“So, if scenario one is the reality…” He trails off awkwardly. “Have you thought about?—”
“Don’t say it,” I cut him off, because I know where he’s going with this.
“You have to consider it though, don’t you?” Baron asks. “I mean… Tristan and Amara have been caught together, more than once.”
“I’m having her take a paternity test. Until then, I’m not speculating.”
“I get it,” he says quickly. Then there’s a pause before the next bullet flies. “And if the baby’s yours, how do you plan to handle it? Logistically speaking.”
“You mean because I’m married to Jenica?”
“Well, yeah. There’s the living situation to think about too. I mean, you want to bring Amara back here. Surely you’re not planning on having her live in your house, under the same roof as your wife? It would be a reality TV show gone wrong.” Baron chuckles. “God.Bratva Housewife.Imagine that.”
“She would not be living in the same house,” I growl.
“Just kidding. But for real, cuz—you sold the penthouse. Where is she gonna stay?”
You’d think my own cousin would give me some credit. Obviously I’ve thought everything through. Even if it’s still a hairy situation.
“I can get another penthouse, you know. And I also have my estate.”
“So you’d be bouncing between the two? Baby mama by day, wife by night.”
“Stop calling her that,” I snap.
My free hand clenches at my side. I am very much done with this conversation.
“Which one?” he asks. Baron’s gotten ballsier since I becamepakhan. I’m not sure if I like it. He needed to remember who’s in charge.
“Both,” I spit out.
“I’m sorry. Just… Tread lightly, you know? You’re married to a Chadovich. And any Chadovich can’t be trusted, even if they are more made of plastic than real human cells. And their brains are oversaturated with Bachelorette stats.”
“She’s not as dumb as you think,” I mutter.
“Oh, I know she isn’t. Which is why I’d be careful no matter what. This is a lot to juggle.”
“I’m aware.”
That’s the end of the phone call for me. I don’t need my cousin lecturing me on the weight of my situation. I know as well as anyone just how detrimental things are now.
If Amara is in fact carrying my baby,my son,then steps will be taken to secure the futurepakhan.And if that’s the case, I am going to have to see to it that there’s no turbulence on the home front, even if that means lying to Jenica and hiding things from Amara.
I finish the last of the burnt, muddy water they passed off as coffee and look up bars on my phone.
If I’m going to figure this shitstorm out, I’m going to need something stronger.
11
AMARA
“We’re a little concerned for your safety.”
The doctor’s voice is gentle. The nurse has shut the door, so it’s just the three of us in here.
It’s six in the morning. I’ve hardly slept. Whatever concerns they had, I wish they’d kept them to themselves until a reasonable hour.
“Why?” I drag myself upright. “Did something else show up on the ultrasound?”
