Page 56 of A Touch of Fate

I watched the young female doctor in trepidation as she did the ultrasound.

Samuel leaned against the wall next to me.

I had ignored his outstretched hand and hadn’t said a single word since he’d entered the room five minutes ago.

I couldn’t bear his touch right now. I was too agitated.

With the doctor present, he couldn’t really say much either, which was a relief.

My anxiety spiked to unbearable levels as the seconds trickled by while the doctor checked on the baby when suddenly a heartbeat sounded. I smiled, hope banishing my acute fear.

“Is everything okay?” Samuel murmured as he straightened, the cold mask on his face slipping for the first time since he’d entered the room. His worry dulled my anger briefly, but I reminded myself of the close call we’d had today.

The doctor nodded before she gave me a small smile. “I can’t detect anything out of the ordinary. Your bleeding could have been the result of a hematoma bursting. This area”—she motioned at a darker area on the screen—“looks like a burst hematoma to me.”

“And the crash?” I whispered. I hadn’t hit the side of the car very hard, but I could feel a bruise blooming on my upper arm.

Samuel crossed his arms in front of his chest, the tension returning to his body.

“I don’t see any injuries. You don’t have a concussion either. We have to wait on the examination of your arm to see if it’s only bruised. But I think you were very lucky.”

Samuel met my gaze, the regret in his eyes melting through my anger.

I bit my lip. There would be time to talk about all this later.

My mind was still too chaotic. Samuel pushed the hospital wheelchair closer to the bed, and I lowered myself into it since we’d left mine at home.

With my growing belly, it wasn’t as easy as it used to be, but I didn’t want Samuel’s help.

“Please proceed to your room for now. My colleague will come to see you very soon.” The doctor opened the door for us, and Samuel pushed me out into the corridor.

Pietro was waiting for us. He gave me a tight smile before he leveled his gaze on Samuel, who still looked slightly disheveled.

Nothing an outsider or someone who didn’t know him would notice, but it was obvious to his dad.

“How about you go freshen up and grab another coffee, and I’ll take Emma to her room.”

Samuel met my gaze. I kept my face straight.

Maybe he hoped I’d ask him to stay, but I still needed a couple of minutes to let the relief sink in.

Our baby was okay. The bleeding had been nothing serious, which made our almost catastrophic crash even more tragic.

What if I’d lost the baby because of this? I didn’t even want to think about it.

Samuel brushed my shoulder. “I’ll be back soon.” He bent down and pressed a kiss to my forehead, surprising me with the intimate gesture in front of his dad. It showed how shaken up he was and that I didn’t shy back exposed how shaken I was too.

“Okay,” I clipped and watched him stride away. Strong and tall but a little broken. My heart wanted to forgive him, but I knew he and I would have to have a serious conversation and find a solution before that could happen.

Pietro took me to my room. My arm hurt, so hoisting myself up caused me more trouble than anticipated.

“May I?” Pietro asked, opening his arms.

I nodded with a small, embarrassed smile. Accepting help often still made me uncomfortable, especially with people I wasn’t very close to. Pietro was always very kind, but I wasn’t as close to him as I was to Ines. He was a reserved man like Samuel, so bonding took longer.

“I’m heavier than I look,” I joked.

Pietro chuckled. “And I’m not as old as I look.”

My eyes widened. “You don’t look old.” He was in his late fifties, with gray streaks in his brown hair to show for it, but he was in shape and as tall as Samuel.

He picked me up and lifted me into the bed. “There you go.” He met my gaze, and the mirth disappeared from his face, sadness and worry taking over. “Samuel feels horrible as he should. I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

“Guilt and loss,” I said quietly. “Denial.”

Pietro nodded. “He’s strong. He can handle it.”

I shook my head. I didn’t like contradicting Pietro. He was my father-in-law and the Underboss of the city, at least until January when Samuel would take over, but he was blind to the truth, like so many Made Men.

“He won’t be able to handle it on his own. Especially if he becomes Underboss in January. That’s even more weight that will be resting on his shoulders.”

“It was announced officially that he’ll take over in January. We can’t change it now without raising suspicions.”

I had feared he’d say that, and I knew Samuel would see it the same way.

“I know.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Pietro assured me. “Samuel needs you, and I think you need him.”

I nodded, then touched my bump. “And the baby needs me to protect it.”

“Samuel won’t ever do anything to risk your life or that of the baby again, I know it.”

Pietro’s phone beeped with a message, and he scanned it quickly, then looked back up.

“Your brother is on the way,” Pietro murmured. “Samuel told him about the crash.”

That wouldn’t go over well. Danilo would lose his shit on Samuel, and this time I couldn’t even blame him. “Does he know about the alcohol?”

Pietro’s lips tightened. “I don’t know, but I’m not sure if it’s wise to tell your brother this detail.”

I wasn’t either.

Fifteen minutes later, Danilo stormed into my hospital room. One look at his face told me things would be out of control soon. His eyes burned with fury. After he hugged me carefully, he straightened again. “Where is he?”

“Danilo, please calm down. We’re in public, and I’m fine,” I said, trying to avoid a huge scene. I wasn’t fine, not in the mental sense at least. The bruise on my arm would fade soon, but the almost crash would surely haunt my nights for a while.

The door opened at that moment, and Samuel stepped in.

Danilo lunged at him and smashed his fist against Samuel’s face.

Samuel shoved Danilo away but didn’t otherwise retaliate.

His expression burned with guilt. I assumed that held him back.

Pietro stepped between them. “Enough. Emma doesn’t need to see this. ”

Danilo glowered at Samuel over Pietro’s shoulder. “I think she does. I think she needs to dump your sorry ass. You aren’t worthy of her.”

“This is between my wife and me,” Samuel said in a deadly whisper. A bruise was already forming on his chin.

Danilo walked toward my bed and pressed a kiss to my forehead before he turned to Samuel once again.

“Emma almost died because of a drunk driver. She is in a wheelchair because of a drunk driver. And you fucking bastard get behind the wheel stinking drunk with her in the car? You could have killed her and the baby.”

Tears burned in my eyes, the heavy reality of the truth sinking in.

“I want a word with Emma,” Samuel said, his eyes locking on mine. His words had been a command, but his gaze asked me if it was okay.

I nodded. Danilo didn’t budge. “Don’t forgive him, Emma. Not for this.”

I swallowed hard, more tears gathering in my eyes. I’d always thought I’d never be with someone with an alcohol problem, but here I was. I squeezed Danilo’s hand. “Give us some privacy.”

Pietro stepped outside, and after a hard look at Samuel, Danilo followed him and closed the door.

Samuel lowered his head, his shoulders sagging. He shook his head, his eyes squeezing shut. “Danilo is right. You shouldn’t forgive me for this. Fuck, I’m a lying asshole who almost killed you and our child. I don’t deserve you, and I probably never will.”

“Not with the way you acted these past few months, no.” I shifted until I perched on the edge of the bed. I glared at him. “I’m so angry and disappointed. You promised, and you lied. Did you even try to stop drinking?”

He ran a hand through his hair, then winced. “I thought I could control it.”

“But you can’t! The alcohol is in control. How can I ever leave you alone with our baby if I have to be worried you can’t take care of it because you’re drunk.”

Samuel moved closer, grabbed my hands resting on my lap, and sank down on his knees.

He kissed my knuckles and pressed his forehead against them.

“There are no words to express how sorry I am. I hate myself more than you can ever understand, Emma. I know I shouldn’t ask you for this, but forgive me.

” He peered up, his eyes locking on mine with almost feverish despair. “I can’t live without you.”

“I’m fine and so is our baby, but it could have ended very differently.”

“I know,” Samuel murmured, looking up with a haunted look in his eyes.

He kissed my knuckles again. It was almost physically painful not to return his touch, not to fall into his arms, but I needed to be strong for past Emma and for our unborn baby.

“I haven’t stopped thinking of what could have happened.

Maybe it’s my fate to kill the people closest to me.

I killed my friends, and I almost killed you. ”

I glared. “Don’t blame this on fate, Samuel. This time, it was on you. Fate isn’t the problem. Your addiction is. You have to stop drinking.”

“I know,” Samuel said. “I love you more than anything.”

I swallowed, fighting the surge of emotions his declaration caused in me. Love declarations weren’t enough, not anymore. “More than alcohol?”

“Of course, more than anything.”