After we heard the initial loud bang and shouting voices I went to investigate what was going on. I left Giana in the room we'd been sitting in and peeked out the window that overlooked the front lawn of the property. I didn't know what was happening, but I saw people running towards the back lawn. Guns were drawn.
I didn't want Giana to panic. She's like 80 months pregnant right now and round and swollen as a ball. "I don't know the layout of this house, Giana. Is there a place we should go?" I asked her. I could see panic in her eyes, but she was trying to keep it together.
"Um...um, I don't know!" She exclaimed, about ready to ball her eyes out.
"Okay, just breathe a second here. Any safe rooms, hidden bunkers or some shit? Come on Giana" I tried helping her along. It's a safe house. There has to be more to this place. A loud POP, POP, POP shattered some glass in the other room and Giana screamed. I ducked.
"Oh my god, we're gonna die. They're gonna kill us! They're gonna kill my baby" she started yelling and sobbing. I pulled her behind another wall to keep our cover and told her to shut up. She was starting to hyperventilate and I needed her to keep it together for me.
Now, in Russia I was with my father and brother's once when there was an attempt on their lives. There was a lot of shouting, glass shattering, and gunfire just like we have here. But we'd been in an armored car, and they all had guns. I remember Vitaly and my brothers leaving me after it was safe, and when they returned to me again they were wiping blood off their hands.
I don't have that here, so think Lexi.
If I don't save Giana I might as well die with her or else the Italians will kill me for sure. Okay, save the pregnant mafia princess. Think Lexi. Think.
I jumped back when I heard a splash and gaped down when I realized that splash was Giana's water breaking. "You gotta be fucking kidding me!" I exclaimed. This isn't happening. This is a bad dream. A joke of a nightmare when everything goes wrong all at once and it gets looney.
"EGH" Giana grabbed her belly and bent slightly over. A contraction.
"No, Giana, don't do this to me. You keep that kid inside you" I pointed at her like I was warning her she better not mess with me. Too bad you can't keep a kid inside you. It comes when it comes, which means we need to get the fuck outta here.
"Oh my god, I'm going into labor and we're about to die. Lexi, do something!! " she begged me.
She had black mascara already starting to run down her cheeks and she was all wet, which was gross. She was grabbing at my arms pleading with me like I knew what the fuck to do about it. Okay, you know what to do. Just be brave enough to do it. Come on, Lexi. I amped myself up and let my adrenaline carry me forward.
"Okay, Giana, I need you to stay here a second. I'm going to see if we have a clear path out of here. We'll take one of the cars. Do you know where the keys are?" I asked her, remembering I saw SUV's and other cars lined up.
Giana shook her head no and hiccuped.
She started groaning through another contraction again and I knew I needed to hurry. "Just stay here" I quickly moved out of the room and down the hall. I dropped down and practically crawled to the window.
There was a guard, one of our guys, and he was on the ground. His head was lulled to face me and he had a blood soaked shirt. The side of his head also has some blood like maybe a bullet grazed him there too. Poor guy, but I was looking for two things right now. Keys and a gun.
I know how to shoot. Vitaly made me learn.
Fear gripped me. I knew I needed to run out there and search the man for some keys. I could see his gun carelessly dropped beside him, out of his dead hand. I would go for that, but we need a way out of here and I have no idea who is shooting from where.
Be brave, Lexi.
Blocking my head, like that'd do anything, I quickly ran outside and grabbed the gun I saw from the window. I searched the body but found no keys. I ran back inside when more gunfire could be heard. My heart's never pounded so hard in its life.
It almost felt unreal as all this was unfolding. A pregnant mafia princess with her water breaking and contractions starting. I'm sure her fear and panic is what induced the labor.
Outside men were shouting and bullets were flying. People are dead and glass shatters every once in a while like clockwork. It's a battlefield out there. Literally. And I have to get Giana and I out of it somehow.
And I can tell you one thing, I'm not waiting for no man to come save me. Either we go out trying, her and I, or probably die in here waiting on 'help'. I choose me.
When I ran back inside with the gun I ran back to Giana who was yelling for me. Afraid I was killed off and she was alone. "Please don't leave me here," she cried. I assured her I wouldn't, but I don't think she's even listening.
I took a second to check the gun for bullets. Good we have some.
"Do you know how to use that?" Giana looked at me with little confidence. "I do, but let's hope we don't need it. I need to look for keys, Giana. To drive us out of here. You need a hospital" I pointed out the obvious.
In perfect timing she started another contraction, moaning and groaning. At the same time someone came quickly around the corner.
On instinct I pulled Giana behind me and pointed the gun. I was a half a second away from pulling the trigger until I recognized that big wall of a Russian man. Boris. He was sweaty and grabbing at his arm, which was bleeding.
In Russian he told me, "I was trying to get in here, but had to hold my position."
Giana couldn't understand him, but I was ignoring her hystria. Rightfully so. I can't judge the girl for freaking out. I am most definitely freaking out, but I have to channel that into the adrenaline I need to get us outta this mess.
"Take these, go to the silver SUV, I will follow behind you" Boris told me, tossing me a set of keys. Bingo.
"Thanks Boris, be careful" I told him, grabbing Giana and throwing her arm around my shoulder to help her walk while she was in the middle of a contraction.
"Wait, we can't go out there!" Giana tried stopping in her tracks when she realized we had to run across the front lawn to the first SUV in the line of SUVs. "We can't stay in here either," I pointed out. "They'll shoot us!" She shouted at me.
I told Boris to watch her and ran into the kitchen. I grabbed a sheet pan and handed it to Giana as a shield. She needs to think she's safe to be able to get her to move the way I need her to move. I took a second sheet pan and blocked her behind me. I held the gun in my dominant hand and kept it pointed out to block Giana.
"We run on three," I told her. She was shaking and crying but she nodded okay. Boris told me he would hold us down. He'd shoot back if anyone started shooting at us.
"1" my heart was beating against my chest.
"2" I could feel the quiver inside me.
"3" I shouted, and blocked Giana as we ran as fast as we could to the SUV.
Giana was screaming the whole time. I had unlocked the car before we even went out there, so she opened her door and I ran to mine. I turned the car on and heard the tink of a bullet hitting car metal. Boris waved me to go, so I took off and made a quick U-turn to drive down the driveway and through the open gate.
Thank god they opened it for us in anticipation of getting us and escaping.
TINK, TINK, TINK. I could hear the bullets grazing the back of the SUV as I drove off. Giana had the sheet pan over her head like a helmet, screaming and shouting for me to go faster. I peeled off and started in any direction. I was terrified someone was gonna follow us.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" Giana kept repeating through labored breaths.
"Do not have that kid, Giana. Do not do this. Breath and DO NOT push" I told her, driving more recklessly than I should. I had a gun tucked into my waistband right now. Who am I? What life am I living again? Mom would hate this.
"There is a car behind us," Giana shouted. I pulled the gun up into my hand hoping I wouldn't have to shoot it because I'm driving and that won't be very possible. I hold no confidence in Giana taking that on either.
"No, it's Boris. He's with us" I assured her when I got a better look. He said he'd follow behind us.
"Giana, gsp, I have no idea where the closest hospital is," I reminded her. She quickly pulled her phone out and started typing it in. "Ew, everything is wet" she huffed. Gross.
In the chaos of it all we didn't think to call anyone and say we made it out or that there was an attack in the first place. My mindset was to get Giana out safe and to a hospital where she can properly have her baby.
I was also focused on not dying.
-
The drive to the hospital was a blur of more chaos, direction giving, and Giana calling her doctor yelling at him to get to the hospital we were going to so he could deliver her baby the way she'd planned.
I could tell she didn't like being out of control. Especially for this. This is her first child and her labor story is not going great so far.
If we survive it'll be a hell of a story to tell, but I'm not convinced we won't be followed here. Anything could happen and I need to be waiting for it. Ready for it.
When we illegally parked in front of the ER doors I quickly hopped out and called for help. Giana was doubled over with contractions and I didn't like standing out here like sitting ducks. "Call my mom" Giana shoved her phone in my face. She was being helped onto a stretcher.
Boris was trying to hide the fact that he was bleeding out all over the place because of a bullet wound. I called Mrs. Rizzo and she answered right away.
"Honey," she said quickly.
"Mrs. Rizzo, this is Lexi Petrov. Giana is in labor and we're at the hospital now. There was, uh, a situation going on at the safe house" I told her.
I heard someone grab the phone and speak over the poor woman.
"Lexi, this is John, her father. You listen to me good, Lexi. I need you to stay with Giana at all times. Don't you let her go into any hospital rooms without you. Pay attention to the staff. See if anyone stands out. The Irish could try to disguise themselves" he told me, clearly already being privy to the attack we just escaped from.
"Is my girl alright? We'll be there as soon as we can, Lexi. Do you have a way of defending yourselves?" he asked me.
"Yes sir, I snagged a gun from one of the guards" I assured him. I had it hidden for now, but Mr. Rizzo was scaring me with his paranoia about the Irish stealing Giana and her baby after rolling her into some ER room or something.
"You stay with her" he kept telling me.
I told him I had to go after that. Giana was shouting all types of obscenities to the nurses. She was in pain and wanted an epidural, but they were trying to determine if it was too late for all that. "Just breathe through it, Giana" one of the nurses was holding Giana's hand as she ran alongside the stretcher as they wheeled her quickly down the hall.
Giana made an inhumane sound and squeezed the hell out of the woman's hand. I have no desire to witness birth. I don't think I could look Giana in the face again if I had to see her in stirrups with a wide open vag and a bloody baby tearing out of her. No thank you.
"Don't leave me" Giana kept groaning in between breaths, grabbing for me. Mr. Rizzo warned me that I couldn't leave her alone...I guess I'm going in.
"Are you her partner?" A nurse asked, waving around a clipboard.
"Huh? Oh no, just a friend who happened to be there at the time of, uh, all that" I motioned down to Giana yelling and grabbing at her belly and our hands.
God, why did they make birth so gruesome? I know we're 'made for it', but barely. It's traumatic for the body. I can't imagine the feeling. Nothing ever goes back to the way it was either. Or so I've heard.
After we pulled into a room and they started getting everything into place a doctor glided in at ease. "So, Giana...are you ready to have this baby?"
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Author's Note: Do you think Giana is having a boy or girl?