Page 92 of Born into Sin

Pulling back so I can see him, I take a breath and say, “I said you’re going to be a grandpa.”

“Jesus, I thought that’s what you said.” He doesn’t look angry, just completely knocked-on-his-ass stunned. “How long have you known?”

“About twenty minutes. I had no idea, Dad. I would never have hid a pregnancy from you and Mom.”

His face pales when he realizes what this means. “That fucker beat you while you were pregnant?”

“Dr. Bianchi said the baby is fine. I’m in the very early stages, Dad, less than two weeks pregnant.”

“Jesus,” he says again. “He was already going to get a slow death, but I’ve just tacked on a few excruciating hours for endangering my grandbaby.”

I don’t bother trying to talk him out of it, and the truth is I don’t want to. I hope Alexei dies a painful death and he’s forced to shit himself before he takes his last breath. The bastard doesn’t deserve an ounce of mercy, and he’s sure as hell not going to get any from me.

He laughs and shakes his head. “Your Uncle Vitaly is never going to let me hear the end of this. He’s already trying to get Dominic to call me Dad.”

“He isn’t,” I say, trying not to laugh.

My dad lifts a pierced brow at me. “He is.”

I know he’s dying to bring my mom in, but before he calls for her, he cups my face and looks at me. “Are you happy, Natochka?” He only ever calls me that when he’s feeling especially sentimental, and hearing it has me getting all emotional again. “Is this really what you want, because if you’re unsure, even if it’s just a little bit, I want you to know that your family will take care of you no matter what. We’ll help you raise this baby, and you’ll both be surrounded in love and want for nothing.”

I give my dad a wobbly smile as I fight the tears because I know he means every damn word of it. “Thank you, Dad, but I really do love Dominic, and I want to marry him.”

He kisses my forehead and then gives me a playful wink. “You can’t fault me for trying.”

I laugh because I know he’s joking…kind of.

“Malinkaya,” he yells, hollering for my mom who bursts through the door in record time before running over to me and wrapping me in a careful hug while she sobs into my hair. My dad holds the two of us and lets us cry, telling us both that he loves us until he finally says, “You two are breaking my heart here. Please stop crying.”

My mom kisses my head and then leans into my dad’s embrace, letting him comfort her. He whispers something in her ear, and I see her nod before she looks back over at me.

“Are you okay? I’ve never been so scared in my whole life.” She starts crying again, and my dad puts her on his lap and holds her, whispering in her ear and rubbing her back until she’s sobbed herself out.

“She’s fine, malinkaya. I would never lie to you about that,” my dad tells her and then looks over at me, giving me the chance to speak if I want to, but also letting me know that all I have to do is nod and he’ll do it for me. I smile at him, grateful for what he’s offering but knowing I need to be the one to do it.

“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She wipes the tears off her cheeks and then wraps an arm around me, pulling me in closer. “What is it?”

I hold up my left hand and give her a smile. “Dominic’s asked me to marry him, and I’ve said yes.” Before she can process what I’ve just said, I go ahead and lay the rest of it on her. “And you’re going to be a grandma. I’m pregnant.”

My mom’s eyes widen, but then she smiles and kisses my head. “Are you happy?”

“Yes,” I whisper, squeezing her hand back. “I’m so happy, Mom.”

“Then so am I.” She kisses me once more and then turns to my dad. “I can’t believe we’re going to be grandparents.”

“I know. We look way too young for that,” my dad says with a laugh.

My mom laughs and grips my dad’s arm. “I just realized that I’m going to be younger than my son-in-law.”

My dad laughs and kisses my mom. “That’s so fucked up,” he says with another laugh.

“You two can stop laughing now,” I tell them, fighting my own smile.

“You gotta admit it’s kind of funny,” he tells me.

I don’t admit anything, and when Mia pokes her head in the door, I’m saved from having to. When I wave her in, Sasha comes in right behind her, and they both give me a hug and ask if I’m okay.

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