Cruel Surrender by Terri Anne Browning

Epilogue

Ciana

Four years later

Happy giggles were music to my ears. From where I was dozing in the sun, I watched as Alessia jumped off the side of the pool into her zio Bennie’s arms. When he caught her, he fell back, dunking them both. Moments later, they resurfaced, making Elda clap her hands and jump around, begging for her turn. From the other end of the pool, Kella was happily lying on her favorite pink floaty that her zio Vito was pulling from one end of the pool to the next. Those two were slaves to their nieces’ happiness. I wasn’t sure who was sadder when my brothers had to leave, them or the girls.

Beside me, Nova stuffed another slice of pineapple into her mouth, her slight baby bump adorably on display with the white bikini she was wearing. Meanwhile, I felt like a beached whale. I swore, I felt ten times bigger with this one boy than I ever did with three girls.

I was due any day now, which was why my entire family was on the island. From the moment we’d announced I was pregnant again, my mother had started planning everything. It had been so much fun experiencing everything with her this time around, but I had to admit, it was exhausting too.

Luckily, Mama knew not to overstep and always gave me breathing space when she sensed I was being overwhelmed.

A sudden sprinkling of cold water hit me, and I screamed, not expecting it. Glaring up at Ryan, I picked up my empty plastic cup and tossed it at his head as he laughingly dropped down onto the lounger with Nova. His hand went automatically to her baby bump. “Hello in there, stranger,” he murmured. “Did you miss your papa?”

“Yes,” Nova answered for the baby. “But not nearly as much as I did.”

“He just took a dip in the ocean, Nova,” Vito complained as he pulled Kella past us. “You act like he was gone for hours and not mere minutes.”

“Any minutes we’re away from each other are too long,” she grumbled.

“I missed you too, my heart,” Ryan told her, dropping a kiss on her lips. “Are you comfortable? Hungry? Thirsty?”

She popped another slice of pineapple into her mouth. “I’m good now that you’re back.”

“Mo chroí?” Bain’s frantic voice drew my attention, and I looked up to find him sprinting toward me.

“Shit,” I muttered, shooting Ryan another glare. “See what you did? Now he’s all worried again. I just got him to calm down after the Braxton-Hicks contractions last night.”

My cousin only snickered as he buried his face in Nova’s neck.

“Laugh it up, asshole,” I warned. “When it’s close to time for Nova to give birth, I’m going to torture the hell out of you for payback.”

“Daddy!” Elda called as she surfaced with Bennie and saw Bain running toward the pool. “Come play.”

He shot her a grim smile. “I’m sorry, princess. Daddy can’t play right now. Mama needs me.”

“Oh,” she said, excitement filling her brown eyes. “Is my brother coming now?”

Alessia ran around the side of the pool, reaching me before her father could. Her chilled hands touched my stomach, exposed by the dark-green bikini I wore. “Lewis, are you coming out today?” she asked, her hazel eyes hopeful as she spoke to her baby brother still in my belly. “Do you want to swim with us?”

I covered her hand, pressing it to where Lewis was enjoying kicking the crap out of me. “I don’t think he’s ready to play yet, Alessia.”

“Oh,” she said in disappointment. “Maybe tomorrow?”

“Maybe, angel,” I murmured just as Bain reached us. As hard as he was breathing, I had to believe he’d run the entire way from my parents’ house, where he had spent the afternoon talking business with Papa and Zio Cristiano. He hadn’t been in the business since he’d turned everything over to Conor, but my father sometimes asked for his advice on some things. As did Ryan, more often than not these days.

Mama and Papa’s house was a good distance from our own, as were the guest bungalows. Our house was separated to offer us all a little more privacy when the family was on the island, which had been at my request. I loved my crazy family, but at times, they could be a bit much, even for me. Bain wasn’t used to their way of showing love, and I didn’t want to overwhelm him.

Picking up Alessia, he gave her a kiss on the cheek before tossing her into the pool. Bennie caught her, making her squeal in pure happiness as they hit the water yet again. Before they could surface, Bain had me in his arms, carrying me toward the open French doors into our home.

“I’m fine,” I tried to assure him as he walked through our huge, single-story house. “Ryan just got water on me. I wasn’t expecting it and screamed in surprise.”

“You should be resting in bed with your feet up,” he complained, kicking open our bedroom door.

I lifted a brow at him. “Oh? And does my husband plan on keeping me company?”

He placed me gently in the middle of the bed and followed me down. “If that’s what it takes to keep you there, then absolutely.” I wrapped my legs around him before he could move to lie beside me. “Mo chroí, have pity. I’m already aching for you, just seeing you in this sadistic thing you call a bikini.”

I felt just how hard he was, and he was pressed right where I wanted him most. “Please, moye solntse,” I whined. “I need you. And the doctor said it might help put me in labor.”

He trembled against me. “I know you want to try giving birth vaginally this time, but I’m still not sure if that is wise.”

“But my doctor said it was perfectly safe,” I reminded him.

“Yes, but what if something goes wrong and you have to have an emergency C-section? Wouldn’t it be better to just have a scheduled one so we don’t run into any unnecessary surprises?”

Knowing he was only scared of something happening to me and, of course, his son, I stroked my fingers through his hair, trying to calm his fears. “I love you. Please don’t worry. Everything is going to work out exactly as it’s meant to. I promise.”

“But what if it doesn’t?” he rasped, burying his face in my neck.

“I guess you’ll just have to trust me on this,” I murmured. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“If I lose you—” He broke off when his voice cracked.

“You aren’t going to lose me. I’m going to be right here making your life crazy for another fifty years at the least.”

“You fucking better,” he grumbled, pressing a kiss just below my ear.

I mewled and arched into him, rubbing my damp core over his board shorts. I was so ready for him, it would only take a little friction, and I would…

“Fuck!” he shouted, jumping to his feet.

I sighed and looked down at yet another ruined mattress. “These kids are so damn impatient to be brought into the world. First Kella, now Lewis.”

“Now is not the time to joke, wife.” Picking me up once again, he ran through the house.

“Well, Alessia will be happy,” I teased as he stepped out onto the deck.

“You always do like making her happy,” he muttered. “Ryan,” he called, and the other man’s head snapped up from where he’d been making out with Nova. “We’re on our way to the hospital. Let Scarlett know.”

“I’m coming!” Nova cried, jumping up and running after us.

Bain moved so fast, he was already at the hospital that was less than a mile away before Nova could catch up with us. Sweat poured off him as he walked in. “It’s go time!” he yelled at the few staff members on duty.

As small as the island was, we still had a good bit of staff that might need medical attention at times. The hospital was fully equipped for any possible emergency, including an operating room. There were two doctors on staff, both of them able to handle any scenario, but one specialized in ob-gyn, something Bain had insisted on before he would even discuss us having another baby. After the adventure of having the girls, just getting him even to talk about more children was a small miracle all its own.

My mother arrived, and by then, the doctor had examined me, letting us know I was already dilated to a five. I hadn’t even had a single contraction yet, so I was beyond surprised at how dilated I was. The doctor said everything was progressing beautifully and the baby was in the perfect position for me to deliver him vaginally.

For the next few hours, Bain was a nervous wreck, but he wouldn’t leave me even when I told him to take a break and check on our girls.

It was nearly midnight when I pushed our son into the world. Screaming through the pain of being torn all the way to my asshole—or so it felt—I felt his shoulders finally come free. The relief of it being over was so intense I moaned, dropping back against the bed as sweat poured off my brow.

It was another hour before Lewis and I were both cleaned up and in a private room. Exhausted, I leaned back against my pillows while our son nursed. Bain sat beside me on the bed, stroking his hand over the soft tufts of hair on Lewis’s head.

“You’re amazing,” he murmured, in awe.

“It helps when I have an amazing man beside me.”

“I love you so damn much, mo chroí.”

“Enough to give me one more baby?” I asked hopefully. My parents had five kids, and I wanted just as many.

His eyes darkened. “There is nothing I wouldn’t give you, Ciana. Nothing. You are my world. Say the word, and it’s yours.”

I smiled, turning my gaze back on Lewis’s perfect face. He looked so much like Bain, making me fall even more in love with the precious little boy in my arms. “Not right away. Maybe in a few years?”

“Whenever you want, my beauty. It’s yours.”