Page 45 of Dirty Behavior

He rolled, he gave up so much information that my father was next in line to be indited. The cops had started to tap his phone and tail him like a bad habit. My father literally had to drive for miles just to get them off his ass.

And I knew I wouldn't be far behind him. But the cops wouldn't be able to pin shit on me no matter how deep they tried to dig. I kept my slate clean, nothing would come back to me regardless of what they thought.

I was the black shadow that followed you, there at every turn, unable to shake off.

But when the sun went down, I was gone. It was like I was never there.

Holding up my hand, I asked, “Does he know about this?”

Ivy was so firm in her belief that Sesto wasn't who I thought, that he could be trusted. Was there something she knew that she hadn't told me?

How long was he here talking with her?

What did they talk about?

I didn't know why it bothered me that he might know about her pregnancy. Sesto wasn't after me, he would never come to get revenge. Even though I didn't trust him for shit, I also knew that he wasn't a threat to me.

And he wouldn't be a threat to Ivy or our baby.

Biting her lip, her eyes grew large. “He bought me the test, so he knows there's a chance, but I didn't take them while he was here. So no, he doesn't know it came back positive.” Her fingers worked up my wrist, gently stroking my forearm. “Just try to remember he's still your brother.”

“I wish it was that easy.” Placing my hand on her stomach, I felt the smile hit my lips before I even had time to register it. “You're having our baby, I'm going to be a father.”

Her eyes slit, igniting in joy. “We're going to be a family, Dante.”

The word'family'struck a nerve.

What kind of family can I give this baby?

I don't know if I can do this anymore.

“What's wrong, Dante?” Ivy leaned in, resting her palm on my cheek. “You're thinking, I know that look.”

“I don't know if I can do this.”

“It's a little late for that now, don't you think? I'm pregnant, there's no taking it back.”

My lips pulled in as I let out a tender laugh. “No, not that, it's not the baby part.” My eyes drifted around her face, just taking her in. She was the most precious and beautiful person I had ever met. Her eyes held strength, her mind was power.

The light freckles that spotted the skin under her eyes made me want to taste each and every one. Her lashes were so long they fanned the entire length of her lid like a canopy. She was my angel.

Just knowing that my name brought danger, that it held a tag that would never go away; I felt sorry because it wasn't something that would just disappear.

“This life, everything that comes with who I am. I'm a Pisani, that's going to follow our child for their entire life. I don't want my past or my name to brand you or our baby, that wouldn't be fair.”

“Dante, nothing is forever. There's room to change, there's time to do things differently. Just because this part of your life isn't what you want anymore, doesn't mean the rest has to be the same. We have time to figure out the future, the past is just a lesson.”

I wanted to believe her, I wanted to agree and tell her she was right. But we had come for the worst reason. We had come back to kill.

There was always the risk that this could come back to haunt me. I could end up dead, I could end up in prison for the rest of my life.

The question I found myself asking;Is it worth it?

Did I want to risk my life and never get the chance to be there for my baby?

Did I want my child growing up without their father?

I knew what it was like to grow up without my mother, that wasn't a pain I would wish on anyone. And I had been lucky enough to have had seven amazing years with her.

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