Page 27 of Valentine's with the Cartel

He knew I wasn't joking around right now.

Sliding into the backseat beside Anan, I gathered him into my lap with a firmness he couldn't mistake for anything other than what it was—a silent command to give me the answers I demanded.

There would be no more hiding from me or lying about what his body was going through. We were in this together as husbands. No more secrets.

He shivered against my chest, burying his face in the crook of my neck as if he could hide from me that way. But I wasn'thaving it. Not now when I had finally put two and two together about why he had been feeling so sick.

This conversation was coming whether he wanted to have it or not.

The drive back to the mansion was tense and quiet, broken only by Anan's occasional whimpers and my own dark brooding as I plotted how to extract a confession from him without breaking his fragile state of mind in the process.

But even as rage burned white hot beneath my skin at the thought of being kept in the dark about such a crucial development in our relationship, I knew I had to approach this with care.

My omega was vulnerable right now in a way I had never seen before, and pushing too hard or coming on too aggressively would only damage the fragile trust between us.

No, I would have my answers... but it would be done on MY terms and at MY leisure when Anan was at his most relaxed and receptive.

Forcing him to talk now when he was clearly upset wouldn't end well for either of us.

As the gates of our estate came into view, I felt some of the coiled tension draining from my body as I gazed down at his bowed head.

First things first though—we needed to get him settled and comfortable before I broached this sensitive subject. And that meant no more upsetting talk or stressful situations until after I had a chance to care for him properly like the omega he was.

After all, he was carrying our child now... and there would be no greater privilege in life than caring for my pregnant husband with every ounce of strength and devotion I possessed.

Again, no more hiding from me though. Anan was in for a long night. He may have wanted to play coy and hide how badthe queasiness had been, but he should know that he can't keep secrets from me for long.

But my plans could wait until after we got him settled in our room. There would be plenty of time to discuss all of this later, once his stress levels had significantly diminished.

I knew I couldn't do anything but love him now and prove that whatever happened in the future, he was the only one who mattered. He was going to be a father... MY husband was going to be a father. And we would face that monumental change together as a unit, no matter what anyone said about it.

His aunt had overstepped her boundaries for the last time, though. I didn't know why he had ever listened to anything she said in the first place when she always brought him down instead of lifting him up like any normal relative would. Well, that was over now. He was mine, and no one else would ever get a say again.

After pulling into the driveway of our mansion, I took a moment to drink in Anan's peaceful expression as he lay draped across my chest, his breathing having slowed to a more relaxed rhythm thanks to the gentle swaying of the vehicle on the road.

I marveled at how my heart could feel so full to bursting with love and yet ache so keenly from the knowledge that something this monumental was happening to us right under my very nose and I had been kept in the dark about it for so long.

It was just difficult to hate him, even though he had lied to me. And well, after learning the truth, I would make sure he never kept anything else from me.

I had claimed Anan's body, mind, and soul... but now it was time for me to prove that the vow I made all those weeks ago before God and witnesses had not been made lightly. I loved this omega more than anything in this world, and that bond would only deepen with every passing day.

Sliding my fingers beneath his chin to tilt his face up again, I gazed down at him with a fierce intensity that bordered on ferocity, my heart expanding almost painfully at the adoration shining in those brilliant grey eyes.

"I love you,"I rasped."More than I ever thought possible."

Now all we had to do was get him up to bed where I could properly pamper and care for my very precious omega and our equally precious baby. It was time to make love...

In every single way imaginable, until the sun came up and then some more on top of that just because I could.

"Come,"I urged as I nudged Anan out of my lap and into a standing position with a gentle push of my hands."You need a good time and that's exactly what I'm going to give you now."

And then? Then it would be time for answers.

Chapter 17

Anan

I followed Rafael upstairs on trembling legs, my heart pounding a rapid staccato rhythm against my ribs as anticipation coiled tight in my stomach. I knew he had figured out what was really going on with me—how could he not when I had been so violently ill right in front of him like that? But I was still surprised by the patience he showed in waiting until we were alone to address it.

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