Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
I didn’t doubt it. Luca would attack and Dante would retaliate. People would die. Maybe my sisters, maybe Fabi. Maybe Luca. And I could not allow it. I went through my options. I could try to kill myself, but then Luca would definitely burn down Chicago. I could try to beg Dante to spare me because I was a woman, but his unrelenting expression gave me little hope. Trying to seduce him was completely out of the question, not that he struck me as a man who would let his base instincts overrule logic, and there was Val. Not that I would ever kiss anyone but Luca. God, I was starting to lose my mind. My stomach twisted and my nausea crashed down on me so hard I reached for the door to get out but it was locked, of course.
“Aria,” Dante said in warning.
“I’m going to be sick,” I gasped out, and one look at my face and he unlocked the car. I stumbled out and ran to the back of the car, then bent over and threw up my tea and the muffin I’d had in the afternoon. I supported myself on the trunk of the Mercedes, trying to catch my breath. Dante’s gray trouser legs appeared in my peripheral vision, but I wasn’t even embarrassed. I was past that point. Tears slid down my cheeks as I clung to the car.
“Here,” Dante said quietly, holding out a tissue.
I took it with a mumbled “thanks,” then wiped my mouth. Bracing myself, I raised my head and met Dante’s gaze. He was frowning. “Is this fear or something else?” he asked.
I stared into his blue eyes. Dante was a father and Val was pregnant again. I had to trust that it would save me. I decided to go for the unflinching truth. “Both. I’ve never been more scared of you than I am today.”
Dante’s expression didn’t change, but that didn’t mean my words didn’t have a tiny effect on him. I needed to hope they did.
“But that’s not it,” I said, then hesitated. Either admitting to a pregnancy would save Luca and me, or condemn him and the Famiglia. “I am pregnant.”
Dante’s eyes flew down to my stomach. “You are pregnant with Luca’s child?”
I wasn’t sure, but everything pointed toward it. I straightened despite my nausea and dizziness. “Yes.”
“I hope you understand that I can’t take your word on the matter,” Dante said in a hard voice.
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I want proof.”
“Proof?” I echoed. “And what if my words are proven true?”
“That’s for me to decide then.” Dante’s face was an impenetrable mask. “Get back into the car, Aria.”
Dante took me to a pharmacy but I had to stay in the locked car as he bought a pregnancy test. I was starting to think that I’d had made a huge mistake by telling Dante I was pregnant. If the test proved I was pregnant, he’d have even more leverage against Luca, and if the test proved I’d lied, he’d be less inclined to spare me in any way. Sometimes I thought I could play these power games because I’d seen Luca and Matteo play them, but our men had years of experience on us.
I closed my eyes and pressed my palm against my still flat stomach, not sure what I should hope for. I opened my eyes when the door opened and Dante got in. His eyes went down to my hand on my stomach and I pulled it away.
He held out the packet and closed the door.
“Where am I supposed to take the test?”
“I can’t take you anywhere public. I’d loathe encountering someone who recognizes you.”
Because it would force his hand.
He pulled away from the curb and drove us back to an abandoned parking lot near the water.
“Here?” I asked.
“Here. I can’t take your modesty into consideration.” He left the car and I followed. I looked around, shivering.
“Hide behind the trunk; I will wait here. If you do anything to raise my suspicions, I will watch you, understood?” Dante narrowed his eyes at me and I gave a terse nod, then I walked around to the back and unzipped my jeans. Dante turned his back to me and I pulled down my jeans and panties before I crouched down and awkwardly held the test stick between my legs. It took a while before I could relax enough to let go, but Dante didn’t say anything.
I straightened and set the test down on the trunk then got dressed. “Done,” I said.
Dante turned, reached into his car, then walked toward me, and held out wipes.
“You are prepared,” I said with a bitter laugh.
“Usually it’s blood I’m cleaning off with them.”
I searched his face. Was he trying to intimidate me or only being honest? I couldn’t tell, didn’t know him well enough for that.