Page 58 of Make You Mine

“Luca should be here soon. I have to use the bathroom before I go.”

“No worries. Go do what you gotta do.”

Placing a quick kiss on her temple, I gather my purse and head into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I take the test out of my bag, sucking in a deep breath at what I’m about to do.You can do this.

I read the instructions over and over again. I’m stalling, I know that. Bile rises up my throat at what I’ll do if this baby is Junior’s and not Trent’s. I can't even begin to imagine how much worse it’ll be if I’m carrying Junior’s heir. What if our plan fails and we can’t kill him, or if it all goes sideways…

I was on the pill until Junior threw away my pack. I only missed a few days before I got a new script and started taking the pills again. I assumed I'd be okay, but I’m no OB-GYN and have zero clue how those few days affected my cycle.

Fuuuck.

After peeing on the test, I set it on the counter. While waiting for the results, I pace the bathroom, trying my best not to break down in tears.

My mind is reeling over the what-ifs, then the sound of the doorbell breaking through my downward mental spiral.

Shit, he’s here already.

Within a moment, I hear my mom knock on the door. “Sweetheart, Vito is here.”

The hair on the back of my neck rises. What would Vito be doing here, when Micah specifically said Luca was picking me up?

“I—I’ll be right out,” I answer while fumbling with the trash of the test. I peek at the white stick, but nothing has registered yet, so I throw it in my purse along with the box and instructions.

Glancing in the mirror, I wipe away any trace of shed emotions. Then, I square my shoulders and grab my purse as I exit the bathroom.

“Ahh, there she is,” Vito says when I enter the kitchen. I look at my mother, making sure she’s okay, before returning my attention to him.

“And here you are,” I sneer. “You ready to go?” I need to get out of this house before he asks too many questions. I haven’t clued my mom in on my recent whereabouts, using her as my alibi.

“Of course, I bet you’re anxious to get home. Having spent so many nights at your mom’s lately, Nori’s been missing you,” Vito says.

Thank fuck, my mom doesn’t miss a beat. “It's beenso nice having her here. I’ve been so lonely since Vincent passed.” She looks at me with nothing but love in her eyes.

Annoyed, Vito heads to the front door as I walk over to my mom and hug her. “I love you,” I whisper to her.

She reaches for something behind her and then secretively pushes the object gently into my stomach. Looking down, I take note of the metal barrel she’s clenching in her hands. Her eyes widen, imploring me to grab it from her. “I love you, too. Please be careful.”

Mother’s intuition.

I pull away with a nod, placing the petite pistol in my purse before heading out to where Vito and a guard wait next to the car. His sneer sends another chill down my spine.

Where the fuck is Luca?

Eighteen

“What’s up?” I grumble, half asleep, with my phone lying on my chest.

Unfortunately, my brother’s words pull me further from my sleep. “Stephen, Junior’s consigliere, just called and they want us to come to Sinners to discuss a few things.”

My hackles instantly rise, and I sit up, the comforter falling to my waist as I press the phone to my ear. “What kind of things? Vito was on the mend last time I checked.” I practically growl the last part because, unfortunately, with him feeling better, Ashley had to be more careful this week, which, in turn, meant less time with me.

“It sounds like their doctor is staying in Italy longer, and they need to know we can prioritize them if needs arise.”

Relief washes over me, even though I couldn’t care less about helping them. I bet they all must smell the war that’s brewing.

My brother continues. “Sounds like a good way to stay on the inside.”

“True, but sometimes, when something sounds too good to be true, it is.”

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