Married To The Mafia: Book II

27 - Giant Watermelon

"Leave my son out of this!" Susan cried as he reached for Alex again. "Leave my son out of this!!"

She continued to scream, just as Alex screamed. She kicked at the man, scratched his hands just as Alex did. The next instant, she felt a blow to her head and blacked out.

She was in the hospital when she came to. It took her mind a second to recall everything that had happened. She bolted to an upright position.

"Alexander!"

Cody was suddenly beside her. One look at him and she burst into tears.

"My son!" She cried. "My baby. My poor baby. They took him!"

Cody took her in his arms. "We'll take care of it, I promise. I will bring him back to you."

She wept into his shirt. "Cody, please do everything you can I beg of you."

He patted her back. "I will. I will. I swear on my life."

"Oh Cody." She sobbed. "Cody, I have wronged you." She wept harder.

"No, you haven't."

She shook her head vigorously in between heavy sobs. "I have to tell the truth. I lied all those years ago. I thought I was doing the right thing. Oh, I lied. I do not deserve your help."

He held her face in his palms. "I don't understand."

"Alex is your son."

Shocked, he let go of her and walked calmly to the single window in the room. He stood, watching the setting sun casting a pinkish-red glow on the hospital grounds.

Susan continued. "I lied. I lied he was your brothers' because I had convinced him that we both should disappear from this whole life. We were going to leave after the invasion." She waited for a few seconds. "Cody please say something."

"Why him?"

"He promised me safety. When I found out I was having a child I was happy but then I realized you were too loyal to Sir Devlin that you would never leave him no matter what. The next best person was your brother. He wasn't you but he promised to take us out of the drug world, to a place we would be safe. I'm sorry."

He said nothing but walked back to where she sat. He stared into space for a while before saying, "My brother died thinking he had a child. That's unforgivable."

"I'm sorry." She sobbed.

"You could have said something after the whole thing. Why didn't you? I held your hands as you gave birth, happy for my brother and jealous in the same breath. I was jealous of a dead man, of a person who was taken unfairly. I wished I had a kid too. I spend time with Alex, wishing he could call me Dad, wishing anyone could call me Dad. You robbed me of that!"

"Cody --"

"And now he might never call me Dad."

"No! No!" She jumped from the bed, eyes red and swollen. She held Cody's shirt. "Don't say that! You will bring my baby back. Please! Please..." She cried. "I deserve to die. I deserve the worst punishment, but not my son...our son. Please Cody." She buried her face in his chest and wept.

He placed his hand on her arm and pulled her up, then led her to the bed. "You should rest. I have to be on my way."

He picked his jacket and started for the door but he stopped and turned. "I didn't tell my boss about this before because I thought I had no right. I wanted you to make that decision. But now that I know I have a right over Alex, I will. That's the only way we can ensure his safety."