Page 36 of The Bratva King's Twins

The driver watched, pulling a few drags from a cigarette while he made sure nothing out of the ordinary happened. Although, he didn’t seem to suspect anything.

With everything I bought tucked away in a plastic bag, thankful for the card Ari gave me, I thanked the cashier and headed for the bathroom. I could only hope it wasn’t too obvious.

Once the door was locked behind me, I let go of a big breath and got to it.

I swallowed back some of the juice I got, glad that I did have to go in the first place, then tore the packaging open and did what had to be done.

As I capped the test and waited for the results, my head was far too full of panicked thoughts for me to string a coherent one together. Instead, I was too focused on the test coming out one way or another, and questioning what that would mean for me and Ari. If he would accept it, or if a child was the last thing he wanted.

Those few minutes felt agonizing, but once I peered over at the little screen, my heart dropped.

Immediately, my skin felt ice cold, and I could’ve thrown up all over again.

It was positive.

I was pregnant with Ari’s baby.

The floor seemed to move beneath me as I struggled to understand what I was looking at, or what I was supposed to do next. I felt dizzy, reeling from what that meant.

Remembering that I was in a public bathroom, I put a hand over my mouth to stop from making any noise despite how prepared I was to cry from how overwhelming it all was.

Since I knew and would have to get it confirmed at a clinic, that meant I had no choice but to tell Ari. I wouldn’t be able to hide it for too long, and I could only imagine how angry he’d be if I kept it to myself.

But the thought of that added so much pressure to my shoulders, I could hardly stomach it.

While I never hated the idea of being a mother, I never thought it would happen so soon, especially not after we had only been married for a handful of months. Sure, I’d have the security and stability I’d need to take care of a child, but if Ari and I weren’t okay, there would only be more problems because of it.

Our relationship still felt like a new thing that needed more time and care to make sure it was heading in the right direction, and there was no telling what a newborn might do to it.

Yet, there was no denying how much better things had been, and he was doing his best to prove to me that even if our union was hasty, he had every intention of being a proper husband. He was looking out for both of us and making sure I was as comfortable as possible through the adjustment period.

A strange wave of reassurance surrounded me then, and I wiped my eyes as I tried to calm down.

Whether it was our budding relationship or how paternal Ari seemed given his experience taking care of young children, something in me was almost excited by the idea of seeing him in action.

He told me he had sacrificed everything to take care of his siblings, and I could only imagine how he’d be with his own baby.

Regardless of those conflicting thoughts and emotions moving through me, one thing was abundantly clear: I was dreading telling him.

I didn’t know how he would react, and bringing a child into the world wasn’t a small thing. I could only hope kids were on the table for him, and that all of my worries were for nothing.

As I threw the packaging out, put the test in my bag, and wiped my tears, I headed back for the SUV, all while mulling over how I would tell him.

Chapter 17 - Ari

Knowing Vivian was waiting at home or busy at the stable while I went to work every day made the days feel longer in anticipation of getting to see her again. As the week came to an end, I was looking forward to the moment I could be back with her, spending the weekend doing whatever we wanted.

I never thought I’d be the kind of man who couldn’t wait to get back home just to be graced by his wife’s affection and the comfort I'd learned to appreciate more than anything, but it seemed I did change for the better.

Being married and having someone like Vivian in my life was making me want to reach my full potential, and to never be like most husbands and fathers in the organized crime world. I wanted to prove to her that I would always be there regardless of what happened and that I always kept my word.

As I sat in traffic, I was starting to lose my patience. I was itching to get back to her and to connect with her more. With two free days at my disposal, I intended to take full advantage of them.

The time spent alone at my cold, lonely desk needed to be rectified as soon as possible.

I may have done something nice by buying her the ranch and letting her go out even while I wasn’t around to make sure nothing happened, but I knew it wasn’t all I could do. I wanted to establish more trust between us, and for her to feel she could depend on me.

I wanted to get to a place where I could have her unwavering loyalty, and she would have mine just the same. To do that, I needed to prove she could trust me first. The foundation had been laid, but with more time and effort, I wanted it to be even stronger.

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