TRUTH #4
“What is it?”
“I need your DNA.”
He blinked. “What?”
“My doctor ordered a paternity test,” I explained, keeping my voice steady. “She needs samples from both you and Kaisen to determine who the father is.”
For a moment, Amai just stared at me.
And then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.
“My DNA is already inside you, Truth.”
My mouth dropped open. “Amai!”
He started laughing, that deep, rumbling sound that made my stomach flip despite myself.
“I’m serious!” I smacked his chest lightly, but I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips. “You’re so nasty.”
“You love it.”
“I need samples,” I said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably. “Like, actual medical samples. Not—not that.”
Amai’s laughter softened, but the grin remained. He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb lingering against my cheek.
“Anything you need,” he said, his voice dropping into something more serious. “I’ll make it happen.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll have a carrier drop the samples at your obgyn’s office,” he continued. “Should be there by tomorrow afternoon.”
I froze.
Thenm I burst out laughing.
“What?” Amai asked, his brow furrowing.
“How do you know where my obgyn’s office is?”
He didn’t even have the decency to look guilty.
“Truth—”
“No, seriously.” I shook my head, still laughing. “How long have you known?”
“Since the day you made the appointment.”
I stared at him, and then I laughed again—not because it was funny, but because it was so Amai.
Of course, he knew.
Of course, he’d been watching.
And honestly? I’d made peace with it.
I knew Amai would never fully let me out of his sight. That was just who he was. And as long as he respected the boundaries we’d set, as long as he protected me on my terms—I could live with it.
“You’re unbelievable,” I said, shaking my head.
“You knew what you were getting into.”
“I did.” I smiled. “I really did.”
Amai’s expression softened, and he pulled me closer, his hand sliding down to rest on my lower back.
“Kaisen’s thirsty ass will jack off in a cup for you if you need him to,” he said, his tone light but edged with something darker.
“Amai.” I gave him a look. “Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re trying to make this a competition.”
He was quiet for a moment, the vein in his forehead throbbing.
“It’s not a competition,” he said finally. “But I don’t like sharing you. Even in theory.”
“I know.” I reached up and cupped his face, forcing him to look at me. “But listen to me. I’m choosing you. Okay? I’m choosing you. But until we know who the father is, we have to deal with Kaisen. That’s just reality.”
Amai’s eyes searched mine, and I could see the war happening behind them.
“I like Kaisen,” I continued, my voice softer now. “I do. But it’s not what I feel for you.”
His expression shifted—something vulnerable flickering across his face.
“What do you feel for me?”
I took a breath, choosing my words carefully.
“You showed me the real you,” I said quietly.
“The good, the bad, the ugly. All of it. You didn’t hide from me.
You didn’t try to curate some version of yourself that you thought I’d like better.
Yeah, you hid some shit, but I understand why now.
In your own way, you were trying to protect me.
Something you’ve done since day one. Even with the contract, you made sure I had the upper hand no matter what happened. ”
Amai was silent, his eyes locked on mine.
“Kaisen only showed me what he wanted me to see,” I continued. “He curated everything. Every conversation, every moment—it was all calculated. And people like that—people who can hide their darkness that well—they’re capable of anything. Because they know exactly how to hide it.”
I paused, letting the weight of my words settle between us.
“I could never trust someone like that,” I said. “Not the way I trust you.”
Amai didn’t speak.
He just stared at me, his chest rising and falling beneath my hand, his expression unreadable.
And then—slowly—he pulled me into his arms.
Not rough. Not possessive.
Just… close.
“Thank you,” he murmured against my hair.
“For what?”
“For saying that.” His voice was thick, raw. “I didn’t know I needed to hear it. But I did. I needed to know you chose me for no other reason than you wanted to.”
I wrapped my arms around him and held on tight.
Because I understood what he wasn’t saying.
That being chosen—truly chosen, despite everything he was—mattered more than anything else.
What Amai and I evolved into shocked both of us. This was new territory that we were navigating. We both will make mistakes, but I just know we’ll always choose each other. No matter what.
“I mean it,” I whispered. “I choose you.”
Amai’s arms tightened around me, and I felt him exhale—long and slow, like he’d been holding his breath for weeks.
“I’m not going to let you down,” he said quietly.
“I know.”
And I did.
Because for all his darkness, for all his violence and control and ruthlessness—Amai Landry was a man who kept his promises.
And he’d just promised me everything.