Mafia's African Rose

Vengeance

     "What happened to her?!" Nora screamed, her fists pounding against my chest, again and again. I stood there, rigid, letting her take out her anger on me because I deserved every blow. My jaw clenched as I stared through the glass wall into the ICU, my heart hammering. I didn't even have time to take Angel to my hospital—my hospital, where I could control everything. Instead, I had to rush her to the closest place I could find.

"Nora, calm down," Alexa said, trying to comfort her, but Nora wasn't having it.

I was no better. I stood like a damn robot, praying silently—praying to whatever God was willing to listen, begging them to spare Angel. She had been in there for two hours. Two fucking hours. I watched helplessly as the doctors darted in and out, their frantic movements telling me nothing I wanted to know.

"They'd better save her," I muttered under my breath, my voice low and dangerous, "or I'll burn this whole fucking hospital to the ground."

When I first brought her in, some idiot staff member had the audacity to insist on filing a police report because of her condition. I silenced him with one glare and a low growl that promised violence if he wasted another second. Lord help the doctor treating her. If he didn't bring her back, I'd tear him apart with my bare hands.

I was so consumed by my thoughts, by my rage and my fear, that I didn't even notice Adriana arrive.

"What's going on, Alexa?" her voice trembled. "Viktor told me about Angel's condition. Is she... is she okay?" She sounded as if she might break at any moment.

I didn't respond. I couldn't.

In the midst of all this, Nora whirled on me, her tear-streaked face filled with fury. "Ask your fucking son!" she spat, glaring at me. "He had one simple mafia job to do—bring my sister back in one piece! And now she's in there, in a pool of her own b—blood." Her voice cracked as fresh sobs wracked her. "If anything happens to her, I swear, I'll fucking kill all of you mafia bastards!"

I didn't even flinch. I couldn't blame her. She had every right to scream, to curse me, to wish for my head. She was right—I couldn't even protect the woman I love.

The door to the ICU swung open, and I turned sharply as the doctor emerged. His face was grim, his hands wringing nervously. My heart sank like a stone.

"Doctor," I said, my voice tight. "How is she?"

He hesitated, his eyes darting to me and then to Nora, Alexa, and Adriana. "Her condition is critical," he began carefully. "The stab wounds caused severe internal damage, and the blood loss was significant. We've managed to stabilize her for now, but..."

"But what?" I demanded, stepping closer.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "But there's more. I'm sorry to inform you..." He paused, looking almost scared to continue. As he fucking should.

"Say it," I snapped. Getting angrier

He looked directly at me,  "We lost the baby," the doctor said quietly, his voice laced with hesitation.

I blinked, my heart stopping for a moment. "Baby?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My confusion clouded the anger boiling under the surface.

The doctor nodded solemnly, avoiding my piercing gaze. "Yeah... apparently, she was three weeks pregnant."

Angel was pregnant. With my child. And now... that child was gone.

She hadn't told me because she didn't know herself. And now I'd never have the chance to hold that child in my arms or hear their laughter. My chest tightened, rage mixing with an unbearable sense of loss.