Page 48 of Claimed By Him

“Look, thank you for helping me last night. I really do appreciate that, but I won’t bother you again.” He shook his head and shoved his gun into his pants, while I stood with hot tears burning my cheeks. I hadn’t even realized I was crying until now. I quickly wiped them away and watched him walk to the door.

“You clearly think even worse of me than you do the rest of the whole goddamn mafia, so you just go ahead and marry the old fart, have his babies in Milan, do everything you’ve ever wanted, but forget about me—the only one who’s ever truly protected you and accepted you for who you fucking are.”

His words took the breath from my chest, and I didn’t know why. All I could do was watch him through my teary eyes when he stopped with the door open and looked back at me.

“Goodbye, Fiona.”

He walked out and slammed the door closed.

19

Fiona

Four months later

My eyes fluttered open to see the various shades of pink that coated my childhood room. The morning sun was streaming in, lighting up the dust in the air, and reminding me that a new day had started, another day of my own deceit and lies. I shoved my head under the blankets and cuddled into myself, pulling my legs up, and wrapping my arm around my stomach.

My swollen, pregnant stomach.

Nobody knew yet. Nobody except Gio, of course. He always knew everything about my life because he was the only one actually there every day. Even then, he only knew because he had to drive me to my monthly checkups.

I was now 19 weeks pregnant, which meant that this happened that night at the club, in the cleaning supply room. The one time Tony and I were too wrapped up in our own shit to use a condom.

I couldn’t decide if it broke my heart or warmed it to know that I was already pregnant when he spent the night in my apartment with me. If only I realized that I was pregnant back then already, maybe the next day would have ended differently.

Maybe Tony would have changed his tune and been loyal to our little family instead of his donship. Maybe I would have been less adamant about leaving everyone behind and worked out some way to be happy here while raising our son together.

Yes—our son. I found out yesterday and that was what woke me up to realize it was time I told my family the truth, and my fiancé, for that matter. I didn’t know if I would still have one by the end of the day, though.

Alex had actually been a great friend since we got engaged. We spoke about the mafia life and how he managed to retire without any enemies, how I longed to live free of its constraints. I saw him a few times before I started to show my pregnancy; I visited his estate and even joined him on his yacht one afternoon. But since about a month ago, I’d been making excuses. He would soon find out why.

I showered, rubbed oil onto my belly, and dressed in the kind of outfit I’d been wearing for the past month now—a baggy sweater over yoga pants. Everyone thought I was depressed because I hung out at home, wore clothing I would usually never be seen dead in, and hardly ever went out. I let them believe that because honestly, Iwasdepressed. I’d gone and done exactly what Antonio told me not to do—fucked everything up during one night of passion.

But it was time to face the consequences. I knew this meant I would have to give up my dreams of becoming a fashion designer in Milan. I would have to stay in New York and raise a baby because I doubted that Alex would still whisk me away to Italy when I gave birth to another man’s child.

I stared at my profile in the mirror, smoothening the material of my sweater over the bump in my stomach.

“Don’t worry, baby boy,” I whispered to him. “No matter who wants to be in our lives or not, I’ll always be with you.”

Tears sprouted in my eyes, and I pulled in a deep breath. I already loved him so much. When I thought about how his eyes might be the same as Tony’s, a warm feeling bloomed inside me, but it always turned cold when I remembered that Tony hated me now.

He stayed true to his word; I hadn’t seen him or heard about him since that day he walked out. I knew I would have to tell him eventually, but I’d been putting it off in fear of his rejection. Because he always rejected me. No matter what. I sucked my fears in and told myself to act for my baby instead of myself.

Downstairs in the kitchen, I found Antonio and Mia sitting at the table, halfway through their breakfast. She was breastfeeding their one-month-old baby, a handsome little champion named Luca.

“Morning, guys.” I walked in and touched Luca’s head lovingly.

They both greeted me with warm smiles, a little distracted by their own bundle of joy. I looked around and saw that we were alone, Zia Maria wasn’t there, so now was my best chance.

“Um.” I walked around and stood across the table from Antonio. “I need to talk to you guys about something…”

Antonio broke his attention away and focused on me. “Of course, go ahead.”

I figured he was hoping to find out why I’d been acting so differently. Mia lifted her eyes and smiled.

I’d been dreading this moment for so long; I knew Antonio was going to be furious. I’d planned so many speeches in my head, but as I stood there, I realized I didn’t need to make excuses and stories. This was the situation I was in, and it was only the future that mattered now.

“I, um… I’m pregnant.”

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