I can’t think.
One minute, I’m in love and free, the next it’s like my insides are tearing themselves apart, I’m pregnant and I’m alone.
“Aerin!” She grabs my arms and shakes me, trying to draw me out of my thoughts. “Who is the father?”
I blink and a tear rolls down my cheek. “No one,” I whisper.
“Don’tlieto me,” she hisses. “I will find out. I’ll have the doctor take a DNA test when you’re getting the abortion and I’ll test every single person you ever come in contact with.”
“What? I’m not getting an abortion!”
“Don’t tell me you want to keep it?”
I shake my head as the swelling sensation grows. “I… I don’t know! You just told me, how can I decide something like that instantly?”
“It doesn’t matter. I won’t allow you to have it.”
“Allow me?” Anger very quickly overrides my shock and I push her away, throwing the covers back and easing out of bed. “I missed where this was your decision.”
“You’re a Paramatti, Aerin. It’s always my decision.”
“No! I need to think, I need to find…” Falco.
I need to find him.
Do I tell him?
Fuck.
“Listen here, you little?—”
“Ma’am?” The door suddenly swings open and Mom’s personal guard walks in. “Your husband will be late tonight, he’s had a breakthrough.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Mom groans. Hearing her curse would be amusing if I wasn’t struggling to get all my thoughts in a line and understand how this is happening. “What now?”
“Apparently, a guard, Falco Tierney? He’s been caught with the missing drugs.”
“Falco?” My head snaps up and I bolt to my feet. “What are you talking about?”
“Uh…” The guard glances between the two of us. “All I know is your brother caught him in a warehouse with several cases of product that’s been going missing these past few months. Apparently, Giacomo caught him and after a fight earned a confession.”
“A confession?” Mom cuts in. “What confession?”
“He’d been casing the family this entire time. He was only loyal to himself, as expected of an ex-military, some would say. He’d been planning some sort of final heist and Giacomo caught wind of it. Apparently, he…he’s also confessed to trying to kill you, Aerin.”
“What?” Mom surges upward. “That bastard? All this time?”
No.
No, this isn’t right.
I know Falco.
He’s been my shadow for months. There’s no way in hell he had time to steal cases of drugs, nor the means to hide it all considering how alone he is. And trying to kill me? As soon as those words leave that guard’s mouth, I know they’re a lie.
If Falco wanted me dead, I would be dead.
He wouldn’t have risked his own life, or Pidge’s, if I was his target.
