Page 46 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Prince
Then the ultrasound happened.
Despite all my reading, despite knowing that the whole reason I brought her to live with me is because of the baby, none of itactually felt real until I saw those grainy images swimming on the screen and heard the heartbeats.
Two of them, thumping away. I’m going to be the father of twins.Twins.I couldn’t have seen that coming in a million years.
The shock struck me dumb for a moment. And when I recovered, I had to know if they were mine.
The second I asked about the date of conception, the temperature in the room plummeted about twenty degrees. Paige was hurt, and the doctor’s mouth flattened into a disapproving line. They both thought I was an asshole, but I had to know the truth because the elation coursing through me was overwhelming. I didn’t want to embrace that happiness unless I was sure they were mine.
Now that I know Paige better, the estimated date of conception is enough. I might go ahead with a DNA test for the family’s sake, but I know what I need to know.
Those are my babies.
Two of them will be a lot to handle, but I’m not worried. I have a big family that’ll be more than happy to help—if I can get Paige to let them within a hundred feet of her.
As we leave the doctor’s office with printouts from the ultrasound machine, Paige is quiet. Her face is turned toward the window, and I can’t see her eyes, but I doubt she’s actually seeing the city passing by as our driver navigates downtown, heading back to the apartment.
I tuck my copies of the ultrasound pictures into my inner jacket pocket and place a hand on her arm. She jumps like she’d forgotten I was beside her.
“Talk to me,” I say, and it comes out as a command rather than a request. I force myself to soften my tone—something I only ever do for her. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
She sighs, her shoulders slumping like someone’s piled bricks on them. “Twins.”
My brows knit together. “You’re not happy?”
“I’m...worried. This whole pregnancy came as a surprise, and I feel like I barely got my head wrapped around becoming a mother and now...I just don’t know how I’m going to handle all of this. How am I going to raise two kids alone?”
Her eyes are fixed on the seat back in front of her, so she doesn’t see my reaction right away. I pull my hand away from her and clench my fists on my thighs, hard enough that my knuckles crack.
God damn it.
Why is it always one step forward, two steps back with her?
She doesn’t think I’m serious about being part of my children’s lives. She has no faith in me, and maybe that’s justified, but I can’t help feeling like she just drove a knife between my ribs and twisted it.
“Listen here, Paige,” I growl, my voice hard enough to draw her gaze to mine. “No matter what you think about the Andrettis, we stick together. Those are my kids you’re carrying, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I know damn well I’m not the man she would have chosen to father her children. I can’t pretend I’m worthy of the honor. I’m not a good man. Hell, I’m not even a smart man, if you askmost people who knew me when I was a kid struggling to even communicate.
But I’m in this until the end now. I’m going to be a father, and if I have anything to say about it, I’ll win Paige’s affection, too. I might not have been looking for this that night we met, but I have a future now, and I’ll burn the world to ash before I let go of it.
Paige’s eyes fill with tears again, just like in the doctor’s office. But then, it was from joy—the smile that stretched across her face made that clear. We were hearing our babies’ heartbeats. Now, I can only think my words have upset her.
I seem to have a knack for that.
“Don’t cry,” I say, horrified that I’m bringing her to tears.Again.
Paige makes a strangled sound that might be a sob, but she wipes away her tears and leans back in the seat with a small laugh. I’m not sure what to make of her reaction, but it somehow breaks the tension coiling in the car.
“This isn’t at all how I thought my life would turn out, you know?”
“I didn’t exactly plan for this either.”
“But...you really want to be a part of our lives?” She asks in a shaky voice.
I move closer to her, crowding her against the door of the car. I place my hand on the back of her neck, ensuring she can’t look away. I need her to see the sincerity burning in my eyes.
“You need to understand something, baby. I can’t walk away from this any more than you can. Don’t assume that becauseyou’re the one carrying the babies that you’re in this alone. You’re allmine.”
