The Arrangement: Chapter 20

I check the clock, noting the dwindling time before my appointment, and then glance over the room at the calm pack of dogs. Ty’s engrossed in his phone, giving occasional pats to a bulldog that’s all but snoring.

‘Ty,’ I call out, snagging my bag and keys off the counter, ‘I’m about to head out. Listen, I’m thinking of giving you a whole day off to make up for today. You’ve been a rockstar, especially with Nicky’s spot still open.’

Nicky never returned after the day I was kidnapped. No call, nothing. So we’ve been a bit shorthanded.

He looks up, a wide grin breaking across his face. ‘A whole day off? What, you trying to get rid of me or something, Tor?’

I can’t help but roll my eyes, a laugh threatening to break free. ‘Yes, that’s exactly it. I can hardly stand the sight of you. No, but for real, you’ve been incredible the past few weeks. It’s been a madhouse around here.‘

He laughs, standing up to stretch his limbs. ‘Don’t worry about it. Honestly, this is the best job I’ve ever had. Beats sitting at a desk any day and I get to work with my bestie.’

I smile, feeling genuinely grateful for his easy-going nature and the seamless way we work together. ‘Alright, but the offer stands. You deserve a break, even if these guys,’ I gesture at the lounging dogs, ‘are being unusually angelic today.’

‘Deal,’ he says with a nod. ‘But I’m holding you to finding someone less charming than me. Good luck with that.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ I chuckle, heading toward the door. ‘Seriously, though, take a day. You’ve more than earned it.”

As I’m almost out the door, Ty’s curiosity gets the better of him. ‘Hey, where you headed in such a rush?’ he calls out, then immediately winces. ‘Sorry, that’s me being nosy again.’

I pause, turning back with a smirk. ‘No worries, I’m just off to the doctor. Nothing serious, just some stubborn bug that’s been hanging around too long. Got me feeling all sorts of worn out and a bit queasy.’

His concern is immediate, a frown creasing his brow. ‘Ah, that sounds rough. Make sure the doc gives you the meds you need. We can’t have you down for the count. I can’t take a day off if you’re sick,’ he teases.

I laugh. ‘Your concern is duly noted. I’ll catch you later.’

Stepping out into the brilliant embrace of an April day, a grin spreads across my face. The sun’s shining and here I am, strutting down the street like I own it, on my way to the doctor. But my mind’s not really on my health. Nope, it’s hijacked by thoughts of Maksim—Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerously Handsome in his suits… and, well, decidedly less dressed.

I’m replaying every moment, from the way his hands map out territories on my skin to that deep, rumble of a voice he reserves for our most intimate occasions. It’s enough to make a girl forget she’s actually walking in the real world, which I do, spectacularly, almost becoming roadkill in my little fantasy land.

Ten minutes later, I’m at the doctor, pen in hand, breezing through the paperwork like it’s nothing—until I hit the question about possibly being pregnant. Talk about a record scratch moment. My eyes about pop out of my head as it hits me—Maksim and I have been all about the passion and totally not about protection. And birth control? Haven’t thought about that since the Ned era ended. No action, no need, right?

Shit.

With a gulp that feels like swallowing a tennis ball, I tick ‘yes’ on the question.

Next thing I know, I’m shuffling into the exam room, pee cup in hand, feeling like I’m about to audition for the lead role in a drama I did not sign up for. They tell me to leave it in the designated spot, which suddenly feels like dropping off a bomb, not a pee sample.

I’m perched on the exam table, swaddled in this oh-so-flattering paper gown, trying not to look as frazzled as I feel. And all I can do is wait, wondering how a quick visit to the doc escalated into a potential life-altering moment.

The moment my doctor waltzes in with that telltale smile, my heart does a weird somersault. Boom, just like that, she drops the P-bomb. ‘Congratulations, you’re pregnant!’

My face must be a masterpiece of shock and awe, because she instantly shifts into damage control mode.

“You okay?” she asks.

‘Oh, I’m fine, really,’ I manage to sputter out, my voice sounding like it’s coming from someone else. Fine? My brain’s doing cartwheels, my heart’s racing for the Olympics, and I’m sitting here in a paper gown feeling anything but fine. “I just, I wasn’t even thinking about, well, anything I guess. Holy shit. Sorry, Doc.”

‘No need to apologize. So this wasn’t a planned pregnancy, I’m guessing.”

I shake my head and a near-hysterical laugh escaping me. “Um, no. Not even close.”

She nods. “Do you want to discuss your options?’

My answer flies out before my brain even catches up. ‘My options? I’m keeping my baby.’

Just like that. I’ve barely known I’m pregnant long enough to process it, and here I am, all in, ready to embark on this wild ride of motherhood.

She gives me a soft, ‘I see,’ coupled with a nod that’s got more empathy in it than I’ve seen in a long while. ‘Judging by the date of your last period and your HCG levels, you’re about four weeks along,’ she explains.

She instructs me to set up an appointment with my OB/GYN for a full exam the next week, including ultrasound. She hands over a starter kit of prenatal vitamins like I’ve just won some sort of bizarre lottery and piles on the reading material.

‘Congratulations, Tory. Take care of yourself,’ she says, leaving me to get dressed and step back into my life, which has just taken the most unexpected turn.

Walking out of the doctor’s office, the world seems to shift beneath my feet. It’s like stepping onto a movie set where I’m the lead in a plot twist I didn’t see coming. Craving a moment of solitude, I veer into a nearby coffee shop, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

Queuing up for my usual caffeine fix, I halt mid-order. Right, no caffeine when you’re playing host to a tiny human. It’s a trivial change, but it slams home the reality of my new situation. Opting for a decaf, I find a quiet corner to process the bombshell that’s just been dropped into my lap.

The reality of my circumstances starts to really sink in. The father of my child isn’t just any guy; he’s a Russian mob enforcer/boss-in-training. Our whirlwind romance has been thrilling, sure, but it’s also placed me smack dab in the middle of a world I know is fraught with danger. Can he, will he, be able to keep that life away from me…from my child?

And let’s not gloss over the fact we’ve only been dating a month and I got pregnant the very first time we were together. If that’s not a story line straight out of a daytime drama, I don’t know what is.

This secret, this tiny, life-altering secret, is mine to carry for now. As I sip on my decidedly less-than-thrilling decaf, I can’t help but wonder about the future. Maksim and I are in uncharted waters, a place where passion meets reality with a side order of mafia complications.

Keeping this under wraps feels like the only move, at least until I can get my head around it all. The thought of bringing a child into the mix? That’s a conversation for another day—a day when I’ve had more than a few minutes to come to terms with becoming a mom.