Chapter 2 - Thirty Weeks
The name on Arthur’s phone was Daniel Romano.
His younger brother had been dead for six years.
Arthur stared until the ambulance doors closed.
“Sir?”
He looked up.
The paramedic was speaking.
“Are you the baby’s father?”
Arthur glanced at Chloe.
“Yes.”
It was the first time he had said it.
The word hit him strangely.
Father.
Chloe heard.
Her eyes opened.
“You don’t know that yet.”
Arthur sat beside the stretcher.
“Yes, I do.”
“You questioned it thirty seconds after seeing me.”
“I was shocked.”
“You disappeared.”
There it was.
Not shouted.
That made it worse.
Arthur leaned forward.
“I didn’t leave because I wanted to.”
“Then why?”
He looked toward the paramedic.
Chloe understood.
“Of course.”
“Chloe.”
“Secrets.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
She laughed weakly.
“Congratulations. I spent two months thinking you decided the waitress was embarrassing.”
“You own the diner.”
“You know what I mean.”
He did.
Chloe had never belonged to his world.
That was exactly why Arthur had loved being around her.
At Henderson’s Diner, nobody bowed.
Nobody asked permission to speak.
Chloe had once slapped his hand because he tried stealing bacon from her plate.
He had fallen in love with her before realizing what was happening.
Then someone mailed him photographs of Chloe leaving her apartment.
The message had been simple.
MARRY CROFT OR SHE DIES.
Arthur had tried tracing it.
Nothing.
Three days later, someone shot through Chloe’s diner window after closing.
Arthur understood.
So he vanished.
And agreed to the marriage that would supposedly stop the war.
He had never known Chloe was pregnant.
At the hospital, doctors rushed her upstairs.
Arthur tried following.
A nurse blocked him.
“We need to stabilize her.”
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
Arthur looked like a man unfamiliar with the word.
Chloe touched his wrist.
“Arthur.”
He turned.
For one moment, the frightening Romano boss vanished.
“Stay.”
It was barely audible.
But Arthur heard.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
The doors closed.
Arthur stood outside them for forty-three minutes.
Marco arrived.
“The cathedral’s locked down.”
“Croft?”
“Still there.”
“Vivian?”
“Missing.”
Arthur turned.
“What do you mean missing?”
“She left through the sacristy.”
“Find her.”
“We are.”
Arthur showed him Daniel’s message.
Marco stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“Obviously.”
“The number?”
“Untraceable?”
Marco checked.
“Probably.”
Arthur looked through the glass at Chloe.
“Someone wants me doubting the baby.”
“Could be Croft.”
“Could be.”
Marco hesitated.
“What?”
“The photograph.”
Arthur looked at him.
“It was taken inside Chloe’s apartment.”
Silence.
That meant somebody had been close enough to hurt her.
Arthur’s hands curled.
“Move her.”
“She’s in intensive obstetric care.”
“I mean afterward. My house.”
“You think she’ll agree?”
“No.”
Marco almost smiled.
Arthur didn’t.
“Make it safe anyway.”
A doctor emerged.
“Mr. Romano?”
Arthur stepped forward.
“Chloe has severe preeclampsia.”
His face changed.
“What does that mean?”
“Her blood pressure is dangerously elevated. We’ve given medication to stabilize her and steroids because there’s a possibility we may need to deliver the baby early.”
“Is she going to die?”
The doctor paused.
Arthur hated pauses.
“We’re taking this seriously.”
“The baby?”
“Currently stable.”
Arthur closed his eyes once.
“When can I see her?”
“Soon.”
An hour later, Chloe lay beneath white blankets with monitors around her.
Arthur entered alone.
“You look terrible,” she murmured.
“So do you.”
“Charming.”
He sat.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then Arthur said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried.”
His eyes lifted.
“What?”
“Seven times.”
She looked toward the window.
“I called. Your number was disconnected. I went to your building. Security told me you’d left the country.”
Arthur’s jaw tightened.
“I didn’t.”
“I emailed.”
“I never got them.”
“I wrote a letter.”
Arthur frowned.
“What letter?”
“I gave it to Marco.”
Arthur went still.
“When?”
“Eight weeks ago.”
The room seemed to shrink.
“Marco?”
“He came to the diner.”
Arthur stood slowly.
“What exactly did you give him?”
“A letter. Ultrasound picture.”
“And you told him?”
“That I was pregnant.”
Arthur’s face became unreadable.
Chloe noticed.
“What?”
“He never told me.”
She stared at him.
Arthur reached for his phone.
Then stopped.
Because Marco had been the one person who knew where Chloe lived.
Marco had been the one person who arranged Arthur’s security.
Marco had been the one who brought him the Croft marriage proposal.
And Marco had been standing beside him minutes earlier.
Arthur looked toward the hospital door.
It opened.
May you like
Marco stepped inside carrying Chloe’s missing ultrasound photograph.
And there was fresh blood on his cuff.
