I didn’t check to see if he followed my order, but a few minutes later the elevator binged and Gianna rushed out, dressed in a bathrobe, and followed by Matteo in boxers and a T-shirt.
Gianna practically flew up the steps and stopped beside me. She froze with her hands almost touching me. “Aria? What’s wrong? Is the baby on its way?”
I swallowed a retort, and nodded.
“Come on, we need to get you to a hospital,” she said, resting her hand lightly on my arm.
Matteo hovered on the first step and behind him stood Demetrio, all of them watching me as if they needed my guidance.
“I don’t think I can walk right now,” I got out.
Gianna paled.
“Do something. You must know what to do,” Matteo told her, taking another step closer.
“Why would I know what to do? Because I’m a woman?” Gianna hissed. “I’ve never pushed a baby out of my vagina, as you very well know.”
Oh God. I really didn’t need their bickering now.
“Matteo, can you please help me?” I whispered. Gianna wasn’t strong enough to carry me, and I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to walk much longer. This was going way faster than I’d thought.
He came up immediately. “What do you need me to do?”
Another contraction and I rocked forward, clutching Matteo’s arms. He steadied me. “Call Luca.”
“You need to let go of me,” he said in a tense voice. No way. I needed something to hold on to, and Matteo could take my grip better than Gianna. I clutched his arms harder and he seemed to realize that I wasn’t going to release him.
Gianna pulled her own cell out. “Yes, it’s Aria,” was the first thing she said. Of course Luca knew it was because of me when Gianna called him. My text had probably sent him into a panic attack.
“We’ll take her to the hospital.” She nodded, then ended the call and looked at me. “He’s already on his way.”
“Can you walk?” Matteo asked.
I gave a small nod, feeling a tiny bit stronger. I took a step down, Matteo’s grip tight on my arm. It took what felt like forever to descend the remaining steps with Gianna, Demetrio and Matteo watching me like I was a bomb about to detonate.
Gianna’s phone rang. “No, we’re still at home. Aria is too slow.”
I scowled at her. Slow? I was surprised I could walk at all the way my insides seemed to be torn to pieces. I paused to catch my breath. Matteo surprised me by wrapping his arm around my shoulder and slipping his other under my legs before lifting me in his arms. I knew it couldn’t have been easy for him. I’d gained almost thirty pounds during the pregnancy. I was still not big, but definitely not a lightweight anymore.
“Thanks,” I murmured.
His dark eyes softened. Matteo and I had had our conflicts, but I knew he’d get me safely to the hospital.
“Everything will be all right,” Gianna assured me. It would have been more convincing if she didn’t look like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
“I’ll get the car,” Demetrio said then disappeared in the elevator. He looked as if the devil was after him.
“Hey!” Matteo called, but the doors had already closed and it was heading down, leaving us stranded in the penthouse until the elevator returned. “What the fuck is he doing?”
Gianna jabbed the button of the elevator repeatedly, but it was still on its way down to the underground garage. “What the fuck is he getting the car for? It’s parked right beside the elevator doors anyway. Idiot.”
“He’s nervous,” I said quietly, enjoying a moment of almost no pain but then another contraction stiffened my spine and I cried out, arching in Matteo’s hold. He staggered and tensed.
“Fuck,” he snarled, and Gianna hit the button again, as if violence ever made a technical device work faster.
“Will you be able to keep the baby in until we’re in the hospital?” Matteo asked worriedly.
I rolled my eyes. He made it sound as if I could shut the door down there. “I don’t know.”
“Finally!” Gianna exclaimed as the elevator arrived on our floor and the doors slid open, and my heart skipped a beat in relief. Luca towered inside and his worried gray eyes zoomed in on me. Without a word, he strode toward Matteo and took me from his brother. Luca held me against his chest as if I weighed nothing. He lowered his face and kissed me gently before he headed for the elevator. I could feel his heartbeat racing, but his face was calm and it soothed my own worries. With him at my side, everything would be okay.
“Where’s Demetrio?” Matteo asked.
“Sent him to the hospital to make sure it’s safe,” Luca said, his eyes never leaving my face, and I held his gaze because the pain seemed more bearable like that. Matteo opened the door of his Porsche Cayenne for us but when Luca was about to set me down on the backseat, the strongest contraction rocked through my body. I convulsed, my eyes closing, and I released a small cry.