Chapter 30 Threatening Her
Elena
“I’m okay,” he says after a few seconds. “The bullet hit one of our guys, that’s all.”
He sounds far too jaded for this situation.
“Are you trying to kill yourself?” I asked my brother.
“Did you know cats have nine lives?” He replied.
“You’re human, Tony,” I say dryly.
“Sure, but my spirit animal is a cat,” he says cheerfully.
“Oh, my God, you’re crazy,” I mutter.
I like Unhinged better. I get really worried about him sometimes.
“It’ll be okay. Why did you call?”
“I just…” I hesitate. “I wanted to see you. Is there any chance you’ll come to Boston?”
“Why? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asks, concerned.
“It’s okay,” I say. I can’t tell him this over the phone.
“What the hell are you doing on the phone, Tony?” Roman yells in the background.
The sound of his voice makes my heart skip a beat.
“Just give me a second, Roman,” Tony yells back.
Almost immediately, the realization hits me. I can’t tell Tony the truth. I remember the conversation with Roman a month ago, when he almost threatened me not to say a word about what we did. Something painful gets stuck in my throat.
“I’m so sorry, sis. We’re in the middle of a gang war. And I’m not sure when it’s going to end. I don’t think I can come,” my brother apologizes.
“No, it’s okay,” I breathe out. “Do what you have to do. Just don’t die. Please.”
“I won’t. I love you, sis.”
“I love you, too.”
He hangs up, and I stare at the wall for a few seconds, trying to control my breathing. After a while, I dial another lifeline. The only person I know who can help me get out of this.
“Elena?” Kiara says, picking up the phone.
“Ki, I need you,” is all I can get out before the dam breaks, and I start crying.
Kiara arrives in Boston the next day. I take the day off and wait for her at my apartment. When she arrives, she takes one look at my face before hugging me.
“You still haven’t told me what’s wrong,” she says five minutes later. “I’m worried, Elena.”
We’re sitting on my couch. Kiara is holding a cup of lemonade.
“I’m not dying,” I mutter. “And I’m not in debt, and I’m not being stalked by a serial killer.”
My first instinct is to make a joke when I feel cornered. It's a bad habit. Kiara's eyes narrow, and it's clear she's not impressed.
“You curled your hair. It’s beautiful,” I say, clearly trying to buy myself more time.
“Thank you. But enough of the dawdling,” she says.
My chest heaves as I let out a soft sigh. Not wanting to drag it out any longer, I say the words.
“I’m pregnant.”
The statement echoes around the room. Kiara’s eyes widen in surprise.
“What?”
“Pregnant, Kiara. Like, I’m having a baby.”
“You’re pregnant?” she whispers, her eyes still wide and her expression slightly stunned.
“Yeah. But you might want to take the shock out of it a little. “I’m not done yet,” I state.
Her brow furrows, and I almost want to laugh. She has no idea what kind of bombshell I’m about to drop.
“The baby belongs to none other than Roman De Luca.”
It takes a few seconds for the meaning of that sentence to sink in. Kiara’s expression changes from confusion to horror to disbelief. It’s pretty comical.
“Very funny,” she says, laughing nervously. “Elena, can you be serious?”
“I’m serious,” I say quietly. Roman and I slept together. And now I’m carrying the fruits of that in my womb. I know it sounds crazy. Trust me, I’m this close to losing it myself.”
Kiara stares at me for a second.
“You slept with Roman De Luca!” She practically screams. “So you had sex with him?”
“Yes, Kiara. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept,” I say, deadpan.
“Oh, my God,” she says under her breath. “Oh, my God,” she repeats, louder this time.
“Trust me, baby. I know. It’s crazy.”
Kiara drops her cup and runs a hand through her hair. I let it simmer in silence for a few minutes. When she’s done processing it, she looks at me.
“When did this happen? And how? And why? I mean, I know you've always had feelings for him, and don't you dare try to deny it.”
I shrug. I'm not going to deny it. But after talking to Roman, I realized something important. Whatever feelings I had for him, I had to numb them. And I did. I told myself that I didn't care anymore. He made it clear that he didn't care about me, so I had to do the same. But now I don't know what to feel.
"You have to tell me what happened, Elena," Kiara says softly.
And so I do. I tell her everything. How we slept together, and our subsequent conversation, in which he told me never to speak of it again.
“He called it a mistake,” I say flatly. “We slept together, and he called it a mistake. What do you think he’ll say about this baby?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions, Elena. Roman isn’t that kind of guy. You should discuss it with him. Maybe…”
“Kiara,” I say, cutting her off. “Roman is a Don. And they’re at war right now.” You expect me to just walk up to him and say, “Oh, hey, remember that time we fucked?” Yeah, well, I have a baby growing inside me right now, surprise.”