Still Holding On

Chapter Three

I wake up in Ric's arms and quietly leave them without waking Ric up. I put on a dark blue plaid shirt and some skinny jeans with knee high brown boots before walking down to Luca's office. "Luca?" I whisper through the room and he walks out of the bathroom. "Good, you're here. Come on. We have to find food you can actually eat without throwing up. Let's try pickles." He sighs and I frown as I follow him. Pickles? "Why pickles?" I ask and he chuckles. "Because pickles are a strange flavor. If you can hold them down then the probability is that it's not food that's making you puke." He explains and I frown. What else could make me puke? "Then what is it?" I ask and he looks back at me while he takes the pickle jar out of the fridge. "It could be stress, the fact this is your first pregnancy, history of motion sickness or migraines, the fact that you're young. Or it could even be that your baby is a girl or you could have twins." Luca explains and my eyes widen. What?! Twins?!

I sit on the counter and he wraps a paper towel around the pickle for me. "Here ya go, mom." He teases and I shove his shoulder after I take it. I take a bite into the pickle and smile as I continue eating it. I wonder if I could pair it with something. I look around and see the cabinet containing peanut butter. Yes! I run over and take out the peanut butter. I open the jar and dip my pickle in it before eating it. I groan as I sit on the counter beside my jar and Luca chuckles. "I think I found your craving." He says and I giggle as I continue eating the amazing snack. "What do you know about Lillian?" I ask and he shrugs his shoulders. "She's insane. She carries at least three guns on her at one given moment." He says and I frown. What?! "How do you know?" I ask and he smirks. "It's something the boss teaches us to notice. She has an ankle holster everywhere she goes if she's not wearing boots. She always has a pistol in the back of her jeans or under her underwear. She also has one in her bra." He explains and I frown. How did he notice that? 

I look at him skeptically and he chuckles. "Sometimes when she's walking it pokes out of her shirt depending on the shirt." He explains to my very skeptical and suspicious face. That's good. I'd hate to see him murdered by Vitaly... or Alek. "Do you speak Russian?" I ask and he nods with a bright smile. "I am Russian, Rose. I like to think it's my duty to know it. Why?" He asks and I sigh. There's one phrase of Alek's that has always plagued me. "Alek told me something on our first date and he never translated it." I explain and he chuckles. "Lay it on me." He assures me and I smile happily. "I think he said 'Я не могу жить без тебя'." I tell him as well as I can and he bursts into laughter. "You butchered it a bit but you did good. He said that he can't live without you." Luca explains and I blush. I can't believe he said that. Does he really love me that much? 

I eat the last bit of my pickles and peanut butter when Lillian walks into the kitchen. I think I'm starting to realize how much Alek looks like her. The skin, the eyes... It's scary. I feel an uneasy feeling and race to the trash can to puke. Luca rushes over and holds my hair up. "You feeling okay, sweetheart?" She asks and I take deep breathes. "What the hell?" A deep voice asks and I groan as Luca holds a paper towel out for me. I take it so I can wipe my face of the vomit and lift my head to see my father. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He asks and I frown. I don't know if he means me being sick or just me vomiting in the first place. Should I reply? "She's just not feeling well sir. I'll make her something to help with her stomach." Luca assures him and my father nods in disgust. Thanks, dad. Love you too. 

Luca takes out some ginger and other ingredients while my father walks over to Lillian. "Dad?" I call and he turns to me. "What's going on with Lillian? Why do you need her?" I ask and he sighs. "Did I say you could ask about my god damn plans?!" He snaps and I flinch. "No, but... I thought you'd ask me since I was with Alek for so long." I whisper nervously and he sighs. "She wants to kill them so that they won't bother us or our plans anymore, Angel. Okay?" He snaps and I quickly nod. He storms out of the room and Lillian smirks at me. "It's okay, little girl. He'll get over it once the bastard is dead." She assures me and walks out after him. No he won't.... That kind of darkness doesn't fade and I'm starting to realize it. Luca sighs as he places a muffin tray in the oven and turns to me. "If you get sick and I'm not here, eat ginger. Ginger will ease your nausea." He says and I nod. "Rose?! Angel?!" Ric yells from upstairs and I sigh. Why does he always go looking for me? He never used to even talk to me unless he was in the mood for things.