“I live to serve,” he murmured, grabbing the bag.
He rummaged for a moment and pulled out the world’s largest blueberry muffin.
My stomach growled again.
Benji smirked as he tore off a bite and put it in my mouth.
“She has a cup of milk too,” Vinny said, leaning closer.
His grip shifted on my hands. He brought my fingers to his mouth and kissed them, slow and careful.
That alone nearly made me choke.
“Chew,” Benji ordered.
I cut him a glare around the muffin. Vinny rolled his eyes.
“First things first,” Vinny said, voice rough. “How are you feeling?”
I swallowed the bite and took a breath.
Everything hurt.
My throat felt scraped raw. My chest ached like I’d run a marathon underwater. My wrist throbbed faintly where he’d marked me. I felt hollowed out and exhausted, like someone had scooped me clean.
But I was alive.
So I signed,Okay.
Vinny’s brows lifted slowly.
Benji paused mid-tear of the next bite and stared at me like I was lying.
Neither of them argued.
“You want the good news or the bad news first?” Vinny asked.
Bad,I signed.
He licked his lips and scrubbed a hand down his face.
“So,” he began carefully, “bad news is whatever Logan injected you with is going to stick around—at least for the pregnancy.”
My fingers went still in my lap.
He gestured vaguely toward my swollen body.
“You’re going to stay… advanced,” he clarified. “Your hormone levels are elevated, and your body’s compensating hard. That’s why you’re measuring ahead. That’s why everything feels…” He swallowed. “Terrible. The drug pushed your system into overdrive.”
Benji’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.
“You’ll be bigger than expected,” Vinny continued, keeping his voice even. “More uncomfortable than average. And some days you might hate me for getting you pregnant.”
That almost earned him a smile from me.
Almost.
“But,” he added quickly, “it’s manageable. The OB team has a plan. We’re going to monitor your heart and your blood pressure. You’ll have support. You can rest. For the rest of your pregnancy you sit back, and we handle everything.”
