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“Good morning, my beauty. How are my girls feeling today?” I ask walking into our bedroom with freshly squeezed orange juice that has a hint of ginger in it. Oskar always makes it just the way she likes it. Waking up in our home with her every day, with her tousled hair and sleepy look still on her face, is like a dream come true. Through the years, I remember having a reoccurring dream, that on waking up, had always left only vestiges of vague yearnings in my heart. Since meeting Katarina, there is a sense that she is what my heart had been searching for, my destiny. She is the other half that makes me complete.
“Husband, in the beginning I went along with you thinking it will be a girl. Why do you still insist it could be a girl?” She asks in a mocking tone. “I still believe we will have a little boy. Do you want a girl that badly?”
I had been the one who wanted to find out in the beginning, and she had nixed the idea. Around the six-and-half-month mark, she changed her mind and wanted to know. Now, though, we both agreed to wait until the child is born. This has been our dance every morning since we found out she was pregnant. It’s been our fun little game to play. “You are usually correct with assumptions, my beauty, but not this time. I know it’s a little mini you are incubating inside your gorgeous belly.” I kiss her nose and then her stomach, my other morning ritual. “But know, whatever we have, I will be a happy and proud father.”
“Oh,” utters Katarina with a low moan as she clutches her stomach.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” I ask, concerned.
“Ugh! No, no, just some sharp pains. They come and go. Our mothers both said it is natural towards the end.” Towards the end? We still have a little over a month to go.
She’s trying hard to not let me see her in pain. “I’ll call Doc and have him take a look.”
“Santos, no, I’m fine. It will pass; it always does.” She assures me.
Now I’m really concerned that she’s not telling the truth. “How long have you been feeling these pains?” I ask worriedly, placing my hands beside hers on her belly.
She kisses my cheek, trying to comfort me. “Just little twinges the last few days, and not all the time. Next week, I have my final appointment. Please don’t worry; the pain has already subsided.” She gingerly rubs her belly, trying to show me all is well. Just then, we both feel a strong kick. “See? He is telling you to go do your job, Daddy.”
“Fine, Angelo and I are finally going to see that horse I was telling you about. We’ll be back in plenty of time for tonight’s celebration. Don’t worry about the baby room. As you keep reminding me, she will be in our room for quite a while. For that matter, even tonight you can just say hello and then go rest again. I want you to lay down and rest as much as you need. The pain might be a sign that you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. I want you to call me if you have any more pains today, and I mean even a twinge. I will return immediately.” I say, already planning on talking to both her mother and mine.
“Oh, that filly shows great promise. I was watching the videos of her. She will be a great addition to our breeding program.” She says, lighting up as usual whenever she is talking about horses.
“Stop deflecting, I worry about you both.” I brush her hair behind her ear. “I’ll video you once we get there, so you can see her for yourself. You can watch Angelo do the examination of her.” That makes her smile again. Leaning into her, I give her a deep kiss, savoring the combined taste of oranges and sugar. As I nibble on her lips and tease her with my tongue, I already want more, but this will have to keep me satisfied until the next kiss.
She’s back to being her cheery self. “Tonight, I’m finally ready to show you the baby room. It will be the big reveal after dinner. Your mother has been extremely helpful with the final touches.” She says happily.
“Great, that should continue keeping her busy from popping pills and drinking.”
She swats me. “Santos, she’s been very sweet and helpful, and I haven’t seen any evidence of her drinking since she’s arrived. Be nice to her.”
“You are a positive influence on everyone you touch. I love you, my beauty. I’ll see you girls later this evening.” I answer with a smile.
As I walk out the door, I hear her recite part of our vows that she repeats every morning. “I love you, my amazing man. You will forever be my always, until my last days on earth.”
Truthfully, she is right about my mother. I shouldn’t have been that sarcastic. Upon arriving in Switzerland for Bianca’s high school graduation celebration, my mother seemed more like her usual self. I shouldn’t be so hard on her. Living with Father can’t be easy. My parents decided to stay at the hotel in Italy until after the birth. Mother insisted she did not want to miss out on the preparations and arrival of her first grandchild. Knowing that she’s there and bonding with my wife gives me comfort as both are important to me.
While not obvious to all, those close to them can’t help but be aware that my parents are at odds. There is a disunity and coldness between the two. Even though marital woes, especially those of one’s own parents, are none of our business, there is a sense that we are missing a piece of the puzzle. Their discord has affected the entire family. It has thrown us into situations that seem to be having domino effects. Knowing we would never get a straight answer from Father if we even dared ask him, or even Tony for that matter, Angelo has been bugging me to sit down with Mother and try to get some information from her. He still is under the impression that I’m her golden child and could get answers.
Tonight, if the timing is right, I’ll take her aside and approach her with our concerns. We are celebrating Mateo and Josephine’s son’s birth. She gave birth right before Bianca’s graduation. Tonight, we are having a big dinner celebration at our house to welcome their son Nicholas. Mateo sent me pictures, and it was strange to see him holding his son. He looked so light and happy in the photos compared to his usual tough guy appearance. It made me wonder how holding my own child will feel, as it will be a reality soon.
Making my way down the stairs, I hear Angelo and Oskar chatting. With a good deal of certainty, I realize Angelo is never going to move back to the boathouse. He actually ebbed his daily routine at the estate.
“Ready, Angie?” I growl at him.
“Well, happy morning to you too, my dear brother. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?” He asks while taking one last bite of his breakfast. Saying goodbye to Oskar with his mouth full, he quickly joins me as I walk out the door. “How’s Kat feeling this morning?”
“She is fine, so she says.” I say distractedly as I am still concerned.
“She mentioned you’ve been a little too tired lately for you know...” I stop dead in my tracks. I turn around looking at Angelo incredulously. “What?" asks Angelo defensively. “We talk about things. Besides, she’s been helpful giving me some personal advice.”
Still gaping at him in disbelief at what he just revealed, I believe my wife will have some explaining to do tonight. While I realized they had become close, I had not ever thought our personal sex life would ever become a topic of conversation between the two. She has been a little nymph during her pregnancy, and I’ve been more than willing to accommodate her every whim. If this is how pregnancy sex is, I plan on keeping her pregnant for years. But that is beside the point. “This is your final warning, Angelo. Katarina and sex should never be in your thoughts and definitely not in your conversations with her.”
“Hell, that’s what I told her, but she brought up the subject while she was explaining that patience and tenderness mean a lot in a relationship.”
“STOP! Just stop. If you ever discuss your whores with her again, I swear to god I will tie you up and have Obsidian torture you. He’s been in a foul mood lately, as you can imagine.”
Angelo begrudgingly holds up his hands. “Fine, I get it. No sex talk with Katarina. Just so you know, it wasn’t about a whore.” He says pushing by me and getting in his car, slamming the door. He actually seems very upset.
I take a deep inhale before sliding into the passenger seat and gently closing the car. He starts the engine and steps on the gas hard. “Listen, I’m sorry. It’s just me reacting to my imagination. So, you are finally admitting your feelings about Krista?” I ask.
“What? Hell no! Why would you even think that? I can stand being in the same room as her. It was miserable with her during our Switzerland trips. Thank god Maria buffered us.” He says.
“I’m confused I thought you were with her, like friends with benefits.” I ask.
“Man, Sonny, I thought you were the observant type. She’s been with Sam, has been for a while.” He says, now chuckling.
Once again, I had no idea. I just assumed that they were hooking up. With all that verbal sparring they had going on, I thought she presented some sort of challenge for him that would make him go after her. In hindsight, Krista and Sam probably have more in common.
“Early this summer Lia and I heard what I thought were the two of you going at it in her car.” So, it’s been Sam all along very interesting. How did I miss that?
“You know me. My preference is the curvy, big booty and boobs kind of woman. Don’t get me wrong, Krista could be sexy I guess; but when she opens her mouth, I want to suffocate her. I just razz her to push her buttons on purpose. Actually, Sam broke up with her because he couldn’t handle the two of us arguing constantly. I felt bad and made things right for him. Now her and I have called a truce.”
“Guess I have been in slightly off key since being with Katarina. At times, I just want us to be in a world of our own. Seems I have missed quite a few things in this last year.” I mutter abjectly.
“Count yourself lucky to have someone to dote on and be doted on by.”
I nod in silent agreement. I choose a soft music station, and for once Angelo doesn’t argue my choice. We both remain silent for the remainder of the trip. We will be picking up Ben at the halfway point at the train station. We wanted to be one-on-one with him and to observe how he handles business transactions. He’s been dealing well with the local politicians, and now I want to see how he does with our other businesses.
Angelo suddenly turns the radio off and breaks the silence. “I think of Kat like a sister. I mean no disrespect towards her or you. She’s just easy to talk to.”
It’s easy to forget that Angelo is the sensitive one in the family. His outbursts and jokes are his coping mechanisms. “I don’t mind you talking to her. I’m glad you both get along; that’s important to me. Just lay off the X- and R-rated talks with my wife.”
He nods in understanding. “She happened to mention that you wanted me to be the godfather to the baby.”
I smile with his sudden change of topic. “Did she now? I’m still making up my mind.” I say jokingly. Looking over at him, I quickly notice his ears and cheeks turn red. He is holding back a jab of words. I punch his arm lightly. “I’m only kidding, Angie. Of course, you will be the godfather. Who else would I pick? Besides me, no other will protect her like you.” I truly mean that. I know instinctively Angelo will always put my child first. We have a way of taking care of each other.
“I wasn’t sure if you picked Mateo since he picked you as Nicholas’s.” He quips. God, he is overly sensitive.
“You’re my twin brother. There was no question it would be you. Enough of this ridiculous talk. Tell me about this woman you need my wife’s advice on.” I ask curiously.
“You still think it will be a girl?” He asks, totally ignoring my question.
“Yes, I still believe that I’m having a daughter. Stop deflecting. Tell me about this mystery woman.”
He hesitates for a moment as though trying to find the right wording. “She’s very smart and totally opposite my usual choices in women. I can’t even figure out why I’m attracted to her. But right now, I have no time for a girlfriend. Hook ups are still better and a lot less hassle.”
Any girl that I’ve seen him with has been as dumb as a doornail, so if she’s smart, he must be correct about her being different. “Well, I hope to get an introduction if things should change. If it’s the right girl, it won’t be a hassle.” I tell him.
He gives me a nod, still looking straight towards the road. “Kat was telling me this filly could be very promising.”
I guess we are done talking about his love life. On to horses it is. “Yes, she’s been excited for us to check her out. We will video her when you do the examination. She wants to see if all her endless hours teaching you paid off. No pressure!” I smirk.
“I’m good! I’ve been practicing on Ass. Can you believe he’s allowing me to do that now? I think I should have Sabato give it a try. Giving the exam, we’ll see him sweat.” Angelo’s mood changes from sober to devious joy within seconds.
Hours later, we finally just finished the examination of the filly. Angelo came through effortlessly. He egged on Benjamin to try. Predictably he failed miserably as he is not a horse person. Not only was he uncomfortable around horses, he fell, smearing his suit with manure and dirt. I had to shake my head at the joy Angelo derived from watching the whole scenario. I was on video chat with Katarina the whole time. She was getting her share of chuckles in between admiring the filly and watching Ben help.
“Santos, I have to go to the bathroom.” She states suddenly. “My dad will continue. I love you.” Before I could reply, Mr. Morrone is on screen, looking a little off.
“Is everything okay with Katarina?” I ask, alarms going off in my head.
“Yes, Santos, don’t worry; everything is fine. Her bladder is getting smaller, that is all.” He says smiling. The worried look in his eyes bely his attempt at reassurance.
“Angelo and I are heading home immediately. See you in two hours.” Before I can hang up, he hurriedly requests I take another look at the filly’s teeth and send him a picture of them. That is an odd request, but hell, he is the horse whisperer. “I will, and have Katarina call me back please.”
I hang up and give Angelo a look that tells him we need to leave. I guess my first-time father nerves are kicking in. We manage to get a picture, and I send it to Mr. Morrone while we all pile in the SUV. Angelo speeds down the long driveway towards the street.
A few minutes later, we notice a dragging, grinding sound. “Shit, I think we have a flat.” Angelo says, pulling over to the side of the road.
“Sabato, make yourself useful. Take off your jacket and assist me with the tire change.” Angelo barks at him.
As they both work on getting the spare tire on, I call Katarina to let her know we will be delayed a bit. The call goes to directly to her voicemail. Why hasn’t she called back? The interest in the filly should have her wanting details immediately. Next, I try her father’s cell, and it also goes directly to voicemail. Swearing out loud, I hear Angelo doing the same. Little does Benjamin know this is part of his initiation into the business, to be Angelo’s punching bag.
Right now, out of sheer anger and frustration, I feel like punching him too. Getting out, I jog to the back of the car to check how far they have come along. I see Benjamin’s suit is covered not only with manure and dirt, but now grease has been added to the mix.
Angelo, with a grunting sound, tightens the last bolts. “Almost finished, no thanks to the monkey suit. How’s Kat?”
“I tried calling her, then her father. Both went to voicemail. I’m getting worried. Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Sonny, no need to get yourself worked up. I’m sure she is fine.”
“I’ll try giving Oskar a call. Maybe he’ll answer.” This call goes to voicemail as well. Shit, he’s not picking up either. I’ve talked to him about this before. Something is definitely wrong.
Minutes later the SUV is again speeding down the road. “We are going straight to the estate, Sabato. You’ll have to call yourself a cab when we get there.” I hear Angelo tell Ben. I keep going back to my gut; only this time, I’m desperately hoping my gut is wrong. I feel an overwhelming need to be with her right now.
Angelo’s phone is hooked up to the SUV’s Bluetooth, and I see on the display that Mateo is calling. Angelo answers. “Hey, Mateo. We had a flat tire, so we’re a little delayed.”
“Are you on speaker, Angelo?” Mateo asks.
“Yes, Sonny and Sabato are in the car. What’s up?”
I step into the conversation. “Mateo, what the hell is going on? Are you at the house? I can’t get a hold of Katarina. For that matter, I can’t reach anyone.”
“Santos, I’m in the car with Josie. We’re both heading to the hospital. We think Katarina might be going into premature labor. She’s with her parents in the car followed by Oskar and
us.”
“What the hell? She has four and half more weeks to go!” I shout out in distress. I knew I shouldn’t have believed her when she said the pain she was feeling wasn’t a big deal.
“From what your mother said, it happened pretty suddenly. Santos, nothing would be different, even if you were here. Stop beating yourself up and just get here.” I hear Josephine tell me.
“What the hell? Son of a bitch! Josie, you buckled in?” I hear Mateo shouting her.
Suddenly, I hear Josie screaming in the background as Mateo is swearing up a blue streak.
“Mateo, it’s Angie. What’s going on?” He shouts into the speaker.
“Shit! I’m taking the short cut to the hospital. Josie and I got to your place earlier. When Katarina’s pains got bad, her parents decided to drive her to the hospital. Your father ordered me to follow them along with Oskar to the hospital and protect Katarina until you and Angie arrived. Told me to use his car since mine was blocked in. Don’t worry, Sonny, we will keep her safe. Oskar and I are following protocol.” What protocol are they following that I’m not privy to?
“Shit! Son of a bitch!” I hear Mateo roar. “I got this car following fast behind us that looks as if they want to run us off the damn road.”
Suddenly, we hear the shriek of tires and Josie screaming again. Silent seconds follow. Then we hear Mateo yelling desperately, “Angelo, code shark.” The phone goes dead.
Angelo starts shouting Mateo’s name over and over.
“Shit, we’ve been cut off. Try calling him back Sonny.”
I dial, but it goes straight to voicemail. I try several more times. “Angie, what the hell does code shark mean and what short cut?”
Angelo is hitting the steering and shouting curse words, while barreling down the road. He looks at me, calming himself down with an unexplainable look on his face.
“Angelo!” I say in warning, my patience evaporating by the seconds.
“They’re being chased down, and guns are being fired. They took the old city road to the hospital to deter them from Kat.”
I know the old city road well. It’s a very narrow and winding two-lane road with steep cliffs on one side. It’s a biker’s dream and a dangerous course at high speed. “Who the hell is chasing them? Do they think it’s our father in the car?”
He looks at me with worry spilling out of his eyes. “I have no clue, Santos, but it’s not good.”