Hey guys I just want to say that I love your reviews. I will warn you this chapter is MAJOR and please give me as many reviews as possible. So I'm not going to keep you held up. Remember to review! Enjoy!
Rose's POV-
"Whatever you do don't panic." Dimitri says obviously seeing the raw fear on my face.
"Don't panic! Don't panic!" My voice comes out high pitched. "Dimitri my water just broke AND we're about to die!"
"You sound like your panicking." He says fixing me with a stern look.
"OF COURSE I'M PANICKING!" I screech finally feeling the first wave of contractions hit me. "OH GOD WHY NOW?!"
"I need you to calm down." Dimitri says coming over and pulling me into a hug. "Max is picking up on your emotions and we have very little time." I take a deep breath and jump as I hear our front door open then slam shut.
Dimitri acts immediately pushing me down and shoving me in between the door wall and the changing table standing in front of me. I open the diaper bag and grab the gun as Dimitri steps quietly out of the room. Another contraction slams into me making me let out a low whine. Max's cries are still going making me know anyone in the apartment knows where we are. Slowly I start to rock and bounce at the same time stroking his head and shushing him quietly in his ear trying to send every calm feeling to him. It works slightly and he starts to stop fussing.
I almost jump out of my skin when Dimitri pops out of nowhere pulling me out and into the living room. The rest of my family is crouched by windows and Eddie seems to watching the security system. Mia sees me and rushes over pulling me into a hug.
"I was so scared for you." She says stroking over Max's back. He's silent now as if knowing how important it is to stay quiet. I squeeze her hand and turn to see Dimitri behind me. Leaning back I almost sigh in content when he wraps his arms around me.
"What's the plan?" Mia asks obviously scared out of her mind. No one answers. "There is a plan right?"
"No we didn't get out the house part. We have everything else though." Alberta says looking just as frustrated as the rest of us.
"How are you rich as fuck and have this happen to you?" Eddie asks.
"Look just because we have money doesn't mean we're going to go buy this ridiculous house with a state of the art security system. The point of escaping a mafia in the first place is to lay low and make sure we don't get noticed. That's why we choose this place. I mean we have security and they can't get in so let's figure a way out." I justify. "Besides I don't want to be some rich bitch. I WANT to work. I WANT to feel like a normal person. I want a normal life and do normal things."
"We should have left." Eddie says. "We should have left when we had the chance."
"Look I know how you feel but they would've followed us. They've had a nonstop eye on us. Even if we did run we would've been captured and killed. Sean knows how to play spy so there was no escaping. We have plenty of fake papers, money, safe houses that even Sean doesn't know about. Even bags ready at multiple escape routes. Believe it or not We. Are. Prepared." I tell Eddie.
"So what's the plan?" Eddie finally asks seeming to finally accept my life choices and the fact that we really are prepared.
Just as Dimitri tries to answer, the phone rings. We all stare at it and I shiver at the feeling of life leaving the room. Reaching forward I pick it up and stick it on speaker phone.
"Hello." I say fighting the bile in my throat.
"Hello Rose." Sean's voice breathes into the phone. I fight off the fear and rock a little more hoping to put Max to sleep.
"Hello Sean." I say closing my eyes and trying to breathe as my stomach cramps up.
"It's been a long time Rose. I would've never thought we would be meeting again under such…strained relations." He says chuckling slightly.
"Yeah because getting ready to kill me is just strained." I spit out. The line goes quiet and then I hear some shuffling.
"You have something I want…my son perhaps." He says and I can just picture him moving his ring in his fingers.
"My son Sean not yours." I correct him. "Look you're not getting him back. He's mine and always will be." I tell him before he can butt in. I hear him sigh and then the sound of a gun cocking fills the air.
"Then I guess I'll have to pry him from your cold dead hands." He says then hangs up.
Now I know. He'll never give up. He's a man possessed. He'll barge in here shoot all of us and take Max. Never let him have a life away from such violence and misery. The look of innocence in his eyes will shatter and never come back.
I feel my heart sink and fight off tears. Taking a deep breath I ignore the silence in the room and take Max out the harness and set him on the couch. Taking the harness off I turn to Mia. Everyone's staring at me in confusion. Holding out the harness I feel more like crying but the plan in my head is obviously the best we've got.
"Put it on." I tell her. Her eyes widen in horror.
"No." She says backing up.
"What's going on?" Eddie asks standing up. Alberta and Dimitri have knowing looks on their faces.
"Dammit Mia put the fucking harness on!" I snap at her. She looks shocked that I would raise my voice so quickly. Looking away I keep it held out. "If not for me than for Max."
My lips start to tremble as she takes the harness from me. Biting down on my lip I turn and help her strap herself in. Picking up Max when she's ready I kiss his hands and forehead and feel Dimitri behind me. Looking up he's staring down at the two of us his hand stroking the top of Max's head. I can picture it now. A family of sorrow. A man holding his wife in his arms as they say goodbye to their only child. Both looking down at the baby as he strokes his head and the wife kisses the baby's forehead and holding onto his hand. Kind of a movie scene.
"I want you and Eddie to take Max. Don't argue with me you won't win." I tell her strapping Max in. I help her into a large Pea Coat that Alberta hands me and button it over Max.
Walking to the coffee table I pull out a pack with money, baby things, maps, and a gun. Dimitri grabs Mia and Eddie's fake ID's. Giving the bag to Eddie I try not to burst into tears. Mia looks the same.
"I don't know what to do." She says in a small voice. Eddie stands behind her looking just as confused. My heart shatters in my chest and I fight the injustice of this whole situation.
"I want you to take Max. The papers all say you are his parents. Believable really I mean between Eddie and you I can see it. Take him. R-rrr-raise him. Find somewhere away from here and get a house. NOT a safe house. There's an account at the ready for you guys and everything. Disappear." I tell them sitting down on the couch. "We will find you when it's safe so don't try looking."
My throat closes and my eyes blur with tears. I hate this life. I hate what it wants and requires. This is so unfair! The sorrow and anger in my heart melds together and another contraction decides to make its way through me causing me to groan in pain. Dimitri stands next to me stroking my back. Man this sucks.
"Why are we the parents in the papers? What about you?" Mia blubbers finally letting go of her tears.
"Alberta and I thought it be best if we make sure there was a solution to EVERY possibility. We will be the distraction. Don't worry about us." Dimitri answers for me seeming just as heartbroken.
"Mom_" Eddie starts only to get cut off.
"Don't argue Eddie. I will not see my children die before me. So take Mia and Max. Raise a family and stay safe. We'll be together soon." She says.
"Rose is in labor though! She can't stay here!" Mia cries startling Max and making him cry too. She rushes forward and tries to pull me off the couch. I pull away.
"I have to stay. As far as he's concerned I have Max. I have his son. I'll be fine. Just…just go Mia. You're breaking my heart." I tell her. She is too. I can feel my heart breaking away and turning to dust in my chest. The pain of finally having Max then giving him away and then losing family is overwhelming.
"You'd put Anesia in danger? Rose think clearly. You're going to die if you stay here. Dimitri talk some sense into her!" Mia begs. Dimitri doesn't say anything. His head is bowed and I know for sure now. There is no other way to save Max and no way for me to leave.
"Mia if you stay here you and Eddie will die and Max will be taken back to the mafia. Do you want that to happen? Think of your s-son." I stutter at the end finding it strangely easy to call him someone else's son. I feel distress rise up. Is there something wrong with me?
"NO Rose he's your son." She says shaking her head frantically. Shaking my head something feels wrong all of a sudden about him being my son. It feels more right for him to be her son.
"No Mia he's your son. Eddie's hair and skin tone. Your dark blue eyes. Even that gummy smile screams Eddie." I ponder. "You know I don't think he was ever supposed to be my baby at all. As crazy as this sounds and don't make fun of me, I think he was meant to find you guys. He's your son…but I have a feeling fate has something in store for all of us later in life."
"I'm sorry." She cries.
"Don't be." I tell her shaking my head. Stepping forward I wipe her tears and kiss my NEPHEW on the forehead. "Go up and CAREFULLY jump the roof to the one next to us. Go down their stairway and exit out the side out of sight. Take the East River Ferry and then find an airport. From there get out of here. I don't want to know."
She backs up nodding her head and grabbing Eddie's hand. Together we all walk out into the hallway and I watch them run up and up the stairs. Running away from the danger. My heart fills with relief. Just as they disappear a loud bang downstairs catches my attention. Looking over the railing I see men running in with guns. Backing up quickly I run back into the apartment and shut the door locking all six of the locks. I grab the hidden gun in the coat pocket and junk drawer and run over to Dimitri.
"They're inside." I tell him. He nods and pulls out a tape recorder and gives it to me.
"It's a recording of Max's cries. Go hide." He tells me.
Grabbing the recording I stop before taking off and stand up on the couch and kiss him. His arms circle around me and he deepens the kiss. Pulling away I quickly jump down and give my aunt a hug then run off towards the back. Heading into the room I quickly make a hiding place by the bed and make it look like a bundle. Setting the recorder in the bundle I start it and run quietly up the stairs and onto the overhang to lie down in the shadows waiting.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BOOM!
I listen as footsteps run through the kitchen and jolt when I hear a gunshot ring through the apartment. Throwing my hands over my mouth I try to control my rushing heart and shove the fear down. The recording reached past Max's whimpers and escalated into the cries. More gunshots ring through the apartment and I hear yelling join into the fight. I hear furniture being thrown and glass breaking. I hear the struggle of between someone then a gunshot.
"RUN ALBERTA RUN!" Dimitri's voice booms out.
Another three gunshots ring out and two bodies hit the floor. Silence falls and then footsteps make their way down the hallway. A dark figure walks into the room just as Max's cries settle down into whimpers again. He looks around and sees doesn't see me. Heart falling I notice it's not Dimitri. Another figure walks in. Another person that's not Dimitri. My heart disintegrates as I come to the conclusion that one of the bodies I heard hit the floor had to be Dimitri. I force down tears.
"Stupid to go against us." The smaller of the two says in a deep voice. "I'll grab the kid you go back out to the car. I want to get out of here before the cops arrive."
"What about the three kids? They're not here so what do we do?" The taller of the two asks sounding deadly.
"The boss will find them and kill them, but now that we've got the_what the hell!" He shouts when he finds out Max's whimpers and cries were recorded. I lift up my guns and shoot them both quickly feeling my stomach lurch and another contraction rip its way through me. I groan and quickly make my way down and grab their guns. Dark pools of blood surround them . Clean shots to the head.
I just killed someone…not just someone but two people. My chest heaves and I feel sick. So this is what my mother, Mason, and Dimitri were trying to protect me against. Killing someone weighs down on you. Makes me feel…dirty. Running out of the room I hide in the bathroom and watch as another man runs into the room. Pointing my gun I force myself to kill him. I've trained for this. I've fought with Dimitri, took gun lessons from Dimitri, even learned battle strategies from Dimitri. I am prepared and I will protect what's left of my family. This ends here.
Not hearing anyone else coming I inch my way out of the bathroom and into the hallway. When the living room comes into sight I fight the urge to puke. Several bodies lay on the floor bleeding all over the wood. The TVs been shot along with many other things. The couches are flipped and have bullet holes in them. Glass is everywhere. I quickly survey the bodies and stop breathing when I find one larger than the rest. Looking around I rush over and try to turn the body over. Oh no please no. A sob escapes me as I claw at the man's arm. Flipping him over finally and feel my heart start to beat again. The man in my arms is clearly not my comrade. Breathing in a deep I push him off and_
I start to scream when someone yanks me backwards but it's muffled by their hand. Instincts kicking in I fight as the everything but the urge to live fades away. I quickly slam my elbow back and try to roll away but the man holds on tight. My chest is heaving and I struggle relentlessly against my attacker. Standing up he drags me to my feet with him and I slam my foot down and shove an elbow back into his stomach. Biting down on his hand hard he releases me allowing me to flip around with my gun raised and
BANG!
The man's tall and fit. Hair tied back at the base of his neck and falling out and around his face. His eyes are a deep chocolate brown and he's very handsome. His hand moves to his chest where his shirt is soaked in blood a shocked look on his face. Falling to his knees I scream feeling horror rush through me, because it's finally registered that the man I just shot is Dimitri.
DO NOT FREAK OUT! I can promise you everything is going to be okay. Let's start out with what I know you guys are screaming about right now. Dimitri is not going goodbye. So don't kill me. Max is yes Mia and Eddie's son now but only because I have a plan and if you like my story you'll trust me when I say it's all going to work out. I honestly don't know what labors like except it's Rose's first child and my mom said even though her water broke she didn't really contract to badly till about 5 hours in. So like I said don't kill me I'm begging you. I am mean enough to leave off here. SO give me your reviews and tell me what you're thinking ASAP!