Page 12 of Surprise Quadruplets for the Mob

“I understand,” I reply, feeling a newfound determination to do whatever it takes to bring these babies safely into the world.

“Great.” The doctor smiles, standing up and offering her hand. “Congratulations, Abby. You’re in for a wild ride, but I have no doubt you’ll be an amazing mother.”

“Thank you,” I say, shaking her hand. “I’ll do my best.”

As the doctor leaves, Maggie turns to me with a grin. “Well, sis, looks like you’re going to be a mom times four. Are you ready for this?”

I take a deep breath and nod, feeling a sense of excitement and fear bubbling up inside me. “I don’t know if anyone is ever truly ready for something like this, but I’ll do my best.”

“And we’ll have each other’s backs every step of the way.”

I smile back at her, feeling a sense of gratitude for the bond we share. “Thank you for being here for me, Mags. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You don’t have to do anything without me,” she replies, squeezing my hand. “I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

I lean back in the chair and close my eyes for a moment. This journey won’t be easy, but with my sister by my side, I know I can handle whatever comes my way.

Chapter 6

Maksim

Ilean back in my worn leather chair, steepling my fingers and narrowing my eyes. The dim office is comfortable but feels cramped with my second in command and our IT guy in here with me. Lev lounges in a chair on the other side of the room, one leg crossed over the other, while Alyosha hunches over a laptop, typing furiously.

“Peace with those Irish bastards is hanging by a thread,” I say as I sift through the stack of coded messages from Alyosha’s contacts across the city. “One wrong move, and we’ll be drowning in blood again.”

“Speaking of the Irish.” Lev exhales, his face pinched with the weight of his responsibilities, “there was a fight at one of our bars last night. A couple of their boys got shitfaced and started throwing punches.”

“Did they now?” The tension in my gut coils like a snake, ready to strike. Something feels off. It’s not just drunken stupidity, that much I’m sure of. Things with the Irish lately have been…off.

“Could be nothing. Maybe just a coincidence,” Lev continues. “Just a bunch of idiots blowing off steam.”

“Maybe.” I can’t shake the feeling that this is a sign, though. Like there’s another shoe just waiting to drop. My father always says to trust my instincts, and they haven’t failed me yet. “Just keep an eye on them. Make sure they know who they’re fucking with.”

“Of course.” Lev’s grin is sharp as a knife, promising pain for anyone foolish enough to cross us.

“Any word from the Irish higher-ups?” I ask, already suspecting the answer.

“Nothing yet,” Alyosha chimes in without looking up from his screen. “But I’ll let you know if I catch anything on their communications.”

“Good.” I nod slowly, trying to force my tension away with a couple of deep, steady breaths. But it clings to me like a second skin, refusing to let go.

My mind drifts back to the peace agreement brokered between our families—the Bratva and the Irish. This same office, heavy with the scent of cigars and whiskey. My father and Colin Kelly, heads of their respective mafias, sitting across from each other, hashing out terms that would ensure we could all survive, maybe even thrive.

“Peace, Maksim,” my father had said, clapping me on the shoulder. “It’s a fragile thing, but we need it.”

And so we agreed to share territory, to keep our businesses separate but respect each other’s claims. It’s been a delicate balance, like walking a tightrope, and one slip could plunge us all into chaos.

Doesn’t help that Brennan, Colin’s hotheaded son, is waiting in the wings for his own time to shine. I remember him glaring at me from across the room, his resentment hanging in the air even though he didn’t say a word. He never hid his disapproval of the alliance, and I wonder if he’s testing the limits of our word now.

“Fuck,” I mutter, shoving the papers aside.

“Relax, boss,” Lev says, watching me with an appraising gaze. “We’ve got this.”

I nod, but deep down, I know better than to ignore my instincts. Trouble is brewing, and with my father in Russia for an undisclosed amount of time, it’s up to me to sniff it out before it bites us in the ass.

“Let’s lay low for now,” I agree. “But we need to be smart. They’ve been testing us for weeks now, entering our territory, making trouble for our people. I don’t trust it. I need eyes everywhere. We need to coordinate surveillance on the Irish-owned bars and clubs. Alyosha, you monitor their communications. If Brennan or anyone else is planning something, I want to catch wind of it immediately.”

Our trusted IT guy nods, still typing away. “I’m on it.”

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