Page 2 of The Mobster’s Present

Now everything is crumbling around me. At least it feels that way.

If I was barely holding on before, what is going to happen now? How will I afford to keep a roof over our heads and food in the fridge? When the medical bills start rolling in, it’s going to break me.

Romeo could pay for everything easily and not even feel it. Bitterness rises up in my chest, and I try to push it away. But as I look at Oriana, I realize that the only person I can turn to for help is Romeo Amato. He’s the only person I know with the resources to make this easier financially, which is about the only thing he would be good for in this situation.

Money would be easy for him. Emotional support? Yeah, that would never happen. The man is allergic to empathy and kindness; I think he would probably suffer from spontaneous combustion if either crossed his mind.

When Beth, an amazing nurse who has kept me sane since we’ve arrived, comes in, the sigh I let out is full of relief. She smiles at me with understanding.

“How are you holding up?” She pitches her voice low as she checks over Oriana. When she gives me a long look, I already know what she’s going to say. “You need to get some sleep.”

“I’d love to sleep,” I admit. Even during the roughest stretches of newborn sleeplessness, I haven’t felt this kind of tired before. I thought I knew what exhaustion felt like. I was wrong. “But I can’t.”

“She’s getting great care,” she brushes off her shoulder, “if I do say so myself. So, what is really bothering you?”

“The money.”

The truth slips out and my eyes slide closed as my entire body slumps.

“The first thing that happened after Oriana’s diagnosis was my contract being canceled for my job.” I stare at my daughter and the love I have for her eclipses the fear for one glorious moment. “I will do anything for her, but I still have to pay for it.”

“What about her father?”

And there’s the million-dollar question.

He’s a man sitting within the hierarchy of a filthy rich crime family. He’s also cruel, sadistic, and not to be trusted under any circumstance.

“Yeah.” I nod slowly. “The father.”

Beth tilts her head slightly and grimaces. “You’re face tells a whole story.”

“He doesn’t know about her.” It’s the truth. “He doesn’t deserve to know about her.”

“Oh, ominous.” Her eyes widen and I can’t help but smile.

She has no idea, and I’m not getting into it. I make a face and she smiles but doesn’t push. The problem is that for all of Romeo’s faults, he can pay.

Could I make the plea in public? Could I force his hand? Then what? Will I even make it out of Seattle alive? Could I go to Angelo?

The problem is that all of those questions lead me back to Second Circle. It’s not like I could walk up to Angelo’s home and ring the doorbell. My workplace is the only door I have.

My stomach knots, but I know I’ll only have one chance because getting on a plane and leaving Oriana is going to be expensive enough, regardless of what it actually costs. With the certainty of what I have to do settling around me, I try to make peace with it.

If I go that leaves one huge problem.

“I need to leave for 24 hours.” When I look up and meet Beth’s gaze, her eyebrows pull together and I explain, “I have to try to get her father to pay for her treatment. I don’t want anything else from him. Just her treatment. If not him, maybe his family, but I have to go back for me to even try.”

I don’t tell her where. She doesn’t need to know.

“Okay,” she nods once, “that makes sense.”

“But leaving Oriana?” I grimace and she nods with understanding. “I’ve made some mommy friends when I could do group things, but there’s no one I could ask to sit with her. Do you know of a service I could contact? Or do you know someone? I could pay.”

That might be a stretch; I couldn’t pay much, but I’ll figure it out.

I look down at my daughter and whisper, “She’s just so young and this is so big; I know she’ll be safe here, and if I go then maybe I can find a miracle.”

“Ashleigh,” Beth’s voice is gentle and when I look up at her, she smiles softly, “I have two days off coming up, let’s plan your 24 hours and I’ll be here with Oriana.”