Page 93 of The Mafia's Quadruplets

Valerian follows soon after, burying his face in my neck as he comes hard. His cock pulses deep inside me, filling me with hisseed. It’s an incredibly intimate moment, and I hold him close, savoring every second.

Afterward, we lie tangled together, catching our breath. Valerian presses a tender kiss to my temple, stroking my hair. His hand rests protectively over my stomach, a reminder of the precious lives growing within me.

“That was...” I trail off, unable to find words adequate to describe the experience.

Valerian chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Yeah, it was.”

We bask in the afterglow, trading soft kisses and gentle caresses. I feel truly safe and loved.

A knock at the door breaks the spell. Valerian tenses, instantly alert. “Who is it?” he calls out.

“It’s Dmitri, sir,” comes the muffled reply. “Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have arrived.”

I bolt upright, suddenly remembering my parents are on their way. “Oh, god, what time is it?”

Valerian glances at the clock. “They’re a little early, but I’m sure they’re worried. I’ll handle it.” He kisses me softly. “Take your time getting ready. I’ll keep them occupied.”

As he dresses quickly, I head to the en-suite bathroom. The woman in the mirror looks different. My hair is tousled, and my lips are swollen from Valerian’s kisses, but it’s my eyes that catch my attention. They’re alive in a way I haven’t seen in a long time.

I splash some water on my face and run a brush through my hair. There’s no hiding the evidence of our lovemaking entirely, but I do my best to look presentable.

When I emerge from the bathroom, Valerian enters a moment later, as though he’s been checking to see when the shower would stop. He watches me with loving approval when I get dressed and then pulls me into his arms, kissing me deeply. “Ready?”

I nod, taking a deep breath. “I am.” I’m anxious to see my parents, to verify they’re safe, and to maybe tell my dad about the babies too, since he’s the only one who doesn’t know now.

Valerian takes my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Together, we head out to face my parents, who I think will be happy for me after they get over the shock of me falling in love with him under the circumstances.

35

Valerian (5.5 Months Later)

My stomach clenches with nerves as a nurse directs me to change into scrubs. My hands shake slightly while I strip off my sweats and T-shirt. They’ve become practically a uniform during the past two weeks Claire has been in the hospital. Through the wall, I hear Claire speaking with Dr. Leven.

“Your blood pressure is too high,” says Dr. Leven. “We need to do the C-section now.”

I finish changing and stride back to Claire’s room. She lies propped up in the hospital bed, her dirty blonde hair spread across the pillow. The past two weeks of bed rest have left her pale, though her eyes brighten when I enter. “Ready to meet our babies?” She reaches for my hand.

I intertwine our fingers, studying the monitors displaying her vitals. “More than ready.”

Dr. Leve nods at me. “Time to head to the OR. We’ll take good care of both of you.”

The orderlies transfer Claire to a gurney. I walk beside her through the sterile hallways, memorizing every detail. The squeak of wheels on linoleum, the steady beep of monitors, and the murmur of voices behind closed doors.

At the OR doors, a nurse stops me. “Wait here while we get her prepped. We’ll call you in shortly.”

Reluctantly, I backtrack to the small waiting area, pacing anxiously. The past five and a half months replay in my mind—Claire’s rescue, her recovery, along with my fear and happiness at learning we were having quadruplets. Now, we are about to meet our children.

My phone buzzes with a text from Dmitri:“Jay’s doing great in the rehabilitation program. My inside contact says he’s a model inmate. Could be out in six years with good behavior.”

I smile, typing back:“Good. Keep me updated. Just not today. Dr. L decided the babies need to come out now.”

Dmitri’s reply is quick:“Best of luck to both of you. I’ll hold down the fort.”

I know he will. He’s been doing more and more of that over the past several months as I’ve distanced myself from thebratvaside of my business and focused more on the legitimate side. The Steele merger went through a couple of months ago, but I’ve let Alexei take the lead on that to preserve my time for what counts. My current and future priority is and will be my family.

I continue pacing while hearing muffled voices discussing blood pressure readings and medication dosages through the ORdoors. Movement at the end of the hallway draws my attention. Linda and Robert approach, their faces etched with concern. They must have gotten the text I sent earlier, when Dr. L was debating if today was the day for the C-section. Linda’s silver-streaked hair is pulled back in a neat bun, while Robert’s usually pristine button-down shows signs of being hastily tucked in.

I stop pacing and meet them halfway. “Everything’s going smoothly,” I say, keeping my voice steady. No need to mention Claire’s elevated blood pressure right now. They’ve worried enough these past months, especially since her early admission two weeks ago.

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