Page 79 of Knocked Up by my Best Friend's Brothers

“That was before I learned what I just learned. This is not a joke. I say this for your sake, their sake, and also my business’ sake. Sooner or later, if you keep secrets from each other, it will blow up and it will spill into the public. I mean it, tell them, or I will.”

“What is she talking about?” Cassius says to me, his brow furrowed.

“Dammit,” I groan with genuine, overwhelming frustration.

Nathan comes closer. “More secrets, Christa? I thought we agreed—”

“Alright, fine,” I cave in, lowering my gaze.

Alexandra nods slowly and gets in her car. “I’ll give you all the privacy you need. And I’ll see you all at the office tomorrow. We’re putting in a bid for a transport firm, and I require my partners’ input.”

We wait for her to leave before all eyes are set on me again.

“Christa,” Cassius says.

I exhale sharply and brace for the impact. “I’m pregnant.”

River gasps. “Seriously?”

“Yes. It’s why I’ve been feeling ill. Why I fainted. Why I insisted on going back to the hospital after my car got bumped,” I say. “I didn’t plan for it. I certainly didn’t really think about it until the test results came back. And I know we don’t quite know how long this thing between us is supposed to last, but…”

“Christa, hold on,” Cassius says, his voice softening as he takes me in his arms. “Did you really think we wouldn’t step up for this?”

“I didn’t know what to think.”

River chimes in with a warm smile. “We’ve always wanted a family of our own. We simply weren’t sure we’d find ourselves a woman who would want one with all of us”

I’m overwhelmed. My heart is beating so fast, and there’s a sweet pang in the pit of my stomach that wasn’t there before. “I never thought this could be a long-term thing. I thought we were just having fun.”

“Christa, can’t you see we’re head over heels for you?” Nathan mutters. “The fact that you’re pregnant might be a surprise, yes, but it’s not exactly a shocker.”

“And it’s the best news you could possibly give us, particularly in trying times such as these,” River adds.

“It makes everything all the more dangerous,” I reiterate. “With the Mancinis coming after me and all that. I assume you know those were Mancini goons chasing after Alexandra and me earlier.”

Cassius nods slowly. “You are it for us, Christa. And there’s a life growing inside you. Our child is growing inside you. Do you haveany idea what that means?”

“I’m trying to understand.”

“It means we’re going to be a family. Maybe not in the eyes of the law or conventional society, but none of that matters. What matters is who we are and what we do when we’re together.” He touches my belly, fingers splaying across in a loving, protective gesture. “I will burn the entire Mancini enterprise to the ground for this kid.”

Nathan laughs. “There you have it. You made Mr. Righteous go all dark side.”

“I just want it all to be over so I can focus on what comes next. I wasn’t really planning on having a child so soon.” I shudder in Cassius’ arms.

River and Nathan join us for a tight group hug, each of them planting warm kisses all over my face. Their reassurance feels like an IV drip of liquid sunshine, peace, and love filling me to the brim. I can barely breathe, and the sigh of relief that leaves my chest makes my whole body tremble in their embrace.

“We’ve got you, baby,” River whispers in my ear. “Whatever you decide to do next, you have our full support.”

“But don’t think for a second we’re letting you out of our sight again,” Nathan says. “You’re moving in with us.”

“Nathan—”

“I don’t even want to hear it. You’re moving in. Home and office will be the only places you’ll go, at least for a while,” he insists. “We need to keep you and the little one safe until we get rid of the Mancinis.”

I give him a worried look. “How will you do that?”

“We’ll find a way,” he replies. “But tell us something. Do you want this? A family with us? To be with us?”

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