Page 62 of Illicit Throne

“It’s the truth!” The words tumbled out of me before I could stop them. “I know I’ve been…less than considerate in the past, and for that, I’m sorry. But being with you these past few days, it made me realize something.”

“What?” Her voice was so soft that I could barely hear her.

“That I want you in my life,” I confessed. “Not just because of our child, but because of you. You’re strong, Adriana. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. You’re brave, and kind, and despite all that’s happened, you’ve still got this…this hope in your eyes. It’s infectious, and I want to be a part of it.”

“You don’t know me,” she repeated.

“So let me get to know you,” I replied.

Silence took over the room then, filling every corner with an unsettling stillness. I wanted to say something, anything to break it, but I couldn’t find the words. What could I say? Nothing seemed right.

“I’ve seen more of you than you think, Tristan.” Adriana got up from the bed, pacing back and forth across the room. “You’ve shown me your anger, your violence, your…unpredictability. It’s scary. It’s not…it’s not what I want for our child.”

“I can change,” I replied, my desperation leaking into my voice. “I swear to you, Adriana, I can be better.”

“Can you?” She turned to look at me, her eyes hard as steel. “Can you really change who you fundamentally are? I know who your father is, too. I doubt that.”

My stomach churned. “That’s not fair.”

“What makes you believe anything about this is fair?”

Her words hung heavy in the room, cold as ice, echoing in my mind long after she had fallen silent. She was right. There was nothing fair about our situation. A pregnant woman on the run, a hotheaded man trying to protect her and their unborn child, all while trying to escape the clutches of powerful enemies.

It was a mess, to say the least.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how much Adriana had been through because of me. The fear, the anxiety, the constant running. It wasn’t a life anyone should have to live, let alone an expectant mother.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” I said, my voice barely a whisper in the vast silence that had taken over the room. “I’ve messed up more times than I can count.”

Adriana didn’t say anything for a long moment, her gaze unfocused as she stared blankly at the wall.

“But you need to understand something,” I continued. “I would do anything for you. Anything. Even if you don’t want to marry you. The moment you told me you were pregnant, everything else stopped mattering. Only you…only you and our son, Ade.”

We didn’t know if the baby would be a boy yet. I just had a feeling.

Her eyes snapped to mine at the mention of our unborn child. There was a shimmer of vulnerability flickering in the depths of her hardened gaze. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She chewed at her lower lip, a clear sign of her inner turmoil.

“You can’t just say things like that,” she murmured, her voice shaking. “You can’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I know. I don’t make promises I can’t keep. By now, you should know that about me.”

And before she could say anything else, someone knocked hard on the door.

Chapter Twenty-One: Tristan

Itensed as I went to answer the door, worrying that one of the warring mafia factions had found us. Instead, I found the kindly face of Martha, the innkeeper from last night. “Hello?” I said.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, dear,” she held a tray in her hands. “I thought you two would want breakfast in bed, and I wanted to give you the food before it got cold.”

“I didn’t order this,” I said.

“On the house. Honeymooners are my favorite, but don’t tell anyone.”

I blinked at her before stepping aside to let Martha in. She walked right past me and set the tray on the bedside table, and Adriana smiled at her. I could tell she was trying to keep up appearances, but I saw the slight wince as she moved to sit up.

“Thank you,” Adriana said, accepting a cup of coffee from Martha.

“It’s my pleasure, dear,” Martha replied with a warm smile. “It’s not often we get such a lovely couple staying with us. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

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