Page 76 of Triplets for the Mafia Prince

Bella's brow furrows as she counts back. The color drains from her face. "Oh, God."

"How late are you?"

She grips the counter, her knuckles white. "A week or so. I thought it was stress. Everything's been so crazy.”

Her voice trails off as the implications sink in. I should be panicking. A baby is the last thing we need right now. Not with my father hunting us. Not when I'm planning to kill him.

But emotion stirs in my chest. The thought of Bella carrying my child awakens something primal and protective in me. Not fear or dread, but… hope.

I picture a little girl with Bella's gray eyes and fierce spirit. Or a son I could raise to be better than me, better than my father.

I stare at Bella's reflection in the mirror, my mind reeling. She's so young, with dreams of traveling the world, getting an education, all the things she couldn't do under her father's thumb. Things she won’t be able to do if she's carrying my child.

I pull Bella into my arms. "We need to be sure," I murmur into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. "I'll get a test."

She nods against my chest. I want to ask her what she’s feeling, thinking, but I’m afraid I won’t like the answer. A baby ends her dreams of freedom, the freedom I’d promised her. She'd be tied to me, to this life, forever.

Even so, as I picture Bella with our child, I can't deny how right it feels, how much I want it, even though I know I should be hoping the test comes back negative.

28

BELLA

My head spins as I stare at Nic. Pregnant? How can that be?

Morning sickness. Fatigue. Crying more easily than usual. All the signs are there.

I study Nic, trying to figure out his thoughts about this. Is he mad? After all, a baby would complicate everything. He’s not a man who wants a family. He as much as told me so. And then there are my plans, such as they are. Sure, I don’t know what I want to do, but I know it didn’t involve being a single mom on my own.

My chest tightens as panic sets in. Nausea churns again, but not from morning sickness. This time, it really is stress and fear and uncertainty.

Finally, his deep voice breaks through the tension. "If you are pregnant, I'll take care of you."

The words hit me like a slap. Take care of me? Like I'm some problem to be managed? Some responsibility he needs to handle? I thought he was going to stop doing that.

Hot tears spring to my eyes as anger and hurt surge through me. "Take care of me. Like you've been taking care of me bykeeping me locked away? By planning to ship me off somewhere once you're done with your revenge?"

The sadness weighs heavily in my chest as I realize that even now, faced with the possibility of us having a child together, he still sees me as something to be handled rather than someone to be loved.

I push away from the sink, my legs steadier now as anger replaces my earlier fear. "I don't need you to 'take care' of me. I'm not some obligation you have to fulfill."

The words pour out before I can stop them. "You promised me freedom when this was over. The chance to live my life how I choose. Being pregnant doesn't change that."

His jaw tightens at my defiance, but I press on. "I won't be another person you control, another responsibility you have to manage. If I am pregnant, I'll figure it out on my own."

The thought terrifies me, but I lift my chin higher. "You made it clear there's no future for us, that I should go live my life somewhere far from all this." My hand gestures vaguely at the space between us. "So don't suddenly act like you need to step in and handle things."

His eyes darken, but I'm still not finished. "I want someone who chooses to be with me, who sees me as a partner, not a duty. So don't worry about taking care of me, Nic. I can take care of myself."

Nic's hands grip my shoulders, his dark eyes intense. "You think this is about duty? Christ, Bella. I'm happy about the baby."

My breath catches. I feel like my brain comes to a screeching halt as it tries to process what he said. "What?"

"The idea of you carrying my child…" His voice roughens. "It means you could stay. With me."

I step back, my head spinning. "Stay? But you're the one who keeps pushing me to leave. College. Travel. Building my own life."

"Because I thought it was what you wanted. What you deserve. A chance at normal life, away from all this."

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