Page 93 of The Bratva's Christmas Bump

After a little back and forth, the call ends. I sit slowly, staring blankly at the security monitors in front of me.

Pregnant? Is that even possible?

Is it mine? Someone else's?

My heart races. A baby changes everything. If it’s mine, even if it’s not, what I feel for Hollie is almost overwhelming and it sits warmly in my chest like a hug that never lets go.

Confronting her doesn’t feel like a wise move without revealing just how in-depth the new security software is, so I’ll remain quiet for now. With any luck, Hollie will tell me herself when she feels ready.

But a baby?

The revelation leaves me reeling and it stays with me through the next hour until I meet Hollie in the kitchen.

“Hi,” she says cheerily. “I’m just packing some water before I meet Mom for lunch. You good?”

She’s so beautiful. Is she glowing because she’s smiling or because she’s carrying a baby? I struggle with myself, keeping my gaze locked on her eyes, refusing to look down as if I could suddenly reveal everything I wanted to know about the baby. Forcing a smile, I push a booklet toward her.

“I found this on the dresser. Are you looking to buy a private yacht?”

Hollie glances at it and groans. “No, that’s the offer I was telling you about. The banquet is on Friday and it’s an amazing opportunity. Tiffany thinks I’ll be perfect for it, but it clashes with Mom’s dinner and she’s so pissed at me for missingThanksgiving and the dinner last Christmas. And the one before.” Her brow dips as she screws the lid onto her water bottle. “I don’t know what to do.”

Leaning on the counter, I map out every detail of her face. The wisps of hair framing her face, the slope of her lips, the bump in her nose. I map it all out and smile. “Do you think your parents would move dinner?”

“It’s in three days. There’s no way,” she sighs. “Plus…” Hollie stops on the other side of the counter and stares at me. “It’s… kind of a huge deal, don’t you think?”

“Moving dinner?”

“No. A cruise for ten months.”

Is she asking me permission? It’s strange to think she values my opinion here and my heart races slightly, my mind still reeling from the idea of a baby. “It is a long time. Are you sure you could handle it?”

Her brow lifts slightly and she shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve never been on a cruise, but it sounds nice.”

“I do remember your mentioning a desire to leave New York. Is that still something you want to do?”

Her hands come together around the water bottle and her knuckles flex, then she tilts her head. “Things are… different now.”

“Different how?”

“We’re married.”

“That doesn’t equate to a loss of freedom.”

“Uhm, excuse me. Yesterday, you wouldn’t let me leave and today, you’reonlyletting me leave because Toto and Stu are coming with me, along with God knows who else.”

“So your freedom currently involves a few shadows. I want you safe, but I don’t want you imprisoned.”

A soft smile creeps across her lips. “You know, back in November when you forced me down that aisle, I didn’t think you had a kind bone in your body.”

“And now?”

She shrugs. “I dunno. I like this version of you. The real you.”

“If it makes you feel any better…” Leaning over the counter, I catch her chin and lightly kiss her lips. “I’m perfectly capable of running my business from the ocean. My father would be happy I’m no longer personally involved and I wouldloveto see one of my many enemies try to catch me in the middle of the ocean.”

Her lips remain slightly parted as she stares into my eyes. “You’d come with me?”

“If you wanted me to. Yes.”