Page 65 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Prince
It’s been about three weeks since Gabriel’s last check-in text. By then, I was already living with Dario, but I couldn’t exactly drop that bombshell in a message. So I kept it brief—told him I was happy and busy with my transcribing job. A complete lie. I’ve cut my hours back to part-time since moving in with Dario.
With no rent, food costs, or utilities to pay, I don’t need to spend all my time doing a job I couldn’t care less about.
“I’m good. Nothing exciting happening here,” I hope my voice doesn’t betray the mountain of lies I’m standing on.
“Well, maybe that can change soon. I was hoping to come visit you in a couple weeks. Got some vacation days saved up. Mila can’t take time off and the kids are in school, so I’m free to come see you. It’s been about a year—long overdue.”
I freeze.No, no, no.
“Y-you want to visit me?” My voice comes out thin and strained.
His deep laughter comes through the line. “Well, yeah. But you have to promise to bring me to that Thai place we went to last time. I’ve been craving that curry ever since.”
Shit.I can’t keep pretending. He won’t understand—might even hate me—but I can’t maintain this charade if he’s planning to show up on my doorstep.
“Listen, Gabe...” I trail off, then force the words out before I can second-guess myself. “We can’t go to that place.”
“Did it close?”
“I don’t know.” My voice wobbles. “I’m not in Phoenix anymore.”
Silence.
Not the awkward kind. The loaded kind. Thedangerouskind.
“You moved?” His tone shifts, the warmth draining from it in real time. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I swallow hard, wishing I could disappear into the plush carpet beneath my feet. This is already spiraling.
“I’m living in Las Vegas,” I say, like I’m confessing to a crime. Maybe I am.
Another pause. Too long. My grip tightens on the phone, knuckles white.
“Why?” he finally asks, voice cold and sharp like breaking glass. “Why would you go back there?”
“It’s...complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it,” he snaps.
I flinch.
“We left there for a reason, Paige. It’s not a place you should be.”
I take a breath, try to steady myself. My legs are shaky, so I sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the spot where Dario left his jacket earlier. “I wasn’t planning on this. But I’ve started seeing someone here. And...I’m pregnant. With twins.”
This time, there’s no pause. Gabriel reacts as if I’ve told him I’m joining a death cult.
“What thehell?” he explodes. “Why didn’t you tell me this before now? How far along are you?”
“About twenty weeks.”
“Twenty—Jesus, Paige! You didn’t think maybe youronly brothershould know he’s going to be an uncle? This isn’t like you.”
“Because…” I grip the phone so tight my knuckles go white. “You’re not going to be happy about who the father is.” I swallow hard against the lump in my throat. “It’s Dario Andretti.”
Dead silence. And then?—
“No,” he says, like he’s physically rejecting the words. “No, that can’t be true. I must’ve misheard you. You didnotfuck the son of the bastard who had our father killed.”
