Chapter 16
Marcel
Answer your fucking phone!
I read the text Salvatore just sent me and immediately feel like something is wrong. So, as his name pops up on my phone again, I answer.
“What’s the matter?” I ask immediately, not wanting to play games.
“It’s Aria and the babies. She’s in the hospital with preeclampsia.”
“With what?” I ask, furrowing my brows together.
“A condition that women can get when they’re pregnant. I don’t understand all of it, but essentially her blood pressure is too high and it starts affecting other organs in her body.” Salvatore says.
“Okay . . . so can they take the babies?”
Salvatore grows quiet, “She’s told them no. Aria wants the babies to cook for a bit longer. The physician has told us they have a higher chance of being born now without much of a fatality risk, around ninety-eight percent or so . . . but you know Aria.”
Aria will put her kids’ lives above her own any day of the week, even the ones who aren’t born yet. I shake my head at my bull headed younger sister. “She can’t be making decisions like this right now. Sorina needs her mother, you need your wife and God, those twins need to be born. If her blood pressure is that high it can’t be good for her to stay in this state.”
“It’s not. Marcel, I don’t know what to do here. I could really use some back up in convincing her otherwise. Can you get up to Seattle as soon as possible?”
Shit. This isn’t good. First Isabella is missing along with Madigan Steele, and now Aria and the twins are in danger. Fuck!
“I don’t know. There’s some pretty heavy shit happening here, Salvatore.”
“What kind of shit is more important than your sister and nieces or nephews dying?” Salvatore snaps, and I can’t blame him for being so enraged.
I’m of no use to anyone here, sitting around and waiting for some type of news. I can’t help Isabella because I don’t know where the fuck she is and if something happens to Aria I don’t think I’d ever be able to forgive myself.
“I’ll be on the first flight out. Don’t let her do anything stupid, alright?”
“Pfft. Like I have any say in your stubborn ass sisters decisions.” Salvatore mumbles.
“Salvatore, don’t let her get hurt or hurt the kids. Make sure she stays alive.”
“I’ll try my best,” Salvatore states as the phone call ends with a click.
I stand from the leather bench seat outside of Ion’s office and say fuck it when it comes to waiting for him to bring me news. He’s been in there for well over an hour and since shit has changed, I don’t have time to play around anymore.
“Something is wrong.” Ion states with one look at me.
“Yes, it’s Aria. She’s in the hospital with a condition which threatens her and the twins.”
“Oh no. I’m terribly sorry.” Mariana adds in from the corner of his office.
I give a curt nod. “Thank you, Mariana. This means I need to go be with my sister and try to change her mind about delivering them pre-term. She’s fighting Salvatore and the doctors on it . . . and we’re both afraid something could happen to the babies if she doesn’t deliver soon.”
“Of course, go where you’re needed. We don’t have information on the whereabouts regarding Isabella.” Ion says.
“Yet,” Mariana cuts in immediately afterward, trying to offer me a semblance of hope.
I move quickly toward the Romanian King and stare at him firmly in the eyes, “Ion, I’d better be the first man you call when Isabella is found. I will be the one to pull her from the trenches. Do you understand?”
“More than you know. You love her. That is why she is so important to you.” Ion mutters, finally realizing Isabella’s true meaning to me.
“You know we’ll call you as soon as we hear anything, Marcel. Go to your sister quickly. Before it’s too late.” Mariana says as she walks up to me and places her hands on my arm, urging me to go.
It was a good thing I left when I did because I got to Seattle just as Aria was being rushed out of her room by doctors for an emergency c-section. Thank God they took her when they did. Otherwise, who knows what would’ve happened.
As the twins are being brought in Aria’s hospital room with their name cards on their portable cribs I can’t seem to smile. While this is a joyous occasion I’m too focused on Isabella, the one person who I know would want to be here alongside me right now.
She’ll just have to meet her nephew Felix and niece Livia another time. Hopefully when she does, my hand will be intertwined in hers and all of this shit will be behind us.