Chapter 51
Chiara
Dominic is making what smells like a quiche when I wander into the kitchen. It’s late. I honestly didn’t mean to sleep this late, but Luka kept us both awake until the early hours, and then he woke me again when he decided to go for a run at dawn.
What kind of psycho does that?
I’m grateful Kane’s forgotten about instructing me in self-defense. He must have realized it was a waste of his time. I’ll never be a gym bunny or a bad-ass like Thea Orliov. From what Kane told me, she can easily take down men twice her size.
Coco trots in from the garden and stares up at me, her black eyes liquid pools of hope.
“No treats,” I tell her. I’m not falling for her bullshit. I know damn well she’s had her breakfast. Angelo has embraced the role of dog daddy in addition to cat daddy with aplomb. He’s even signed her up for training classes, which start next week.
I’ve told him he’s wasting his time. While Coco lives for treats, she mostly does what she wants.
A small box on the table catches my eye. I wander over, forgetting about making brunch.
“It’s for you.” I squint at Dominic as he points at the box.
“For me?” That’s odd. I haven’t ordered anything.
There’s nothing I need. The guys bought me a ton of nice stuff on our honeymoon. Jewelry, dresses, pretty much anything I looked at, I got. It reached the point where I didn’t dare open my eyes in case Angelo whipped out a black Amex.
Curious about what this could be, while simultaneously praying it’s not a parcel bomb, I tear off the brown paper. Inside, there’s a note resting on a black box.
A gift for you to help keep those men of yours in line. Use judiciously! lol Thea xxx
She and I have been messaging. She added me to a group chat with her sister, Verity, and her best friend, Eden.
They’re all hilarious. Thea has a very dark sense of humor, while Eden’s is pure filth.
Verity seems way more innocent. I promised to visit them once Angelo stops trying to smother me to death.
The man needs to get a grip on his raging paranoia or he’ll end up with a stomach ulcer.
I pull open the box and laugh. Thea has sent me a taser. A fucking taser. Oh my god. I picture myself tasering Kane when he annoys me, and laugh even harder. He’d kill me. Angelo, too.
Still, it’s a useful accessory.
Luka walks in wearing a faded pair of jeans with sneakers and a Henley. He had a lunch meeting with his agent but refused to say what about. From the lightness in his step, he’s had some good news.
He stops dead when he sees me holding a taser. Dominic slides the quiche into the oven, sets the timer, and wisely leaves the room.
“Why do you have a taser, cupcake? Those things are fucking dangerous.”
“It’s a gift from a friend.”
He chokes on a laugh. “Is this friend a psychopath?”
“Not far off,” I chuckle. “Thea Orliov. She and I are now besties.”
“I bet Angelo’s thrilled to know that.” Luka snorts before taking the taser from me and placing it to one side. “I have news,” he said with a grin.
“Ooh, what?” He’s practically fizzing with excitement.
“I’ve won a part on a daytime soap!”
I scream with excitement and throw my arms around him.
This is a new career arc for him. He’s desperate to move away from the meaningless bullshit of brand deals and promo events.
Acting is something he’s been talking about for a while, but his former agent dismissed the idea.
Probably because she knew his income would dip until he found his feet.
The bitch.
“You deserve this, Luka,” I tell him. And I mean it. He’s gorgeous and talented, and I want the world to see how amazing he is.
“Thank you, cupcake.” He presses his mouth to mine, and we kiss. It doesn’t take much for the kiss to deepen, and before long, he cages me in against the counter, his hands exploring beneath my loose tee.
“Hands off my wife,” a voice grumbles. When we break apart, Angelo and Kane are there.
Angelo wears a dark suit with a pale gray shirt, his expensive Italian leather shoes so shiny I have to squint to avoid being blinded.
The man’s an asshole, but he always looks like he stepped off the cover of a magazine.
Kane’s dressed in his usual attire of black tactical pants and a polo shirt. His hair is cropped short and his beard is neatly trimmed. My core throbs at the memory of his bristly chin rubbing against my clit as he licked me to an orgasm.
There must be something in the water here because I’ve been feral this last week.
“I’m congratulating him on his new role on a daytime soap.” To make the point that Angelo can go fuck himself if he expects me to keep my hands off his sexy half brother, I pull Luka down for another heated kiss.
Angelo grumbles some more before muttering something congratulatory.
“I need coffee,” he gripes. “Chiara?”
He switches the coffee machine on and a few minutes later, the scent of coffee drifts my way. I usually love coffee; it’s the only thing that gets me moving in the morning.
But not today.
My stomach revolts at the smell. I shove Luka back and swallow hard. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“You okay, peaches?”
“No.” I gag some more and then, realizing what’s about to happen, run toward the nearest bathroom. Five minutes later, Angelo hammers on the door.
“Open up before I break the fucking thing down!”
“In a fucking minute!” I yell before flushing and rinsing my mouth out. Ugh. There’s nothing worse than hurling on an empty stomach. I must have eaten something that disagreed with me.
As I wash my hands and survey my ghostly reflection in the mirror, Thea’s prediction from the night of the sex club adventure (massacre) comes back to haunt me.
“With three dudes in your bed, I guarantee you’ll be pregnant within the year.”
My hand grips the edge of the counter as I sway on my feet. Oh fuck. Five seconds later, the door bursts open.
Under different circumstances, I’d scream abuse at my husband for acting like an unhinged lunatic, but I don’t have it in me today.
“Princess, what’s wrong? Do you need a doctor?” He anxiously scans every inch of me for signs of damage.
Kane smirks. I have a feeling he’s already guessed since he made a comment about the size of my tits the other night.
Dammit, I should have known, but since I so rarely bother with a bra, I hadn’t picked up on the fact they were bigger than usual.
“When was your last period?” Kane asks, arms folded. Angelo’s expression freezes while Luka seems…excited?
“Period?”
I shrug. No clue. I’ve had too much on my mind lately to worry about my menstrual cycle.
To my surprise, Angelo steps back and disappears, leaving me alone with Luka and Kane. I don’t like how anxious that makes me. Has he changed his mind about wanting a baby?
Lorenzo was the one pushing for an heir, so it’s possible Angelo never actually wanted kids. And besides, he must know there’s a chance he’s not the bio father. Fuck my life. Am I about to become a single mom on welfare?
“Relax, kitten.” Kane rubs my back as I hyperventilate myself into a trailer park.
A few minutes later, Angelo’s back with a bunch of pregnancy tests in his hand. My jaw drops. Where did he find these?
A faint blush tints his tanned cheeks when I ask. “I bought some just in case,” he admits. Well, that eliminates any concerns I had about him not wanting a kid. I snatch a test from his fist and bite my lip. Someone has to address the elephant in the room.
Luka opens his mouth to say something, but Kane drags him away, leaving me alone with my husband.
“You know this baby might not be yours, right?” While I’d love to say I’ve been scrupulous about using condoms, there have been a few reckless moments.
A faint tightening of his jaw is my only clue he might not be thrilled, but he nods.
“I don’t care, princess. It’ll be our baby regardless of who the biological father is.”
Any lingering concerns about this man fade away. He’s proved himself a million times over.
He’s saved my life more than once, and he didn’t bat an eye when I killed his father. Which I’m still having nightmares about, even though I’m glad the bastard is, um, soaking up cat pee.
I know Angelo loves me.
It’s time I said those three little words back.
I step forward and rest a hand on his chest. He appears perfectly calm, but it’s a mask; I can feel how fast his heart beats beneath my fingers.
“I love you.”
He blinks in surprise before his expression softens.
“I love you, princess, and I’ll try to be a better father than mine ever was.”
“The bar’s pretty low, so I don’t see that being a problem.”
He melts against me when I reach up to kiss him. The test in my hand reminds me I might not even be pregnant, and I’m surprised at how much that thought upsets me.
“It could be a false alarm.”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out. Now take the fucking test, darling.”
“Bossy asshole.”