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“I did win, yeah.” I wasn’t talking about the drink, but he didn’t seem to know that. I had won in life. The second Ana became my wife, I’d won, and when our babies were born, I’d win again. I’d always win at life with the three of them.

“You know, you’re a lucky man, Lorenzo. Not many can balance this life with a family.” Rox smiled.

“Many aren’t me, though.” I strummed my fingers on the table. “Let’s begin.”

The meeting proceeded with a tense silence, my knife laid flat on the table, its presence a silent warning to the man sitting opposite me with a shit-eating grin. Rox’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he glanced at it, his earlier bravado replaced by a cautious respect. Gino and Red stood by my side, their presence a reminder of the unity that bound us.

“So, everything is exactly the same, and after that slip up, we’ve been satisfied with the weapons. We want to extend the contract.” I paused. “For now.” My smile was faint, but genuine, as Rox snatched the pen from my hand, his eagerness evident.

“And for the future, I’ve learnt my lesson.” Rox cleared his throat, but only time would tell if he had.

The door to the VIP room burst open with a force that made everyone in the dimly lit booth turn their heads, including mine. Finn rushed in, his face flushed and his tie askew as if he sprinted through a storm to get here. “Lorenzo! Boss!” he gasped, unsure of what to call me as he stopped just beside me. I jumped to my feet, my brow furrowed in confusion. “It’s Ana!” Finn panted, his words tumbling out in a rush. The room fell silent, the usual hum of conversation and clinking glasses halted as all eyes fell on me.

“What the fuck happened to Ana?!” My voice was sharp, the authority I held cutting through the tension like a knife. I didn’t wait for an answer. I started moving towards the door. I clockedRox from the corner of my eye, relaxing back in the booth with a glass of bourbon in hand, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.

“Her water just broke,” Finn continued, his voice trembling slightly. “She said you didn’t answer your phone, and she’s panicking.” I froze mid step, my hand hovering over the doorknob. I frantically patted my pockets, my heart stopping as I realised it must have slipped out of my pocket in the car. “Fuck! Fuck!” I muttered, my composure cracking for the first time in years.

“Nicolo’s getting the car ready with her bag and the babies’ stuff,” Finn added, trying to keep up with my panicked pace.

“Call Nicolo and tell him to take Ana straight to the hospital. I’ll meet them there,” I ordered, trying to remain as calm as possible despite the chaos swirling inside me. I paused, turning to Rox, who was still sitting there but had at least set his glass down. “Rox?—”

“Lorenzo, I’ve got it from here. Just go and be with Ana,” Gino demanded with a smile. “Me and Red will meet you at the hospital when all is done here.”

The amount of time it took me to reach the car was a new record. I couldn’t think of anything or anyone else other than my wife. Fuck, she needed me, and I was with that twat upstairs.

I had never driven so fast in my life. The streets of the city blurred past me as I navigated traffic with a recklessness that bordered on madness. I tried to call Ana, but it went straight to voicemail. My heart sank at the thought that she could have the babies before I even fucking arrived. She was closer to the hospital than I was, and the traffic was fucking dire.

I dialled Nicolo’s number, the dial tone echoing through the car’s speakers. “We’re nearly at the hospital. How are you doing?” Nicolo’s calm voice came through, a stark contrast to my racing thoughts.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be there. Ana,mi amore, are you okay?!” I was almost shouting, my voice cracking with desperation. But I did my best to remain calm for her.

“It hurts,” she whimpered in the background, her voice weak but clear. My chest tightened at the sound, my grip on the steering wheel tightening. “I know,mi amore, I know, but I’m coming. I’ll do my best to make it better, I promise.” I had no idea how I could make that happen, but I’d try my fucking hardest for her. Her screams erupted through the line, raw and primal, and my heart shattered.

“Drive safe. Our babies need you in one piece,” she managed to say, her voice trembling. Even in her pain, she was still worrying about me.

“I will. Don’t worry about me,” I replied, my voice hoarse.

“We’re pulling into the parking lot now. I’ll stay with her until you arrive,” Nicolo reassured me.

“Thank you! Ana, I love you,”

“I love you, too,” she whispered, her words mingling with her laboured breaths. The line went dead, and I floored the accelerator, my mind racing with thoughts of my wife and the two lives we were about to bring into the world.

I parked haphazardly in front of the hospital entrance and sprinted inside, my Oxford shoes skidding on the polished floor as I followed the signs to the maternity unit. “Anastacia Ricci. Where is she?!” I demanded at the nurse’s desk.

The nurse, a kind-faced woman with tortoise shell glasses, typed slowly into her computer. “Let me pull up her records and see what room she’s in for you,” she responded, taking her sweet fucking time at pulling up that file.

“My wife is in labour. I’d appreciate you hurrying up, please,” I snapped, my patience non-fucking-existent. She looked up at me, her expression unflappable. “I said please. What more do you want?!” I added. Another nurse appeared, her eyes wideningat the sight of Lorenzo. “She’s in room three-zero-nine. Just down the hall, last door on your right.” She smiled, pointing me in the right direction.

“Thank you,” I muttered. “You might want to tell your co-worker that urgency matters, especially today!” I didn’t wait to hear her reply. I already sprinted off in the direction she sent me.

The moment I reached the door, I paused, taking a deep breath. This was it. The moment I’d both longed for and dreaded. The next time we left this room, we’d be a family. I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t fucking terrified, but I knew we could do it together.

Time to meet our babies.

I pushed open the door and found Nicolo standing by Ana’s bedside, his hand clenched in hers as she rode out another contraction. “Thank God! I can’t feel my fingers,” he whimpered, his face pale.

“Thanks, Nic. I don’t know what we’d have done without you today,” I said, crossing the room to Ana. “The guys are on their way. They’ll be here in about thirty minutes. Are you going to wait?”