IT IS FATE ~~~

Valentina POV

I was pacing in my room, on the verge of hysteria, by the time Dimitri returned from the pharmacy. “Here,” he said, handing me the bag. “I bought five, just like you asked.”

“Thank you. I’m sure it’s nothing. It has to be stressful.” Dimitri held up his palms. “I know nothing about a woman’s cycle, but I think you should check. Just for peace of mind, no?” I swallowed. “I know. Will you stay?”

“Of course. Go. We’ll check together.” I went into the bathroom and opened the first box. The instructions seemed fairly simple. Hold the stick in the pee, let it sit, and read the results. Maybe I should take two tests, just to be sure.

Hands shaking, I unwrapped another box and peeled open the paper on the stick. Holding both, I sat down and peed, making sure to wet each stick thoroughly. Then I set them on the counter, cleaned up, and called Dimitri in. He entered carefully, like he was afraid of startling me. “Well?”

“Set the timer on your phone for five minutes. Then we’ll have our answer.” Dimitri started the timer and then peered at the sticks. I smacked his shoulder. “Don’t check early. You’re making me nervous.”

His expression was serious, he leaned against the wall. “What result are you hoping for?”

“Negative, obviously.”

“Not obviously. Many women would love to get pregnant with my father’s baby, you know.”

“I am not many women, and they can have his babies for all I care. I cannot be pregnant, Dimitri. Not now, and not by your father.”

“Why not? He has been a great father to me, and he would see that you are well cared for. You’d want for nothing.” I pressed my palms into my eye sockets and tried to control my breathing before I hyperventilated. “I don’t want to be tied to him for the rest of my life. Plus, I’m not ready to be a mother. I want to go to college and get a job. Have a normal life.”

He made a dismissive sound. “Normal is boring, Tina . You were not made for that life, punching a time clock in some menial job for little money. You are better than that.”

“I’m sure my mother thought the same thing, but she gave up her whole life for my father. Her career, her freedom.” Be your own woman, Valentina . Don’t make my mistakes. “I can’t do that. I promised myself I would have a different life.” Tears welled in my eyes, the terror overwhelming me.

“Tina ,” Dimitri said softly, pulling me into his arms. “Don’t cry. We don’t even know if it’s positive yet.” Deep in my bones, I knew. I was pregnant. I’d never gone this long without a period, and the shot was no longer effective. Rafael had knocked me up.

What was I going to do if it were true? I stayed there, praying, nestled in Dimitri ’s embrace, until the timer went off. He turned off his phone and held my shoulders. “We look together. All right?”

I nodded, my mouth as dry as dirt. “Okay.” We turned and looked down. Both tests were positive. “Oh, shit,” I whispered and sank to the floor. I buried my face in my hands. “Oh, shit.” I couldn’t help it. I started crying. Dimitri sat next to me and wrapped an arm around me. He didn’t say anything, his strong hand just stroking my back. I was having Rafael ’s baby.

Why? Why did the universe hate me so much? What had I ever done wrong in life to deserve this? Kidnapped and brought here, engaged then not. Seduced by stupid vineyards and stupid Rafael . And now the worst has happened. A baby.

“If I run away, maybe he’ll never know,” I choked out through my tears. “You have to tell him.” I shook my head no against his shoulder. I didn’t need to tell him. I could run away, have the baby, and give it up for adoption. He would never know.

Dimitri tilted my chin so he could see my face. “Tina , if you don’t tell him, I will. He’s my father.”

“But you’re my friend. Bros before hos.”

“I’m not sure any of that applies in this case.” He kissed my forehead. “I think this is a good thing. It is fate. You were destined to come here and give me a baby brother or baby sister.”

“Oh, my God.” I rolled into a tight ball and started rocking. I was having Dimitri ’s half-brother or half-sister. How fucked up was that? And like an idiot I had called him for help. Of course he’d want me to stick around and have the baby. Another Ravazzani boy would take the pressure off him to have his own children.

But any boy child raised here, my child, would be in the mafia. And a girl wouldn’t fare any better. She would be married off at an absurdly young age to a man she didn’t know, and he would probably be in the mafia.

No, no, no. This was not happening. I cried harder. I wanted to die. This was the end of everything as I knew it. I heard Dimitri put his phone down, but I paid no attention. Maybe Rafael didn’t want a baby any more than I did. After all, he was almost middle aged. The diapers and late-night feedings were long in his past. If he learned I was pregnant, he’d probably send me back to Toronto. Then I could decide whether to have this baby or not.

“You can do this, Tina ,” Dimitri said. “Any child would be lucky to have you as a mother. And I think this will be good for my father. I can tell

He cares about you very much.” That made me feel worse. Rafael didn’t love me. I was a puttanella, a convenient hole. Eventually he’d tire of me just like he tired of Katarzyna and send me and the child away.

I’d always be the woman who was stupid enough to let the head of the Calabrian mafia knock her up. And my son or daughter would pay the price. How could I bring a child into this fucked up situation?

Tears began falling in earnest again, and I could hardly catch my breath. Dimitri ’s shirt was a mess, but I didn’t care. He handed me tissues occasionally but I was crying too hard to stop.

“What is going on?” Rafael ’s voice echoed in the tiny washroom. “Valentina , why are you crying?”

I couldn’t even look at him. I wanted to both throw myself in his arms and strangle him with my bare hands. This was all his fault. He’d kidnapped me and prevented me from getting another birth control shot. Then he’d filled me with his super sperm and impregnated me.

Dimitri and his father began speaking rapid Italian that I didn’t even try to understand. I no longer cared. This whole country sucked. I hated everyone and everything in it. Dimitri started to get up, but I grabbed his arm. “Don’t go. Please.”

He gave me a half smile. “It’s going to be fine, Tina . I promise. This is fate.”

Traitor. For all I knew he’d texted his father to come in here. I let him go like he was burning my hand. “Nothing is fine. Nothing will ever be fine again.”

Standing, he exchanged a look with his father and then walked out. Rafael peeked at the two pregnancy tests. “And this is what has you crying?”

“Yes, Rafael ,” I snapped. “That is generally what happens when someone who doesn’t want to get pregnant gets pregnant.”

“You had to know it was a possibility, no?” Anger flared to life in my chest, the burning hatred replacing the sadness. “Something about being kidnapped, drugged, almost forced to marry your son, brought to a country where I don’t speak the language, and seduced by you made me forget that I was overdue for my shot. How silly of me! Yep, stupid, stupid Valentina .” I dropped my head in my hands.

“Fuck you, Rafael .” He grabbed my wrist, tugged me to my feet and began leading me out of the bathroom. I resisted, pulling away from him.

“Don’t touch me. I hate you and I definitely don’t want to have a baby with you.” Sighing, Rafael bent and scooped me up in his arms. I squirmed and shoved at his chest. “Put me down. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

“That is too bad.” He sat on the bed and then twisted until we were both flat on the mattress, our heads on the pillows. I was too furious to speak so I folded my arms and stared at the ceiling. Rafael rose up on an elbow. “Tell me what you are thinking.”

“I’m thinking I should have smothered you in your sleep while I had the chance.” The bastard chuckled. “I am sorry to tell you, then, that I’ll definitely be sleeping with one eye open from now on.” His hand gently rested on my belly.

“Piccolina, this does not displease me. I like the idea of you being round and big with my child.” I glared at him. “What if I don’t want to be round and big with your child?”

He lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. “I won’t allow you to abort it, if that is what you are thinking. But you needn’t be involved after the child is born, if you don’t wish.”

My mouth fell open. While I had been thinking of adoption, something about his phrasing made me think this was not what he was talking about. “What does that mean?”

“This is not an uncommon occurrence. While I’ve never had a child out of marriage, many mistresses have babies in our world. I can find someone to help raise it.”