Page 87 of The Brutal Arrangement

She met my gaze with a slight smile. “What if it does?”

I hugged her, smiling widely at the mere thought of her being pregnant. Not because Grandmother wanted another heir. Not because I wanted to baby trap Lucy to stay in this marriage. But because this would be a new beginning, a new adventure for us to learn how to navigate together.

“I’ve never felt like this before. And I’ve been wondering all this time because I missed my period…”

Excitement thrummed through me. I could barely contain it, but I tried not to overwhelm her and instead comfort her and be supportive. I kissed her, cupping her face and scolding myself not to get ahead of ourselves yet.

“Let’s get a test and see.”

She nodded, leaning on me as I sat with her. Using the voice command wired into the smart-home device in the bathroom, I asked for someone to bring me a pregnancy test. Since Sloane revealed that she was pregnant, and Maxim had a slightparanoia of her suddenly just not being pregnant, boxes of tests were available. Within moments, someone confirmed via voice command with an announcement that the box was left in my kitchen.

“Wait one second,” I told Lucy as I went to get the test.

Together, we read the instructions over and over, making sure we’d do this right. Instead of being modest about using the bathroom in front of me, which proved to me how nervous Lucy was, I stayed in the bathroom and gave her my back while she did the test.

She set it on the vanity and sat on the closed toilet lid. “Now we wait for six minutes.”

“No. Two minutes. You had to take the test for at least six seconds,” I corrected as I faced her.

She nodded, tense and biting the inside of her cheek.

“Come here,” I said, gesturing for her to walk into my arms. The second I had her in a tight hug, I turned to sit with her nestled on my lap. “Relax.”

“That’s so not happening. My life is about to change, more than it’s already changed!”

I kept smooth, steady strokes of my hand on her back, hoping to comfort her.

“It will change, and we will adapt.”

She nodded again, yet she still frowned with worry.

“You will want for nothing, Lucy. This baby will have everything he or she could need or want.”

Her throat flexed with a swallow as she stared up at me. “What about safety?”

I furrowed my brow. “Safety?”

She nodded quicker than before, belying her nerves. “Nik is still missing. Someone poisoned your father. What if?—”

I kissed her, silencing this stream of anxiety.

It didn’t work completely, though. She opened her eyes, showing me that they shone with that nervousness. “What if someone tries to take our baby?” Her eyes glossed over with tears, and I held her close, moved that she could be this protective of our child before we had any confirmation that he or she existed yet. She would make a good mother. I knew it as a fact, and I smiled as I held her close.

“Lucy…”

“No. Don’t try to coddle me or tell me there’s nothing like that to worry about.”

I shook my head, staring into her baby blues. “I wouldn’t lie and ever say that. Being an Ivanov means there is always an inherent risk.”

She whined, pressing her hands to my chest. “That’s not helping.”

“I won’t ever lie that we face threats daily. That comes with being in this family. But we have one of the strongest forces, an army of loyal men who would protect us all.”

I didn’t let my mind wander to that asshole from last night. He was an example of how we had to face dangers from within from time to time too.

“Nik’s disappearance is a layered situation, too,” I explained, glad that she seemed slightly calmer the more I talked. “Yes, he was taken, but it’s more likely that he’s acting weak and letting himselfstaycaptured on purpose. To deliberately be in the enemy’s hands to get intel for us.”

“I know. You’ve mentioned that before.” She stroked her fingers over my chest. “Sloane and I were talking about it too, and she seems to think that he’s all right. But…”

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