“That’s a strong and healthy Lamberti,” Ramiro spoke and handed me the sonogram. “Yes, she has a habme.” I looked down at the picture with a smile on my face.
“Do you think she looks like me?” I asked excitedly and turned around the picture. “Hmm, it seems moreme.” He spoke while I frowned.
“Well, at least he knows he’s the father.” I giggled and observed the picture one more time. “Is there a wthis to him? I was going to take a picture, but I feel like that is meaningless.”
“Yes, I’ll get it to him as soon as possible.” He reassured me. At first, the idea of a family doctor taking casounded strange to my ears, but after Christian had left—Ramiro had been nothing but nice to me, but tthing that had been bothering me.
If he was the family doctor, shouldn’t he be with Lucio?
“Is there something on your mind, beautiful?” He gave me a questioning look, but I forced a smile on mymy head. “No, I was just thinking about Christian as a baby and as a person.”
“Christian?” Ramiro sighed out laughing. “Christian started walking at eight months and said his first womonths—throughout his childhood he had not changed, and he still hasn’t. Always pushing himself to bspoke with a proud smile on his face. “That’s the kind of person he is.”
“That’s right.” I agreed with him. “I don’t want to be rude, but how do you know the family?”
“I used to go to university with Christian’s grandfather—he paid for my education and without him, I wodoctor.” Ramiro smiled. “After finishing school I worked at many hospitals—but it didn’t work out. Francohospital at the time, and asked me for a favor.”
“So you have known them for a very long time, that must be nice.” I smiled, thinking about how many clLamberti’s had—and almost every single one was willing to help me, despite not knowing anything abou“My wife who I met in school has delivered Lucio and all of his children, and all of his grandchildren—oualong very well.” He explained further.
“Then you guys must be very old!” I blurted out and covered my mouth, making him laugh. “That’s alrigyour mind.”
“Christian never told me about a family doctor.” I doubted myself. It seemed to be some kind of family traccording to him I could not be part of because I wasn’t exactly family.
“Don’t take it personally, I asked him but he told me he did not want to pressure you—but now that the are different…”
He did not want to pressure me…
Hearing different stories about what Christian had been doing since the moment I had walked in, while adoing was doubt him, made me feel guilty. “The woman who came here last night, is that your wife? Becextremely young, like a teen almost.” I commented, but the smile on Ramiro’s face had disappeared as hhead. “My wife passed away a year ago, the one who will be assisting me is my granddaughter, Amanda.I felt bad and didn’t know what to say if I had only kept my big mouth shut. “So both of you are droppinprotect me?”
“Yes, the three of us—my other daughter will also be here tomorrow.”
“Okay, cozy. It feels more like a vacation than a safe house.” I laughed to myself. I had expected it to be whad expected to feel alone as I always had—but it was the complete opposite.
My thoughts got interrupted by the sound of the doorbell and I almost jumped up. That’s right, I wasn’tvacation—I was here because my life’s in danger. “That’s for you.”
“For me?” I wondered, but it wasn’t long after until I heard a few familiar voices call out my name. I gaspRamiro in shock as he nodded his head in response. “Faith!” I yelled out and almost ran out of the room downstairs.
“Guys?” I yelled again and tried my hardest to follow to voices until I stood face to face with Faith, Luna, all yelled and jumped up and down in a group hug. “What are you guys doing here? And why do you hawondered as I stared down at their luggage.
“Surprise, we’re your new housemates.” Faith giggled. “M-my what?” I stuttered. If this was my surprise,a kid in a candy store. “H-how?”
I had purposely not told them about anything, because I definitely learned from my mistakes with Vince—bringing them here by himself couldn’t have been any better.
“Your sugar daddy asked us to be here, he explained everything to us and we didn’t hesitate—so here wopened her arms.
“Yeah, some scary life you live—but we want to keep you company.” Olivia eyed Faith and Luna who werChristian offered us a lot of money.” She further explained, rolling her eyes.
“Don’t get me wrong, if money was not involved—I still would’ve been the—“ Olivia ranted, but I pulledhug. “I don’t care, I’m just happy all of you are here!”
“Now give us a tour of this shoebox.” Luna walked around as we all followed her. Just as asked, I gave thetour, showed them the rooms, and introduced them to everyone.
“So what have you guys been up to?” I asked the girls as Faith and Olivia started to rant about their liveshow she had left the club and went back to school, while Olivia explained she was very busy with job hun
“How about you, Luna?” I tried to involve her in to the conversation, but she shrugged her shoulders witcheeks. “Ah you know…the usual…just—“
“Screwing your cousin in law and your best friend’s brother.” Faith finished her sentence, causing all of uloud. “Is it Emilio?” I asked, not even being a bit surprised. The look he had given her, and Johnny had giday I met my family, was almost embarrassing to watch.
Luna shrugged her shoulders and looked down. “Johnny and your brother have both been blowing up mdon’t know how to reject either one of them!” She buried her head in my shoulder as I gave her an awkw“Just tell them you’re not interested.” Olivia shrugged as if it was nothing. “That’s not that easy, little girl“Why are they giving you attention anyway. What have you done?” Faith wondered, as did I. If only thingeasy with Christian.
“These type of men are not interested in us, they see me as an easy target because I’m a stripper.” She robefore she gave me a pitiful look. “No offense, of course.”
“None was taken.” I chuckled. They did see us as an easy target, and that was the reason why I ended upfirst place.
“But I thought you went to Johnny’s house a few times,” I recalled. Luna sighed and leaned her head agashoulder. “I did, for fun—I had no idea he wanted a real relationship.”
“And my brother?” I continued asking. “I only went on one date with him, at the end of the evening he ghandshake.”
We all looked at each other before we burst out laughing. “A handshake?” Olivia cracked, staring at the elook on her face.
“Wait, I have to take this.” I recovered myself when I saw Christian’s name appear on my phone, and quicof the room to accept the call.
“Chris!” I spoke excitement, but all I got in return was silence.
“Shit my bad, I didn’t mean to call you.” He spoke. “Wait, so you called me on accident?”
“Uhh…yes, I’ll call you later!” He tried to end the conversation as soon as he started it, but the only thingthe background were female voices. “Christian, what are you doing?” I asked, but before I could get an adifferent voice.
“Serena, don’t worry I’ll take care of him!” Marc told me, but I was not convinced. “W-why am I hearing the background? Where are you guys?”
“I took him to a club, so he can relax for once—we used to do this all the time, but he’s so boring now!”drunk spoke, while I heard Christian struggling to get his phone back.
“Serena, that’s not true! He forced me to be here an—“
“Okay.” I laughed and slowly heard the music on the background fade away. “Okay?” Christian repeated.
“You should go and have fun, talk to whoever you want—I don’t care,” I told him. “You don’t?” He askedsounded extremely irritated which was a mystery to me.
“Yeah, go and have fun for once!” I encouraged him. The last thing I wanted was to be a gatekeeper andbaby I would probably do the same.
“So what you’re saying is that you don’t mind sharing me—just how I shared you with Vincenzo?” Christchecked while I was still trying to figure out why he sounded so irritated.
“Hmm, not the same case because we weren’t together—but, no.” I gave it a second thought. “If the roleI would’ve done the same.”
“Oh, really?” He spoke sarcastically, confusing me even more. “Yes…did I say something wrong?”
“No, not at all.” He said.
“In that case, I’ll follow your instructions and put myself up for advertisement, since you would’ve done tIt took me a while but I finally got it, he misunderstood my words.
“Chris—“ I called out to him, but he had already hung up the phone. Why was he irritated by the idea of jealous?
“Drama queen,” I muttered under my breath.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: His Promise: The Mafia’s Babies by C. Tamika