Page 72 of Mafia Pregnancy

“Safe house downtown. He’s requesting guarantees that you can protect his family if he continues cooperating with us instead of switching to Luca’s organization.”

I look at Danielle, who’s watching my face with growing concern. This is exactly the kind of crisis that demonstrates why my worldis dangerous for the people I care about, but walking away from Rodriguez now could cost him his life.

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” I end the call and turn to Danielle with genuine regret. “I’m sorry. There’s an emergency I have to handle.”

“Is everything all right?” Her voice is quiet, but I catch the fear underneath.

“One of my business associates is having problems with the same people who sent that man to the estate. I need to make sure he and his family stay safe.” I stand, already calculating drive time and security protocols. “Can we continue our conversation tomorrow? I promise, whatever you need to tell me, I want to hear it.”

She nods, though disappointment flickers across her features. “Of course. Be careful.”

The simple concern in her voice stops me. She stands and walks me to the door, and when I turn to say goodbye, she surprises me by stepping closer and pressing her lips to mine in a soft, brief kiss.

“Come home safely,” she whispers against my mouth.

The kiss and her words follow me during the drive to the safe house, making me more determined than ever to resolve this situation with Luca permanently. Danielle was ready to tell me something important tonight, possibly about the pregnancy I suspect she’s hiding, and I want nothing more than to get back to that conversation.

The meeting with Rodriguez lasts three hours. He’s terrified for his daughter and wife, and rightfully so after tonight’s attack. Iguarantee him protection and additional compensation, but he needs time to decide whether our assurances are strong enough to risk his family’s safety. By the time I return to the estate, it’s nearly midnight.

Andrei meets me in my office. “The paternity test confirms what we already knew.” He hands me a sealed envelope. “Leo is definitely your son.”

I tear open the envelope and stare at the official documentation, seeing the scientific proof of what I’ve known in my bones since the moment I met Leo. The genetic markers align perfectly, confirming with absolute certainty that he’s mine.

For a moment, the reality of it overwhelms me. I have a son. A brilliant, curious, loving three-year-old, who thinks space dinosaurs are the most important things in the universe and who hugs me like I belong in his life.

“Sir?” Andrei’s voice brings me back to the present. “The medical records from Danielle’s clinic visit are also ready if you want to review them.”

I consider this for a long moment, weighing my need to know against my desire to hear the truth from Danielle herself. She was ready to tell me something tonight, and I suspect it was about the pregnancy. Discovering her medical information through surveillance rather than conversation feels like a violation of the trust we’re building.

“No.” I fold the paternity results and tuck them into my desk drawer. “I’ll wait for her to tell me herself.”

“Are you certain? The information could be relevant to security planning.”

“I’m certain.” I pour myself a drink and settle into my chair, thinking about Leo’s enthusiasm for space dinosaurs, and the way Danielle kissed me goodbye. “Some things are more important than information gathered without permission.”

After Andrei leaves, I sit in my office staring out at the grounds and processing everything that’s changed in the past week. I have a son who wants to show me drawings of astronaut velociraptors. I have a woman who’s been protecting that son with fierce dedication for over three years. I possibly have another child on the way, if my suspicions about Danielle’s pregnancy are correct. If she’s not pregnant, I’m filled with a burning urge to get her that way as soon as possible.

The DNA results make Leo’s paternity official, but the real confirmation came from watching him arrange stuffed animals as an audience for his space dinosaur presentation. It came from the way he said my name with complete trust and asked if I’d come back tomorrow. It came from seeing we have the same eyes and shared mannerisms.

I’ll go back tomorrow. I’ll go back every day for the rest of his life if he’ll have me, because being his father has become the most important thing I’ve ever done.

The question now is whether Danielle is ready to let me be part of whatever she was going to tell me tonight. Whether she’s ready to trust me with the whole truth about our family and let me prove that I can protect what matters most.

Monday morning arrivesgray and drizzly, with persistent rain that makes everything feel sluggish. I’m reviewing securityreports when my phone rings with a call from the estate’s main line.

“Mr. Vetrov? This is Mrs. Yranda.” Her voice is high and crisp. “Danielle called in sick today. She won’t be coming to work.”

The news immediately puts me on alert. Danielle has never called in sick during her months of employment, and after last night’s interrupted conversation, her absence feels significant.

“Did she say what was wrong?”

“Just that she wasn’t feeling well and needed to stay home with Leo.” Mrs. Yranda pauses. “Should I arrange for someone else to cover her assignments?”

“Yes, handle the coverage.” I’m already reaching for my keys. “I’ll be out for most of the day.”

I find Andrei in the security office and tell him to prepare the car immediately. Something about Danielle’s absence doesn’t feel right, and after the attempt on Rodriguez last night, I’m not taking any chances with her safety.

The drive to her apartment takes twenty minutes through traffic made heavier by the rain. I park and take the stairs two at a time, knocking softly on her door in case Leo is sleeping.

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