Page 60 of Kidnapped By the Mafia

“She?”

“Yep.”

Lucas looks at me. “Told you.”

I feel a swell of pride—not just for our daughter, but for Lucas. He’s going to be such a good father. I can see it in the way he looks at the screen, in the thoughtful questions he asks, in the way he holds my hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Before we leave, the doctor asks if there’s likely to be any stress in my life moving forward. Lucas answers before I can, his voice steady and sure. “No. Not anymore.”

And for the first time in what feels like forever, I believe it. The stress, the fear—it’s all behind us now. We’re moving forward, together, and nothing is going to tear us apart.

44

EMILY

We meet Mia for lunch at a little restaurant that’s quickly becoming our favorite spot. The air is crisp, the city alive around us, but inside, it’s warm and cozy, filled with the smell of fresh bread and coffee. Mia’s already at the table when we arrive, her face lighting up when she sees us.

“Let me see!” she demands the moment we sit down, reaching for the ultrasound photos with a grin. She holds them up, her eyes wide with awe. “Oh my God, she’s adorable. I can’t wait to spoil her rotten.”

I laugh, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. “She’s going to be the luckiest kid in the world with you as her auntie.”

Mia grins, already planning all the ways she’s going to dote on our little girl. The three of us talk and laugh, sharing dreams about the future, about the life we’re going to build. Even Lucas seems more relaxed, his hand never leaving mine as we enjoy this moment.

Mia goes to the bathroom and I turn to Lucas. “Would you really have hurt her?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Had to get you to marry me. There were people coming to your apartment to kidnap you. I needed to move fast.”

“Why not tell me that?”

“Would you have believed me?”

I shake my head. “I guess not.”

“That’s why.”

Jake walks in and nods our way. His expression is serious, his posture stiff, and I know immediately that something’s wrong. He leans in close to Lucas, whispering something I can’t quite hear, but I catch a few words—“rival,” “consigliere,” “problems.”

I feel Lucas’s body tense beside me, his easy demeanor shifting back to the cold, controlled man I know he has to be sometimes. But before he can respond, I place my hand on his arm, trying to offer him the same comfort he always gives me.

“It’s okay,” I say softly, meeting his gaze with all the confidence I can muster. “You can go. We’ll be fine.”

He hesitates, torn between the world he can’t escape and the life we’re trying to build together. But finally, he nods, pressing a kiss to my forehead before standing to leave with Jake.

“I’ll see you later,” he promises, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary.

45

EMILY

The penthouse is quiet when Lucas returns late in the evening. I’m in our bedroom, proofreading my latest article, but I can’t concentrate. My thoughts keep drifting to him, to the way he looked at me during the ultrasound, to the way he’s been so careful, so attentive, like I’m the most precious thing in his world.

The door opens softly, and I glance up to see Lucas standing there, his expression softer than I expected. He’s already taken off his jacket, his tie loosened, and there’s a different kind of tension in his posture now—not the kind that comes from dealing with his enemies, but something more intimate, more vulnerable.

Without a word, he crosses the room and sits on the edge of the bed, reaching out to pull me into his arms.

The book falls from my hands as I melt into his embrace, the warmth of his body seeping into mine. It feels like coming home, like everything is right in the world when he holds me like this.

For a while, we just stay like that, wrapped up in each other, letting the quiet settle around us. But then Lucas speaks, his voice low and intimate, like he’s sharing a secret. “I’ve been thinking about everything,” he says, his fingers tracing light patterns on my arm. “About us. About the future.”

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