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It’s such a weird thing to think I’m engaged. I’m getting married to a mob boss or future one.
“May, is this the right thing for me to do, given my situation?” I place my hand on my stomach.
“Aelina, you will be so well protected, and once Hunter ruffles the feathers of the underworld, everything is going to change for the better. I’ve been waiting for this since my husband passed the reins down to Arthur. Arthur only saw power. He never looked at things the way Hunter does. Hunter has a vision to help people and change the way the underworld takes care of business. Just wait and see. The more you are around Hunter to witness it for yourself, the more you’ll see that this is the best thing for you and baby.” Her words slowly sink in.
All right, I can do this. I have to do this.
“Let’s finish this then,” I say.
* * *
Hunter, Landon, and I drive in Hunter’s black SUV. My father follows behind in May’s truck. There’s nothing but static in the car. The silence is deafening, and it only causes the tension to build on what’s to come.
An engagement should be a happy time. Only everything is hinging on Hunter’s father, how he takes this news, and whether it’s enough to get my mother back.
“What’s going to happen once we get there? Neither of you have filled me in,” I question, the unknown wreaking havoc on my nerves.
Hunter sighs. “Things will be tense. My father will be suspicious even though this was the way things should have been all along. But he didn’t find you first, and that will be a problem. His ego won’t be able to handle it, and he’ll see us as a threat now that we’re engaged. This is something he never would have expected. Stick close to me and Landon, and if things go bad, we’ll get you out, and your father will help us if we need it.”
“What if it all goes wrong?” I feel sick even asking that question. There’s every possibility this will turn bad, and I could die.
I lift my eyes to the rearview mirror. Landon’s stare meets mine. He gives me a slight nod. I know he’s got me, and I’m one hundred percent sure Hunter has me as well. I also know that if he knew about the pregnancy, he’d turn the car around and take me back to May’s, locking me up away from the evils of the world.
“It won’t,” Hunter says as we pull to a stop outside a red-brick, two-story home. White trims the windows, and there are stunning gardens with various flowers blooming. Huge spotlights shine on the building as if it’s bathed in the sun’s light.
“It’s a security precaution,” Hunter murmurs as though he reads my mind.
“Will they see my father?” I wonder where or how he’s going to get anywhere near this place.
“I’ve given him a way in that will allow him to miss the greeting party.”
“Okay.” I nod. A chilling sensation prickles at the back of my neck and down my spine. This is it. I’m meeting Hunter’s family—the family who desperately wants to kill me.
There are two big, muscly men dressed in black, wearing what I assume are bulletproof vests and holding automatic rifles. I back up against the opposite door. Hunter has already hopped out and is now waiting at my door. Peering inside, he notices I’m missing from my seat, then gets back in the car.
“I can’t do this,” I breathe out, and the tightness in my chest constricts with each word.
Hunter’s face softens. His hand reaches over and takes mine, which is clenched into a fist. “You can do this. I’ll be by your side the entire time, as will Landon.” My stomach churns, and all I can think about is something happening to my baby. It has become my number one priority in the sudden face of possible danger.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I start, but he holds up his hand.
“Let’s get this done, then you can tell me.”
“No, I need you to know,” I press.
His hand squeezes mine. “Okay. What is it?”
“I...I’m...” The words get stuck in my throat.
“We have to go. The family doesn’t like waiting. You can talk to me after.”
But after might be too late.
I grit my teeth. “Do not rush me. This is all new. I’m sure they can wait an extra few minutes.”
He sighs, but it’s not of frustration or irritation. It’s of understanding. He’s continually chipping away pieces of my shell, and it’s only a matter of time before I fall apart. Tonight could be that final piece.
“Like I said, you can tell me after. There’s no rush at all, really. Everything is going to be fine,” he reassures, and I don’t know how he can be so calm and collected.
