Page 15 of Hers to Control

“Gianna?” Mia asks as if she doesn’t already know who is on the other end. “You need to call Eric home.”

Fucking unbelievable.

Mia stays silent, but I can’t hear what Gianna is saying on the other end of the line. Mia walks toward the tiny bedroom, but I grab her arm and shake my head at her. She twists her arm around mine, shifting her weight, and dislodges my grip with an ease I didn’t expect.

Should have, though. She’s a martial artist. Best I keep that in mind for the future.

“I don’t need his help.”

The hell she doesn’t. I’m about to take my phone back when she hands it over to me with a triumphant smile.

“Gianna wants to talk with you.”

“Yeah?” I answer, curious to see what my cousin has to say.

We are still working on rebuilding trust between us, and I would hate to ignore an order from her, but if she is about to tell me I’m supposed to leave Mia alone, I will have to tell her that it is no longer possible.

“Why is Mia so hell-bent on getting you away from her?” Gianna asks instead.

“Because she’s pregnant. And the baby is mine.”

“The fuck?” Gianna sounds about as shocked as I expected her to be. “Where are you at?”

Mia

My best friend walks into the apartment with her usual air of ‘nobody can fuck with me.’ I used to have that air about me, except now someone did fuck with me. Literally. And I’m so out of my equilibrium that it isn’t even funny anymore.

Eric has remained silent for the past hour. Just standing there, playing with his knife. It’s fucking unnerving, but it has given me a chance to reflect on why the hell I did what I did. And the answer is simple. The guy is scary, sure, but he’s also hot as fucking hell. The way he’s leaning against the wall, twirling his knife as if he doesn’t have a care in the world, is the embodiment of a sexy villain.

He’s also the embodiment of everything I want to stay away from.

“Mia, what the hell? Why didn’t you call me?” Gianna sounds genuinely surprised, which is odd, all things considered. I might call her my best friend, but our friendship has always been governed by some unspoken rules. Rules like we don’t talk about her family or mine, or about what they do. There is trust, but also distance between us. Not exactly the basis for a no-holds, I call my bestie any time something comes up, kind of relationship.

Of course, she called me when she kidnapped Mikhail and needed help, and she offered her help to me when I needed it.

I throw a look at Eric, not willing to have a heart-to-heart with Gianna while he’s lurking about. “Think we can speak alone?” I turn back to Gianna, ignoring Eric since he seems intent on hovering. An order from her is the only way I see this working in my favor without a fight.

Gianna nods. “Eric, can you get us some coffee?”

He looks between us, then nods. When he starts for the door, I stop him. “Actually, an herbal tea for me, please.”

He looks at me for a moment, then nods, and it almost looks like the terse bastard approves of my decision. Makes me want to down a cup of coffee right in front of him, but I decided the second I took that test that I wouldn’t take any chances whatsoever with my baby, and giving up caffeine is an easy enough thing for me.

I’d do so much more to keep my Peanut safe.

When the door falls shut behind Eric, I turn back to Gianna and see her grinning face. “You actually hooked up with Eric? I honestly wasn’t sure if he was pulling my leg.”

Eric pulling anyone’s leg, even Eric making a mild joke, seems so far out of character that all I can do is stare at Gianna. Her expression grows more somber.

“So you’re actually pregnant?”

I nod, and then I feel tears prick my eyes. They had been pushing against the backs of my eyeballs for the past couple of hours. Ever since Eric showed up, but I’d managed to hold them back. Now the first ones spill into my eyes and make my vision blurry.

“Hell.”

Gianna’s words are a perfect description of my life at the moment, and with that, the tears spill over. It’s a weakness I have never allowed myself before, and all I can do is blame the damn hormones. This reminds me of the tiny Peanut growing inside of me and, immediately, guilt flashes through me. How can I feel so gloomy when I’m carrying something so precious inside of me?

“What if I screw the baby’s life up as badly as my father screwed up mine?” The question is out before I can think twice about it, and Gianna quickly sits down beside me, wrapping herarm around me. It’s such an unusual gesture coming from her that my tears turn into sobs.

---