Chapter 31

“Are you going to be like that all day long? They are out doing some business as usual. Nothing new here, trust me.”

Lola huffed as she dropped onto her bed and closed her eyes. She yawned, and I rolled my eyes.

I don’t know how she could be as cool as a cucumber even though she knew that her brother and Gabriel were out seeking blood.

Yes, I knew about that even though he has been trying to hide it from me, but I could see the signs.

His insomnia, him watching me all night, then hugging the shit out of me while I was sleeping.

Then in the morning, he got out walking on his tiptoes, not wanting to wake me up. As if I have slept a wink that night.

He wanted to leave quickly, so I wouldn’t ask about his plans. He didn’t know that I would pretend to be asleep and not disturb him.

After he went down, I went to Lola, and she has been bitching around since. I wanted to slap her, but I refrained.

I was frustrated and worried at the same time. Gabriel is doing what I have asked him, and I can’t handle the pressure of it and guilt.

Is it because I know that this blood will be on my hands, too. Or is it that I was afraid that he would hurt himself?

I’m really torn between staying away and letting him work in peace or call that thing off.

“You know this is what needed to be done. That fucker must die for what he had done to this family and for the lives he took.”

I turned to look at my friend, who sat straighter and watched me with a blank face.

Lola is always bubbly and energetic. No one would think that she had this much anger inside of her.

But this shouldn’t be surprising. Everyone in this family is so loyal to a fault.

They loved each other and would sacrifice anything for this family.

“I’m not sure of anything anymore, Lo. I’m torn between what is must be done and what if is it wrong or not.”

Lola sighed, and I groaned silently as my stomach hurt suddenly.

I have been getting fucking cramps recently, and it hurt like a bitch.

It has been like that since I have lost mom, and my period didn’t come.

Michael told me it’s because of stress and depression and doesn’t think about it much. My period will come soon.

But it has been like two months or so and still nothing. I don’t miss it, but the pain was too much.

Lola began to rub my stomach for me as I fell on my back on the bed. I gave her a faint smile, and she frowned.

“This isn’t normal, Ariel. You have been like this for a while now. You need to see a doctor for your stomach pains.”

I groaned and wrapped my hands around my knees, then I hugged myself. I slept on my side and looked up at her.

“Actually, it is not my stomach. It is my period since losing mom and it has been acting up.”

Lola looked at me, surprised, and I scowled at her when she gasped loudly.

“Are.... Are you telling me that you have missed your periods for two months now and you didn’t say anything?”

I kept looking at her in confusion, my mind blank. Why should I have said anything about it to anyone?

“Are you serious, Ari? You have been sexually active all this time and now you have missed your period twice. Do you see this as normal? Haven’t you ever thought that it isn’t stress but something else?”

I flinched away and put my hand above my mouth. Does she mean that I’m pregnant? Oh, my god.

Lola stood up and began to pace her room angrily. She started to speak to herself, too.

“I have thought that you don’t have an appetite because you are still sad, your weight too due to stress. But this isn’t the case. All the signs are here. Fuck, you even throw up often and you said it was because you caught a bug or something. Shit...shit....shit.”

She stopped when I flung myself up and ran to her bathroom. I put both my hands on my mouth as I struggled to keep it close.

I buried my face in the toilet bowl and emptied my stomach. I actually dry heaved because I ate nothing since yesterday.

Lola crouched beside me and patted my back soothingly as I coughed violently.

When I was done, she brought me a glass of water and helped me stand up and go to the sink to wash my tear stained face.

“Oh, my fucking god.”

I staggered away when she suddenly cried out and began to jump up and down.

“I’m going to be an auntie. Gosh, Gabriel will be fucking ecstatic when he knows. I must tell him now before leaving.”

I grabbed her before she went out, and she frowned at my milky white face.

My caramel complexion went ashen white now, after all of these revelations.

“NO, don’t say anything before we are sure. It might be stress like Michael had said, right? We can’t be rushing this. We must be sure first.”

Lola sighed, then nodded her head. My legs shook and wobbled, then seconds later I was on the floor of the bathroom.

She tsked and helped me up, then she laid me on her bed before going to their kitchen and returning with a glass of water.

We stayed in silence for a while, but my mind was busy with all possibilities and scenarios.

Jason walked in and he gave the two of us a blank look before dropping on the carpet next to the bed.

Not long after, Tyler and Jacob followed him too and sat on the floor.

“Are they gone?”

Lola asked, and Jason nodded his head before looking at me. He opened his mouth to say something, then he changed his mind.

“You look like shit, Ariel. Is it because the boss is going to do something dangerous? Pfftt don’t worry, it isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last for sure.”

Lola nodded her head in a yes to Tyler, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. God, I can’t handle all of this stress right now.

“So Jason, you have been spending a lot of time here and it’s weird because you look awfully close to Leo now and we all know what he wants from you.”

Jacob said, and my friend glared at him, then he wrapped his arms around his chest.

“His ass, obviously. What else would he want?”

Tyler said bluntly, making Lola burst out laughing. Jason gasped in outrage and threw himself at the clueless boy.

“I will fucking kill you, and then I will tell Leonidas to do it all over again.”

I giggled despite what I was going through, and Lola winked at me as she helped Jacob to separate the boys.

“C’mon brother in law, we all know that. Why are so shy about it?”

Jason sat beside me and then he wrapped his hands around my waist and hid his flaming red face in my chest.

I chuckled loudly and patted his back encouragingly. I knew they were all teasing him, but it was so funny because they have a point though.

Jason barely leaves here now, and he always is with Leo. No one knows what they have been doing alone, and no one dares to ask.

“OK guys. We can’t stay here all day wandering about what the gang is doing. We will go out to buy some junk food, then we will go to Ariel’s house to collect her things. She won’t be there anymore. She is staying here now.”

Jason looked at me and unwrapped himself. He gave me a questioning look, and I gave him a small smile.

I have discussed this with Lola before and I think it’s time now to do it.

We went to a convenience store and bought lots of food and snacks, but I have seen Lola hide something in her bag.

When we got in the house by ourselves, Lola pulled me up to my room. Then to the small bathroom there.

“This is our chance. The boys are out looking around doing some security shit, so we have some time. Take the test. Let’s see if you are pregnant or not.”

I swallowed deeply, but nodded my head to do as she ordered. Lola went downstairs to sort the kitchen out, but I guess it was an excuse. She wanted me to do this alone.

I took a deep breath and peed on the stick thingie, then waited patiently.

I kept staring at that it forever till it gave the results. Fuck Positive. I’m fucking pregnant.

I walked outside the bathroom as if I was in a daze. This is real. I will be a mother soon.

How will Gabriel take it? Is he going to accept that or demand I lose the fetus?

My stomach churned at the thought, and I put my hand above my stomach. Fear hit me hard.

But suddenly I was tackled, and someone pushed me hard against my bed and we grunted at the impact.

I opened my mouth to scream, but that person put his hand on top of it and gripped me tighter.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I came to talk. Just talking ok. So listen to what I’m going to say and don’t try to do anything stupid and we all will get out of here safe. Nod your head if you understand me.”

I shook, but I nodded my head. The man sighed and then he let me go.

I scurried away and went to the far corner of the room; sadly I was far away from the door that way.

“My name is Giovanni. I’m the one who your boyfriend is searching for.”

He spoke as he began to pace the room while his hands flexed and his eyes looked everywhere but me.

“I want you to call Gabriel to tell him the truth. I wasn’t the one who killed your mother. I wasn’t the one after him all these years, it was Alessio. He has been framing me for years and I didn’t know about it.”

He stopped and advanced on me, making me glue my back to the wall behind me and whimper when it was still solid.

I had nowhere to escape and I can’t even shout for help. Not because he told me not to, but because the fear tied up my tongue.

He crouched in front of me, and his shaky hands held my shoulders tightly.

His alcohol filled breath fanned my face, and I almost gagged. It was repulsive, and it made me know that he wasn’t stable.

“You must tell him to call off this hunt. I will leave and let you all be. I will disappear. You must tell him to let me alone.”

He spoke as he shook my body harshly, and I cried out in pain. His grip was hard, and it hurt me.

“Answer me, bitch, or I swear I will kill you, then I kill myself. I have nothing to lose.”

He roared loudly, then his hands wrapped around my neck. I clawed at them and gasped for air.

His grip was tight, and I began to see dark spots around me. I gasped and drooled, but then my hands dropped.

I was going to die. He has cut my air supply totally, so I closed my eyes, surrendering to my fate.

But suddenly the air rushed back to my lungs, and I gulped it greedily.

The man cursed, and then there were fighting sounds. I opened my eyes to see what was going on.

And I screamed when I saw Lola was straddling the man and stabbing his chest with a big knife.

I screamed and screamed till there was no sound coming out. The man stopped struggling and Lola kept on stabbing him.

The last thing I remember before losing my consciousness was the sound of the police sirens.