Page 8 of Saint Of Envy (Tangled Hearts, Sinful Hands #2)

VALENTINA

L ast night was wonderful. And not just the sex either—the whole thing.

The gesture of the romantic dinner inside the hotel was so thoughtful, and the open and honest conversations that we shared were meaningful, but above all—the words that Luc whispered to me right before I fell asleep made me feel as if I’ve finally found home.

Even with all the still-looming uncertainties that remain—the threat of Leonardo still likely to retaliate, and the fact that I haven’t spoken at all to my father since I ran away, when I’m in Luc’s arms, it feels as if everything will be okay.

I feel like I can be myself with him, and that the two of us could have a future together.

Maybe that’s a fairytale, but I like to think that after all I’ve been through, I might get a happy ending too.

It isn’t until I get up from bed in the morning, after Luc has already left to attend to more business that needs his attention, that I remember something I’ve kept at the back of my mind.

I’m standing in front of the bathroom sink, washing my face and brushing my teeth, when it suddenly dawns on me.

I don’t know why I’m remembering it now suddenly, but the memory of the old woman at the cathedral handing me the tampon to stuff down into the bodice of my wedding dress pops into my head.

On the airplane, when Luc and I removed the dress, it must have simply fallen deeper inside the fabric, and I forgot it.

I haven’t given it another thought since, until now, or I’ve purposely kept it at bay.

It's definitely been too long. My period has never been this late before, and now I’m actually thinking that the “rare” chance of me being pregnant might not be that far-fetched.

I don’t want to alarm Luc without knowing for sure.

He’s got enough on his mind right now with both running things while Vincent and Isla are still in Italy and waiting for the other shoe to drop with Leonardo.

I just need to get a pregnancy test to know and take things from there.

The only problem is that I can’t leave this hotel suite.

I remember what Luc told me, that if I needed anything at all while he was away, I could ask any of the hotel staff here for help.

He said that they are all loyal and obedient to Vincent.

Since Vincent has a reputation, I don’t doubt it.

I’ll wait until the maid comes to clean and I’ll ask her for help—woman to woman.

I usually avoid her while she cleans the suite, but I’m confident she will help.

It's late afternoon when she arrives.

“Hi,” I say with a polite smile as I walk out to greet her. She stops and stands in the kitchen, looking at me with dark brown eyes, and returns the greeting with a thick Italian accent.

“Hello, ma’am,” she smiles. “Is now a good time for me to come clean, or would you like me to come back later?”

“Now is fine. And please, you don’t need to call me ma’am,” I laugh. “It makes me feel old. My name is Valentina.”

The maid and I look to be around the same age.

She might be a couple of years older than I am.

Her crisply pressed gray uniform weighs down her petite, slender frame, and she wears her dark brown hair tied neatly back in a tight ponytail.

She has a sort of natural beauty about her, the kind that could easily blend into the background if it weren’t for her expressive, observant dark eyes.

“And what’s your name?” I ask when she doesn’t immediately offer it up.

“Maria,” she nods. “Maria Russo.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Maria,” I smile before getting right to the point. “I’m wondering if I could ask a favor of you?”

Her expression remains respectful, but also cautious.

I get the sense that her loyalty to Vincent runs deep, and that she isn’t one to seek trouble.

I imagine that being a maid in this hotel means she sees and hears quite a lot.

She’s smart to stay quiet and keep her head down.

I would probably do the same if I were in her shoes.

“What is it that you need?” she asks timidly.

“I mostly clean and stick to the duties that my employers give me. I can’t do much else without Mr. Moretti’s permission, or that of his people. ”

“I understand,” I nod as I reassure her that there’s nothing for her to be worried or anxious about with me. “It’s just that Luciano instructed me not to leave the hotel room, and there’s something I need from the drugstore.”

Her brow raises at that. Maria seems to notice everything, even the slight apprehension in my voice when I mention my request.

“The drugstore?”

“Yes, and if I can ask you, woman to woman, it needs to be discreet,” I explain. “Can I trust you to keep this between us, Maria? Please?”

Her reluctance is palpable, so I press her a bit more. I’m honestly not trying to manipulate her or apply pressure that seems to make her increasingly anxious. I just really need her help since I can’t leave this suite. So, I need to do what is necessary to attain her compliance.

“I promise you won’t get into any trouble for helping me, as long as you can stay silent about what I’m about to tell you. I feel you can understand what it might be like for me here, surrounded by men, with none of my family around, and needing another woman to confide in for help, can’t you?”

“Yes,” she says sympathetically. “I can understand that. My family and I are very close, and I would do all that I can for them if they needed my help. They are back in Italy. I moved here to Vegas to make money to help support them. Sometimes I feel like I’m alone here too, even though I am constantly surrounded by people. ”

“Then we have that in common,” I say with a relieved smile as I get ready to ask her for what I need. “Maria, I need you to get me a pregnancy test from the pharmacy. Can you do that for me, please?”

Her eyes widen and dart down to glance at the front of my stomach. “Are you pregnant? Is it Mr. Luciano Moretti’s baby?” As soon as she blurts out the question, she looks horrified at having asked it. “I’m sorry! Forgive me for asking. It is none of my business at all.”

Maria’s eyes drop to her feet. She’s so clearly in a position of vulnerability, working a job in such a wealthy environment that makes her feel in over her head. I wonder if she even knows that the family she serves is a notorious mafia-aligned one.

“It’s alright,” I say, reaching out to take her hand in an attempt at beginning a new friendship between us. “I know what it feels like to be unsure of where your place is and who to trust. I promise you can trust me, okay?”

“Okay,” she nods with a relieved smile. “I can get you the test. I can bring it to you after my shift this afternoon if you would like.”

“That would be great. Thank you, Maria, and please remember to keep this just between us girls. Can I trust you to do that?”

“Yes. You can trust me.”

After that, I let her go about her duties in the suite, cleaning and putting everything back into perfect order. When she leaves, I try not to let my mind slip down the rabbit hole of potential consequences until she returns. Thankfully, Maria keeps her word regarding being discreet.

She’s dressed differently now, in modest, casual clothing, which must mean that she’s off duty now.

Her jeans and practical shoes look humble and reflect limited means.

She must work really hard in order to send money back home to her family in Italy while financially struggling herself.

I give her a lot of credit for being a young woman clawing her way toward the life that she wants.

It’s difficult being alone in a big city like Vegas, especially when you’re surrounded by powerful men and dangerous dynamics, whether she realizes it.

“The man at the door asked me why I was back after I had already cleaned this suite,” she says as she reaches into her apron pocket and pulls out the pregnancy test to hand to me. “I told him I had accidentally left my bottle of cleaning solution here and needed to come back to get it.”

“Great excuse,” I say as I take the test.

“But I left nothing here, so I need to bring something back down with me. Otherwise, he will know that I’m lying.”

“That’s not a problem,” I say as I walk toward the kitchen to see what we can find. I pull out a bottle of counter cleaner and hand it to her. “Will this work?”

Maria nods and hesitates before leaving again. “Miss?—”

“Valentina,” I correct her. “I’m not your boss; I’m your friend now.”

“Valentina,” she says with a nervous smile. “Are you going to be happy if you are pregnant? Is it something that you have been wanting, or is it unexpected? I know it’s not my place to ask. I am just curious.”

“It’s alright. I’m not upset about the question. Honestly, I’m not sure how I will feel if the test is positive,” I answer truthfully. “It definitely isn’t something that I planned on happening. But there is love involved, so it wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“That is good then,” she nods. “Babies born out of love are the lucky ones.”

She’s not wrong. I can’t even imagine if I had become pregnant with Leonardo. It would feel like a life sentence, tethered to a man I don’t even want to be around. She reaches out her hand and touches my flat stomach, catching me by surprise.

“Se nasce un bambino, ti auguro una buona vita,” she says before removing her hand.

“What does that mean?” I ask her.

“It means good blessings if there is a baby. Italian is my native language. I find it more beautiful when the words slip off my tongue, especially when offering a blessing of protection,” she says.

“Thank you. That’s really very kind of you.”

Maria nods. “We do not know each other well yet, but I see something similar of myself in you. You live comfortably, supported by money and a man, yet your secret leaves you vulnerable when you’re alone.

I understand how that feels. I hope that when you take your test, you get the answer that you want. ”

“Thank you, Maria.” I almost feel like reaching out and giving her a hug, but I stop myself since she’s right about us not really knowing each other for long.

It’s nice to have a female friend here since my only friend, Isla, is still in Italy.

Even if it’s a friendly female willing to run an errand to the drugstore for me.

After she leaves, I head straight for the bathroom to take the pregnancy test before Luc returns. I want a concrete answer to ease my racing thoughts.

I take the test, set a timer, and leave it in the bathroom so that I’m not tempted to peek at it until it’s ready for an accurate result. There are two tests in the box, so I used them both. Whatever result they show, if it’s the same, that will mean it’s my answer.

But just as the timer goes off, the door opens and Luc steps inside.

He looks at me curiously for a second as I hold the timer in my hand before quickly silencing it.

I could make up some excuse for why I’ve set the timer, although I’m a terrible liar when put on the spot under pressure.

Besides, after he told me his secret about using his persona as the Saint to usurp power from Vincent, and he opened up to me about how his feelings have changed—I feel like I owe him the same sort of raw truth.

“Come with me,” I say as I reach for his hand without telling him where we’re going.

As if sensing that it’s something important and sensitive, Luc takes my hand and walks with me without asking questions.

When we reach the bathroom and I open the door, the two pregnancy tests are in plain sight, sitting on top of the bathroom counter.

It doesn’t take him any time at all to see what they are, and as soon as we look at them, it’s immediately clear that I am, indeed, pregnant.

Not one but two bright pink plus signs stare up at us from the tiny test windows.

Luc is still holding onto my hand as I brace for his reaction while also trying to wrap my head around my own feelings at this indisputable news.

“You’re pregnant,” he whispers quietly as he turns to look at me. “With my child?”

I nod.

Luc squeezes my hand tighter before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me against him. He kisses the side of my face, and I can feel his hand stroke the back of my head before reaching down my back to wrap me in a tight embrace.

“I love you, Valentina,” he whispers.

“You’re not upset at the news?” I ask with a sigh of relief.

“Upset? How could I be upset? We’ve created a new life between us—part me, part you, and part fate.”

“It raises the stakes in this whole situation that we’re in,” I remind him. “It puts you in an awkward situation between your family and me and this whole mess that I’ve dragged you into with the Conti family.”

“Trust me,” he reassures me as he holds me close.

“I’ve been struggling internally with my familial obligations long before this.

The only thing that this news intensifies for me is my devotion to you and my protective instincts that are committed to keeping you, and now also our unborn child, safe. ”

He reaches down to place his thumb beneath my chin, lifts my face to his and kisses me softly on the mouth.

This is what real love feels like, and I think that I have known it all along.