Page 87 of Captured By the Bratva

“No. Just brother stuff.”

She grinned. “Ah.”

I draped my arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “So, a no on this place?”

She nodded. “It just doesn’t feel right. And kind of far from home.”

Home, as in the brand-new apartment we’d chosen together. It seemed smarter to start over in a new place, not the penthouse where I’d first taken her. Where we lived hardly mattered to me, just as long as it was with her and Emily, with room to grow.

“Ready for the appointment?” I asked, grinning.

She nodded. “Are you sure you want to find out the gender?” she teased.

“Oh, yeah.”

We headed straight there to the private office of the doctor handling Mila’s and Amy’s pregnancies. Dr. Francis was a busy lady with all of us, and I looked forward to seeing all our kids running around together, raised in a full family setting.

After we checked in with the receptionist, I set Emily on my knees and bounced her to entertain her.

“You’re going to be the best dad in the world,” Becca said as she rested her head on my shoulder. Her red hair tumbled down, and Emily giggled, reaching out to grab it.

“I already am,” I corrected her.

She leaned up to kiss me. “That’s right. I still can’t believe the adoption papers came so quickly.”

That’s how things work in the family.The documents were legitimate, but we had our ways of bribing for speedier outcomes. That didn’t hold true here, though, as we waited for the ultrasound appointment well past its scheduled spot.

“Sorry!” Dr. Francis said twenty more minutes later. “Babies. They never go according tomyschedule.” She winked at Becca as she moved the wand over her belly. As she asked her a few questions about her pregnancy with Emily, I focused on distracting Emily from wanting to wander and climb in here.

“You’re sure you want to know?” the doctor asked after she confirmed the baby was growing appropriately. I had to give hercredit. Not once did she slip with a pronoun when she pointed out all the measurements and whatnot.

I nodded. “I am.”

Becca took my hand. “Me too.”

“You see this here?” Dr. Francis pointed to a shape on the screen. I didn’t want to admit it, but I still had no clue what I was looking at on that contrasted image.

“Is that a penis?” Becca exclaimed.

“Penis!” Emily parroted.

I shook my head, laughing as I hugged her close.

Becca laughed. “Emily!”

“It’s a boy?” I checked, already getting ahead of myself, thinking of names, wondering what sports we’d play first, if he’d have Becca’s red hair…

A son!

She nodded. “Yep. You’ve got a healthy baby boy. Congratulations.”

I stared at the image while Dr. Francis cleaned up the gel on Becca’s stomach. After the doctor left, seeking her assistant to arrange Becca’s next appointment dates, I gazed at my woman and smiled.

I saw the rest of my life in her warm stare of love.

“I’m the luckiest fucking man alive,” I said.

She widened her eyes, sitting up and covering Emily’s ears.

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