“He’s been so busy lately,” I say, looking at my hands. “Things are good between us, but you know. He’s so busy.”
Karah sighs and walks over. She rubs my back gently and I smile at her. Over the last few months I’ve grown to see her as a true sister and it’s such a strange but amazing feeling.
“Nobody could’ve seen this coming, least of all you. Don’t blame yourself.”
“Still, he’s got a lot to handle. Can he handle this too?”
“Casso’s strong. You know how strong he is. Besides, this isn’t something he’s got to handle. This is a gift.” She squeezes my shoulder and hugs me. “You’re pregnant, Olivia.”
Pregnant. I’m pregnant. The words don’t make sense. But I took like a dozen tests and there’s no doubt at all, I’m pregnant with Casso’s baby.
I can’t imagine this happening at a worse time. After the Federov bratva was ripped to shreds, the streets were quiet, but there were murmurs of discontent. Several of the larger, stronger gangs weren’t happy about the way Casso cracked down and started an indiscriminate wave of terror in an attempt to smoke Danil out of hiding. Even though it worked, it left a lot of anger in its wake.
Now he’s dealing with the fallout. Several gangs joined forces and are giving him trouble all throughout the city. The Turks, the Poles, the Koreans, and the Irish have all made a pledge to work together against Bruno interests, and they’re nearly as strong as the Famiglia. They’re fractured and only held together by a very charismatic Irishman named Cillian, but so long as they stay together, they’re causing Casso a lot of headaches.
And now I want to throw a baby into the mix.
“Tell him,” Elise says. “Just get it over with, darling. It’s never the perfect time, that’s not how life works.”
“Elise is right, though it pains me to admit.” Karah squeezes me again. “He’ll be happy. Trust me.”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re right. I’ll tell him.” I nod and try to mentally psych myself up. I think of all the nights we spent together sweating in the evening heat, our bodies working together as pleasure mounted in unimaginable waves. Casso’s still hungry for me each and every night, and even if he spends all day working and dealing with a thousand different problems, he always has time for me at night.
And I love him for it. I love him more than I ever thought I would. I love my husband, and my new family. Turns out that Gavino’s really funny and a genuinely good person, and Karah’s like my better half. Even Elise never ceases to amaze me.
“All right, okay, I’m going.” I extract myself from Karah’s side hug and walk to the door. “I can do this, right? He’s just my husband.”
“He’s also the Don of a powerful mafia family in the middle of a brewing war, but yes, he’s your husband.” Elise grins and winks at me.
Karah sighs loudly. “You’re not helping. Don’t be a dick, Elise.”
“Just teasing her.”
I leave before Elise can tease more and ruin whatever resolve I have left. I slip out and hurry down to Casso’s office. I knock once and wait for him to call me in.
My husband’s sitting behind his desk, rubbing his temples. He glares at the wall like he’s trying to burn it down with his mind. When I step into the room, his face softens, and a smile passes onto his lips, and the way he seems to instantly transform with me around sends a jolt of pure joy into my heart.
This man loves me so much. It’s written in everything he does and everything he says. When I’m around, it’s like he can relax and all that stress melts from his shoulders in waves. He grins at me as I saunter toward him, heart racing, but this is right, this is so right.
“Hello, wife, you’re looking lovely today.”
“Hello, husband.” I sit on the edge of his desk. I’m the only person in the world he lets do this. “You look stressed but handsome.”
“That about sums me up. What have you been doing? Spending time with Elise and Karah?”
“Pretty much.” I look at my hands. I can do this. I can do this. He loves me. I can do this. “I wanted to tell you something.”
Before he can respond, his cell phone rings. He glares at the screen like he’s about to shut it off, but he tilts his head instead. “It’s Fynn’s doctor.” He glances at me. “Can I take it?”
“Please, answer.”
He picks up the phone. “This is Casso. Yes, doctor, how are you?” His eyes go wide. “When? Are you sure? Right now? Okay, right, I’m on the way, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He hangs up the phone and leaps to his feet.