Chapter Forty- Brandon

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Alex and I had barely been booked and put into a holding cell when my father and Ro came bulldozing into the station. Somehow in that mess, Ro had the peace of mind to record the incident and we were damn lucky he did. I was positive this would be the straw that broke the camel's back and Herrera would be tossed immediately.

I had experienced quite a few hideous and disgusting men in my line of work, but everything failed in comparison to him. Cowards that hid behind and abused their power were the worst kind of scum and the only thing keeping me calm was knowing that Herrera was about to get everything that was coming to him. I couldn't even bring myself to think about what he had done to Sadie without shaking with rage. I hadn't seen what he had done to make her attack him in the bar, but if he had pushed her that far, I didn't want to know. She was somewhere in this building also, and it was killing me not knowing how she was doing.

Ro had called my father immediately, who had in turn called the police commissioner. Once he got wind of what happened and saw the video, he was down at the station himself with the FBI director in tow. Alex and I were released immediately. They were falling all over themselves apologizing and doing anything they could to avoid a lawsuit. None of that mattered to me right now, all I cared about was finding Sadie and getting her out of this hell hole.

"Mr. Avenetti, we're so sorry for the way you've been treated." The director said as an agent unfastened the cuffs. "The way Agent Herrera and his team handled the situation is certainly not how we conduct ourselves and I can assure you, he will have to answer for his actions."

"Where's my wife?" I clenched my jaw. His excuses meant next to nothing to me. I didn't care what the hell happened to Herrera at work, I was going to take care of him myself.

The commissioner and director shared a worried glance. "Mrs. Avenetti needed medical attention so she was taken to the emergency room. She's completely fine, it was just a precaution."

"Medical attention? Are you fucking kidding me? And no one thought to tell me?" My eyes widened in horror. Jesus Christ, that bastard better pray she was okay. He must have completely lost his mind coming after her again. I said a silent prayer that he wasn't in the station, because if I crossed his path right now, I wouldn't be able to hold back.

"She was fine when they put her in the squad car. What did your agents do to her that she needed medical attention after that?" Alex sneered.

"Sir, I assure you, she's okay. She passed out on the way to the station so they elected to take her there instead. I can arrange for someone to take you there right away." The commissioner offered.

"Mom is with her now, guys. We'll head over as soon as we're done here." My dad's voice was calm as he spoke, locking eyes with the commissioner. They had been old friends and helped each other out when they could.

"Let's go." I gritted my teeth, desperate to get out of here and to Sadie as quickly as I could. It made me feel a little better that my mom was with her, but I needed to see for myself that she was okay.

Alex popped off the entire way there about all the things he wanted to do to Herrera and how much we were going to make him pay, but I stayed silent, staring out the window. I should've taken care of him long ago when I had the chance. Now Sadie was in the hospital, and this was just too much. I wanted him to suffer a long and terrible death, but I wanted him out of our lives even more.

The look on his face when he realized we were married was priceless. There was no doubt in my mind that he had been planning to use Sadie against me in court. It wouldn't get that far now though, he would be dead and buried long before he ever had a chance to bring any kind of charges up against me.

My dad pulled up to the emergency entrance of the hospital and let Alex and I out. I rushed inside, spotting my mom down the long hallway. She was sitting in front of a room typing something out on her phone.

"Mom." I called.

Anguish washed over her face when she saw us. "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine, mom." I kissed her cheek. "Is Sadie in there?"

"Yes, but Brandon, she's with the doctor and..."

I didn't stay to listen to the end of her sentence, there was no way I was waiting around for the doctor to be done. I needed to see her now.

Sadie jumped when the door flew open. She was laying in the bed still in the clothes she had worn, and the doctor stood next to her. Aside from the gash on her forehead, she looked okay.

"Brandon!" She smiled, relieved to see me.

"Hi baby." I sighed with relief.

The doctor glanced up. "I'll give you guys a few minutes." She slipped out and I took her place next to Sadie.

"Are you okay?" I sat down on the bed and brushed my lips against hers.

"I'm fine. I promise." She nodded. "How are you? Alex?"

"Everybody is fine." I assured her. "Ro took video of the entire thing, and all the charges were dropped."

"Good." Her expression soured. "Herrera is such a monster. I'm sorry that I hit him like that. I just had all I could take."

"Don't be sorry." I rubbed her forehead gently. "I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself, I'm just sorry I couldn't be more help."

"You couldn't have done anything. He doesn't fight fair." She sounded defeated, and I knew how much this was wearing on her. Her life had taken a complete hundred and eighty degree turn in the last few months and I was pleasantly surprised at how well she was handling it.

"No, he certainly doesn't. But he's not going to get away with any of this. I'm going to find him as fast as I possibly can and put an end to it. I'm not playing games anymore." I frowned running my thumb gently over the stitched cut at her hair line. It was long and narrow, stretching diagonally above her right eye. Fifteen stitches in all. "He did this, didn't he?"

She nodded, sheepishly. I was already ready to kill the guy, this was just adding fuel to my fire.

"Is that what the doctor thinks caused you to pass out?" I clenched my jaw, trying to put Herrera out of my mind so I could focus on her.

Sadie's eyes darted away as she straightened up in the bed. "Sort of."

"What do you mean sort of?" My face twisted in confusion.

"Well, it's part of it." She started rambling. "They think the force gave me a concussion which contributed... but there's something else."

I narrowed my eyes at her, trying to curtail my frustration at the way she was beating around the bush. "Okay..."

"They took blood when I got here and..." She bit her lip, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm pregnant, Brandon."

It took several seconds for me to process what she had just said. Pregnant. Sadie was having my child. My mind flooded with every possible emotion, ranging from joy and excitement to fear and apprehension. What the fuck did I know about being a father? I was hardly getting used to the husband thing and now... wow.

I had always wanted children but for so long, it had been a distant dream. I was just letting myself get used to the idea again. Were we ready for this? With everything else going on, the last thing on my mind had been becoming a father and although I was thrilled, I was fucking terrified. The pressure on me was multiplied tenfold. I didn't just have to worry about Sadie anymore, but this tiny life inside of her. This tiny, beautiful life that we had created together. Half of her and half of me.

When I looked back at Sadie's tear-filled eyes, I realized I hadn't responded to her at all. "Wow. You're... They're sure?"

"Positive." She nodded, trying to gauge my reaction.

"How?" I let out a heavy sigh. "I mean, we were careful, it's not like..." I trailed off, running my fingers through my hair.

"I know." She buried her head in her hands. "I don't know how this could have happened. You're upset, aren't you? I'm so sorry, I know this..."

"Sorry?" I cut her off, grabbing her hands. "Sadie, listen. I'm not upset, I'm sorry if it came across that way. I'm so fucking excited, you know I've always wanted this with you. It's just a lot for me to process right now. But truly, I couldn't be happier."

"Really?" She sniffled.

"Of course! Obviously I wish we could have planned a little better, but sometimes the very best things in life are unexpected. Like you walking into Brodo a few months ago." I smiled, bringing her hands to my lips and kissing them gently. "How are you feeling about it?"

Sadie let out a sharp laugh. "I don't know. I guess I'm still processing it myself. It feels strange to be excited about something like this when it seems like everything else is crumbling around us."

"I promise you, you don't have to worry about any of this anymore, okay?" I kissed her again. "I'm going to take care of it, and I swear to God I won't let anything happen to you or to this baby. I'm sorry I didn't react better at first, I'm just a little overwhelmed myself. Somehow being a father scares me more than anything about the mafia." I admitted.

"You're going to be an incredible father." Sadie softened, tears still glistening on her cheeks. "And I know you'll take care of us. I just wish the timing was better."

"The timing is perfect, because if it was different at all, we wouldn't have this little peanut. And who knows, maybe this is exactly what we need right now. A light at the end of the tunnel." I rested my hand on her stomach. "I can't even put into words how happy this makes me Sadie. I can't wait to raise a family with you. I've been dreaming about it since I was ten years old."

"I have too." A smile tugged at her lips but she didn't fully give in to it. I could tell there was more on her mind.

"Something else is bothering you, isn't it?" I ran my thumb down her cheek, wiping away at the tears.

"I just..." She hesitated. "I can't help but think about our kids growing up in the Mafia. Our daughter having the same oppressive childhood I did, or our son eventually taking over for you. I know it has to happen and I've accepted it, it's just hard to stomach."

"Baby, listen to me." I put my finger to her chin and forced her to look at me. "Our children are going to have whatever kind of childhood we choose to give them, because we are not our parents. We will figure it out, and if they decide that someday they want to be a part of this, then we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, all that matters is that you and this baby are healthy and safe. That's all I care about."

Sadie smiled, laying her head on my shoulder. "I love you so much, you know that?"

"I love you too, babe. And I can't wait to start this adventure with you. I'm going to take care of everything, I promise." It was a daunting promise but my only goal right now was keeping Sadie calm and forcing Herrera out of our lives for good. Preferably before he even knew about the pregnancy. "Now let's get you home and settled in."

There was a knock at the door and the Doctor came back in. "I'm guessing she shared her news with you?"

"She did." I smiled, kissing Sadie's hand again.

"Good. Congratulations! Now the fun part begins!" The doctor came around to the other side of the bed. "I was explaining to Sadie that I want her to get an appointment set up with her usual doctor as soon as she can, but right now, everything looks okay."

"The baby is healthy?" I asked, thinking about the way Herrera had manhandled Sadie earlier in the bar. The very thought of it made my blood boil.

"Perfectly." She assured me. "They're both doing well, and with any luck, we can keep it that way for the next seven and a half months. You're about six weeks along. They will give you a more accurate timeline at your appointment."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Hunter. I really appreciate it." Sadie smiled, squeezing my hand.

"Of course. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call. If you have a headache later, you can take some Tylenol, but no ibuprofen, that's not safe while you're pregnant."

"Got it." She nodded.

"And Mr. Avenetti, you're on strict doctor's orders to give your wife anything she wants over the next few days. She's been through a lot and needs a lot of rest. Everything is good with the baby now but that can change quickly if she's not taking care of herself." The doctor said.

"Absolutely." I chuckled. "Thank you again, Doctor. Are we good to go?"

"Yep. I'll just finish the discharge paperwork if you want to bring your car around the front." She instructed.

"I can walk, I'm really fine." Sadie argued, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"Nonsense." I said, giving her a quick kiss. "You heard the doctor. Lots of rest."

Sadie rolled her eyes. "You're going to be unbearable through this aren't you?"

"I'll be back in two minutes. " I ignored her question.

I winked at her and hurried out the door. I saw a text on my phone that my mom had taken Alex and my dad home and that the truck was in the parking lot. I was thankful that they had been here to support Sadie, but I was glad it was just us now. I wasn't ready to tell them our news, I was still processing it a little bit myself.

I knew my reaction had upset Sadie at first, but I really was just trying to wrap my mind around it. It was a lot, but I was over the moon. I couldn't wait to watch Sadie's stomach grow with my child, to fix her toast for her morning sickness and run out late at night to get whatever she was craving. She had a sweet tooth; it would probably be some kind of ice cream. I couldn't wait to decorate a nursery with her, debate over names for hours, and hold her hand as she brought our baby into the world. I couldn't wait to argue about who's turn it was to get up with the baby, and spend late nights pacing back and forth in the room trying to get the baby to fall back asleep. The toddler years and the first day of kindergarten and teaching him or her how to drive. There were a billion little moments I was looking forward to and it made it ten times sweeter that Sadie was going to be by my side as I experienced it. She would be an incredible mother, I could already see it.

I found the truck quickly and pulled up into the loading zone, anxious to get Sadie back home. I made my way back down the hallway, but was surprised to find Sadie's room empty.

"Excuse me?" I asked tapping the shoulder of her doctor. "Have you seen my wife?"

"Oh." She looked back at me in confusion. "The police officer from earlier just checked her out. He said he had spoken to you and that he had a few more questions for her."

My heart completely stopped. "What police officer?" I could hardly form a sentence.

"Agent Herrera was his name, I think?"

I nearly threw up.

That motherfucker had taken her. He had my wife. 

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