Page 11 of Escaping the King (The Sovrano Crime Family #13)

Giselle

“W e require a credit card, ma'am.” The man at the motel counter said.

Again.

Of course, I knew this.

But I also didn't want to use the credit card Carlo had given me.

I was tired. And my stomach wasn't feeling all that great.

If I gave him Carlo's credit card, I could still pay with cash when we left.

I wasn't sure if the credit company would have a record of the pre-authorization or not.

And it wasn't like I could ask the motel guy without raising some big-time red flags about me.

All I needed was a few hours of sleep.

Carlo was probably still asleep—and would be for hours.

He probably wouldn't even think about looking at his credit card details for a long time after that.

And even if he did, Dani and I would be long gone by then.

And he wouldn't have a clue where we were headed next.

I decided to risk it.

After this, I'd have to cut Carlo's card up and toss it. I wouldn't be able to use it again without tipping him off.

Ten minutes later, Dani and I were in a modest, clean room. The scent of hotel cleaning products and laundry filled the air. I needed a shower. Badly.

Dani was fine, though. I'd bathed her before bed, so she still smelled wonderful.

I turned on the TV and found a twenty-four-hour kid's channel. Thank goodness. Then I pulled a sippy cup of milk from the cooler.

“Here, baby.” I pulled off Dani's shoes and socks and let her climb into bed. She was still wearing her pink pajamas, so I didn't have to change her.

She took the cup of milk and started drinking.

I sat on the bed with her for a few minutes and watched her eyelids droop and droop and droop. Until finally, she laid back and closed them.

I slipped her cup away and kissed her cool, chubby cheek. “Night, night,” I whispered.

Then I hurried to the bathroom and showered with the door open, listening for Dani the entire time.

* * *

It hadn't taken me long to fall asleep. I was exhausted. Emotionally and physically.

I'd slept later than I had wanted. Which surprised me. I thought Dani would wake me up.

I hadn't considered the fact that she was still messed up from Italy time.

And she'd always been a great little sleeper.

“Car ride, Momma?” Dani asked as she bounced in her car seat.

My hand slid down to my belly and took a deep breath as the latest cramp took hold. “Give me a minute.” The cause of my emotional episodes last night became clearer this morning when I woke to the beginning of my cycle. I hadn't really been keeping careful track. But I knew I was due.

Soon.

I’d known the likelihood that I was pregnant was practically nil.

From past experience, anyway.

Even so, there was a part of me that had wondered what it would be like to carry my lumberjack's baby.

The idea and practicality of it all would be—impossible. How would I be able to keep ahead of Sergio and his minions if I were carrying a ten-pound baby in my belly?

Okay, so I had no idea if Carlo's baby would be ten pounds. But from the size of him, I'd bet on it.

The thought of having a piece of Carlo to hold on to—forever—well, that was a whole other story.

I'd wondered if the baby would have my features or his sculpted ones.

Would it be a boy? Like he and Marcello had specifically ordered?

What would we name him?

Maybe some kind of old family name.

Like.

Marcello.

I smiled to myself as my womb contracted harder, reminding me again that there was no life growing inside of me.

Maybe it was the hormones.

Maybe it was the fact I'd lived the life I'd wanted—for a short time.

Surrounded by people whom I loved. And who loved me right back.

But part of me—a large part of me—grieved the loss of an addition to a family that I'd never have.

Not anymore.

“Momma? Car ride?” Dani asked, slightly less patiently.

I put the car into drive and off we went.

Further and further away from a life I'd wanted.

A life I'd loved.