Page 82 of Claimed By the Enemy

“Your point?”

“My point is that she could have kept lying. Could have fed you just enough truth to keep you satisfied while she figured out another way to handle Uncle Enzo. But she didn’t.”

“No, she didn’t.”

“She chose you. Completely, totally, without reservation. She chose you over the only family she has left, over everything she’s believed for sixteen years, over her own safety.”

I think about the way Sophie’s hands shook when she told me about Uncle Enzo’s ultimatum. About the tears in her eyes when she said she loved me more than anything.

“I know what she gave up, Raff.”

“Do you? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’re still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Maybe I am.”

“Why?”

“Because…” I pause, trying to find words for the fear that’s been eating at me since Sophie walked out that door. “Because I’ve never had anything this good before. And in my experience, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”

“Sophie isn’t too good to be true, Dom. She’s just good. And she loves you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I saw her face when she thought she was going to lose you. I’ve seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one’s watching. That’s not an act, Dom. That’s not something you can fake.”

“What if Uncle Enzo-”

“What if nothing. Sophie made her choice. The question is, what are you going to do with it?”

I stare out the window at the city below, thinking about Sophie alone in that hospital room, probably scared and overwhelmed by everything that’s happened in the past few hours.

“What would you do?” I ask.

“If the woman I loved had just sacrificed everything to be with me?” Raff grins. “I’d show her it was worth it.”

“How?”

“Grand gesture, Dom. Something that proves you’re all in, just like she is.”

“Such as?”

“I don’t know. Take her somewhere special. Show her what your future together could look like.” Raff pauses, studying my face. “When’s the last time you did something romantic? Something that wasn’t about business or protection or family drama?”

I think about it, and the answer is depressing. “Never.”

“Never?”

“I’ve never been in a relationship worth making grand gestures for.”

“Well, you are now.” Raff stands up, heading for the door. “Figure it out, Dom. Sophie just bet her entire life on you. Don’t make her regret it.”

Two hours later, I’m standing on the deck of a sixty-foot yacht, watching the crew put the finishing touches on what I hope will be the perfect evening.

White lights strung along the rigging. A table set for two with candles and flowers. Champagne chilling in an ice bucket, though Sophie probably shouldn’t drink if she’s pregnant.

Pregnant. The word still sends a shock through my system every time I think it.

Sophie is carrying my child. Our child. A tiny life that will grow up free from the poison that’s been destroying our families for sixteen years, if I have anything to say about it.