Chapter 11

11

MATTEO

" C an we have a few moments alone?"

"No," I tell the doctor, not moving from my place at the end of the bed.

"Matteo." Mona gives me a pleading expression. My eyes bounce between her and the doctor.

"Sergio?" I glance back at him.

"The only weapon in her bag is a needle."

"Che cavolo," Dr. Mauti mutters, shaking her head. "I would never harm a Cattaneo." I know I have offended her, but honestly, I don't care.

"What did she say?" Mona scrunches her nose.

"What the hell," I answer her.

"Oh, yeah. Che cavolo." Mona repeats it. I fight a smile. This isn't the time. I know she said she was feeling better, but you can never be too sure. "I can speak to the doctor alone."

"Why?"

"She might ask me girly things."

"I've seen all your girly things." Mona's face starts to turn pink.

"Matteo," she hisses at me.

"Fine." I relent for the first time in my life.

"I know," Dr. Mauti says before I can tell her that her life is at risk if she harms a hair on Mona's head. I tell her, in Italian, that Mona is mine. That she will be my wife, and to treat her as such. She nods in agreement.

Before leaving the bedroom, I circle the bed, pressing my mouth to Mona's in a firm kiss. "If you hear anything?—"

"I know, sir," Sal tells me, staying on the bedroom door.

"Where did you put her?"

"The same room her sister picked yesterday."

"She put up a fight?"

"No, she was like a deer in headlights."

I am sure it's shocking to have your hotel door kicked in and raided. The O'Haires are still playing their old games. They were already making plans to marry off Mona's sister. The girl isn't even of age yet.

"Move," I tell one of the men standing guard at the girl's door. "Riley, right?" Sergio nods. I knock, but I don't wait for an answer. I open it and find her wide-eyed. Her green eyes are darker than Mona's. I can see the similarities, but she is not alluring like my little rabbit.

"My sister?" she asks, intertwining her fingers in front of her.

"Is the reason you're here."

"Can I see her, then?" Her eyes start to fill with tears. They do nothing to me like Mona's do. That woman really does have a hold on me.

"We need to lay down some rules." She nods. I'm sure Riley had many in her own home. "You're not to leave the house. If I tell you to do something, you do it without question."

"Okay." She keeps nodding her head admittedly.

"You are not going to upset Mona. Is that understood?"

"I wouldn't." I believe her. "You seem protective of her."

"I am. Now come." Riley follows me out of the bedroom and down the hallway. I motion with my hand for Riley to stop right outside the door, stepping in myself to see if the doctor is almost done.

"I think I got everything. I'll just run a few tests when I get back to my office." Dr. Mauti closes her bag.

"Matteo, it's fine," Mona cuts in before I can ask what kind.

"Mona!" Riley hears her sister's voice, rushing past me. So much for following fucking orders.

My little rabbit hops from the bed. The two sisters rush toward each other, embracing each other in a hug. Would she even run to me like that? They both start crying.

"I told you not to upset her." They both ignore me, caught up in each other.

"She's fine, Mr. Cattaneo," the doctor informs me. I step back out of the bedroom while Mona is distracted. The doctor follows me.

"Out with it," I order the doctor.

"I'm going to run some tests." I stand there, knowing she isn't telling me everything. "Just normal protocol things."

"Dr. Mauti. Do you think I've gotten this far in life without knowing how to read people?"

"It's doctor?—"

"Don't give me that bullshit about privacy rules between a patient and doctor. That doesn't apply to this world. Those aren't our rules or laws, and you know it."

Dr. Mauti glances around. "Sal, go." I order him off the door, so now it's only the two of us and Sergio.

"I'm going to run tests, but she told me she's pregnant." I must have heard the doctor wrong.

"Pregnant," I repeat. We had only ever had sex once. Sure, I hadn't been careful. I honestly didn't care. Nothing that night could have gotten me to put a condom on before I slid into her. I wanted to feel every inch of Mona. For us to be connected in a way that I couldn't even explain.

"I'll confirm, but she is likely pregnant. It would explain the nausea and vomiting."

"What now?"

"I'll get her some prenatal vitamins, and we'll see about an ultrasound."

"Do it."

"Right away," Dr. Mauti says before leaving me standing alone with Sergio.

Mona knew she was pregnant. I'm guessing she would have from the second I all but kidnapped her. She has never said a word about it. What was her plan? I run my hand down my face.

I want to relish this news. I couldn't be happier. I got her pregnant. Now she really is mine. The thought alone turns me on thinking about her belly growing with our child. But she's been hiding it. Why hadn't she come to find me when she found out?

"Matteo," Sergio says when I walk back into the room. I ignore him.

Mona smiles when she sees me. "I can't believe you did this for me." Both she and her sister stare at me with smiles on their faces. I try to say something, but words don't come. I always say the wrong thing when it comes to Mona. Mona's smile starts to falter. "She told you." Mona glances down to the floor.

"Why didn't you?"

"It would have come out." Mona starts to clam up. Her voice drops to a whisper.

"But you didn't tell me."

"I was scared, okay?" She blurts it out. In a protective move, Riley steps closer to her.

"Have I ever harmed a hair on your head, Mona? Hell, you fucking yell in my face without consequence. There's not another human being that walks this earth that would get away with that." I don't include that I've killed men for less.

"You can hurt people in other ways. You won't even have sex with me since you found out I was an O'Haire!"

"I was taking my time with you." It was bad enough that I kidnapped her. I wasn't going to force myself on her. I was waiting for her to come to terms with the reality that she is mine.

"Oh, yeah." She rolls her eyes, starting to get worked up. Yeah, she's not fucking scared of me. "Your men won't even talk to me because of who I am. I heard what they said about me."

"What who said?" Mona's eyes widen slightly; she hadn't intended to say that. I step closer to her. Riley tries to move in front of her. "I will have you removed. Don't get it twisted. You do not have the same liberty as Mona."

"Don't be mean to her." I clench my fists against my side.

"Tell me who said something to you, or I'll remove everyone from this room until you do."

"You're threatening me?" She's damn right I am. I will not tolerate any disrespect from my men toward her.

"Mona, in this, it's not a game." I grab her, pulling her so her body is flush with mine. "If one of my men said something, I need to know."

"I overheard two of them talking." Her cheeks turn pink, and I have an idea of just the nature of this conversation.

"Both of you stay inside this room." That was all I needed to know.

"Matteo." Mona calls after me, but I'm too livid to stop. I close the doors behind me.

"Round them up," I tell Sergio. "And call Church."