Page 43 of Fierce Hearts

"Apparently he can." I glanced out the window overlooking the garden, the weight of it all lifting just a little from finally sharing it with someone. "The Ference cartel has been pushing into Savoca territory. Ernesto thinks this marriage will prevent all-out war, especially now that the Savoca head has died. It's the perfect time for a rival family to make a move."

"That's not your problem!" Meredith's face flushed with anger. "You left that life. You built something new. They can't take that from you!"

"They can and they will, you know that, Mer." I kept my voice steady, watching how her face fell. She did know how these families worked, especially now. "Ernesto made it clear this isn't a request. If I refuse, people will die. People I care about."

"He threatened you? Or just in general because of a war on the streets?"

"Both." There was no point pretending he hadn't threatened those I loved here, because he had.

"No. This… this is bullshit." Meredith shook her head as if she could make it untrue. "Leo can help. The Donatis have connections, resources. They can sort this mess out."

I shook my head. "No. Getting them involved will only start a different kind of war, Mer. It would start exactly the kind of bloodbath Ernesto is trying to avoid. It's one life versus dozens. The logic makes sense."

"One life?" Her face tightened, the anger evident. "Your life, Sofia! Your freedom! That matters!"

"Does it matter more than all the people who would die in a war between these families?" I asked quietly. "Because that's what we're talking about. Real people with real lives. My niece, Marco's daughter, who's three. His wife, Cara. My aunts, Caterina and Julia, my cousin Bianca. Then the Donati family. I don't want any of that blood on my hands. I don't want people dying in my name."

Meredith's face twisted into one of despair and pain. She looked exactly how I felt. Lost and broken, unable to see a way out. "It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," I said as I slumped into the back of the couch. "We just learn to play with the cards we're dealt."

"I'm so sorry, Sof. We'll figure this out. There has to be another way."

I took a deep breath, knowing I had to tell her the rest. The part that made everything infinitely more messy.

"There's one more thing," I said quietly. "Something that's making all this even harder."

Meredith's face dropped with disbelief. "What do you mean? What could possibly make this harder? Do I even want to know?"

I met her eyes, steeling myself. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Her eyes were wide as she stared at me like I'd just grown a second head.

Well, in a way, I was growing something.

"I found out yesterday at work. I was treating a pregnant trauma patient, and realized I was late. I got bloodwork done since it’s only about two to three weeks since conception.”

Meredith shook her head as she process it. "Pregnant? To who? When? Why didn't I hear about it?" She furrowed her brow, realization dawning. “Was it at my wedding? Or a few days before?

Now came the kicker, and I readied myself.

"Your wedding night. It's Grayson's."

* * *

"My brother?You're pregnant with my brother's baby?" Her voice rose an octave.

"It was just that one night, after your wedding. We used protection, I think, but..." I gestured helplessly. "Nothing's foolproof. I think we may have done it in the morning without protection.”

"Holy shit. Holy fucking shit." Meredith's wide eyes moved across the room as she leaned back, comprehending what I'd just shared. "Oh my God. You're the wedding woman," she whispered as she finally looked back at me. "The one he wouldn't tell us about."

"Yeah."

"Does he know?"

I shook my head. "I just found out myself. And now with everything else happening..." I trailed off, the enormity of my situation crashing down on me again.

"Sofia, you have to tell him."

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