Time Jump... A week later
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Luciano walked out his room, buttoning his shirt and he heard Teresa again, coughing. He hasn't spoken to her since he told her they were done. He wanted very badly, but he couldn't succumb to his emotions, it turned out badly when he did the first time.
Walking downstairs, he heard the toilet seat close and flush and he saw Laura in the kitchen. She's been nicer than normal and if it were one thing he remembered about her from their time, she wasn't a nice person, he did like that about her but he was young and didn't actually know what he did like.
She turned around and saw him, smiling.
"I cooked breakfast" She grinned, sliding a plate of pancakes to him with butter on top and syrup. "So how did you sleep?" She questioned, handing him a fork and he didn't waste time cutting into the pancake. Something he rarely did, eat breakfast, or pancakes.
"Not as best I should, but I expected that" , He said, taking the sliced pancake off the fork with his mouth, Laura watching with a smirk. He looked up, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw Teresa walk in and she didn't glance at either of them, knowing that they were looking at her as she stood on her tippy toes, grabbing a box of cereal from the top of the fridge.
His eyes saw the prenatal vitamins he had gotten and he looked down at his plate.
"Hey are you busy?" Laura asked, but he had already gotten up, grabbing the vitamins from the shelf and slid his plate and the vitamins on the table, in front of Teresa.
"Hold that thought" He told Laura, walking away and Teresa finally raised her eyes to stare at him. She didn't mind eating cereal, but she was grateful he gave her his pancakes instead. Though he took a piece out of it, that made her giggle. She took the gummies and saw that Laura was making her way to the table causing her to get up, not wanting to be near her.
"Where are you going?" Laura questioned.
"Don't act as if you don't hate me. You don't have to pretend" Teresa rolled her eyes.
"No actually. I wanted you to stay, spend time with you" She said, confusing Teresa, not at all surprised though. Teresa sat her plate down staring at Laura, she knew bullshit when she saw it. Or heard it.
"Why did you take my ring?" She questioned, Adriano telling her last night.
" I thought Luciano gave it to you and I wanted something that could make me feel closer to him. " That were the truthful answer, but Teresa thought it was stupid considering the ring was sentimental value to her even if it were given by Luciano.
"So you take my ring? You know what" She shook her head, grabbing her plate.
"I think you wanted me gone from the beginning and I think you are screaming inside now that I'm not with Luciano. You are sad Laura." Teresa grabbed her plate and turned, walking away up the stairs and when Laura heard her door close, she punched the table, angry. Everything Teresa said was true, but she didn't care, she needed to gain their trust. Especially Luciano's. She didn't want to play nice with Teresa but the way to Luciano is also through Teresa whether they're fighting or not. If she doesn't get along with Teresa, Luciano would never drop his guard around her.
She would never be able to get close to him.
Teresa laid on the bed, rubbing her stomach. She did know one thing, Laura could cook.
-
Luciano threw on his coat, stepping out of the car and slamming the door closed. It was sunny out, hot and yet he still would wear a suit and a coat. Even if he and Adriano hadn't spoken since the incident, he was also there, beside him where he belonged. With his brother. They walk in the building, standing before Ricco's second man, Santino and his men.
Luciano nudged his head and they moved out the way for his men to walk through and they threw a duffel bag on the table.
"Cos'è questo?" (What is this?), Santino asked and Luciano made eye contact with Adriano. That's how he "spoke" to his men. No words were needed. Adriano stepped forward, unzipping the bag and stepped back, Luciano smirking, waiting for Santino to open it.
And with hesitance and caution, Santino looked inside and stepped back quickly.
"Well that is no way to greet your Don. You're very much dead Don, courtesy of me" Luciano chuckled and Santino's gun was out, pointing at him and Adriano's was out, pointing at Santino just as fast and then everyone else's gun was pointed at their enemies, following their leaders.
"Do you know the rules of this world we are currently living in?" Luciano questioned, looking at Santino. "No?" He chuckled, not a word being said. Luciano nodded, walking along the table.
" Allow me to educate you gentleman. Money, power is all great, good. But loyalty means a great significance in the position, business we are in. Especially-" He stopped and stared directly at Santino.
" When you come to me for my partnership. My connections and resources" Luciano ran his fingertips across the table then he slid his hands into his pocket, appearing back in his regular stance. "He broke that loyalty and he paid the price" He gestured to the bag.
"As for you Santino Moretti, you have a decision to make, you are the second man so this business is officially yours. You can follow Ricco to his death bag" He chuckled at his dark humor. "Or you can renew our terms and become the Don of Milan with the Don of Rome as your ally. You have to admit, it makes you look awfully good in front of your families. But answer quick, I am a busy man"
He nodded, turning his back on them.
-
Teresa stared into her body mirror, turning left to right, side to side, staring at her pregnant belly. Not showing. Only 6 weeks pregnant.
The morning sickness she could go without, but she did love how plump her breasts were beginning to get, though the ache, she wished she didn't have. Even more, she wished Luciano would soothe them, but she knew he couldn't. He wouldn't.
She sat down on her bed with a sad sigh.
Closing her eyes, the sound of the gun going off, made them pop open. The scene replayed and replayed in her head. How he shot Ricco in front of her. The splattered, red blood on the wall. How she heard the thud as he fell to the floor, the thick blood leaving his body. And Luciano. Completely unbothered by the sight. Unbothered by killing someone in front of her eyes. She could never unsee it.
Her stomach churned the more vivid the scene became through her eyes and she got up, running into the bathroom.
Putting her hand on the top, she felt her hair being pulled and she knew it was Laura. They were the only two there. She just didn't have the energy to fight her.
-
"Alright" Santino said after minutes, gathering Luciano's attention.
"I'll renew the terms if and only if you tell us where Mireia Sadino is" Luciano glanced at Adriano, who's grip tightened on the gun no doubt also troubled by the mention of Teresa.
"Excuse me?" Luciano questioned, the thought of Teresa being a requirement set him off. No one was supposed to know of her in Ricco's business but they didn't know who she was. They knew her only as Mireia, which gave him a small relief.
"Don't act as if you don't know. We know she was with him everywhere in Rome. My men drove them all around your city there is no way you didn't know of her. Yet Ricco is here dead, and she is nowhere to be found. Which only means you know where she is. And in honor of Ricco, you are to release her to her rightful family" Luciano's head tilted, not understanding how they even thought of this, though it worked in his favor, they had no idea he set her up with Ricco.
Which means Ricco never said anything, at least he took that secret to his grave. Or maybe he didn't tell them purposefully. Because if he did, they would be wanting to kill her right now rather than protect her and as a man knowing how it felt to love her, he wouldn't dare risk that possibility.
Though he still had a problem. There was no way they were going to let it go. In their eyes she was their potential Queen and if a Don's men didn't have any respect for their Don, they definitely had it for their Queen. As royal as it sounds, it was like this.
Luciano took a step forward and said, "She is not negotiable" He said it in a way that would have held many meanings, bad or good. Santino lowered the gun and took a step forward as well, holding his ground.
"Then we have a problem"
"I guess we do," Luciano replied and Santino stepped back with a chuckle.
"See you soon Don Rossi" Santino nudged his head and they began following him out and Adriano turned to face Luciano.
"Go" Luciano said, knowing that's what Adriano was waiting for. Adriano gestured for his men to follow and they all did. Luciano wouldn't have thought that they would want Teresa in honor of Rico. But they did and he wouldn't let them take her, because he knew one way or another the truth would come out and he wasn't going to let them harm her or his baby when it did. He knew they would do anything to get her. Especially since they thought Luciano was holding her hostage or even worse, torturing her. Just another threat he had to diffuse. This time, he'll diffuse it with quickness and efficiency and he knew Adriano would get it done.
-
After Teresa washed her face and her mouth, she turned to Laura who was still there and thanked her. She walked out, not having anything else to say but Laura followed her. "What do I have to do?" She asked, folding her arms and Teresa turned around confused.
"What do I have to do to earn your trust? Your friendship?" Teresa stood there, speechless. For a second she didn't realize Laura did say it. Like it was something she imagined.
Teresa opened her door, waiting for her to walk out and with a huff, she did.
Teresa locked her door, not wanting her to go through her things again. She didn't know what Laura's motives were but she did know that as long as she was in love with Luciano, they couldn't get along or be friends.
-
Adriano paced back and forth, smacking her forehead and swearing repeatedly. He stared at the wrecked car below them, the bodies on the ground, bullet holes through their heads, legs and stomach. All of them, but one.
Santino, the new Don.
One of the men came by, staring as well with a sigh. "He may have gotten in another car. He suspected this" Adriano nodded and patted his back, walking away and then he halted, with a huff as his phone rang.
Bad news Luciano.
He answered and heard " Done?"
"No" He responded and Luciano threw his coat to the ground, pissed.
"He took another vehicle. He's still out there" He explained and Luciano swore.
"He won't be coming any time soon. He has to settle as the new Don. We should expect them" He explained and Adriano nodded, noticing he couldn't see him.
"Luciano, Teresa. Are you-"
"No" He interrupted and his voice lowered as he said, " Stress isn't good for her pregnancy"
Adriano chuckled through the phone and sighed, happily. "You're going to be one hell of a father" Luciano smirked as he pulled up the camera fees of Teresa. Laying down, sound asleep.
"I hope so," He mused quietly.
He hung and walked downstairs and was stopped by his ex who was staring at him concerned. "You look stressed. You okay?" She questioned as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.
"Nothing I can't handle. Tell me about this thought you had earlier" He said, quickly switching the topic and she perked up, being reminded. She sat on the stool as he took a swig and she smiled, leaning forward.
"You, me and Italian food" He chuckled, understanding what she didn't say. A date.
"Laura I told you-"
"Just friends" He raised his eyebrow, not expecting her to say that. Truthfully she hasn't pushed up on him like she did when she first arrived. He didn't see why not.
"How about the day after tomorrow? I'm taking Teresa baby shopping and no details!" She quickly said, cutting off his advances. He nodded though.
"I accept these terms then" He grinned, and she pushed off the table, walking away as he stared after her.
She amused him greatly. She was different. However it was only a reason why he became more cautious of her. Not himself, he could take care of himself, but around Teresa. He was definitely going to have Adriano follow along with this baby shopping. He trusted no one more with the life of Teresa and his child. Furthermore, he was the only one Luciano trusted.
Walking upstairs, he turned the knob to Teresa's room, only to find it locked. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was cautious of Laura. Using his own key, he unlocked it, pushing it open, standing in the doorframe, taking another swig of his beer, that he rarely drank.
He was a wine man.
Staring at her, he could only think, imagine how she would look in a wedding dress. A perfectly custom designed, beautiful and expensive wedding dress. Her bright smile, her beautiful hazel eyes that shone more because of the glimmer of the diamond earrings and necklace she would wear. Looking down at the bundle of joy In her hands, son or daughter, their child.
Heaven he imagined it was.
Heaven it was.
Laura stared at the back of Luciano with annoyance. She wished he would look at her like that. He reached for the door to close it and Laura shut hers quietly and sighed.
Time, She reminded herself.
It takes time.
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My poor Ricco ain't have to be chopped up like that. Unfortunately he died, I did like him.
Anyways if you liked this Chapter vote please and thank you.