Page 75 of Mafia Pregnancy

“We’re having a daughter.”

Something like wonder crosses his features. “A daughter.” He pulls me into his arms, holding me near enough to feel his heartbeat against my cheek. “I’m terrified and thrilled and completely unprepared. Are you happy about that?”

“I’m scared,” I say quietly. “I want to try to make this work between us, but I need to know you can keep us safe.”

“I will.” He holds me closer. “I promise you, I will.”

Three days later,I’m starting to believe that promise might be possible. Radmir has been spending time with us every evening, reading to Leo and helping with bedtime routines while I adjust to the idea of sharing parental responsibilities. Leo has accepted his presence with easy adaptability.

The three of us have been finding our rhythm as something that looks increasingly like a family. Simple things like grocery shopping together or watching Leo play at the park feel natural in ways I hadn’t expected. Radmir listens to Leo’s endless questions about dinosaurs and space with genuine interest, and I imagine what our daughter might be like when she’s old enough for these adventures.

This afternoon, we went to Scoops & Dreams for ice cream and casual conversation that felt easy. After finishing, we’re walking toward Radmir’s sedan with Leo skipping between us, his dinosaur backpack bouncing against his shoulders, when everything goes wrong.

The sound of an engine accelerating catches my attention first, followed by the screech of tires as a dark sedan speeds through the parking lot toward us. I have just enough time to realize something is terribly wrong before the car’s passenger window rolls down, and I see the barrel of a gun.

“Get down!” Radmir’s voice cuts through the afternoon air as he throws himself toward Leo and me, pushing us behind a parked car just as the first shot rings out.

The sound is impossibly loud, bouncing off the buildings around us while more shots follow in rapid succession, some from the shooter, and others from Radmir’s guards. I curl myself around Leo, trying to make my body a shield while he covers both of us with his larger frame.

“Mama?” Leo’s terrified scream cuts through the gunfire. “Mama, what’s happening?”

“It’s okay, baby. We’re okay.” I hold him against my body, feeling him shake with fear while bullets impact metal and concrete around us. “Just stay down and don’t move.”

The shooting stops as suddenly as it started, followed by the sound of the sedan speeding away and one of the black SUVs usually accompanying Radmir speeding after him while the other one comes toward us to form a barrier. For several seconds, the only sounds are Leo’s frightened sobs and my heart hammering against my eardrums.

“Is anyone hurt?” Radmir’s voice is deadly calm as he checks us both for injuries. “Danielle, are you hit? Leo?”

“We’re okay.” I run my hands over Leo’s arms and legs, confirming he’s unharmed despite his terror. “I think we’re both okay.”

Radmir pulls out his phone and makes a quick call while scanning the area for additional threats. Within minutes, another black SUV appears in the parking lot, and two men in dark suits get out to check the scene.

“We need to get you somewhere safe.” He helps me to my feet and lifts Leo into his arms, carrying him toward the armored vehicle. “My car isn’t secure enough after this.”

I follow numbly, still processing what just happened. Someone tried to kill us in broad daylight, in a public parking lot, while my three-year-old son was walking between us. The regular atmosphere previously makes the violence feel surreal and terrifying.

The SUV’s interior is luxury crossed with rugged military practicality, with bulletproof windows and communication equipment I don’t recognize. Leo clings to me while Radmir gives instructions to his men about securing the area and investigating the attack.

“Who was that?” I ask when he finally turns his attention back to us. “Who would shoot at us like that?”

“Luca Sokolov. This is his way of sending a message.” Radmir’s voice carries cold fury that makes me grateful it’s not directed at me. “He’s escalating because I’ve been evaluating how far he’d go rather than responding. I won’t make that mistake again.” He sounds grim.

I examine Leo’s dinosaur backpack and find a bullet hole through the fabric, missing his small body by inches. The realization of how close we came to losing him makes my hands shake uncontrollably. “This can’t happen again.” I meet Radmir’s gaze steadily, with more control than I feel in the moment. “I won’t let my children live in a world where people shoot at them for buying ice cream.”

“It won’t happen again. I’ll increase security, change our routines, and make sure?—”

“No.” I cut him off, my voice stronger than I feel. “I can’t do this, Radmir. We can’t be part of your life while you’re still involved with thebratva. Today was a wake-up call.”

He flinches. “Danielle, I can protect you. Today was unexpected, but now that I know Luca is targeting you directly?—”

“You can’t protect us from everything.” I look down at Leo, who’s finally stopped crying but still trembles against my body. “Look at him. He’s terrified, and he has every right to be. Someone tried to kill him today.”

His lips get so tight, they start to turn white. “I’ll end this with Luca permanently. He won’t be a threat to any of us much longer.”

The promise in his voice is dark and absolute, but it doesn’t address the fundamental problem. “What about the next enemy who takes Luca’s place? This life you’ve built comes with a constant stream of people who want to hurt you, and now they know the best way to do that is through us.”

Radmir doesn’t answer immediately, which tells me he knows I’m right. His world will always include enemies who view his family as acceptable targets, and today proved how vulnerable we are despite his best efforts at protection.

“I can’t live like this,” I continue, my voice breaking slightly. “I can’t raise children in fear, wondering if every trip to the park or ice cream shop might be our last. The alternative is to hide away in your fortress, and that’s no life either. You have to choose, Radmir. Us or thebratva.”

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