Chapter 15 - Born Under Fire
Mateo dropped to his knees in the dust and broken drywall beside me, his hands shaking so violently he could barely unbutton his soaked suit jacket. He pulled me into his arms, gathering my head against his chest, his voice cracking into a ragged, terrified sob.
"Elena... God, Elena, I’m here. I’m right here," he choked out, his fingers desperately stroking my damp hair, wiping away the tears and sweat burning my cheeks. "Salvatore! Call an ambulance! Clear the highway to Greyport General right now!"
"No time, Boss!" Salvatore shouted from the doorway, keeping his weapon trained on the rain-swept corridor while dialing frantically. "The storm knocked down the coastal power lines on Washington Street! The bridges are closed due to the crane collapse! An ambulance can't get across the channel for twenty minutes!"
Another massive contraction seized my entire body, an agonizing, crushing wave that arched my spine off the floorboards. I grabbed Mateo’s lapels with both hands, twisting the expensive wool, digging my nails into his chest until I felt his heartbeat hammering against my knuckles.
"Mateo..." I screamed through my teeth, tears blinding my vision. "He’s coming now! Right now!"
Mateo’s face went chalk-white, but the panic in his posture suddenly vanished. The man who had survived bullet wounds, street wars, and betrayals locked his eyes onto mine with an unshakeable, terrifying focus.
He pulled off his dark overcoat, spreading the clean cashmere wool over the office carpet beneath me. He kicked off his shoes, rolled his white shirt sleeves up to his elbows, and looked at Salvatore without turning his head.
"Salvatore," Mateo commanded, his voice dropping into that chilling, authoritative register that tolerated zero disobedience. "Get the trauma first-aid kit from my truck. Bring sterile towels from the executive lounge. Boil water in the staff kettle. And set up an armed perimeter at the bay doors. If anyone so much as looks at this building, put a bullet through their skull."
"On it, Boss," Salvatore replied, sprinting down the hallway.
Mateo knelt between my legs, taking my trembling hands in his large, warm palms, squeezing with an iron grip that anchored my soul against the agony.
"Look at me, Elena," Mateo whispered, his ice-blue eyes boring into mine with a fierce, unbreakable love. "Look straight at me. You are the strongest woman on this earth. You survived that coast road alone. You built an empire from the ashes. You are going to bring our son into this world, and I am not leaving your side for a single second."
I looked into his eyes, drawing breath from his strength, and nodded through my tears.
When the next contraction hit, I pushed with every ounce of life left in my body, screaming into the dim, dust-filled air of the office. Mateo held my legs, his voice steady, guiding me, coaching me, wiping the hair from my eyes with a damp linen towel.
Outside, the storm raged against the harbor, the sirens of local police cruisers wailing in the distance, trapped behind the collapsed bridge.
Inside the ruined office, with the scent of rain, gunpowder, and fresh blood hanging in the air, a sudden, wet, miraculous gasp broke the silence.
Then, a clear, furious, high-pitched wail erupted through the room.
Mateo caught the tiny, slippery form in his large, scarred hands, his breath hitching violently in his throat. Tears—real, hot, unashamed tears—streamed down the mafia kingpin’s cheeks as he wrapped our newborn son in a clean white thermal towel and laid him gently onto my bare, heaving chest.
"A boy," Mateo wept, his forehead resting against mine as we both looked down at the tiny, red-faced infant crying furiously against my skin. "A healthy, perfect boy."
I wrapped my weak, trembling arms around my son, kissing his soft, dark curls, feeling his warm breath against my collarbone.
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"His name is Leo," I whispered, smiling through my exhaustion. "Leo Vera. Because he was born in a lion’s den."
Mateo laughed through his tears, wrapping his massive arms around us both, shielding his family from the ruined room, the storm, and the entire world outside.
