Hey guys! It's hard to say, but I believe we're around five chapters away from ending the Dancer and the Don...probably less! It's still a bit fuzzy, but that's where we're at here. It's so hard to say because this is the second book I've ever finished!
Thank you guys so much for being a part of this journey with me! I really appreciate all my readers, especially those few that have been loving this book since the beginning.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
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"Keep it away from me."
Lucy wouldn't stop complaining about the child she had birthed just minutes ago. Francesca's baby girl was still stuck with the doctor while she watched her mother get cleaned up. Lucy was acting like nothing had happened and Fran wondered just how much of her mother's mind was distorted to only think about herself.
Fran had assured Tony that she would call him back when their baby girl got back but he refused to hang up. His phone was lying face up on the counter while Tony washed his face and hands and changed his clothes.
She would ask him what happened later.
"Why don't you even want to see her, mom?"
"Because she's not my child," Lucy answered.
"If you won't see her, mom, you won't see me," Francesca demanded. There was no hesitation in her voice at all. When Fran left earlier in her life she had never planned on seeing her mother again. One weakness led her back to her toxic family but this time was different.
"Keep it away from me," Lucy repeated.
This time, nothing could bring her back to her mother. She didn't ever want her little girl meeting her biological mother.
She knocked on the inside of the door of the room and Maran opened it just a little to look at her.
"Mrs. Romano?"
"We need to move rooms."
"Your mother—"
"Have Nathan and the baby secure another room, we need to move rooms," she repeated.
"Francesca?" Tony's voice came from her phone. She'd forgotten he was still there. Fran bit her lip and hung up on him so they could focus on getting her to a new room. She picked up the bags she'd brought and turned back to Maran.
She didn't want her mother to every lay eyes one her baby.
"Nathan, we need to secure another room," Maran said, pushing one of his fingers into his earpiece. He must have gotten a relatively quick answer because he was pulling her out of the room and standing in front of her.
"Let's go Mrs. Romano, we have a backup room secured. They'll meet us there. I'm assuming your mother is not going with us?"
"No. Don't let her in the room, Maran."
"Yes ma'am." He walked besides her, his steps fast and long and Francesca had to work hard to keep up with him. Room 222 was going to be their new room and Fran's shoulders released their tension with a sigh.
"I'll be outside. Nathan will be here in a moment." Fran really really hoped Nathan hadn't left her child alone.
She sat on the bed in the room and pulled her phone out to call Tony back. Fifty three texts and twenty two missed calls greeted her when she turned it on. Fran gulped but hit the call button anyway.
"Fran? What happened? Did the call cut out? Moving rooms? What's going on?" He looked so worried and she felt so bad.
"Everything's alright, Tony, I just needed to focus on getting to the backup room."
"Why did you need to use the backup room?"
"My mom wants nothing to do with the child, so I want nothing to do with her," she answered. He audibly sighed and drooped with relief.
"I thought something was wrong, Fran," he murmured. "Is she back yet?"
"Not yet, Tony. What are we gonna name her?"
"I want to see her first," Tony answered with a earth-shattering smile. She found herself returning his bright smile and staring at the door. Tony's eyes never left his phone.
She came in Nathan's arms ten minutes later.
She was swaddled in a little white blanket and she was quiet, unlike the first time Francesca laid eyes on her. Her fingers switched the camera away from her and she heard a little gasp come from her phone.
"She's perfectly healthy, Mr. and Mrs. Romano, six pounds seven ounces," Nathan announced. He shifted her in his arms and Francesca tossed the phone onto the hospital bed so she could hold her daughter.
This was her daughter. She couldn't believe it.
After placing her softly in Francesca's arms Nathan raced over to her phone laying face down on the bed. He put the camera on his boss' new daughter with a smile.
"Oh my god," Tony said, "that's our kid."
"She's so beautiful," Fran said. She swayed back and forth softly and stared into her daughter's eyes. "I wish you were here." Fran turned to face the camera but the smile never left her face.
"Damn it! I should be there. I should be with you. What am I doing?" Tony rambled. He stood from his desk and Nathan's eyes opened wide in alarm. He shook his head to tell Fran to make him stop.
"Tony?" He was too distracted to answer. "Tony!"
"I'm leaving, Fran. I can't not be with you right now." He was adamant on screwing up their entire plan. She knew if he came here it would put both her and her daughter in danger.
"Tony, if you leave that house right now I will ditch all of your guards and be on the run. Do you want that? I'm not going to let you put our child inn danger."
Our child. She was holding their child.
"I can't—you're so far away, Fran. You guys are so far away!" Nathan slipped out of the room and handed the phone to Fran. She watched her husband sob.
"Listen, Tony, the quicker you get rid of them, the quicker I—we come home to you. I need you to make sure we're safe first, alright?"
"Okay," he sniffled. Nathan allowed a nurse to roll in a bassinet and Francesca thanked them quietly then closed the door behind them. She carefully laid their baby girl down and once again put the camera on her little face.
"Gabriella," he murmured," let's name her Gabriella."
"That's perfect," Fran husked. She fought the urge to squeal when her daughter yawned in the most adorable way possible. She really hoped this feeling in her chest would never go away. Simply looking at her daughter made her feel like the most powerful and badass woman ever...and she didn't think she could ever be filled with this much love.
Fran set the phone down in the bassinet so Tony could look at her more and knocked on the door of the hotel room. Nathan stepped in quietly.
"When can we leave?" She asked. Fran was anxious to get back home and have Gabriella all to herself.
"Boss said to wait until the three get here." The three referred to the extra three men Tony was sending her way. They were known as "the three" because when the three of them were on one team, nothing could physically get past them.
"That's fine, they were supposed to arrive tonight. How long until they get here?"
"Um," Nathan scratched the back of his neck, "six o'clock in the morning."
"What time is it now?" Francesca turned towards her phone to see her husband making odd faces at the baby and getting no response.
"It's eleven o'clock, Mrs. Romano," Nathan answered.
"Shit," she groaned rubbing her eyes. She wanted to take Gabriella home so badly it was starting to physically hurt.
"Feel free to sleep, Mrs. Romano.We'll be outside and we'll notify you when they arrive." Nathan shut the door behind him and Fran picked up her phone again.
"Can't we go back to the house, Tony? I would be so much comfortable there," she begged. He sighed. Tony hated not giving his wife what she wanted.
"You'll be safer there, baby, just focus on taking care of Gabriella and they'll be there in no time." Gabriella yawed again and her eyes fluttered shut.
"She's so beautiful, Tony. Thank you for doing this with me," Fran smiled and pushed the bassinet closer to the bed. She sat on the bed and pulled Gabriella into her arms before picking up her phone as well.
Fran laid her against the pillow and pulled the covers over them both. The phone faced her and her daughter and she'd never seen such a big smile light up her husband's complexion.
"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on," he muttered through his smile. She nuzzled her nose into Gabriella's neck.
"We want to be in your arms, Tony. Please hurry up."
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I really hope you guys liked this. Only a few more chapters left!