Chapter 23
Kennedy
Ava was pacing around the living room, refusing to sit down. It seemed like she was freaking out way more than I was.
“I knew this was going to happen. I warned you, Kenni!” she mumbled under her breath.
“I know you did, but will you please just sit down! You’re making me nervous,” I argued but she wasn’t about to listen to me.
“And now something’s going to happen. I know it will! I told you Nico Rossi was trouble!” she continued.
I stood up and walked over to her, trying to put my arms around her but she wriggled out of my grip.
“You never should have slept with him! Him and his entire family are all poison!” she yelled.
I placed my hand on my belly and stroked where I could feel the baby growing inside me.
“But I’m having his child now, Ava. This baby is as much a Rossi as Nico is,” I said softly.
That seemed to appease Ava a little and she licked her lips nervously.
“What are you going to do, Kenni?” she asked.
“Nico is figuring it out.”
“You’ll have to leave Seattle. How far will you go? How far is safe?” she said and I shook my head.
“I don’t know, honey, but I’ll go wherever Nico thinks we should. He knows best,” I replied.
Ava stormed over to the couch and deposited herself on it.
“If he knew what was best he should have taken care of this a long time ago! You shouldn’t be getting threats right now!” she snapped.
“He’s been trying. I’ve never met his father, but I’m sure you’ve heard about him. I’m sure you know better than I do what that man is like,” I said and went to console Ava again.
She was rocking herself on the couch and I placed a hand on her shoulder.
“We have no choice, Ava. I want to stay with him, I love him and he’s the father of my child. I have to go wherever he goes. This is the life I’ve chosen for myself,” I told her.
“You deserve so much more, Kenni!” Ava said with tears in her eyes.
“Yes, she does,” Nico’s voice echoed in the room and we looked over to find him standing at the door.
Even though I knew how much danger we were in. And I was scared, I couldn’t help but admire the man I had chosen to spend my life with. He looked handsome standing there. Sturdy and strong, a man capable of keeping his family safe. A smile flickered on my face…I’d been waiting for him to return.
Nico walked towards us, looking at Ava now.
“I know I’ve been nothing but bad news for Kennedy, but I love her,” he said. Ava stood up with her lips quivering.
“She’s my best friend, Nico! And now she’s in danger. I might never see her again!” Ava thundered.
Nico was looking at her calmly, searching her eyes.
“I will not let that happen. I won’t allow Kennedy to live her life estranged from you or her family. I’m going to make sure she’s safe and then I’ll figure out how to solve the problem,” he replied.
I reached for his hand and we stood in front of Ava, united, hand-in-hand.
Ava looked at both of our faces and she could see that I had made up my mind. There was no question. I was sticking with my man.
“Look after her,” Ava said in a quieter voice to Nico and he nodded his head.
Then she threw her arms around me and I hugged her tight.
“We’ll find a way to keep in touch, I promise, Ava,” I told her while she sobbed. My eyes were filled with tears too. She was my oldest friend, the person I’d grown up with. The only girl who had given the nerd in me a chance in school.
I kissed her cheek and she finally drifted away from me.
“I guess I should go and let you guys figure it out,” she said and I nodded.
“Will you…call me? Or text or something? Before you leave,” she added as she walked to the door. Ava was wiping the tears off her cheeks.
I nodded again and then she was gone.
I turned to Nico who remained standing there with his shoulders drooping. He looked like a broken man and I wanted to fix him. I wanted him to know that I trusted him and I relied on him and he was making the right decision.
“She’s right, Kennedy, you deserve so much more than this,” he said in a quiet voice.
I reached for his face, grazing my palm along his stubbled handsome jaw.
“I didn’t even think I deserved you, Nico, but now I know I do. I’ve made a decision and I’m sticking to it. I don’t care what happens next because I know you’ll keep us safe,” I replied with a weak smile.
Nico held my hands and squeezed tightly.
“I know you don’t want to leave Seattle,” he began and I looked down at my feet. I’d never lived anywhere else. This was the only place I knew. It was home. Leaving this city was a decision I wished I didn’t have to make.
“But Kennedy, it’s the only way we can be safe. We need to protect our baby,” he continued and I nodded my head.
“Yes, I know and I also know it’ll be hard but I want to do it with you. Tell me where we’re going,” I said.
“Italy, Rome,” Nico replied and I jerked my head up to look at him.
My brows were crossed, my cheeks were flushed…we weren’t even going to be in the country! Not even in the same continent!
“Kennedy…” he said my name softly and I drew my hands away from him.
“I don’t know what to expect there,” I said, turning away. Nico placed his hands on my shoulders tenderly.
“I’ll be there with you the whole time,” he said.
“When are we leaving?” I asked.
“In the morning.”
I whipped around to him. Nico was searching my eyes. I could see that he was pained by this. He was blaming himself for what was happening. For plucking me out of the place I knew and loved.
“I know this is crazy,” he said and I shook my head.
“We’ll be fine,” I spoke softly.
He kissed my lips and then brushed my cheeks with his thumbs.
“If we didn’t have the baby on the way, maybe we could have fought it out here,” he said and I nodded, smiling at him.
“Maybe, yes, we could have. But we have a little Merlin or Avery on the way and it deserves the best life possible. If that means we have to leave Seattle, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Nico reached in his jacket pocket and brought out a paper bag.
“These are our new passports,” he informed me.
I looked in the bag and took out the fresh documents. He’d used an old passport photo of mine and created a new ID. Kenni Ferguson. I was going to lose my name. The good, strong name my parents had chosen for me.
“Will we be able to give our child your last name? Will it ever be a Rossi?” I asked and Nico sighed.
“Not unless my father clears our name here. If we can ever return to America, we will have to use these names. Our kid will have to be a Ricci,” he told me.
I placed a hand on his heart.
“Nicholas,” I said and smiled.
“You can still call me Nico,” he told me and kissed my forehead.
“So, we have one night in Seattle,” I reached for his hand and started slowly leading him away to our bedroom. “How do you want to spend it?”
Nico followed me with a darkened serious look on his face.
“We can do whatever you want to do,” he said and I smiled as we stepped into our bedroom.
“I want to sleep in our bed together one last time,” I replied.
I let go of his hand so I could slip out of the dress I was wearing. This was how I wanted to remember Seattle. Nico and me, naked and together.
Nico watched me as I undressed myself.
“Are you waiting for something?” I asked and he smiled.
“I’m just looking at you and admiring how beautiful you are,” he said.
I liked undressing as he watched me. That was when I felt most beautiful. My dress came off and then my lingerie. Nico took a step towards me so he could place a hand on my belly.
He crouched down on the carpet, his face was at level with my bump.
“Your mommy and daddy are going to take care of you, baby,” he said and then kissed my belly.
I giggled and fell back on the bed, stretching my legs apart invitingly for him.
Nico stood at the edge of the bed watching me. I could see his cock growing in his pants. It was crazy how desperately we still wanted each other. I would never stop wanting Nico. I knew that already.
I played with the pillows, clutching the bedsheets and swirling it around. Nico stood there watching me as my hair became tousled and my body writhed. I rolled my hips, while my pussy throbbed and ached between my legs.
“Don’t keep me waiting, Nico,” I whispered and I licked my fingertips before bringing them to my pebbled nipples. When I touched my nipples, I gasped and thrust my hips up to invite him.
Nico remained standing, enjoying how desperate he was making me by keeping me waiting. I pinched my nipples and tugged at them. The pregnancy had swollen up my breasts and made my nipples extra sensitive. I was hungry for Nico’s mouth on them.
Slowly, he started undressing himself too now. I continued to rub and play with my breasts while I watched him. His beautiful chiseled body being revealed to me. One by one, each article of his clothing fell to the floor. He was the only one who could tame me.
His dark hair thick and falling boyishly on his face. His deep gray eyes piercing my soul as he watched me. His shoulders were wide, like his chest…his abs like sculpted marble and a strong firm stomach. His jeans fell off and I saw his thick muscular thighs, his big cock hanging between those legs.
I must have done something right to deserve this man. To go to sleep every night with this perfect human. He slid himself over the bed so that he was positioned over me now.
He hadn’t touched me yet and I arched my back, trying to reach him. Just to get one soft kiss. Nico angled himself away from me, smiling mischievously as I purred.
“Kennedy, I want you to know that you’ve changed my life. You’ve probably even saved my life,” he said and placed his large hands on my forehead. My eyes flitted over his handsome face. I was still thinking about how lucky I was…how precious our baby was going to be.
I gulped and tried to smile. How could I even begin to explain to him how he’d saved me too?
“I love you, Nico. I can’t wait to begin this new life with you,” I said.
Then he kissed me. I felt his tongue pry my lips apart and slide in. He was sucking me up, devouring me and I pressed myself to him. His chest brushed roughly against my sensitive nipples and I quaked underneath him.
My nails were digging into his back as he kissed me, roughly at first and then softly.
We parted several minutes later and I was panting.
“I need you inside me, Nico,” I whispered and I felt his hand travel down to the spot between my legs.
***
He was stroking my pussy while he remained on top of me. I could feel his full weight, the strength of him, and I bit down on my lip. I kissed his neck, holding on to his shoulders while his cock rubbed against my thighs.
We were looking into each other’s eyes while he pleasured me. I could feel the wetness spreading. My clit was swollen and he stroked me, his fingers slipping in and out of my pussy.
Nico kissed me again. This time the kiss was soft and tender, I was in a daze and I was losing track of time. We could have been kissing for hours for all I knew!
He reached for my hands and slowly started stretching my arms up over my head. I was stretched out under him, completely at his disposal. He was being careful to not put any pressure on my belly while he moved against me.
I could feel every muscle and movement, I felt engulfed underneath him and it was the sweetest feeling. I was safe. I knew that nothing could happen to me or the baby as long as I was underneath him. That was exactly where I wanted to stay.
Nico entered me smoothly and I sighed. My pussy was already swollen and wet for his cock and he fit tightly inside me. Our fingers weaved together while he kept my arms stretched up.
I began to pant and moan while he slid in and out of me.
“You’re so beautiful, Kennedy, the most gorgeous creature I’ve seen,” he murmured as he made love to me.
This was our home, this was where we’d built a life together and we were going to give it all up.
While Nico moved inside me, I could feel tears brimming in my eyes. He gulped and a darkness covered his face. He hated seeing me cry. His thrusts became wilder and harder.
“I’m going to fix this, Kennedy. I’m going to keep you safe,” he growled as he started pounding his cock into me. I writhed underneath him, rolling my hips and arching my back to meet him. I could feel his length inside me, filling me up.
Nico clenched his jaws as he searched my face. I was trying not to cry, but even as we made love, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything we were going to leave behind.
I hadn’t seen my parents in several weeks. They’d been so excited about the baby. I would never get to say goodbye to my other friends…I might never see Ava again.
One single tear rolled down my cheek and Nico thrust harder into me.
“Kennedy…please…” he murmured and I shook my head.
“Please don’t stop Nico. I’m happy when you’re inside me,” I cried and I could feel my body hurtling towards an orgasm. My mind was elsewhere but my body was pinned down under Nico. This felt good and I was sad at the same time. It was a strange feeling.
He kissed me again, deeply pushing his tongue inside my mouth. I tried to zone myself out and focus on how my body was feeling. It felt good. I could feel his cock sliding in and out of me, his hands squeezing and pinning down mine. I gave myself up to him and allowed the orgasm to build up.
I pulled my mouth away from his kiss so I could moan aloud. I was coming with force and the tears were gushing down my cheeks at the same time.
Nico was coming too. He released my hands and fell down on me, covering me with himself. His thrusts were hard and quick and we were coming together. I wrapped my legs around his waist, enjoying the heaviness of him…how it felt when he filled me up with his seed.
I buried my face in his shoulder as I came and for those few moments while he was still inside me…I forgot about the rest.
Nico pulled his cock out of me and rolled over, collapsing down on the bed beside me. We were both short of breath. Staring up at the ceiling in the darkened room.
“I’m sorry, Kennedy, for putting you through this,” I heard him say. I turned my face to look at him and then wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“I’m happy, Nico. I’m happy about our future. It’s going to be an adventure and we’re going to have a little baby with us,” I replied.
He weaved his fingers in my hair, gently beginning to massage my scalp. It was always so relaxing when he did that. Nico knew exactly what to do to calm me down. In a way that nobody else did, not even Ava.
“I’m going to make this better. I promise you, Kennedy. I know our lives in Italy will be nothing like Seattle…” he was saying and I placed a finger on his lips to stop him.
“Nico, please stop. Stop feeling guilty and stop beating yourself up about it. We will figure this out together. I’m sorry I cried. I didn’t mean to. I don’t want you to feel like you have to give up your life just trying to make it up to me,” I said.
He pulled me into his arms and we held each other as tightly as we could.
“I love you, Kennedy Anderson…soon to be Kenni Ferguson,” he said and I laughed.
“I guess it has a ring to it,” I said and finally, a soft smile grazed Nico’s downcast lips.
“We’ll be the same, just with new names,” he said and I nodded my head.
“Of course. Nothing’s going to change us,” I added and we kissed again.
“You should get some sleep, beautiful, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,” I heard him whisper in the dark.