Mrs. Malone shot daggers at me with her eyes. But they barely landed, glancing off of me instead. I’d gotten stronger in the time I’d been with Ford. Her disapproval couldn’t touch me.
“If you decide not to help us out,” I continued, “then we’ll remain close enough to you to keep the mob ties a concern, but you will have absolutely nothing to do with our child.”
I put my hand over my belly, and Ford squeezed my shoulder.
“You’re pregnant?” Ford’s mother asked, her voice barely a whisper.
I held my breath, afraid I might have counted too much on Ford’s parents caring about his offspring. It had been a gamble to think they would prioritize a grandchild over their money and reputation, especially since it had become clear that they didn’t prioritize Ford in that way.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “And yes, it is Ford’s.”
Mrs. Malone turned to her husband.
“We can’t cut off our only grandchild,” she said.
I felt Ford relax next to me, and I squeezed his hand, relieved beyond measure.
Ford’s father looked less convinced, but as usual, he also didn’t look like he was going to argue with his wife. The senior Malones had some kind of silent conversation with their eyes, and then Mr. Malone turned his attention back on me and Ford.
“The Russians won’t be a problem for you anymore,” he said.
* * *
The minute Fordand I were in a car heading home, we both let out a whoop of joy. Then he took me in his arms and kissed me until I could barely see straight.
“I wish I could have a glass of champagne,” I told him, even though I was feeling giddy enough that I didn’t really need alcohol. “We should celebrate.”
“Oh, we will,” Ford said with a smirk. “But the kind of celebrating I have in mind doesn’t require champagne.”
I blushed, knowing that the minute we got home, we would be in each other’s arms again.
And this would be our life together from now on. We didn’t have to pretend, we didn’t have to hide, we didn’t have to keep secrets.
We leaned back against the seats, lost for a moment in our own little world, Ford’s arm around my shoulder, both of our hands against my stomach.
“Do you think the baby is what changed their mind?” I asked.
“Maybe. I think they realized they were fucked and the baby just gave them a reason to do the right thing. As much as theycando the right thing.”
“Do you think they’ll want to be in the baby’s life?”
The thought of possibly having to attend weekly dinners with Ford’s parents was one I didn’t like considering.
“We won’t be spending much time with them, especially if we decide to stay in New York,” Ford promised. “But from now on,weget to decide how much we want them in our lives. Or in our baby’s life.”
“I like that,” I said.
“And the important thing is, you didn’t have to sell the business.”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “Danica Rose gets to stay in the family. Exactly where it belongs.”
I relaxed even further into his arms, feeling a sense of relief that I hadn’t felt in months—that I hadn’t felt since Stefan first told me that the Bratva was after us.
“And,” I added, “I didn’t have to bring the mob back into my brothers’ lives.”
“Feels nice, doesn’t it?” Ford asked, pulling me closer.
“So nice,” I said, letting out a sigh.
