Page 55 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Prince
“She’s safe.” He looks at me with concern as relief floods my body at his words.
But where is she?
Hurt settles over me as I realize she’s not here. She left me in the hospital. After everything, after risking my life for her, she couldn’t even be bothered to stick around.
I look away from my dad as I sip more water, hoping he can’t see how I’m feeling. I don’t want him to think I’m weak. I’ve spent my entire life proving that I’m not.
But why wouldn’t she be here? She should be fretting over me if she cares, right?
Maybe she really doesn’t care.
Before that idea can take root and strangle every other thought in my head, the hospital room door swings open, and sunshine comes pouring in, in the form of a petite pregnant woman carrying three steaming drinks.
“I got your coffee,” she says, crossing the room to Luca. She hasn’t looked my way yet, so she doesn’t realize I’m awake. “Two cream, no sugar.”
I stare at her as she hands over a black coffee to my dad. There are dark circles under her eyes like bruises against her pale skin. Did she sleep last night? How long have I been in here?
It was night when the shooting occurred, so it’s been at least one night. I try not to imagine more time than that passing with Paige walking around unprotected.
Logically, I know my father would keep her safe, whether she likes it or not, but the thought of her vulnerable while the Bratva are doing crazy shit like gunning people down in the street makes my heart rate skyrocket.
One of the monitors beside my bed beeps accusingly, and she turns to look at me for the first time. She somehow gasps and sobs at the same time as she throws herself forward, only pausing for the briefest moment to place her drink on the nightstand.
“Oh my god, you’re awake.” She flutters her hands over me without actually making contact, like she wants to touch me but is afraid to hurt me. “I just went downstairs for coffee. They were supposed to call me if you woke up!”
She shoots a glare at my father and brother over her shoulder, and I grin when they both look sheepish. Even Lorenzo Andretti, the most feared man in Vegas, can be cowed by a tiny pregnant woman when he’s in the wrong.
“How do you feel?” Paige asks, her hands finally settling on my uninjured arm. “You’ve been out for about twelve hours.”
I glance at my father and brother. They look like shit too. I guess they’ve been worried about me. Doesn’t mean I’m going soft, but…yeah. It hits me somewhere deep.
“It was that bad?” I ask.
“The doctor called it medical shock,” Luca says with a deep frown.
“That sounds dramatic.” I grin, trying to make light of the situation, but I’m not sure it’s convincing.
Paige squeezes my arm, bringing my attention back to her. I’m taken aback by the raw emotion in her eyes, like she’s been dragged through hell. “You could have died.”
She’s rattled by what happened, and her concern twists up my insides. But I’m not worried about myself—I never am.
Reaching out, I place my palm on her stomach. She covers my hand with her own and gives me a small smile. “They’re okay. We’re all fine.”
“They?” My father asks, his voice sharper than usual.
“It’s twins,” I tell him, not bothering to hide the pride in my voice.
I didn’t expect to feel like this about impregnating her, but there’s a deep sense of male pride inside me, primal and undeniable. I feel like I’ve accomplished something significant, and I wasn’t even trying. Her little baby bump is a sign of my virility, and I want people to know that I’m responsible for it.
“Congratulations,” Luca says, coming to the other side of my bed. Paige shifts her weight onto her back foot, a subtle move that tells me the last twelve hours they’ve spent by my hospital bed haven’t mended any bridges. “Uncle Paolo’s baby will be born in about a month, so your kids will grow up together.”
Paige looks at me questioningly.
“Our uncle got married a few months ago and is expecting a baby with his new wife, Quinn. I’ll have to introduce you to her. She’s a few years younger, but I think you’d get along well.”
And maybe she can help Paige come around. Quinn might have been born a mafia princess, but she still came into our world as an outsider. She has a unique perspective.
Although, I’m not sureanythingcan change Paige’s point of view as long as she thinks my family ordered her father’s murder. I look toward my dad and see that he’s still standing on the other side of the room. He’s looking at Paige with an unreadable expression on his face.
