I'd spat it out without even thinking about it. Jett didn't deserve to know like that, but after what Hammer did to me, I was just too upset to think about anything else. Jett told me to get in the car, and he'd drive. I let him because I didn't think I'd be able to move the car if I tried. That's why I'd been sitting for so long without leaving before he came rushing over.

He asked me on the drive to the hospital whether or not I'd be telling Draven about what Hammer did. I told him no. I don't want my brothers to fight, no matter what my biker brother did to me. My mafia Don brother would do far worse to Hammer than push him down if he found out.

A doctor saw us right away. Everyone knows whom Draven is, meaning they know who I am, meaning they treat me like some goddamned royalty. I didn't care who knew who I was as long as they helped me. She told me to change into a ridiculous paper gown, removing everything beneath.

Now I'm lying on the bed with my feet shoulder width apart and my knees together, while she inserts the rod into my body. I can't seem to open my eyes. I've done so much thinking these past few days since I found out about the baby. Thinking about whether or not Jett would go for my proposal and marry me so the baby would not only know it's father, but I wouldn't be shamed and shunned by my family. Thinking about what I would do if he told me he didn't want the baby.

Whom could I turn to?

What would Draven say?

However, I didn't give much thought to the actual baby inside of me. What would it feel like if he or she was no longer there? It's killing me.

“Maria?” I slowly open my eyes and look at Dr. Halloway, a slender woman of around forty years of age, as Jett takes my hand. That simple gesture isn't something I expected from a man like Jett, a biker.

That sounds prejudiced, and I guess it is. However, I always had bikers down as demons with no soul and even less compassion.

“Do you see this black hole?” I follow her finger to the screen and nod slightly. I can see very clearly what that is, and my heart is beating harder because of it.

“What is it?” Jett asks. I wouldn't have, I don't know what to say right now, but I do have to laugh at his naivety. How can he possibly not see the perfect little baby on that screen?

“That's your baby.”

“Our baby,” He whispers in wonder, which makes me smile.

We both gasp at the sound of our baby's heartbeat coming through the speakers on the wall loud and clear. “Jett,” I whisper as a tear falls from my eye.

“Everything looks just fine.” The Doctor smiles at me. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. Jett kisses my head and says something, but I can't make it out, the blood is pounding in my ears too hard. “I want you to take things easy for a little while, Maria. The first trimester is when most miscarriages occur. Now, you're very close to the second trimester, and things will settle down then. However, I don't want you to stress over anything if you can help it, it's not good for the baby.”

“She won't be doing anything until the baby's born.” I smile at Jett's words because I can't seem to stop myself.

As soon as the doctor leaves the room, I gather my clothes and get dressed. Jett doesn't leave the room, although he does turn around. He then holds my hand all the way back to my car. It's not until were driving along that he speaks. “You'll be moving in with me this evening.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” He says with little effort without taking his eyes off the road. “You're having my baby, did you think I'd just walk away from that?”

“No. I don't know. I don't know what I thought, but, Jett, my brother, will never go for it. Once he finds out about the baby, he'll expect me to be married.”

He turns to look at me, a smirk riding his lips. “Is that so?” I swallow hard and nod my head. He winks at me before turning his eyes to the road.

What the hell is going on?

Don't question what you're not sure of, Maria, he could be about to give you exactly what you want without you even having to ask him for it.

His house isn't what I thought it would be. In all honesty, I don't know what I was expecting. The place is small and homey. I'm not sure how many bedrooms there are, but I think it's probably just the two, plenty enough for the baby and us.

There's a small kitchen to the left of the hallway, and the living room is directly in front of me, but I can't see what's inside, and that's about it for downstairs. Of course, I haven't been upstairs yet, but as I said, it's pretty small overall.

“Why don't you take a shower? My room, our room,” he corrects himself, “Is right at the top of the stairs and first on the left. You can help yourself to one of my shirts. Get into bed and sleep.”

“Our room?”

That's what you focus on, Maria? Jesus!

I swallow hard when he clasps my waist and pulls me against his big body. He tucks my hair behind my ear. “This baby inside of you,” he places his hand protectively over my stomach, “Is mine. You are mine.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are. I won't have the mother of my child living alone. I won't have my child under any other roof than mine.”

“My brother won't allow it, Jett.”

“I know, the marriage thing,” I nod. Draven would never allow me to live in sin, as he would put it. “That's why we're getting married.”

“Excuse me?” Okay, I know I wanted this for the baby, but I honestly wasn't expecting it to be this easy.

He leans forward and kisses my forehead. “Don't worry about anything right now. We can talk it through tomorrow. Just shower and relax. Give me the keys to your apartment, and I'll collect your things.”

It's not a good idea, but I give them to him anyway. I'm exhausted after the day I've had. A shower and a warm bed sound good right now. To be in his arms would be good too. I may not know him very well, but he's the father of my unborn child, I'm going to marry him for that reason only. The fact he's gorgeous helps a lot!

He's out the door before I can ask him where he's going.

I take a quick look around the smallish house in which I'm now supposed to live. The living room is a typical man's den, large TV, worn leather sofa, Lay-Z-boy seat that looks well worn. Open fire on the wall, which are the color of cream, nothing special. It needs a woman's touch that much I do know.

The kitchen is decent, nothing to write home about, however. I do like the black granite. Everything matches, black, and chrome. I love that the kitchen sink is attached to the kitchen island in the middle of the room. I'm going to like cooking in here.

There are three bedrooms upstairs, I can tell from the number of doors there are, not just the two bedrooms as I first thought. Three bedrooms, and a bathroom, however, I don't snoop I want to check out my new bedroom.

It's not too bad as bedrooms go. It's nothing like what I'm used to, but there's a huge bed that looks comfortable enough, and there's a dresser against the left side wall. I do like the window seat. I'll enjoy sitting there in the evenings. There's an en-suite bathroom with a nice sized bath and shower. I can't wait to sink into that of an evening after a long day with the baby.

God, what am I doing? I shouldn't be here. This is stupid! However, I guess this is my life now, and I need to figure shit out, and soon.

* * *

As much as Jett told me to stay in the house and wait for him to get back, to wait for him to talk to his father about this, about us, I just can't. I cannot let my brother find out that I've let him down from anyone but me.

That's why I take a shower and change into a modest black dress that falls nicely on my knees. I don't know whom it belongs to, but I found it in Jett's closet. Probably belongs to one of his hookups, or maybe one of his sisters? I do not particularly appreciate wearing clothes belonging to other women, especially sluts, but I can't very well see my brother in the dress I had on. It was far too short for a start, and he'd throw a hissy fit. I am his baby sister, after all, and he seems to think I'm some virginal princess.

Lucky for me, the dress fits well enough, and it covers everything I don't want anyone to see. I don't have to wear it for long. Jett will bring my things back to his place, and I can change into something more comfortable, something that's mine. If Draven doesn't kill him first.

Don Vidal is a very respectable man. Thirty-six years of age and probably the most dangerous man I have ever known, but he's also a good man, my big brother, the man who raised me, the man who loves me and has protected me my entire life. There is nothing I wouldn't do to make him proud of me. However, what I did with Jett at Avery's wedding, what I have been left with, will bring him anything but pride.

After styling my hair, curling the ends and leaving it loose, I apply light makeup to my face, then a little perfume to my neck. Less is more, that's what Draven always told me growing up. A little perfume goes a long way. Good job I carry compact stuff in my purse, or there's no way I'd leave the house!

I stare at myself in the mirror, my hand on my stomach. No matter what happens tonight, no matter how scared I may feel, I'm doing this all for my baby. I have no idea how Jett is getting on, but I do know that after I tell my brother, I may never see him again.

I may not be in love with Jett, but I do like him. As crazy as that sounds when I was raised never to so much as speak to a biker, but he's so handsome it stifles me. It's not just about his looks I like his personality too. He's charming, and he knows how to make me smile with ease.

I may never love him, but there will be something there between us. We're having a baby, and we both want it. We're going to give this baby the best life we possibly can. We have a connection that cannot be broken. Doesn't that deserve my brothers blessing?

“Yeah right, Maria. Keep dreaming.” I tell myself out loud.

I grab my cell and call Lorenzo, the man who trails me usually. The man I gave the slip earlier. The man whom I have no doubt told my brother as much. I'm shocked Draven hasn't sent a search party out looking for me. I'm even more surprised he hasn't killed Lorenzo for losing me again.

Maybe the text I sent him eased his mind. The text I sent from my car outside the clubhouse after Hammer pushed me down, was to let Lorenzo know that I was going home. I told him I was going to get some work done on the restaurant books I'm supposed to be looking over. Something I often do for Abrianna. Her uncle has worked for the Vidal family for years. We grew up together. She owns her own hotel and restaurant, and I sometimes go over the books for her.

Lorenzo arrives at Jett's ten minutes later. He's not happy because he knows who lives here. “What the hell, Maria? You take off on me, and now this is where I find you? At the house of a damn biker! What the hell is going on?”

“Don't, Lorenzo.” Is all I say before climbing into the back of the limo. I'm not in the mood to explain myself to him. I need all my strength for Draven.

The drive over to my brother's restaurant, once belonging to my uncle, the Don before my brother, Avery's father, goes all too quickly. Sooner than I'm ready for.

I'm standing outside his office worrying myself death. My heart is in my throat, my stomach is tight and turning over and over so much I feel it in my hips.

I can do this. My brother is not going to hurt me physically. Jett? I'm afraid that he will, and not in a good way. Not that there is a good way to be physically hurt.

Maybe I should've waited for Jett to come with me to see Draven, but I know in my heart that would've been the biggest mistake of my life. Draven would've shot him in the head without one word. Then where would I be? Disgraced even more than I already am.

I knock the door with my knuckles and wait for him to yell for me to enter. However, he doesn't. Tony, his top guy, answers the door with a smile on his face. “Hey, short stuff.” I roll my eyes, and despite myself, I smile.

Tony is the guy I should've been with, the man who made no secret that he wanted me. He obviously never said anything in front of Draven because he would've killed Tony if he'd known.

But Tony has never been inappropriate with me, never touched me in any way he shouldn't. He has told me he loves me and would do anything for me. Even when I said that I didn't love him in the way he loved me, he told me he would still be there for me, and he has been. I can count on him for anything. However, I bet once he finds out about what I've done, he'll distance himself from me. I'm going to lose everyone I care about because of this. Is it really worth it?

Yes, my baby is worth losing everything for.

Maybe I should have told Tony first, perhaps he'd have taken the baby and me on, loved us both, married me. My brother would have been angry at first, but he would have allowed the union. I know he would.

However, I would never have been able to live with the lie. Every time I looked at my baby all I would see was Jett. What would I have told my child when it was old enough? I mean, if it got sick and needed something from its father in order to help it, what the hell would I do? I'd ruin its life with such a lie.

I couldn't do it I'm not a deceitful person. If Jett was a monster and I thought it would be best my child didn't know him, then I would have gone to Tony. However, Jett isn't a bad person. Not where it counts.

“Hey, Tony, is my brother busy? I really need to speak with him. It's urgent.”

He gives me a longing look. It never used to make me feel uncomfortable, but right now, it does. “Come in.” He holds the door open, and I slip past him.

My brother is sitting behind his desk, in his large leather office chair. His office is nothing fancy, or at least not to me. The tiled floor with a huge Persian rug, large, plush couch at the far end of the room, with a small coffee table in front of it, give the place a homey feel. There's a large potted plant of some kind in the right corner. Then there are the large windows that bring in so much light it's hard not to smile. There's also a vast floor to ceiling bookshelf, filled with books, folders, even small potted plants. Picture frames of photographs of him, me, Avery, baby Daniel, and our mother sit on his big oak desk.

“Maria? Everything okay?”

I shake myself out of my silly daydream of how odd this office looks in the back of a restaurant, and I turn to look at my brother, so handsome, so strong. Always in a suit to keep up appearances. No one messes with him.

I look just like him, everyone says so. I have plenty of family members, even if they're not blood-related, even a brother who hates me, but Draven is everything to me. Without my big brother, the man who raised me, who the hell would I be?

I am so scared of losing him.

“Can we talk? In private?” He looks at me curiously. “It's really important.” My voice cracks a little. I tried so hard not to let it, but I couldn't stop it.

That little crack instantly changed the smiling expression on my brother's face to one full of concern. He's out of his seat and coming around the desk, his eyes locked on me while telling Tony, “Wait outside.” He turns to Tony for a second. “No one is to enter this room for any reason. You understand?”

“Boss.” With that, he's gone, and like the loyal man he is, he won't allow anyone to enter this room unless the damn building is on fire!

“Hey,” My brother's voice is calm, his smile sympathetic. Of course, he can see that something's wrong, I have tears in my eyes. He taps my arm before sitting his ass on the edge of his desk. “Wanna tell me what's wrong?”

“I need to tell you something really important, but I need you to listen to me without getting angry. Please let me finish before you blow up. Because I know you're going to.”

“Is that so?” He asks me with arms folded across his big, powerful chest.

“I've done something, and I know you're going to be ashamed of me.” I'm already struggling. I have to pull myself together, I need to get this out, and as he tells me that he could never be ashamed of me, I take a deep breath and blurt it all out.

I tell him about the wedding and how I met a guy there, and it's so damn embarrassing telling him how I slept with someone. That's not something I ever wanted to say to my brother. Not that I tell him how many times I slept with Jett, he doesn't need to know that.

“Who was he? Tell me!” He bellows, making me jump as he gets to his feet. This is exactly what I didn't want. “I'm not kidding, Maria. Lo ucciderò.”

“No, you won't kill him, Draven!” I yell in retaliation. “I wanted to be with him. He never made me do anything I didn't want to do. That I can promise you.”

“Tell me who he is!”

“Jett.” There I said it, but I swallow so damn hard I feel like I've got a golf ball stuck in my throat.

“Are you telling me that you whored yourself out to one of those filthy bikers?” That hurt. He's never said anything like that to me before. He thinks I'm a whore and that hurts. “Where the hell did I go wrong? Did I not raise you better?”

Why is he being so dramatic?

“He might be a biker, Dray, but so is our brother, and if you stand back and look at it, are they really any different from you and your men? You might wear fancy suits and expensive watches, own the whole of Tennessee and half of the damn country for all I know, but you kill at will just as they do. You put the fear of God into people just as they do. Even more so, in fact. You are all monsters in one form or another.”

“That's what you think of me, Principessa? You think me a monster?”

“No,” I close my eyes for a second. My brother is a monster he's a mafia Don for crying out loud. He's done things that don't bear thinking about. However, to me, he's just Draven, my brother, the man who has taken care of me my whole life. He's my hero, and I don't care who thinks of me as childish for it. “You are my hero, and I need your help.”

“Go on.”

I swallow hard again before telling him, “I'm pregnant. Jett is the father.” His face has not only lost all color it's set in stone. I grab his hands in mine. “I want to keep my baby, Dray. I've spoken to Jett, and he wants it too. I told him about tradition and all that, and he asked me to marry him.”

“No! I will never agree to that.” My heart sinks. “You think I'll hand my sister over to those assholes?! If it wasn't bad enough handing Avery over and finding out we have a biker brother, now my baby sister... My life wants me to hand her over, too? Over my dead body, Maria!”

“But what about my baby, Dray? Don't you think...”

“Shut up!” He bellows, and I do shut up. He's more than just angry, and I know not to push when he's like this. He'll come around. He has to! “You can't be very pregnant the wedding was just a couple months ago.” He's not looking at me; he's clutching his desk with his head hanging down.

“I'm three months pregnant, Dray.”

“I don't give a damn!” I flinch. What is he going to do? “The biker is a dead man.”

I open my mouth to speak, but it's pointless, his hand is held up to me. He stands his full height and looks at me, hell burning in his eyes. “I will find you a husband who's willing to take the kid on as his own. You won't fight me on this, Maria. You've disgraced the family and me!” I hang my head. “You'll do what's right to fix this.”

I don't want him to find me a husband. I don't want him to take that choice away from me. The man could be a monster who may hurt me. If that happens, I won't be able to go to my brother about it. That's not the way things are done. Once I'm married, I'll belong to my husband and will have to put up with everything he does to me.

“But what if I don't like the guy, Dray? What if he's horrible and hurts me?”

“You really think I'd give you to someone who'd hurt you? You'd disrespect me further by thinking such a thing of me?!”

God, he's so angry.

This isn't going to end well for me. It might sound stupid when I don't know much about him, but Jett is the one I want to be with. I want my child to know its father, and to be honest, he's the only man I've ever been with that could set my body on fire with desire by merely looking at me. I'm never going to find another man who can do that, and the truth is I have a crush on the man.

“You will marry who I damn well tell you to marry, Maria, and be grateful I don't make you get rid of the kid and send you the fuck to Italy so uncle Piero can deal with you!”

I don’t want that, uncle Piero is so strict he’d have me locked up somewhere dark and never let out. Not to mention he’d send my baby to live with strangers. No, thank you.

I shut Draven out after that. He's letting me keep my baby, but he won't allow me to marry the father. He's going to deprive my child of its father by killing him, and I have no idea how to stop him.

Maybe Avery will have some advice for me. She might be a royal bitch right now, but I know she'll help me.