To be honest, I expect that I’ll arrive first, but by the time I ride my motorcycle into the History Museum’s parking lot, Alina’s car is already there. She’s impatient to see me, indeed-unless someone else has brought her here. I take off my helmet and look around, analyzing my surroundings. There is only one other car in the parking lot, and it’s an old and rusty
Chevrolet-not a car anyone in the Mafia would use.
It looks like the parking lot is clear, but that doesn’t mean there’s no danger here. I keep glancing around as I step under the dim lights of the park. Where would they take her? God, I hope she’s-
“Gio!”
Alina’s voice is the only thing that stops me from reaching for my gun when I spot a figure running toward me from the corner of my eye. I still tense up, ready to attack, and sharply turn around to face the enemy- only to be met with a faint scent of perfume and warm arms wrapping around my neck.
The embrace catches me off guard, and I freeze like an idiot and blink to come back to my senses. It takes a moment for my heart to catch up with my mind-it’s Alina, and she’s alone and in my arms-before it stutters into a fast pace. I hug her back, pulling her close but still keeping a cautious eye on the quiet park around us.
“Are you alone?” She sniffles. “Yes.”
“Has anyone hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did someone bring you here?”
“No.” I can hear a frown in her voice, and she pulls back slightly to look up in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
I meet her gaze, ready to talk about the dangers of being out here on her own. But when I see the pink skin around her eyes and the traces of tears on her cheeks, I forget all about it and raise my hand to her cheek with a frown.
“What happened?”
Alina swallows, looks away, and I can see in the grimace that takes over her face that her heart is still in pain. Shit. Whoever hurt her will be dead by midnight, I swear. I put my other hand on her shoulder, stroking it with a soothing gesture until Alina takes a breath and shakes her head with a teary chuckle.
“God, I don’t-I don’t even know how to explain it,” she mutters, reaching into the pocket of her hoodie, and I frown.
“Explain what?”
She says nothing and only puts something in my hand. What’s that?
I look at my palm and see something that looks like a thermometer, and it takes a second for my confused mind to realize that it’s a pregnancy test. It takes me another second to see that it’s positive.
The realization hits me like a brick, and I widen my eyes in an instant, my lips parting around an exhale of bewilderment. “What-when?”
“I found out just an hour ago.” Alina clears her throat, rubbing her shoulders with her hands and staring at the test with the look of someone who has already gone through all stages of shock and acceptance. “So I
called you right away.”
I have to force myself to look away from the test and look at her. “Does anyone else know?”
“Only Irina.” Alina glances at me with shyness, her nose still red and her blue eyes gloomy. “She promised not to tell anyone until I talk to you.”
Does Irina know about me? My mind spins for a moment, and I have to straighten up and take a deep breath to cool the madness inside of me. I’m-oh god, am I going to be a father? Despite the shock that still rules over my mind, I feel a wave of warmth spread from my chest to the rest of my body. I’m going to be a father.
The thrill of it fills me from the inside, and I can’t help but chuckle with joy and disbelief racing in my veins.
I am going to be a father.
“I know it’s sudden, and I understand if you aren’t ready to accept it,” Alina murmurs, and I turn to look at her from a new angle.
She’s the same, with the same blonde hair, blue eyes, plush lips, and soft arms. Nothing has changed-yet I feel everything inside of me buzzing with the force of my love for this woman. God, she’s so beautiful, so kind, so gentle, and how could I even dream about finding a woman like this in the slums of Chicago?
“Irina said she would help me, so if you don’t want the baby, I can”
“What?” I drop the test on the ground only to put my hands on Alina’s cheeks and make her look up at me, holding her with gentle urgency. “Don’t even think about it.”
I peck her lips.
“We are going to be a family.” I kiss her again.
“You are going to be a perfect mother.” Another kiss.
“And I am going to take care of you for as long as I breathe.”
With the last words, I press another kiss-and this time, I can feel her respond to me, her hands raising to grasp my wrists and pull me closer. She sniffles again, but something tells me it’s not from fear or despair. I gather Alina in my arms, holding her so close as if I expect her to feel the frantic rhythm of my heartbeat through the layers of clothes, and kiss her
again and again until she shakes her head with a giggle.
“But…” She looks up at me, glowing with happiness despite the doubt reflected in her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“I am sure.” I grab her hand and raise it to my lips, kissing her knuckles. “I want to marry you, I want to have children with you, god, I want to be together forever.”
Alina blinks. “What?”
But even though the words slipped out of my mouth without intention, I know they are true. I’ve never felt so enamored by any other
woman in my life, and I know I’ll never find anyone like Alina. Everything I’ve ever dreamed of is in my arms, and I don’t want to let her go. I won’t let anyone take her away from me, so without a moment of hesitation, I lower myself on my knee and look up.
The stars are beautiful-but none of them shines brighter than the woman in front of me.
“Alina Pushkova,” I say with a smile on my lips, taking Mom’s ring off my neck and offering it to Alina. “Will you marry me?”
She blinks, clearly trying to catch up with everything that happened in the last couple of minutes, and I feel worry creeping into my heart. Is it too fast? Is it too sudden? What if, after the last two weeks, she doesn’t
even want to-
“Yes,” Alina whispers first, a beautiful smile blooming on her lips, and nods a few times. “Yes, I will.”
And before she finishes the sentence, I sweep her into my arms and whirl her around, listening to the sweet sound of her laughter. I put her down a few seconds later only to cup her cheeks and kiss her, again and
again until my lips start to hurt and my pants get tight from thinking about everything I want to do with her.
And only when I ride through the streets of Chicago with adrenaline burning in my veins and Alina’s arms secured around my torso, do I realize that my plan hasn’t failed. Is there any better way to get closer to the
Messinas than getting into their family?
I’m sure Alina will understand. I’m sure she will choose me over Riccardo. And then, when I’m done with my revenge, I will take her away from her wicked family, and we will find our happily ever after.