The Conspiracy of Baby-Switching novel Chapter 114

"Hello, my darlings." He smiles as they both jump into his arms. He's had to learn to pick them both up at once now that Dominic wants a piece of the action too. "How was your day?" He smiles as he holds them.

"Good," Lucia says.

"We went to the park," Dominic tells him.

"I heard." His cold eyes rise to meet mine, and I wince. He's angry.

He puts them down and then without saying a word to me, he walks into the other room as they follow him, chatting away.

Okay...

I'm in trouble, why is he always so dramatic?

"What's that drink?" I hear Lucia ask.

"Scotch," he replies. I hear the ice fall into the tumbler.

Hmm...not a good sign.

I go to the refrigerator and pour myself a glass of wine, I keep my drinks in the kitchen like a normal person.

I hear him talking to the children as they walk past me out to the garden.

Still not a word to me. I take a swig as I stand at the sink.

"Why don't you two get in the hot tub," he asks them.

"Yes." They both run upstairs to get their swimming costumes on, and I walk out to the garden. "Hello." I widen my eyes.

Did you forget I'm here?

His cold eyes hold mine and he sips his scotch, contempt drips from his every cell.

"What's your problem?" I raise my eyebrow.

Silence.

He bends and turns the hot tub on, and it begins to bubble.

I swallow the lump in my throat, angry Gabriel Ferrara is someone I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

The kids run downstairs and jump into the hot tub. He clicks the safety net on. "Stay on the step," he tells them. "I have to go inside for a moment, I'll watch you through the window." He turns and walks past me into the house.

Great.

He's put them in the hot tub so we can fight without them hearing.

I walk in and he shuts the glass door behind us. "How fucking dare you!" he yells.

I jump, startled. "What?"

"I know what you did today," he screams, the veins in his neck sticking out.

"Calm down."

"I will not fucking calm down."

My eyes hold his.

"You didn't call her at all, did you...?"

I swallow the lump in my throat, staying silent.

"She ambushed you."

"Gabriel..."

"Did. You. Or. Did. You. Not. Call. Her?" he yells as he loses all control.

"No. I did not."

His eyes flicker with fury and he storms toward the front door; I run after him. "Where are you going?" He grabs his keys.

"I don't want you going anywhere when you're like this."

He brushes past me and into the foyer, he gets into the waiting elevator.

"Gabriel..."

His eyes are murderous as the doors close in my face.

I feel like I should ring ahead and warn his mother that he's coming...but I don't even have her number.

Fuck...