Ruthless Mafia Daddy (Alpha Mafia Daddies)

Six months later

Family dinner has never been my thing. Ever. Because I never had a family. Just Aunt Maria.

Until Andre.

Now, here we are, all having dinner, like a proper family should.

I’m huge, now, a week away from my due date.

I put down my fork and turn to Marco. “Can you get me some water, please?”

He looks at Andre and Rosa. “You guys want anything?”

Andre shakes his head.

“Can I get a piece of that apple pie in there?”

Marco laughs. “Sure.”

He gets up to go into the kitchen.

My baby is kicking a lot today and my back is killing me.

When Marco comes back in, he is doing a balancing act with my glass of water and two pieces of pie.

I get up to help him and something rips inside me. I gasp, holding my huge bump as something warm runs down my legs.

I don’t want to look. I’m too scared that it might be blood, that my baby might be dying.

Andre is up and beside me in two seconds flat. “What is it, sweetheart?”

Tears come to my eyes. I breathe, “I think there is something wrong with the baby.”

Glass crashes to the floor.

My eyes lift to Marco as he points at my feet. “Oh, fuck!”

Andre looks down too. “Oh, fuck!”

My eyes follow theirs as Marco starts swaying on his feet and needs to hold on to a chair. I think he might pass out.

“Andre…”

He picks me up and carries me to the car. “We are leaving to the hospital now. Rosa, call Dr. Waite and tell him to meet us there.”

“What, why?”

I look at her. “Because my waters just broke. It’s time.”

She squeals running to her phone, and Andre takes me to the car and has me in the hospital in next to no time. Only a couple of close calls this time.

As soon as we get there, someone is waiting for me.

I have to strip down and they put me in Andre in one of the private rooms.

Labor takes hours, and when pain starts to become too close together, I hold Andre’s hand hard.

“What if I don’t make it? What if I’m just like my mom?”

“Don’t you dare, Lila. I’ll ravage heaven and hell to get you back. So, you just focus on breathing and pushing and I’ll be right here with you the whole time. Deal?”

“Deal. I love you.”

“I love you so much, sweetheart. Let’s bring this baby to the world so we can ger it home.”

My fear doesn’t leave me, but it dims enough that I can do as he says, breathe.

And when the time comes, hours later, I push with all my might.

“I can’t believe she’s finally here,” I whisper.

“Me either.” Andre climbs onto the bed beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You did so well, sweetheart, I’m so proud of you.”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

My eyelids close at the touch, savoring the moment I thought I would never get to experience.

The bundle in my arms starts squirming, and I open my eyes and smile down at my daughter.

She has Andre’s dark hair and my blue eyes.

Her perfect rosebud mouth opens in a wide yawn, and both Andre and I laugh as she falls back to sleep.

“She’s perfect, just like her mama.” Andre reaches down to stroke his thumb across her pink cheek. “Now, I think Rosa might combust if we don’t let her in to meet her new niece.”

I laugh.

Dr. Waite left thirty minutes ago after completing a few final checks, promising to be back in a few hours, after he’s seen to his other patients back at the practice.

Andre offered to bring in Marco and Rosa, but I wanted some alone time, just the three of us.

“Sure, I think it’s time this sweet girl met her aunt and uncle.” I smile at the thought of them waiting downstairs.

I look up and grin at the look of pure pride on Andre’s face.

Fatherhood suits him, and already I see us working hard at making many more mini us.

“I’ll be right back.” He bends down to kiss me on the lips.

I sigh at the taste of him, wanting nothing more than to stay in our little baby bubble forever. But Andre’s right—I’m surprised Rosa hasn’t already broken down the door.

Andre slips from the room, leaving me alone with my precious baby girl.

She’s wrapped in a pink blanket, and I snuggle her against me, breathing in the smell of her as she sleeps peacefully in my arms.

“Mama loves you so much, sweet girl,” I whisper before kissing her on the forehead.

I never knew I could love something so much until the moment Dr. Waite handed her over to me, screaming at the top of her lungs, her tiny limbs flailing as I reached for her.

The second I tucked her against my bare chest, she quieted down, and I thought my heart might burst.

My eyes start to blur as I think of my own mother, who never got to hold me like this, who never got to love me.

There’s a soft knock at the door, and I hastily wipe my eyes as Andre opens the door.

“Ready?”

I nod, smiling as Rosa practically bounces into the room carrying a massive bouquet of pink peonies and an It’s a Girl! Balloon.

Marco appears behind her looking uncomfortable, his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants as he hovers by the door.

Rosa almost prances to the side of the bed. “Congratulations, mama!”.

“Let me take these.” Andre reaches for the flowers. “You’ll knock someone out if you’re not careful.”

Rosa shrugs it off and perches beside me on the bed.

“Rosa, Marco.” I glance between the pair of them. “I’d like you to meet your new niece, Holly Sofia De Luca.”

“After Mom?” Marco asks, moving to stand at the end of the bed, his face a picture of awe as he looks at the baby nestled in my arms.

Andre moves to his side and slings an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Holly for Lila’s mother, and Sofia for ours. It seemed fitting seeing as they are no longer with us, and we wanted her to know where she came from.”

“It’s a beautiful name.” Rosa’s voice is thick with tears.

I reach out and squeeze her hand. “Would you like to hold her?”

Rosa’s eyes light up, and she nods.

I place Holly in Rosa’s arms before leaning back against the plush pillows, exhaustion threatening to pull me under.

Marco is shaking his head. “I still can’t believe that you pushed a baby out of your⁠—”

Andre looks a little green as he watches Rosa rock the baby. “Let’s not finish that sentence.”

“For someone who’s had a lot of experience with blood, labor really freaks you out, doesn’t it?”

Marco shudders. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I think Marco’s the real baby here, not Holly,” Rosa mutters before handing Holly back to me.

Andre grins. “You’ve got that right.”

He catches my eye and flashes me a wink, causing my cheeks to heat.

With one look, I’m transported back to the night in the bar all those months ago where our paths first collided.

I smile, knowing that despite the journey not being perfect, I will never once regret it as it brought me here, to this room, surrounded by my new family.

“I love you,” I mouth to him.

He whispers it back.

My life has been so full these past six months. I never knew how happy I could be.

And I can’t wait to see the journey with the new addition to the family. The living proof or my love for Andre and his for me.

I look down at her. So beautiful. So peaceful.

Life waiting to happen.

“Welcome to the world, little one,” I whisper.