Page 23 of Hers to Control

“I’ll drive her,” Eric says, and for a second it looks as if he’s about to add something else, but then he reverts to his stubborn silence.

Mikhail snorts, while Gianna slowly considers him before nodding. “Okay.”

“She’ll need medical attention,” Eric adds, and we all look at him, surprised. Then Gianna’s eyes fly to me. “Are you hurt?”

I shake my head, not sure what Eric is going on about.

“She’s pregnant. She needs checkups or something.” Now he looks seriously uncomfortable.

“Right.” Gianna gives me a look that is probably supposed to tell me something, but I’m too busy resenting the idea that Eric is trying to control anything about my life to make sense of it. I don’t want him involved, and I definitely don’t want him to know the name of the doctor who’s checking my little Peanut.

“I’ll find a clinic in the area. Don’t worry about it,” I tell them, avoiding looking at anyone in particular.

There is a moment of silence before Gianna and Mikhail discuss the best way to get me away from the villa without his family being able to trail us. Eric and I stay silent.

None of this is ideal, but I’ll let them help me get away from the Russians first. Then I’ll get away from Eric.

Chapter Nine

Eric

The cabin smells like bleach and some sort of lemon cleaner. It’s disgusting, but at least it’s clean. The fact that Gianna didn’t think it would be a good idea for me to look after Mia and my unborn child grinds against my nerves.

What did I expect? I failed to protect her father and then, when she asked me to look after her friend, I not only knocked her up but allowed the Russians to get close enough to her she had to fight them off herself.

I look over to Mia, who is putting away the groceries we bought on the way here. The woman is fucking hot. Her hair is a mess and her shirt is crinkled. Both are reminders that she took down two huge Russian assholes. Fucking amazing.

“What?” she asks, catching me staring.

“Keep the pasta out. I’ll cook that when you’re done with the rest of that stuff.”

Mia raises an eyebrow at me. “You cook?”

I give her a curt nod. “Just finish putting away the groceries, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Unlike my cousin, I actually enjoyed helping in the kitchen when I grew up. Mellie, the Bruno’s cook, has been with the family ever since I can remember and the woman is amazing at what she does. While Gianna always needed to prove herself, I’d easily fit in with the men of the syndicate and had some time to spare growing up. For a teenage boy, the kitchen had been a great place to be.

As Mia continues with her task, I quickly check the back rooms and do a walk-around of the cabin. After that, I head to the small kitchen area. The stainless steel pots and pans are barely used. Gianna still isn’t one for doing a lot of cooking.

I grab a pot and fill it with water, placing it on the stove to boil. While waiting, I gather the ingredients for the sauce: fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil. I didn’t buy any red wine to serve with the meal. I’m not about to let Mia consume any alcohol.

The rhythmic sound of chopping echoes through the cabin as I dice the tomatoes and mince the garlic. I can feel Mia’s eyes on me as she finishes organizing the groceries.

“So, what’s the story behind this sudden domestic turn?” she asks, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“I’m Italian.”

Mia scoffs, rolling her eyes.

I ignore her, focusing on the boiling water and the sizzling pan. Once the pasta is cooking, I heat olive oil in another pan and start sautéing the garlic. The aroma fills the cabin, masking the lingering scent of cleaning supplies.

As the garlic turns golden, I add the diced tomatoes, letting them simmer in the pan. The sizzle of the ingredients fills the air, smelling fucking delicious, but Mia continues to watch with her arms crossed.

She might not like me, but I sure as hell don’t mind the way her posture pushes her tits up.

“How long are you planning on staying here? Don’t you need to head back to the city and help Gianna deal with the Russians?”

She has a point, but helping Gianna would require me to leave Mia unprotected, and that doesn’t sit right with me. Especially with her looking at me with all that anger.

---