Page 174 of Savage Empire
“Yes, yes,” I rush out, nodding insistently. “I wanted it so bad. Pregnancy is kind of scary, and I was worried how I might react. But mostly, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be and something would be wrong. If I couldn’t give you an heir, I thought it might be over between us. And I don’t think I could handle losing what we h-have.”
“What?” he asks, voice going dark. “Why would you think that?”
I swipe away a stubborn tear that escapes from the corner of my eye, laughing incredulously. “Are you serious? Apollo, thewhole reason we got married was to give you an heir. If I couldn’t do it, s-surely you’d have to find someone else who could.”
“I absolutely would not.” His reply is so sharp, so forceful that it sends a shiver down my spine.
“What?” I rasp, blinking with confusion. “But you have to have an heir to become Capo. If I couldn’t give you that, everything would be ruined.”
“It would change nothing.”
His words aren’t reassuring, they’re baffling. “But the contract?—”
“Fuck the contract, Rayna,” he growls, hands cupping my face firmly. “I don’t give a shit about a piece of paper. Even if I did, it says that we would try to reproduce, not that it’s required to remain married. Did you even read it?”
I did read it, but maybe not as closely as I should have.
“Apollo, you need?—”
“You,” he cuts in. “I needyou, Rayna. My fucking wife.”
My stomach swoops and my head feels fuzzy. I still don’t understand how he could brush this off.
“You said you need an heir to become Capo.”
“Listen to me,” he snaps, hands flexing around my face. “I’m going to make this clear one time, and then I never want to hear you worry about this again. If you couldn’t get pregnant, I wouldn’t divorce you. Leon would take my place, and I would take his. I don’t want to be Capo if I can’t be Capo with you as my wife. I fucking love you, Rayna.”
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” His gaze holds mine, nothing but honesty pooling in those baby blues. “I’ve been waiting for you to give me any sign that you’re ready to hear it. You’ve been so closed off emotionally that I haven’t pushed. But I can’t stand here and let you continue thinking that I care more about The Outfit than I care about you. Capo, Underboss, fucking Consigliere, I wouldtake any position if it meant keeping you. I was born to be Capo, but Iliveto be with you.”
Please, please, God, don’t let me be dreaming.
“I love you too,” I murmur, the vulnerability hurting a lot less than I thought it would. “I’m sorry I doubted you. I should have taken you with me. I hate that I struggle to trust you, even when you show me that I can over and over again.”
“I married you knowing you were slow to trust,” he says softly. “I wouldn’t be the husband for you if I couldn’t handle it. But you better believe I’m going to be at every single appointment from here on out.”
“I believe it,” I reply with a giggle. A million ton weight has been lifted and suddenly, I’m not so scared anymore. He loves me.
Apollo Moretti loves me.
A surprising amount of giddiness sets in, and I raise up on my tip toes to kiss him sweetly. He returns it, holding me close and cherishing the moment.
“Do you want to go tell everybody?” I ask, excitement bubbling up.
He chuckles, amused. “Do you?”
“So much,” I admit.
“Yordan,” he calls out. “Let’s go, we’re bringing the news to the main house!”
“Coming!” he yells back from the other room.
I bounce on my feet, excitedly smacking another peck on Apollo’s lips.
“I should have told you that I loved you weeks ago,” he mumbles into our kiss. “You look so fucking happy, baby.”
“I am.”
