not making any movements. His eyes were trained on a curly-haired brunette. She sat on a stool, staring at the streets through the glass wall. Her coffee and croissant sat forgotten on the counter in front of her.

Mateo got himself a coffee before he walked over and sat down next to her.

"I miss my kids, Jackie." She said as she turned to him. Her eyes widened and mouth parted slightly when she saw that she wasn't her friend, Jacqueline.

"Mr. Adesso." She said.

"That's not what you were screaming in my bed that night." He smirked at her.

'Well done, Adesso.' Finally in an informal setting after a whole year and that's how he started the conversation.

Mateo was starting to think that Alessia was right when she said that her dear older brother didn't know how to talk to women.

She rolled her eyes, a small chuckle escaping her lips as she turned back to staring at the street below. "How's it going?"

"Except for a few bruised ribs and my cousin's emergency delivery, I think I am pretty good." He replied, staring at her. She looked exhausted. Just as he remembered her.

She turned to him again, looking serious and doubtful. "What do you do for a living, Mr. Adesso? Are you a gangster or something?"

Mateo couldn't help but laugh out loud.

How was he going to tell her that he was not some measly gangster? He was what gangsters called god.

"Something like that." He chuckled, not caring about disclosing that detail to her.

She just nodded.

The two of them sat there in comfortable silence. It was like they had been doing this forever. There was no tension and no other negative feelings. It felt good.

Too bad the peace and calm were short-lived.

"RIVER!!"

The duo turned to the source of the sound. Jacqueline Meyers were running toward them like her life dependent on it. Her face was etched with worry, fear and dread.

River felt a sudden ache in her heart. River got off her stool. "What's going on? Is there an emergency?" She asked, hoping with all her heart that it was the case.

"No no.." She was panting. "Check.. Your.. Phone." She handed the iPhone to her. "Sebastian called. He didn't.. tell me what was going on."

River quickly tapped it on to find 56 missed calls.

She looked through the call log and dialed a number which said Shane.

"Hello?"

Her expression morphed from confusion to shock.

"What?"

Tears trickled down her eyes.

'What the fuck is going on?' Mateo watched as he saw one of the strongest women he knew was just reduced to tears.