29. Gia

"So.Will you tell me the reason that you refuse to have some bubbles, then?"

I look up from the bed in the little cottage.

Sal and Stassi left… a while ago. I'm not really sure. Days, maybe.

A couple of them at least.

Maybe more.

I can't really tell time, as it is. All I have is just the sickness. It's nearly constant. I haven't eaten anything in days. Weeks. No clue. My body feels terrible, and my skin looks like I'm actually turning into a ghost.

I should be worried about myself.

But I'm… not.

There's kind of a strange distance around me. It's like I'm watching myself sink further and further into a kind of weird, corpse-like state, but I can't really do anything about it.

I'm watching myself from a distance, while also being inside myself…

Yeah.

I don't know how to explain it, but it's all that I have.

I look up at Liam. "I don't do alcohol," I say weakly.

He shakes his head. "You know, I'm not a fool, Gia," he whispers. "I think there's something a little more wrong with you than a need to take care of your liver."

Fuck.

I turn back, facing the wall and hiding from him. "I said I'd marry you," I say dully. "It's too late for you to back out of it now."

"We aren't married yet, Gia."

"Might as well be," I mutter.

The bed dips as Liam sits next to me. He's quiet for a minute.

"I'll say the baby is mine, if that's what you're worried about."

I laugh.

It's a bitter, harsh sound, even to me. I laugh and laugh until I want to cry, because any more motion is going to bring my stomach up again.

"Gia?"

"I wasn't worried," I mumble.

That strange, distant feeling is back. Except this time, I also feel like I'm not even in my own body.

I kind of feel like I'm… floating.

Interesting.

"Gia…"

"I wasn't worried, Liam. Even though you're a piece of shit and I can't stand you, you aren't a bad man."

"No?"

" ‘S why I offered to marry you," I slur.

Now I feel kind of drunk. My body doesn't respond to my commands anymore. Also, there's a long black hole at the edge of my vision.

It's getting narrow….

"Gia?"

Liam's voice is so distant. How did he end up so far away from me? He was just on the bed next to me.

"Gia," he says.

God, he sounds kind of frantic. Idly, I feel motion, like someone is gripping my arms.

If I knew how, I'd giggle, because it feel so silly that someone would be holding my arms and I don't even know what they're doing.

"Gia. Stay with me," Liam's voice sounds high-pitched. I should probably reassure him. That's what a wife does, right?

Fuck, I wish it was Sal with me.

Sal…

As Liam's voice fades into the darkness, I let myself think of Sal.

I miss him so fucking much, it feels like it's part of my body. Like I'm growing my pain, just as quickly as I'm growing the baby inside me.

The darkness takes me.

And Sal's face is the only thing I see.

* * *

The dreamsof Sal fade away. In their place, an annoying beeping sound, and bright, blinding lights, appear.

Groggily, I try to figure out what the hell shifted. I cling to the memories of Sal like they're some kind of lifeline.

There are more voices around me.

Ones I don't recognize.

"Where am I?"

The question is on my lips as I blink, opening my eyes and looking around.

"Ireland, darlin'," an older man's voice says.

I shuffle up before groaning and flopping back down. "Why am I in Ireland?"

"Because you passed out and Liam MacAntyre is not the type of man who lets a woman pass out on him."

I blink again.

The world around me swims into focus. There's an older man, presumably a doctor if his white coat is anything to go by, in front of me.

He's staring at me.

So, I stare at him.

"How are you feeling?"

I look down, frowning.

I'm in a hospital bed. In a hospital gown. There's an IV in my arm that's steadily dripping fluids into my body.

But I feel a little better. "Um. Well, if I felt like I was at a zero beforehand, I feel like I'm probably a three now?"

"That's good. Strong improvement. I'd take a three over a zero any day," the older man says.

"Who are you, again?"

He smiles. "I'm Dr. O'Malley."

"No. Like the cat in Aristocats?"

Dr. O'Malley laughs again. "Sure. Not Thomas, though. My first name is Joshua."

"Missed opportunity on your parents' part," I grumble.

"Aye. Well. They still got a doctor for a son out of the bargain, so I suppose that's alright then, now isn't it?"

I lean back on the hospital bed. "Okay, Dr. O'Malley. Catch me up. What happened?"

He rolls a chair over and sits on it. I like this guy. Something about him reminds me of like, the grandfather I always wanted.

My actual grandfather, the one that's still alive, is wanted in Sicily for crimes against the state.

Dr. O'Malley leans his head on his arms. "You're pregnant."

"Yeah. And?"

"Would you like to know more about the status of your wee one?"

My heart stops. "Oh my god. Is the baby okay? Please…" my voice trails off.

Dr. O'Malley nods. "Aye. The baby is fine. Growing like a weed, and you're about nine weeks in."

Nine weeks.

It's been nine weeks since Sal and I…

That's a long time. It's a long time for me to be in Greenland, too. My mind strays to what's going on at home. Elio will be losing his mind, of course. After Liam sent Sal and Stassi packing, they would have informed Elio about me.

I bet Marco has given his testimony. I wonder if he's been let back into custody.

And Caterina…

Shit. Caterina will have her twins any day now.

And I'm going to miss them.

I squeeze my eyes shut. "Okay. Baby is fine."

"Do you want to know the gender?"

I shake my head. "No."

That's something that I would have wanted to do with Sal. If I'm on my own… I'm happy to just have a healthy baby.

"Well that's settled then. A fine choice, to be surprised like in the old days. Baby's fine. But you, mom," the word feels very weird to me, but I also realize that it's the first time I've been called that, "you are not fine."

I blink. "I'm not?"

He shakes his head. "No, sad to say it. You've got something called hyperemesis gravidarium."

"Hyper…"

"-emesis gravidarium," he finishes.

"What's that?"

"Means that you've got extreme morning sickness."

I laugh. "Okay well. I didn't need to go to the doctor to know that."

"You did, though, because you were on a fast path to organ failure if you didn't."

"Oh," I say softly.

"Yes. Oh."

"How can I fix it?"

He shrugs. "Might go away on its own soon. Past nine weeks, it diminishes somewhat. I've given you fluids and some anti-nausea drugs. You'll be up to eating soon enough."

I grimace. "Will I?"

"That's the idea, darlin'."

I lean back in the bed again and sigh. "So did I already screw this whole parenting thing up?"

"Oh, sweetheart," Dr. O'Malley says. I peek at him, and he's looking at me with genuine kindness. "You've been doin' the best you can, or so I hear."

"Yeah. And now I have hyperemesis gravidarium."

"Something you never would have known or been able to control for. No one knows why some women get it and some don't. Just part of the process."

I shut my eyes. "I'm not prepared for this," I whisper.

"Being a mother? Or being married to my Liam?"

I peek at him. "Your Liam?"

"Aye. He didn't tell you about me, then?"

My eyes widen. "You're the uncle."

His chest puffs up. "One and the same, love."

"You're the reason he's not a total sociopath."

O'Malley's eyes go soft. "Well, I tried."

"You did a good job. Really," I say.

He gives me a little half grin. "As will you. The two of you, I presume?"

"Who do you mean?"

"You and my Liam."

"Oh." I nod. "Yeah. He's… he's going to be the dad."

"He's a good boy," the doctor says. "Now, let's get you something to eat…" he turns, ready to grab a tray that's behind him on the counter.

But, in that time, something happens.

I hear gunshots.

O'Malley and I recognize the noise at the same time. He dashes over to me and starts to pull the IV out of my arm.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "This might hurt."

It does. It very much does.

I clench my teeth against the pain. The tubes are out, and O'Malley is handing me some clothes.

"Here," he says, "Take these."

He pulls at a drawer and grabs a pistol. The sound of yelling, and the echo of gunshots, is much louder now.

"Where are we?" I ask in a hissed whisper.

"Dublin. If you can get…"

He doesn't finish the sentence.

The door explodes open in a haze of smoke and dust. I scream and duck, trying to hide underneath the gurney. There are two shots. A yell. A grunting noise that sounds suspiciously like someone being choked.

Then, silence.

Hiding under the hospital gurney, I'm shaking. My breath feels like it's too loud. I know that they can hear me.

There's no way they can't.

There are three sets of feet in the room. Three men.

I'm going to have to shove the bed on them. Then I'll have a chance to run.

I shut my eyes.

One.

Two.

Three…

I shove.

There's a bunch of male grunts, and then I'm running. I sprint down the hallway, wearing my hospital gown, my boobs wiggling underneath them. I'm so thankful for the pants, I think that I could kiss Liam's uncle.

I can see the end of the hall. I book toward it, my feet slapping on the hospital tile.

I'm almost there. I can touch the door. I reach my fingers forward…

There are arms around my middle.

I grunt, aware that they're pushing down on my lower belly. I curl back, lessening the pressure there.

No one is going to hurt my fucking baby.

I kick and scream, scratching at the person with everything I have. Based on the scratchy outfit, though, he's wearing some kind of tactical gear…

"Puta," the man hisses.

I'll fucking show you a bitch.

I twist, ready to scratch at his ears, when there's a sharp pain in my neck.

Like a needle, plunging into my flesh.

I start to feel groggy. My arms grow heavy. I have one last, lucid thought before the darkness consumes me.

Please don't be a sedative that will hurt my baby. Please.

* * *

This timewhen I wake up, it's not gentle. It's like coming out of a nightmare.

God damn it.

"Where the fuck am I now?" I gasp.

"Well. At least they were right about something. You have a mouth on you."

I do not know that voice.

Also, it's so fucking hot that I don't know what to do with myself.

With a groan, I struggle to open my eyes. I blink, looking around the room.

I'm in another fucking hospital. That's good, at least.

Now my hyperemesis won't kill me.

Or the baby.

"Tell me where I am," I demand.

From the shadows in front of me, a shape emerges.

I study him.

Another old man. Severe eyes. Gray hair that's carefully coiffed. He's wearing a suit, wool, despite the absolute swamp like heat.

He smirks. "Good morning, Gia Rossi."

"Where. The hell. Am I?" I grit.

The man sighs. "Do you know who I am?"

"No," I say flatly.

I don't have time to fuck around with this person. I need to get out of here. I need to get back to…

Shit.

The only person I can think of is Sal.

He's the only person that I want. I've been passed out in too many places. I'm weak. I'm vulnerable.

I want someone to protect me.

And the only person I trust in the entire fucking world is Sal De Luca.

"Hmm," the man says, pacing closer. "Well. You should."

"I should what?"

"Know who I am."

"Why's that?" I bark.

He smirks. "Because I think you know the father of my daughter's children."

Oh.

Fuck.

He nods. "Let us start again. You, Gia Rossi, are in Brazil."

I blink. "Brazil."

"Yes. Brasilia, the capital, to be precise."

"And why am I in the capital of Brazil?"

His grin spreads. "Because you're a problem."

"How?"

He tilts his head. "That question is odd."

"Not really. I'm just a problem for a lot of people. You're going to have to be more specific."

The man chuckles. "Ah, the rumors about you appear to be true to the very letter."

"Can't say I know the same about you," I challenge.

The man sighs. He stands. He surveys me, looking down his nose.

"Let me introduce myself then. I am Benicio Souza."

Oh.

I'm super fucked now.

My eyes must give something away because his smirk widens. "I see you've heard of me."

I need to play it cool. "I heard you didn't do so good in that last election. Frog farm failure, was it?"

This man is a fucking nuclear bomb.

He's not just a mob boss. He's a politician.

A bully.

A warlord.

He's the king of the castle down here in his little corner of the world, and he rules his kingdom with an iron fucking fist and absolutely zero morals.

I'm so fucking dead, it's not even funny.

I have to leave.

"And why am I a problem to you, again?"

"Two reasons." Benicio settles into a chair across from me. The pulse meter on the screen next to me twitches, and I curse it.

I don't want him to know how nervous I am.

Benicio extends one finger. "First, you are going to marry someone who needs a wife to rule his kingdom, and I cannot have him inherit that throne."

That's Liam. I stay silent, staring at Benicio.

"Second—" He adds another finger. "You are the sister of my most bitter rival. By marriage, you are the sister-in-law to the father of my grandchildren, and when they come for you…" His smile is wicked.

It sends chills down my spine.

"When they come for you, Gia Rossi, they're going to wish they had never once heard my name."