Slowly, he retrieved, muttering, “I can’t believe this. How is this happening?”
“Julius—”
He raised his hand, stopping me. “I’m so sorry, Isla. This is all my fault.”
But it wasn’t all his fault. It was mine too, and even Kraven was to blame. We all played our part in this baby growing inside me. As if he read my mind, Julius pressed his hand over my stomach, and I sucked in a breath.
Little by little, he backed away. He had to, or he’d kill his own brother. I could see it in his menacing stare.
With one last intimidating regard, Julius scoffed, “This isn’t over, Kraven.”
Following Julius’s lead, I backed away as well, simply expressing, “I’m so sorry,” to both of them.
Life was all about moments, and this was one of them.
Our lives had spun full circle when Julius announced, “Nothing hurts more than the woman we love…”
Kraven adds, “Loving someone else in the same way she loves you, too.”
Tears streamed down my face. They were inevitable, and I wore them proudly.
Together, they confirmed war when they both stated, “We’re yours.” In seconds, they pleaded in a breathless tone, “Now say you’re mine.”
I cried out, stumbling back. It was just too overwhelming. Before I could consider the consequences of their words, Julius stood up and left. I just stood there in a state of shock, unsure of what to say, what to do, how to feel.
Kraven broke the silence between us, confidently acknowledging, “You know it’s my baby.”
Talk about a shot to my heart.
I locked eyes with him. “Actually, no, I don’t, and neither do you.”
In one stride, he completely disarmed me by placing his hand on my stomach.
“It’s not about knowing,” he coaxed. “It’s about feeling, and I can feel my baby growing inside you.”
The only armor I had to defend myself was my words. I stepped back. “Stop it.”
“Stop what exactly? Telling you the truth?” Out of nowhere, he spoke with conviction, “I don’t regret it. Not for a second.”
“Kraven—”
“You’re the first girl I’ve ever given a damn about, Isla, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.” He allowed his confession to linger for a second. “Let me remind you that Julius left us for weeks. Is that the kind of father you want forourbaby?”
“Stop saying it’s yours, Kraven.”
“Then let me prove it to you and get blood work.”
“You think I didn’t request that? The doctor suggested I wait until ten weeks.”
“How far along are you?”
“Somewhere between six and eight weeks. The doctor could only give me an estimate because my cycles are all over the place.”
“Isla—”
“Kraven…” I softly spoke, needing to make myself crystal clear. My tone may have been low, but my emotions were high asI made my own confession to him, admitting, “I don’t know if I want to keep this baby.”
His gaze went wide. He was willingly showing me his turmoil without booze or drugs, having to lower his guard for me. I guess you could say I finally got through his icy demeanor.
