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I'm already on my phone, thinking my mom would know how to find a doctor for Tilly. "I'll take care of it." I ask Ma to make us an appointment with someone who is an expert on twins and she immediately sends me two thumbs up. This might make me a momma's boy, but hell if I care. If I need something, she'd be upset if I didn't ask.
"What do you mean, 'you'll take care of it'?" I tuck my phone away. "Ma's making you an appointment."
Furrowing her brow, Tilly shakes her head. "Tommy, no!"
My shoulders shrug up. "What? You need a doctor, she knows what to do."
Tilly's still shaking her head. "Then you ask her to show you how." Leveling me with a glare, she says, "Now she's gonna think I'm clueless!"
I chuckle. "Til, we are clueless. Stop worrying about what Ma thinks." Tilly opens her mouth to argue further, but Miranda stops her with a hand. "He's right. Enri doesn't give a shit. You probably made her day."
Both Tilly and I stare at her. She called Ma Enri. "What?" she asks.
"Enri?" Tilly asks with an arched brow, a smirk dancing on her lips. I get the amusement. The only person that calls Ma Enri is Mack. Makes me think that maybe Miranda and Mack have been spending more time together than any of us know. "Oh, fuck off with that."
Both Tilly and I laugh a bit as Miranda's face flushes red. "You guys ready? We can't be late." We nod through our chuckles as we lock up the house. Miranda's driving so we load up into her brand new BMW. She might be in cahoots with the DEA, but that doesn’t mean anything about her family status has changed yet. Miranda has money. More than me and my mom combined. It shows inside her car, where everything is flat black and smells like success. Tia knows that Miranda is living with Tilly. As far as her aunt is concerned, Miranda has been getting Tilly prepped for joining the business. The thought makes my stomach churn, but I know it’s all part of the plan.
In the car, with Miranda driving, Tilly stares out the window. I take her hand, suddenly anxious I might have upset her. "You okay, babe?" Her responding harrumph tells me that everything is not, in fact, okay. "Did I say something wrong?"
She shrugs. "I don't know how to be a mom. I'm not even one yet and I'm already messing things up."
"Because of the doctor? I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Honestly, I'm just excited to see our kid." That’s not entirely true. My concern is genuine, though I try to keep the focus positive. Every little thing seems magnified with worry, and I'd feel much better after a doctor's reassurance.
"Yeah. I guess," she says. Catching Miranda's glance in the rearview mirror, I see the shared concern. "Stop that," Tilly snaps, annoyed at our silent exchange. "I hate when you two conspire against me."
"We're just trying to keep you safe and happy, Til,” I say.
"Then get me in with Tia so we can put all this behind us. It'll be easier to focus on the baby when this is over," she says, her voice tinged with frustration. Miranda nods in agreement, and I squeeze Tilly’s hand, a silent promise of support through whatever comes next.
Chapter thirty-seven
Tilly
As we pull into the hotel parking lot, the valet takes the rental. Miranda is ahead, fussing with her hair, a signal that we're stepping into something serious. Tia's penthouse suite is our destination, guarded by her cousins at the elevator, a sight that makes my blood run cold remembering how they invaded my privacy. Feeling the urge to confront them, Tommy's hand finds mine, a silent plea for restraint.
"Hello, Keaton. Is she ready for us?" Miranda's voice cuts through the tension, but Keaton's response sends a chill down my spine. "For them, yes, but you? You're to stay here with me."
Miranda's frown deepens, but she stays silent as Keaton presses the elevator button. His gaze, lingering on me with a smirk, ignites a fire within me. His laughter, though quiet, feels like a taunt.
"Something funny?" I can't help but challenge him.
"Nothing," he responds, his whisper to another cousin pulling me out of Tommy's grip. My steps toward Keaton are fueled by a lifetime of intimidation and fear, now transformed into defiance. "If you think I’m just going to take your crap, you’re wrong. You can’t intimidate me anymore. I’m in this with Tia."
He looks over his shoulder before lowering his voice. “I didn’t believe it when I heard. But it looks like it’s true. I got to witness this…” he gestures to my growing stomach. “happen.”
"Fuck you, Keaton," I spit back, his grin only widening at my cursing.
“Sorry, Matilda, I’m not into the cousin kink.”
Miranda's hands on my shoulders pull me back before I can take a swing at my disgusting cousin. She’s urging me to the elevator where Tommy is already waiting, a storm of rage in his eyes. His anger has a strangely soothing effect on me; I can't afford to have him explode, not now. As the elevator doors close, my parting gesture to Keaton is a defiant middle finger. Turning back, I see Tommy still seething, his hands clenching the railing as if to anchor himself.
"Tommy, you need to chill. Now that I’m in, Tia will keep him under control. If you hit him… all bets are off," I remind him, knowing the delicate balance we're trying to maintain.
Tommy takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself as the elevator doors open to the penthouse floor. We make our way down the short hallway, my nerves on edge as I try one final time to soothe my hair. I just had it dyed back to black the day before and I’m suddenly afraid she’ll still be upset. Tommy knocks on the door before I’m truly ready but it doesn’t matter. It was already propped open probably from when Keaton left.
"Come in," comes Tia's voice from inside.
Tommy leads the way into the penthouse. Tia rises from her seat at a table draped in deep blue, her usual stern expression giving way to a smile at the sight of us. The moment feels surreal, a turning point in a long, complicated journey. As we approach each other in the room, Tia pulls me into a warm embrace, her words catching me off guard. "Matilda, I must say, you're positively glowing. Pregnancy suits you." I respond with a kiss on her cheek. It’s taken Miranda and Grayson weeks to get Tia to agree to this meeting, but now that we’re here, she’s acting like everything is completely normal.
