Mobster's Fate

Mobster's Fate, Alex

Carlo shakes his head. "She's gone man. You are just going to have to live with that. If she wanted you, she wouldn't have taken off."

"Harsh. Thanks. I've been shot, or have you forgotten?" I spit at him.

"I am telling you what it is, not what you want to hear."

"Can we just get the hell out of here and save the brotherly fuckin' pep talk for later?"

The girl standing by the bed is getting nervous. She sees us coming. I knew Carlo was going to draw attention with his behavior. She keeps shifting on her feet and shooting glances our way.

"Don't spook them. Just walk by," I tell him.

"Why would I spook them? You're the one that's bandaged up with a gunshot wound walking around the hospital in the middle of the night." A tinge of pain rockets through my shoulder. I gasp in response. The pain meds are wearing off I think.

We approach the two women and one of them has a white sheet covering her belly. She looks pregnant. The other woman, must be her friend or sister standing beside her.

Our steps are hasty and we approach hugging the opposite side of the hallway giving them the widest berth possible. The woman on the bed grabs her stomach and lets out a moan. My forced straight ahead avoidance stare is distracted and I glance at the woman. My feet freeze and my head turns getting a better look not believing my eyes. It has to be a mirage, a hallucination--the medication.

Meryl!

Carlo stops when I do.

I eat up the short space in the hospital hallway and step to the bed.

"Meryl! Holy shit!" I'm loud and I don't care. I reach out and touch her to make sure she is real. I lay my hand on her stomach. "Holy shit!" I say again.

"Get away from her!" I am shoved in the shoulder and the pain of the thrust stings.

"Shit!" I howl.

"Help!" The woman with Meryl screams. She kicks out at me, but I ignore her. My eyes are glued to my beautiful Meryl stricken with surprise. "We need help!" The woman with Meryl screeches.

All of my attention returns to Meryl and I touch her again. I am in awe. I lean down and rest my head on her astounded.

"It's not yours Alex."

I gaze at her lying there and her face is stone.

Those four words hit me in the gut. Not because she says that the baby she is carrying isn't mine but because it's all she can say to me after she left me without a word or way to find her. She never gave me the chance to tell her that I love her. For the first time in a long time, my eyes well with tears. It was fate when I met her at La Belle Regale casino sitting on a bar stool attempting to cover her giggle at my fumbling around at something I never do. The casino is my home. It was only a few months ago but to me, seeing her, it seems a lifetime.

"Get. Off. Her. Now!" Meryl's friend pounds on my back. "Get away!" She is frantic. Carlo grabs her and wraps his hand over her mouth.

I can't let go of Meryl. I have wrapped my entire uninjured arm around her middle and hug her the bedrail hitting me in the stomach. The thought of a second chance rolls around in my head. I've been given a second chance. Fate has brought us together. It's sappy and Carlo is going to say its bullshit but to me it's true.

I should be mad at her. I should be rip pissed as shit that she is carrying another man's baby. The wall beside her bed should have a hole in it from where I punched it. I can't do it. It is all washed away because all that matters is that I found her.

A muffled scream makes me turn.

"Alex. That is my cousin... Lisa. Please..." Meryl stops mid-sentence because her breath is caught in her throat from pain. Her hand goes to her stomach.

"Meryl?" I run my unbandaged hand through her hair. "Honey? Are you okay?" I turn to Carlo. "Get a fucking doctor, now!"

Carlo is hesitant. He wants to get the hell out of here. But he isn't a bastard, he doesn't want to see Meryl suffer. The girl in his arms fights trying to tear herself away.

"Get your hands off me!" she shrieks.

He gapes down at her and releases. His eyes flash to mine then he rushes, continuing down the hall to the main emergency room. The girl rights her clothes from struggling to be free of Carlo's hold.

"How dare you?" She seethes at me.

"Lisa, is it?" I pause. "I am going to tell you this once, back the fuck away from me." I threaten. Nothing is coming in between Meryl and me.

Meryl's pain has subsided.

"Alex?"

"Don't talk honey. Rest the doctor will be here soon," I coo. I have never fucking cooed at anyone in my whole life. This woman makes me turn inside out.

"Alex? Don't you want to know?" Meryl wonders.

I do. I want to know whose baby this is but I don't want to upset or scare her by telling her I'm going to kill him because she is mine. I've seen some dysfunctional fucked up shit in my life and creating it does even fucking faze me.