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

"You are so lucky to have a husband who cooks for you." Linda commented.

River looked up, so did the feminist in her.
"I don't hear anyone saying that to Mateo."

The smile on her face dropped and her eyes widened.

Yeah, River tended to look possessed when she was pissed. And River tended to get easily pissed when she was bleeding through her vagina.

"I am sorry Mrs. Adess-"

"It's fine. And I am sorry. I am just a bit edgy. and I told you, call me River." River shrugged as she dropped the spoon and dunked a small piece of bread, after removing the wrapper, in the broth before tossing it to her mouth. "Have you seen my children?"

"They are with Mr. Smith and Alfredo."

She nodded, picking up the soup bowl and finishing it within a few gulps.

She grabbed the rest of the bread to go and made her way to the stable.

The place was a good walk away from the mansion and she felt like she was about to drop to the floor when she was halfway across.

Oh the struggle.

River could hear the laughter of her babies and see them running around the ponies while Adam watched with Alfredo from a corner.

He sighted her and waved like a maniac.

River raised her hand to wave but was suddenly hit with a horrible pain in her chest.

Her throat felt constricted and it became so damn hard to breathe. Her legs gave away and she collapsed to her knees and through the many black spots in her vision, she saw the red liquid dripping on to the grass.

"Doc!!!"

"Mrs. Adesso!"

"MOMMY!"

River touched her face and looked at her fingers, covered in blood.

She tumbled to the ground, curling into a ball as she tried to breathe.

And then as people approached and moved her around, she felt the silence and darkness embrace her.

.
.
.

Lucas and Kiara cried into their father's chest as they waited outside the room.

Mateo's knuckles were white from clenching his fists too hard but it was the only thing he could do to keep his anger in and not scream at everyone else with his kids around.

They were not supposed to see it.

Hell, it was not supposed to happen.

The four of them didn't need this right now. Especially the kids.

Their Papa just got home from getting shot and now their Mommy was in the hospital.

The doctor said that River had overdosed on some medicine's name that Mateo couldn't remember.

Janet and Alfredo stood against the wall, their eyes on their Capo.

They were expecting him to lose his cool any minute but they were wrong; Mateo was going to lose his cool as long as his kids were with him. He was responsible for them as well and frankly, none of his emotions mattered to him more than his kids'.

The doctor walked out again and he was quickly on his feet, picking his children up with him.

"How is she?" He asked, walking forward.

"She's awake."

"Papa, I wanna see Mommy..." Kiara cried into her chest.

"I am sorry but I think it's better to not let the children in." He said.

As much as Mateo wanted to argue with him, he knew that the doctor was right. He did not want to scare their children even further by making them see their Mommy sick.

He turned to Alfredo and Janet who quickly took the kids from him.

"Papa is gonna go make sure Mommy is all fine, okay?" He leaned forward, caressing both their hair.

"But we wanna see her, Papa." Lucas whispered, tears trickling down his eyes.

"I know babies." He whispered, kissing them on their foreheads before walking inside the room.

River sat there, upright and cross-legged, reading through her chart. Typical her.

"So, have you figured out what is wrong with you yet?" Mateo asked as he walked over to her, trying to lighten up the mood.

She looked up from the clipboard, her sweet smile gracing her face. "Well, I think it's the existence of too many enemies. You know, perks of being a Capo's Baby Mama." She shrugged.

Mateo's smile dropped. And she was right yet again.

"Oh come on Capo, you are supposed to be the big bad wolf, not some stupid hyena." She said. "No offense to hyenas and Bruce. So man up, stop blaming yourself and solve this."

"Who's Bruce?"

She rolled her eyes. "Out of all that I said, that's the only thing you caught on to? But if you must know, Birds Of Prey."

"Who?"

"Never mind." She rubbed her nose, giving him a annoyed look. "Anyway, do we have a suspect?"

"Linda." Mateo sat down next to her, keeping his palm on her cheek. She leaned in, a frown on her face.

"Why?"

"Don't know. She keeps denying it." He drew circles on her soft skin. "But she served you the soup so.."

"The soup?"