Chapter 70

“Do you feel accomplished by embarrassing me?” I turned around and asked Luna.

“Yes.” She smiled back. It was evening and Christian and Matteo had already left. While Olivia was helping Faith with her school assignment, Luna and I were watching a movie.

“Aren’t you scared?” She suddenly asked. “Scared of what?”

“You know...scared of that Fabio guy breaking in and taking you away.” She spoke. “No, not really.” I lied. The truth was that I was terrified, but me showing just how terrified I was, would only make things worse.

I could only imagine Christian’s reaction when I’d tell him that I did not like it here and I did not want him to feel guilty. “So you will survive all alone?” She chuckled.

“Let’s stop talking about me, let’s talk about you,” I told her and turned my head to face her. “I know it isn’t any of my business, but what happened between you and Johnny?”

Luna rolled her eyes at me. “I was already afraid you were going to ask.”

“It was nothing much, he asked me how I felt about him and I told him that I could not give him an answer, the same thing I told your brother.” She simply shrugged her shoulders.

“Why?” I wondered. She could pick out one or the other, but she wouldn’t and in a way, it was bothering me. “Because I don’t know what they want with me. They could’ve had anyone—but they choose to have a stripper as if they want to follow in Christian’s footsteps, no offense.” She explained. “It feels like a game to them, if Christian can do it, so can I.”

“And what makes you say that?” I asked Luna. “Johnny wants to make a housewife out of me and Emilio wants to make me a stepmother...I don’t want to be either one—and I’m here with you because I love you, but I don’t want to be involved with the mafia either, you know that—I’m not like you.” She reminded me. If she only knew what I was really like.

“So what you’re telling me is that you don’t like either one of them?”

“I never said that.” Luna chuckled. “What I said is that they want me for the wrong reasons and will throw me away after they get bored—other than dancing on a pole, what else do I have to offer men like that?”

Her words hit me hard. They were rough but it was true and it kept me thinking. What did I have to offer Christian? Other than the baby...absolutely nothing.

“No, no, no.” Luna scolded me and slapped my cheek. “Christian has shown everyone how far he’s willing to go for you—so don’t even think like that!” She read my mind.

Once again she was right. Christian had the best intentions and if he really wanted me out of the picture—I would’ve noticed by now.

“I know I hated his guts, mainly for being fine yet an asshole and I know that I was the one who told you to run—but the way he looks at you says enough.” She spoke.

She was right, it did. He was not the best at expressing his feelings, but even then he tried and even went as far as bringing all of my friends here.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do in this shoebox once you all leave.” I huffed. The maids were nice, so was the doctor—but I missed a friend, and I knew that as the threat was starting to get closer, I would even have to more secretive.

“Don’t worry, it won’t be that bad—and you only have to stay here for a month.” Luna tried to cheer me up, but oh how that backfired.

The weeks passed and one week turned into one month—just how one month had turned into two months. Living in a safe house while being eight months pregnant was not how I had pictured it, but here I was.

Just as expected, everyone’s visits were getting less and less—and whenever I asked Christian about why it was taking so long he would tell me not to worry and to relax. Whenever I asked him about the baby, he tried his hardest to convince me that I would be out of here by the time I gave birth.

Don’t get me wrong, I still loved him—but knew things would be better if he would be truthful.

All I needed was the truth, so I could hold on for a bit longer—but he wasn’t giving it to me. Instead, I had to hear it from Beau, I had to hear from Beau how Fabio was trying to persuade the other families to turn against the Lamberti’s and that the plans got delayed.

Even though the garden was nice and pretty, I missed the outside air. I felt like I was in a prison—and being watched every second. I knew it was necessary, but I couldn’t take it anymore.

The only thing keeping me sane was the thought of my little girl, and how active she had been. I could already sense that she was an extremely energetic baby—and so could doctor Ramiro. Even though she was still inside of me, it was crazy how much she reminded me of Christian. Always on the move—and always worrying me.

What if she was sick of being in my stomach and would suddenly decide that it’s time to get out?

“Are you doing okay?” Ramiro’s daughter, Amanda asked me as she handed me a cup of tea. She had been assisting her father, and she was around the same age as me—so it was nice to have her around now and then, but I still felt as if something was missing. I missed a real home.

“Yes, thank you.” I smiled at her. Over the past weeks, I had made a pact with myself to not let others see my sadness or my tears, so I hid them. In the past, I tended to be an overdramatic immature brat, but so much had changed.

I would often rethink the past and how much different it could’ve been if I had already changed back then. For example, the new me would’ve never given Francesca the satisfaction—and would’ve just kept my mouth shut at the dinner party.

The new me would’ve never tried to do everything on my own, and would’ve accepted the check Christian had offered.

The new me would’ve never forced Christian into telling him he loved me and would’ve waited patiently to give him his space.

“I know it’s rough, but you have to hold on for one more week.” Amanda placed her hand on top of mine. “One more week?” I scoffed. “What if it doesn’t work out?”

“Don’t say that, the Lamberti’s know what they’re doing—you’ll be out of here sooner than you think.” She tried to reassure me, but behind her smile, I could see the same expression as I had, fear.

“So have you already picked out a name?” She tried to change the subject, not knowing that it scared me even more. In the beginning, I was so confident in letting Christian pick out the name, but after I had changed as a person, also that began to worry me.

“That’s not on me, that’s Christian—so the baby will probably end up with Christina or something.” I laughed at the idea. He wouldn’t go that far-right?

“What do you want?” Amanda asked me. That was a really good question. What did I want? “I want to get out of here.”

“I know.” She gave me a sympathetic smile. My eyes drifted to my phone and the familiar number who was calling me as my eyes grew big. Beau?

“I-I’m sorry, I have to take this one.” I excused myself and walked out of the kitchen to run to my bedroom. “Beau?” I asked as I picked up the phone, but all I could hear were tears.

“Luis?” I tried again and heard a whimper. “Luis, what’s wrong, tell me?”

“B-b-beau told me to c-call you if I ever was in trouble.” He hysterically cried as I tried to calm him down. “Luis, where is Beau?” I asked with an awful pit in my stomach and closed my eyes—preparing myself for the worse. “He told me to run and he told me to tell you that they know.” Luis cried.

They knew...

Fabio knew that Beau knew of his identity...

Vincenzo knew that Beau was my brother...

“Luis, where is Beau?” I asked one more time. “Luis you have to tell me, where is B—“

“Fabio took him, but he’s still alive—I promise you that he’s still alive!” Luis's voice cracked through the phone. I felt my head spin and moved my hand to the nightstand in order not to lose my balance. “W-what?” I stuttered.

“Serena, I can’t take this anymore—please help me.” I heard him cry over the phone and closed my eyes. What if he was all in on his father’s games?

Of course, he wasn’t, Luis was just a child. “I-I ran away from home.”

“Luis, you have to listen to me,” I told him, knowing I was going to do something which I was going to regret—but I did not have a choice.

“You have to tell me where you are, so I can come and get you, okay?” I told him in a soothing tone. What I was doing was probably stupid, and would danger both me and the baby’s life—as well as making matters worse by basically kidnapping Fabio’s son, but I could not just stand there and do nothing.

Calling Christian was not an option, because he would not agree to this.

“I don’t know where I am, I’m at a warehouse but I don’t know!” Luis nearly hyperventilated. “Luis, focus and look around you—tell me where you are, look outside—what do you see!”

“I-I see a parking lot and a gas station...I don’t know!” Luis cried even more. “Luis, you have to calm down—breathe!”

“Luis, do you know how to send a live location?” I asked him and heard a relieved breath. “Yes, yes—I know, I’ll do it now!” He told me.

The seconds felt like minutes, but after he had sent it I had immediately opened the location. It was about an hour away from here. “Luis, has anyone tried to contact you?”

“N-no, they don’t know I have Beau’s phone—they don’t even know that I’m gone,” Luis told me.

“Okay that’s good, I will be there in an hour, I need you to stay quiet—okay?” I instructed him. I did not know what the hell I was doing, but what I did know was that I wouldn’t abandon him.

“You have to come quickly, I’m scared.” He cried, and that was enough for me to make up my mind.

I was going to get Luis.