Chapter 4. Accidental Father

River Foster, the leader of the Red Vipers, rushed to the hospital as soon as his henchman Samuel told him his sister Valerie was going into labor right in front of that damned Antonio Costello.

Jesus Christ, how could this be happening? What was Valerie doing visiting one of the most dangerous men in the city and, not to mention one of his enemies?

His wife Ellie grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, grounding him in the moment. He turned to look at her, finding her eyes wide with worry, mirroring the same fear he felt tightening in his chest. “Valerie is going to be okay, River. Don’t worry,” she said in an attempt to comfort him. Her fingers trembled slightly against his, yet her grip was steady.

River nodded but didn’t say anything, his jaw clenched and his gaze distant.

The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity for River, his mind racing with worry for Valerie. He couldn’t shake the image of her in pain, with that smug bastard Antonio standing over her. The thought of him witnessing such a vulnerable moment made River’s blood boil.

As they pulled up to the hospital, River barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out. Ellie followed closely, her hand still tightly holding his. They rushed through the sliding doors and straight to the front desk.

“Valerie Foster,” River said urgently to the nurse behind the counter. “She was brought in a few minutes ago. She’s in labor.”

The nurse nodded, quickly scanning her computer. “Room 304,” she replied, pointing them in the right direction. “Follow the signs for maternity.”

They hurried down the hallway, River’s heart pounding in his chest. Ellie kept pace beside him, her presence a small comfort amidst the chaos. She was always there for him, by his side whenever things got too hard. And she was an amazing mother his children.

When they finally reached the room, they were greeted by an unexpected scene.

There he was, the notorious Antonio Costello. In his hands, he held a small bundle wrapped in a blanket, which River could only assume was Valerie’s baby.

Why the heck was Antonio Costello holding Val's baby?

“Antonio!” River roared, not caring who heard him.

Antonio’s head shot up, and his black eyes locked with River’s. “Hush, Costello. You will wake up the baby.”

River blinked in confusion, the adrenaline of the drive and the chaos of the situation crashing to a halt. His eyes darted around the room, searching for Valerie. But she wasn’t there. His pulse quickened with a fresh surge of panic as the silence pressed in around him. Did this asshole hurt his sister?

Ellie gripped River’s arm tightly, her eyes wide with shock. “River,” she whispered, pulling him back to the present moment.

Good ole, Ellie. She was always here to control his temper tantrums. This was why he married her in the first place!

Well, among other things.

“What the hell are you doing with my nephew?” River demanded, his voice a harsh whisper as he stepped closer.

Antonio’s expression was unexpectedly gentle as he looked down at the infant in his arms. “Holding him,” he said as if River was the one being ridiculous right now. 

“Why?” River asked, his patience wearing thin.

“Because babies need to be held. It’s science. Something about needing skin-to-skin contact, etcetera, etcetera. I read it on Goo*le,” Antonio said dryly.

The absurdity of the situation momentarily stunned River into silence. Antonio Costello, his enemy, was standing in a hospital room cradling a newborn and citing Google as his source for childcare advice.

River took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging storm inside him. “Where is Valerie?” he asked, his voice still tense.

Antonio gestured towards a door at the side of the room, his expression filled with concern. "She's in there," he said softly. "The nurses are tending to her. She passed out, but she's stable now." His eyes flicked to River. "She was just dehydrated. Did you not give your sister any water at your house?" 

River glanced at Ellie, who was still holding onto his arm. Her expression was nothing short of amusement. Reluctantly, she let go of his arm and moved toward Antonio.

“May I hold him?” Ellie asked, extending her arms with a gentle grace.

Antonio's eyes flickered with hesitation before he carefully transferred the newborn into Ellie's waiting arms.

As soon as the baby was in her arms, Ellie's expression softened into one of pure awe and tenderness. She cradled him against her chest, feeling his tiny body warm against her own. The baby cooed and gurgled softly, his delicate fingers curling around Ellie's thumb.

“He is so precious,” Ellie whispered, her voice trembling with emotion as she looked down at the tiny human in her arms, overwhelmed by feelings of love and wonder. Tears welled up in her eyes, reflecting the joy and amazement that filled her heart at this moment. She loved her sister in law Valerie and now, she had this little nephew to love.

River stepped closer, his heart finally starting to calm as he looked at the baby. He had pitch-black hair and big brown eyes with a hint of green in them. He looked more like Julian than Val but he had Val's nose and mouth.

“He is quite beautiful. Hopefully, he won’t have her father’s ugly mug when he grows up. I’d rather not have my son grow up looking like that Russian sleazebag,” Antonio declared.

River slowly turned to him. “Excuse me. Did you say your son?” 

Antonio shook his head vigorously, a grin spreading across his face. “Si. I …may have accidentally signed the birth certificate.”

“What the actual fuck!?” River exclaimed. His head was spinning already and he could feel more anger building up inside him. 

“Hush, I prefer you didn’t curse in front of my son,” Antonio said. 

Would it be so terrible to shoot this bastard right here? River wondered.