I shake my head and lean forward to press a kiss to her lips.
She squeezes my hand. "We're having a son."
God, how the fuck did I get so lucky?
Later that night, Quinn is asleep beside me in bed, one hand is tucked beneath her cheek, the other resting protectively over the swell of her stomach, where our son is.
After we got home from our appointment, Val wouldn't let up until Quinn told her whether we were having a boy or a girl. The second Quinn told her, Val screamed, which brought every member of my family running to see what the commotion was. My sisters and Vittoria cried, my brothers all clapped me on the back, congratulating me. When I turned to my father he was watching me with pride, something I hadn’t seen in a long time. Then he spent the next hour asking questions about the baby and whether everything looked healthy at the scan.
By dinner, the entire house was talking about names. Valentina hated every suggestion I made, Vittoria hated most of hers. Our father eventually told everyone to stop arguing and finish their food, but nobody listened to him, so he joined in and gave input.
I glance at Quinn now. She’s got a small smile still on her face. I reach out and brush a strand of hair away from her face. She shifts closer without waking.
A sharp knock sounds against the bedroom door.
I frown, it's after ten. Everyone knows that Quinn’s usually fast asleep by now.
The door flies open and Valentina rushes into the room, tears streaming down her face. Instantly, I know something is wrong. Her phone is clutched so tightly in her hand that her knuckles are white. She's shaking so hard I can see it from across the room.
The mattress dips behind me. I glance back and see Quinn pushing herself upright, sleep still clinging to her. "Val?" she asks softly.
Valentina doesn't seem to hear her, she's staring at me, absolutely terrified.
"Valentina." I cross the room. "Look at me."
Her eyes lift to mine, they're red and swollen.
"Erin." The word breaks apart as a sob tears from her throat.
My stomach drops, she thrusts her phone toward me. I take it and see there’s security footage loaded with a timestamp from earlier this afternoon. It’s at the coffee shop Erin and Valentina go to every Thursday.
I hit play and the room falls silent. I watch Erin walk toward her car.
Erin sees something and she stops. I watch as her eyes widen before she turns on her heels and runs.
My grip tightens around the phone.
She doesn't get far, as a man appears, then another. They grab her and force her toward a waiting vehicle. I watch her fight. She’s vicious, she doesn’t stop, she fights with everything that she has. I watch her disappear into the back seat, the car pulls away and then the final figure steps into view, my blood turns cold.
Frederick Hightower.
Beside me, Quinn goes completely still. She's moved to my side without me noticing. One look at her face tells me she's seen enough. Her hand wraps around my arm.
"He's got her." Valentina's voice cracks, another sob escapes her. "Lorenzo." I drag my gaze from the screen. "He's got her."
And just like that, the peace we'd spent three months rebuilding shatters.
Did he target Erin because of her ties to us? To the Kings? Fuck.
I put the phone down and look at Valentina. "Does Prior know?" I ask.
She shakes her head, her face pale and her eyes filled with tears.
I take out my phone and dial Prior.
He answers on the second ring. "Lorenzo."
"Is Landon home?” I ask, there’s an edge to my tone.
