My Surrogate, My Love... (Mafia Romance, 18+)

Chapter fourteen

I forcibly yank my wrist from Reina's hold, then using both palms, slam her nose against my knee, punching her square in the jaw, shortly after. She crashes against the tiled floors with a heavy thud, letting out a high-pitched scream, as the blood oozes from her nostrils, coating the grounds beneath. Then there's Barbara, who, oh so intelligently, decides to claw my back in retaliation.

I spin her petite frame, snake an arm around her neck from behind in one swift, fluid motion, keeping a firm grip on her, whilst she digs and drags acrylic nails against my skin, until her body finally gives in, and she's knocked out unconscious. Taking in one deep drag of the much needed air to quench my lungs, I rest her against the floors, cleanse my knuckles, pad over to the doors, and exit the room.

My eyes rake the multitude, till they land on Leandro's tall frame walking up to me, concern etched onto his facial features.
"It's been a solid nineteen minutes, Eva. Where have you been?"
"I thought I made it very clear, that I needed to use the bathroom? Let's get back to the table, shall we."

I walk past him, and towards our table, taking a seat immediately I get there. My nerves are wrecked, literally all over the place right now.
Deep breathes, Eva. Deep breathes.
"What's happened to your back, Eva?" Leandro inquires in low whispers once he's sat, and I don't miss the deathly tone he employs.
I don't need to face him, inorder to establish that his jaws are clenched.

"I don't wish to talk about it, Leandro. Hey lady killer, wanna dance?"
"Sudden change of heart, but why not, bèllà rósà."
Alfonso gives me his hand, walks us to the dance floor, slithers an arm around my waist, and throughout the period of our dance, he interviews me on the nitty gritties of my life, joking about one thing, stating facts about the other.

Then abruptly and unpleasantly, my upper arm is gripped, body yanked from his hold, and I end up bumping into a muscle-rippling, clothed chest.
"We are leaving now!"
"Get your hands off me, Leandro!"
"Don't you dare question my authority, Eva!"
He walks us down dimly-lit halls, and through a back door, to the teeth-rattling, chilly colds of the silent night.

"Let go of me, what's wrong with you, Leandro! Why are you behaving like this? Why so jealous, when I mean nothing to you, huh? How many persons have stepped up to us, called me surrogate this entire evening, utterly embarrassed me? Do you think I signed up for any of this? I didn't sign up for any of this bullcrap. My insemination was only accidental.

Right place, right time, wrong needle!
So now, I'm stuck here with you, in this fucked up world of yours! I am nothing but a surrogate to you, so, why the envy?"
My body's trembling as I stand on feeble knees, while he stares down at my pathetic state, brows furrowed, and lips pursed in a tight line. I run the back of my hand roughly against the flesh on my cheeks. I'm crying? Fuck it!

"I am jealous, Eva, no deceit in my words. I hated Costello's and Giovanni's reaction, back at home, once you climbed down that fleet of steps, absolutely detested Alfonso's reaction to you at the table, and I go green with envy, because Simon, that son of a bitch, does not realize just how lucky a man he is, to have you. Do you even know what he is doing back in Los Angeles with your sister, that perverted imbecile?"
Tone as overly calm as usual, even in the midst of an argument!

"Wait, what are you trying to say? I...I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. Eva, let me break it down to you. I have enemies everywhere. Some of them, are fully aware of the fact that you are with child, my child, and will stop at nothing, do just about anything, to extract as much information about you, as they possibly can.

That means, they will eventually find out that your closest family, is your sister, and will hence try to eliminate her, just to try and get to you, and ultimately, to me. So, I took it upon myself to protect her, sent two of my men to watch over her twenty four seven. Apparently, both men discovered that your sister had been, and is still seeing someone; Simon.

I know you don't believe me, I have offered you no valid reason to trust me. Neither did I believe it at first, until they sent me shots of your sister and Simon, making out outside some cafe," he finalizes, brows still knitted, arms folded behind his back, and jaws occasionally making these tic movements.
"You're playing, right? Trying to fuck me up mentally?" My tone laces with accusation, my breathes growing more prominent by the minute.

I, so badly, want to not believe those words.
This is what he meant, when he said  he wished I knew what kind of man Simon truly was this morning. Burning tears temporarily blind my vision, making it almost impossible to clearly make out Leandro's figure standing before me. Simon's the only man I trusted, loved, cared for, and never, not even once, did I push him away. Goodness, I don't even know what to think.

I am so fucking enraged at, disgusted by all memories of Simon. Then there's Sarah, my flesh and fucking blood! My only family, the only human I'd trusted one hundred percent, looked up to, but sadly, betrayed me without a second thought. Did they search for me, give up, erase all thoughts of me from their minds? Was I really that worthless a human, that they'd simply forget about my existence?

It's like they both took a red-hot dagger, stabbed it right through my heart. I hate them so much, so fucking much! Damnit, these tears are threatening to spill!
Large arms wrap around my shoulders, drawing me closer regardless of my persistent struggles to pull away, until I can't take the chocking lump in my throat, the agonizing pain branding itself in my heart, and I completely break down.

"Don't battle against the pain, face it, feel it, cry it out. You are only human, àmórè," smoothing my back, he whispers soothingly, softly against my hair, tightening his hold around me.
I'm ruining his suite with these damned tears! I fight to keep calm, taking in large gulps of air, then exhaling the stress. Drawing back, Leandro cups my cheeks, looks me dead in the eye.

"Do you prefer we go to the car?"
"That'd be much appreciated," I manage to croak out a response, despite myself.
In the vehicle, my head remains pressed against his shoulder, and his, against the leather seat. For the very first time since my mother's death, I actually let myself seek solace from another individual that's not Sarah.

It's rather ironic, now that I ponder over the situation. The petrifying, horrifying mafioso leader, the infamous, almost-immortal Leandro Leone, is the same man who's arm is draped around my shoulder in comfort. Ah, no more tears, no more sobbing, no more wailing over spilt milk. Now, what's the point in trying to escape back to L.A, after the heartbreaking revelation of my sister's and Simon's treachery?

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