His Promise: The Mafia’s Babies by C. Tamika

Today was the day.
I was going to tell Christian the truth about my pregnancy. Even though I hate to admit it, Marc was absomade no sense to hide
or to run away from the situation when he was going to figure it out either way, sthe best if it came from me.
I looked at the leather jacket in my hands and straightened it. It was the same jacket he had given me thebrought me home and I
had yet to return it, he didn’t even ask for it.
I know I was over-analyzing things as usual but if he was going to treat the baby like the jacket I did not expectations. To be
honest, I didn’t had any expectations at all so I was prepared for the worst. I did not I did not want his money, I just wanted him to
know and that’s all. The last thing I planned on doing wasbe a dad when I wasn’t all that ready to become a mom.
I got out of the car and made my way to the front of the club. The back door was something I would notbecause even though the
girls weren’t here yet I didn’t want any of the staff to be in my business or to ptogether about why I was here, looking for
Christian, while I was supposed to be sick.
I stood on my tippy toes to reach the small doorbell and hoped for it to get answered by someone decebe asking too many
questions. “We’re closed.” A voice I had recognized as Gio growled. Out of all peoplbe him.
“It’s me, Serena!” I called out, as I tried my hardest to hide my nerves, but he didn’t make it easy. “Seren
Serena who? After a half-year of working at the club, I had at least expected him to know my name by noReyes?” I spoke
unsure. It was cold enough as it was and the fact that he was interrogating me really didthat better. “System says you’re sick,
what is your business here?”
Since when did they do stuff according to the system?
“Well...I have something to tell Christian.” I answered. It was not too late to turn back around. Yes, I couldand use Gio treating
me like some intruder as an excuse. “Gio stop bullying the poor girl, it’s cold outsidfor your stupid games.” I heard Enzo’s voice.
I heard a sigh escape from Gio’s mouth before he finally decided to open the door, so I could enter the bentering through here
instead of the back felt different and it had looked the same as it did when I was htime. In front of me was a front desk and on the
ground floor, there were different entrances. One for theone for the casino while the one for the club was upstairs, at the top of
the escalator.
The woman at the front desk gave me an uncomfortable smile and probably thought of a reason why I where in the morning
while everything was still closed. The poor woman must’ve thought I was someone good-morning!” She greeted me.
I was not in the mood for any more of this awkwardness, so I quickly made my way upstairs and pushed led to the infamous
second floor. The floor I had been a few times too many these past months if you’d time was six months ago when Lucio had
hired me while he could clearly see that I was desperate for thetime was when Christian took me to his office, the third time was
when I got picked out to serve the menmoment I would never forget, even if I wanted to— the fourth time was when I asked Enzo
to place me bfor the night and this would hopefully be the last time, to tell Christian that I was pregnant. Quite some tI planned on

telling him about the pregnancy and would dip before he got the opportunity to freak out. would go home and call Lucio to tell him
the truth and quit my job, a perfect plan.
I held the leather jacket to my stomach and took literal baby steps as I tried to stretch time before I reachhad the urge to turn
back and was close to panicking but realized I couldn’t. All I had to do was tell him after that, I would be free.
“I can do it, I can do it,” I whispered to myself and took a deep breath.
“So how is that conversation with that door going?” I heard Christian’s voice call out from the inside anddrown in embarrassment.
For a second I forgot there was a camera meaning he could see every little thinI slowly opened the door and saw him seated
behind his desk with a stash of papers in front of him. Papereason did these people even do paperwork?
I shrugged off my thoughts and tried to focus on what was really important at the moment. He continuedoing and did not even
look up to see me. He usually looked different from his brothers and ditched thebut this time he wore a suit and somehow
seemed even more threatening than he had already been. “Yohere?” He spoke while I flinched.
“I have something important to tell you,” I told him as I cut right to the chase. Christian chuckled and loomy eyes. “What’s that
important that you came all the way out here while you’re still looking like a donkOuch...
It was weird knowing this was the same guy who was nice enough to let his friend check up on me, but hto stay on his dad’s
good side.
He looked in my eyes and waited for me to speak, but I chickened out and did not know what to say anyremember when I was
here like three months ago?” I suddenly blurted and mentally smacked myself whon his face.
“Of course, are you here for a round two?” He frowned. I felt my cheeks flush red and lowered my head. give you that, so if that’s
all, do you mind?” He spoke as he guided his hand to the door.
“I-I have your jacket!” I barely managed to get out. Christian looked from the jacket in my hands to me aeye-roll. “You came all
the way here to give me back one of my many jackets? Keep it!”
I took a deep breath and tried to prepare the words in my head but I couldn’t. I came all the way over hetwo simple words, but it
were two words too many.
“No I really can’t, I actually looked it up online and it’s more expensive than all of my clothes throughouttogether. Not to say that I
wear extremely cheap clothes because I don’t, but even if I did, that would be don’t grow a money tree, but I also don’t wear
expensive clothes, I just wear... I don’t know but five-thoujacket is a bit too much and-“
“I’m not going to have this discussion with you, it’s way too early for that. Keep it, leave it, whatever pleaChristian ended my rant.
I had a habit of embarrassing myself and had done it once again, but that was nissue. The real issue was that Christian couldn’t
have been more unbothered and to be honest, that scareI knew a baby was definitely different from a jacket, but the least he
could at least pay attention to me. “Ijacket, it’s about something else,” I whispered. My heartbeat was out of control, my palms
were starting and my head was spinning. It was now or never. I took a deep breath and gathered all of my courage to even

escape from my mouth.
“I’m pregnant.”