The door to his bedroom swings open, and he walks in, soiled in blood.

I don’t ask questions, even though that was much quicker than I thought it would be. Instead, I climb off the bed and walk to the shower to start it.

He comes into the bathroom and starts to unbutton his pants. When the water is warm enough, I walk over to help him, lightly pushing his hands away and pulling his shirt over his head. I reach down, unbuckling his belt next and then unbuttoning his pants.

Tossing it all on the floor, he stands before me completely naked, his cock thick, hanging between his legs, and I slip out of my dress, taking his hand and leading the way to the shower.

No words are spoken as we step beneath the stream.

I look up at him as water pours over his head. His eyes squeeze tight as the blood rushes down the drain.

When it’s all gone, he presses himself against me, cupping my ass in hand and bringing his head down. His lips press on my cheek and then my jawline.

I cup his face, my other hand wrapping around the back of his neck as I turn my head, getting our lips to connect.

With this act alone, he picks me up in his arms, and I link my legs around his waist. With his teeth clamping my bottom lip, he presses my back on the shower wall and delivers a hard, powerful thrust deep inside me.

It’s tender and full, and my moan is louder than it probably should be, but I don’t care. He sucks on my bottom lip and then drops his head to lick the water away from my skin before kissing me all over my neck.

God, it feels good.

He feels so good inside me.

“Fuck, I love you, Gianna,” he rasps, warm water running over his full lips as he brings his head up and locks eyes with me. “So fucking much.” His hips are still drilling upward, filling me up. He groans, hard and heavy as he drops his forehead on my shoulder. A wild growl fills the space of the shower, and he stills inside me, panting heavier, still cupping me in his large hands.

My fingers thread through the hair at the nape of his neck. We stay like this for a moment, breathing. Sighing. Relieved. I rest my cheek on his shoulder with a sigh.

We finish washing up, and when we’re out, we put on robes and walk back to the bedroom. I linger by the bathroom door, twisting my fingers.

Before he can sit down on the bed I call his name.

He looks over his shoulder at me. “Si, Gianna?”

“I have something to tell you,” I whisper, and suddenly my heart is pounding, but only because I don’t know how he’ll react.

He turns fully, eyes serious and focused. Either I’ve paled and now look like a ghost, or he’s actually seeing one because he asks in an urgent tone, “What is it?”

“I… ” My mouth clamps shut, my eyes burning now. “I found out a few days ago that I’m…pregnant.”

His eyebrows stitch together, and he stops moving all together. With a deep frown, he asks, “How do you know this?”

“I haven’t been feeling well or like myself the past few days. When I came back to Mexico, I asked Emilio to buy me a test, and I took it the night you finally arrived in Puerto Vallarta—after we talked. It was positive. I still have the test—it’s in my bag if you want to see it.”

His throat bobs, his head dropping. He focuses on the floor for a brief moment, and then looks back up at me. “Pregnant…”

“Yes,” I whisper. I bite back the tears. The rims of my eyes sting.

He sits down on the edge of the bed anyway, still watching me. He looks at my flat belly, watches as I run a hand over it, and then releases a heavy breath. “Come here,” he exhales.

I go to him, stepping between his legs and wrapping my arms around the back of his neck.

“You want to carry my baby—even after all of this?” he whispers.

I nod without even thinking about it. How stupid of me. He doesn’t want this. Why would he want this right now?

“Yes,” I answer, and I can’t fight it anymore. The tears fall on their own.

“No, Gianna. Don’t cry. This…it’s good news to me. Great, actually.”

“It is?” I’m surprised to hear that.

“Yes.” He shifts a little, holding my waist. “The only thing that concerns me about this is you. Are you happy with this? With me? And why the hell did you go after Yessica when you knew you were pregnant? You could have risked your life and lost the baby—”

“Draco, I did what I had to do so that our baby could have a living, breathing father. I refused to let her get away. We needed her gone so we can have a life together.”

His mouth clamps shut, a hard sigh leaving him. I sit on his lap, squeezing him tight around the shoulders and then leaning back to look him in the eyes. “I don’t think I’m too far along, anyway. Maybe a month or so. Juanita checked me. The baby is fine.” I inhale deep and long, before letting it go. “Nicoteras love hard, just like Molinas do.” I drop my hand, entwining our fingers. “And when I say I love you, I mean it. I don’t want to be with anyone else but you, Draco. And I have no doubt, whether it’s a boy or a girl, that he or she will be our little warrior.”

“The risks—there is always someone after me, Gia. The baby will be in danger his or her entire life, and I won’t—”

I cut him off before he can even finish, pressing a finger to his lips. “We will always, always be in danger. Even before all of this, my life was easily on the line. I was a mafia leader’s daughter, for fuck’s sake. I’m not going to let the threats of this world stop me from being happy and living my life. Yes, I’ll be worried, and yes, I’ll have to watch my back even more now. But what parent doesn’t? I will do my best to protect this baby—our baby. I will be there for my child as much as I can. I will prepare our baby for the best of times and the worst.”

He drops his head, like he’s ashamed or something now. “I only want you safe.”

“I will be fine.”

He picks his head up, gripping my chin between his fingers. “If something happens to you—”

“Then you’ll set the world on fire for me. I know. Trust me, I know.” I laugh just as he does. After laying a soft kiss on his cheek, I rest my head on his shoulder. “It will be fine. I promise.”

“Well, this news settles my internal debate. I’m stepping down,” he declares. “Getting out of the heavy shit. I wont be this cartel’s only leader anymore.”

“What will you do?” I ask.

“I’ve spoken to Clark. He wants to take it on, with Patanza. They’ve agreed to do it together. Run the Molina-Nicotera Cartel.”

I lift my head. “Yeah? Is that what you really want? To hand over everything you and your family have worked so hard for, just like that?”

“I’m doing what’s best for us—for my future.” He releases a long, weary breath. “It’s time for me to retire—lay low for a while. Be a part of an actual family. Live life. My mother has wanted this for me for years. There is someone I trust handling it—Patanza won’t tarnish the name of my cartel—so I’ll do it. For you.” He runs his palm over my belly. “For my baby.”

He grabs my waist and twists me around, lightly placing my back on the bed. “We can get away, just you and me…until the baby arrives.”

“Where?” I ask, smiling up at him.

“I’ll have it figured out as soon as we get through tomorrow. First, we’ll have to do a proper burial for Thiago and Emilio. My mother is flying here in the morning with Thiago’s skull.”

I frown. “His skull?”

“Yes. That bitch Yessica saved it, tried to make a statement with it during a set-up—almost killed me.” I frown, sitting up a little but he presses a hand on my shoulder, relaxing me again. “There’s a lot I need to fill you in on, huh?”

I laugh. “Yeah. A lot seemed to happen while I was away.” I stroke his chin. “Good thing she’s gone.”

He drops his head, kissing the crook of my neck, making a swarm of butterflies tumble in the pit of my belly now. “Good thing indeed, Patrona.”

* * *

The burial the next day is heartbreaking.

Everyone is dressed in all black for it, clean. No hats or guns are allowed, to pay our respects.

After Draco kisses the skull and then places it in the pit with Emilio’s body, he steps back with a nod and Diego starts shoveling the dirt on top of them.

“Te quiero, primo,” Draco murmurs at my side. “Emilio.”

We all stand until the dirt has become a pile and has covered them completely. Patanza steps forward with a small bouquet of chocolate cosmos in hand, laying it on top of the dirt pile. She kisses the tips of her fingers and then presses her hand on the flowers quickly before pulling away and standing again, turning and swiping her face with her good arm.

Clark rubs her on the back, and surprisingly, she doesn’t dismiss or push him away.

My eyes are thick with tears, as well as Mrs. Molina’s. Hers fall, but she’s smiling. Smiling.

I don’t even try to understand it.

And I don’t know what it is about her smile, but it satisfies me.

It gives me so much hope for the future.