Page 43 of Pregnant By the Mafia Boss

“Yes. Yes. Oh, what a sweet fucking day to be alive. The fucking Omerta files really exist. Thank you, Fiona,” he sing-songs like a canary, whistling as a smile swims on my face.

“Fiona, welcome to the Utkins. Now the most powerful family in the country.”

When I glance at Fiona, I see the guilt etched onto her sweet face, more tears spilling as she folds up the letter placing it back in the envelope and into her purse. “My father told me to wait for my uncle. Not for you. This was meant to be kept in our family. Not yours.”

Choking up, she steps back, pigeons cooing above in the circle of the skylight, high above the wooden beams of the warehouse. “Fiona. This was the only way. You would be dead if I didn’t help you. It could only happen this way. Your uncle is in prison for a minimum of a year. Now—now, I can protect you from them. We have leverage!” I insist, trying to open her mind to the benefits of the situation, but it’s a lost cause.

Her mouth tilts in a wry smirk as she folds her arms over her chest, her red-rimmed eyes that were full of lust for me earlier, now reading as disdain. “I guess it’s supposed to be like this, huh? You’re my hero. You can keep people in their place, and I’m no longer a victim.”

“Right,” I say slowly as Mark remains quiet, directing the team to clean up the mess.

Gaining the Omerta files is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be.

Chapter Twenty-One - Fiona

It’s a winning combination of cloudy and muggy heat in Chicago as both Ruslan and I attend my routine pregnancy checkup. I’m at twenty weeks, so now we’ll be able to find out the sex of the baby. I could have found it earlier through genetic and DNA testing, but both Ruslan and I agreed to hold off until the ultrasound. Cupping my rounded belly, Ruslan hands me a tissue to wipe my brow before I walk a few paces down the pleasantly tree-lined street to an old Chicagoan relic of a building, holding a smile.

“Do you want more water?” Ruslan asks attentively.

“No, I’m okay. This heat is muggy, and it’s making me feel sticky,” I complain, but I am relieved when the gush of cool air-conditioned air hits my face. “Ah, that’s better.”

“Good.” As we walk inside to the reception counter, a friendly face awaits. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Anderson, nice to see you again. Here for your three thirty appointment with Dr. Shiels?” the chirpy receptionist says, brightening up when she sees us.

“Yes, that’s right.” I smile back, her positive attitude lifting me out of my heat-induced slump.

“Great. Dr. Shiels is running on time, and there’s plenty of cold water in the waiting room. Come with me, and I’ll show you both through. It shouldn’t be long of a wait.” Ruslan and I head down the hallway to an open space of comfortable waiting chairs, magazines, a water tower, and a big screen TV for everyone to watch.

“Excellent,” Ruslan responds. “Thank you.” We take a seat beside one another, Ruslan staring around the waiting room, but my eyes catch on to an oblivious couple a few seats away fromus. Observing their body language, I notice the adoration in his eyes, which causes me to mope. Her belly is about the same size as mine, and she’s basking in pregnancy glow. Meanwhile, today, I’m feeling like a beached whale as my aloof partner flicks through a magazine, the other father-to-be canoodles with her, kissing her forehead as she laps it up.

God. They look so in love. That’s how it should be. Not like this. Not like us.I pretend not to care, but a wave of jealous nausea come over me as I discreetly watch them for a moment longer, wanting Ruslan to pay attention to me like that.

Instead, I lean over to him. “I think I’ll have that water from the cooler now. Can you get me some?” I whisper, hoping the couple are up next so I don’t have to watch them love each other up any longer.

“Sure, I can.” Ruslan dutifully fills up my water bottle with fresh water bringing it back to me, but truthfully, I would prefer the snuggles the other woman is receiving. Sipping on my water, I start to cool down, coiling the end of my braided ponytail around my finger.

Ruslan’s giving me protection, money, and a safe space, but is the man ever going to be capable of giving me a love like I’ve always dreamt of? As I discreetly glimpse Ruslan, his eyes are glued to the TV, and my fragile heart sinks. I don’t think so.

Stop worrying. All relationships go through ups and downs. You’re human, and he is too. Try to ride it out, and he’ll come around. Maybe he can be all you want and more.

The nurse calls us, ending my spiral of dead-end thoughts. “Fiona Anderson and Ruslan Utkin?”

“Yes, that’s us.” We get up as the nurse calls us into the room, where we wait together.

“What a big day for you both. It looks like we’re going to find out what you’re having!” the nurse pipes up as Dr. Shiels enters. As soon as he does, his warm teddy bear presence puts me at ease.

“Yep, I can’t wait. We’re both excited about it,” I lie, not really knowing how Ruslan feels deep inside, other than the seed I’m carrying is his, and that he needs to take care of it.

Ruslan says nothing to squash my hidden fears either.

“Ah, Fiona, welcome. Mr. Utkin. Fiona, take a seat, and we’ll have a chat first. I want to discuss your blood test results and a treatment plan, before we get to the ultrasound.” Dr. Shiels shakes Ruslan’s hand as we both sit down, worry spiked by the words “treatment plan.”

I look from the nurse to him. “A treatment plan? What did I miss?”

Ruslan’s face shows a small change, but other than that he remains cool, calm, and collected. I reach out, taking his hand, but Dr. Shiels chuckles.

“Did I say treatment plan? That’s probably the wrong choice of words. All I mean is from your test results it’s clear you have some nutritional deficiencies, and we want to work on changing that in the months to come so you’re healthy and ready for breastfeeding.”

“Oh, what vitamins does she need?”

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