"She's pregnant," Angelo calls out to the nurse who just nods and continues walking. We all stand in the empty hallway, silent and unmoving.

She's pregnant? impossible.

"Why would you say that?" Arlo asks him. "Why do you think? she's pregnant," Angelo replies.

"No she's not." Lorenzo states.

"Yes she is."

'No she's not." Gabriele repeats.

"Look we could go on like this for hours but it's true," Angelo sighs. "Trust me I reacted the same way when I found out and I know this isn't the way she wanted to tell you but it is what it is."

"What- I mean how- when," I stutter, all the questions in my head causing me to not be able to get out a coherent thought.

"How and when did you find out," Dante asks though gritted teeth.

"Remember that day when we both came into the office during your meeting, screaming and arguing," Angelo recalls. "Well I found out then and I immediately took her to a doctor's appointment where we actually found out she was having twins," He says, actually sounding excited.

How could anyone be excited to find out their seventeen year old sister is having twins.

"Twins!" Luca exclaims in disbelief. "You've known for that long!" Dante shouts out Angelo.

All their arguing is drowned out and muffled by my racing thoughts as I start putting pieces together.

That day in the office Angelo was enraged and punched Santiago. Why? Him and the fact that she's pregnant has to be linked somehow.

I slowly turn to him as my brothers mindlessly argue and scream at each other, only to find that he's already looking at me. We hold unflinching eye contact as I stare into his guilty looking face.

I immediately advance towards him, putting all my strength into the right hook I land into his face.

"How could you!" I roar. "You're supposed to be my best friend, my best fucking friend," I shout as I land punch after punch.

He's more built than me and taller so I know if he wanted to he could get me off of him but he doesn't fight back, he just takes the hits.

"Rome what the fuck," Luca yells, pulling me off him.

My hand drips with blood as I look at my idiotic brothers, shocked that they haven't figured it out already.

"He got her fucking pregnant," I point out the obvious, motioning towards Santiago who's now standing up with blood dripping from his head.

They all stare at him, not quite believing what I had revealed.

"Santiago is this true?" Lorenzo asks in his deathly calm voice.

"Yes it is," He says, clearly excepting his fate.

Alonzo pulls out a knife and starts stalking towards him but Angelo get's in his way. "Alright just calm down, give him a chance to explain," He reasons.

"What's there to explain, this bastard thinks he can stay under our roof, eat our food and then use our sister," Dante rants.

"He probably manipulated her into having sex with him," Gabriele instigates.

"You know me, I would never," He says, sounding offended. I audibly scoff at this. We don't know him at all.

I thought I did, I thought he was my best friend but this whole time he's been taking advantage of my sister behind my back. I curl and uncurl my fists, struggling to keep my anger contained.

"And I didn't use her, I love her," He says confidently. "Love her you barely even know her," Arlo scoffs.

"Well they have been dating for two months," Angelo replies, defending Santiago for some reason. Upon hearing this, Lorenzo let's out a harsh exhale as he runs his hands through his hair in stress.

"What are you two deciding to do?" Lorenzo sighs.

"What do you mean what are they deciding to do! They're going to fucking get rid of it," I say in disbelief, baffled that we're even having this discussion.

"No the fuck we aren't," Santiago yells, showing the first slither of anger I've seen from him all night.

"We're keeping the babies, no doubt about it," He says calmly, now facing Lorenzo.

"We need to talk, alone." Lorenzo tells Santiago. "No you don't, just throw him in the cells!" I exclaim, furious that Lorenzo's so calm when he should be enraged.

"Rome-" Santiago says, looking hurt whilst trying to touch my arm.

"Nah fuck you don't touch me," I seethe. "Fuck all of you," I wave at my brother's who aren't displaying the appropriate amount of anger. I storm towards the exit, desperately needing a blunt to calm down.

"You are dead to me," I turn around and point to Santiago as I exit the building.



The second Angelo revealed that Darcy was pregnant it was like my whole world stopped.

How didn't I notice?

Denial was soon replaced with guilt. I feel like the world's shittiest big brother, I wasn't even there to comfort and support her when she really needed me.

That guilt was then replaced with pure rage when I thought about how she got into this situation. I vividly imagined the unknown man I would soon be torturing.

Maybe I would stab him, or rip out his eyes and make him eat them or maybe even pour acid over him and watch him squirm.'

But when Romeo shouted that Santiago was the father those thoughts evaporated, I couldn't imagine torturing him no matter how hard I tried. I just felt that same pit in my stomach that I feel every time I think about one of my siblings getting hurt.

Maybe it's because I had to take him in and look after him or because I spent years mentoring him, but I view him as apart of the family.

"Follow me," I tell him, leaving my dismayed brothers in the hallway. We sit down in an almost deserted waiting room.

"Look Lorenzo this was never my intention-" He starts to nervously ramble. "I know," I say, cutting him off.

"I'm sorry for betraying your trust," He apologies sincerely.

"I know," I repeat.

"I'd never hurt her, I wouldn't be able to," He whispers.

"Santiago, I trust you," I say, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Obviously this isn't something I would have wanted for her so soon but if it had to happen with anyone I'm glad it was you."

I'm surprising myself here. Until today the thought of Darcy even having her first kiss made me want to kill anyone in a miles radius but I feel no hostility towards Santiago.

The images of her happy, bubbly face over the past two months keep flashing in my mind, effectively calming me down. Santiago and these babies are clearly having a positive impact on her life and overall mood so who am I to try and take that away from her.

All I want in life is for her to be happy, no matter what that entails. If she wants these babies I will do anything in my power to protect them.

"Just give them time," I motion towards the rest of the boys, minus Romeo who are now approaching us.

We spend another hour in the waiting room, listening to Santiago, Luca and Angelo civilly talk about a basketball game while Dante, Arlo, Gabriele and Alonzo all glare at him.

"Family of Darcy Russo?" The doctor calls, looking up from her clipboard. "Yes," We all say in unison.

"Is she awake?" Santiago asks worriedly. "Yes," The doctor replies.

"But there's been some complications."