"Mikhail, we've known each other for a few weeks—"
"I've known you for two years. I've loved you for at least one. And now you're carrying our child." His eyes are intense, burning with certainty. "Marry me."
"I—"
The door bursts open, and Mila rushes in, eyes bright with excitement. "I heard! Oh my God, you're pregnant! Uncle Misha's going to be a father!"
"How did you—"
"Alexei texted me." She's practically bouncing. "This is perfect! The babies will have a cousin! We can be pregnant together!—Well, I'm not pregnant right now, but I could be! Alexei!"
"Technically you'll be the one with a new cousin," Mikhail says, amused.
"Details! It's still family! A baby Ghost!"
"Mila," Mikhail says. "Breathe."
"You breathe! You're having a baby!" She hugs me, then him, then me again. "Have you told her mother? Oh God, we need to shop. Baby clothes, cribs, those tiny socks that make everyone cry—"
"Mila, it's been a couple of days," I protest.
"So? That baby's already Bratva royalty. Heir to the Ghost legacy. We need to start planning immediately."
"The Ghost legacy?"
"Well, yeah." She grins. "What did you think would happen when you got knocked up by the most dangerous man in New York? That kid's going to be legendary."
I look at Mikhail, who's still staring at me with that possessive awe, his hand still on my stomach like he's claiming territory.
"This is insane," I mutter.
"Welcome to the family," Mila says cheerfully. "We specialize in the insane."
The ride back to Mikhail's house is tense. He keeps looking at me like I might evaporate, his hand resting possessively on my thigh. I stare out the window, trying to process how my life just imploded in a whole new way.
Pregnant. With Mikhail Kozlov's baby. The Ghost's child growing inside me.
What the fuck am I going to do?
"Stop overthinking," he says quietly.
"How can you tell?"
"You're biting your lip. You only do that when you're spiraling."
Right. He's mentioned this before.The fact that he's been cataloging my habits, learning my tells, should probably concern me. Instead, it just makes my chest tight with something warm.
"My career is over," I say finally. "Even if we clear my name, even if Harrison goes down—I'm pregnant with a criminal's baby. No agency will ever trust me again."
"Former criminal."
"That distinction won't matter to the FBI."
"Then fuck the FBI."
"Easy for you to say. You've already built your life outside the system. I've spent my entire adult life serving it. Being an agent isn't just what I do—it's who I am."
"Was," he corrects. "Now you're going to be a mother."
