It's snowing. The storm came in without me realizing it. Soft white flakes float through the air, coating everything in a silent blanket.

It's pristine. It's clean. With the snow covering all the danger and soot of the world, I can believe that things will work out. That there is a chance that I can bring this child into a beautiful world.

I stand outside on the street looking up at Dante's apartment. The light is on, so I know he's home.

It's time for me to tell him.

It's in the same building as his office, but higher up. I wave to the doorman. He doesn't question me this time. I ride the elevator, tapping my toes nervously. I don't know how he's going to react to the news that he has a child. I don't know if he even wants kids.

I know that he'll still marry me for the sake of our families, but I want us to be happy. I don't want to have a marriage of convenience. I want one that has love. I didn't know that until recently, but I do now. I thought I would be happy with just a marriage, but now I know I want love.

I want us to be happy.

I swallow hard as the elevator doors open. I step out. Everything is quiet.

I walk along the worn carpet to the door I know is his. My steps are muffled, but I still leave wet footprints behind me. I stand up straight, take a deep breath, and knock on his door.

“Cara?” He smiles as he sees it's me. His hair is messy and he's wearing an old t-shirt and pajama pants. He looks comfortable. The TV is on some old science fiction TV show. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you.” My hands are shaking. I don't know if it's from Norwood, the piano, the pictures, or what I'm about to do. Maybe all it.

His expression turns worried, but he holds open the door to let me in. He quickly turns off the TV and motions to the couch for me to sit down.

I sit gingerly on the edge. I'm a bundle of nerves. I want him to hold me and tell me I'll get a new piano. I contemplate just telling him about Norwood and waiting on the baby.

But, I need to tell him. I need to get these secrets out of me. If he's going to marry me, then we need to be a team.

“What's wrong?” he asks. His dark eyes are troubled. I realize that what I've said sounds like a breakup speech.

“There's two things,” I tell him. I flash a nervous smile. “And I need your help with both of them. I need you to back me up and be my strength.”

A little of the apprehension leaves his face. “So you're not about to break up with me?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

He sighs with relief. “Good. I think I could handle just about anything else.”

“I'm not sure about that,” I mumble. I take a deep breath. I open my mouth, but I don't know how to start.

“Take your time,” he tells me. He reaches out and takes my hand. He gives it a gentle squeeze that gives me more reassurance than I thought it would.

“Norwood came to my apartment. He destroyed my piano and threatened me.” My voice somehow is calm. Detached. I say it clinically, like it happened to someone else.

Anger floods Dante's face. Rage glimmers in his dark eyes. “I'll kill him,” he growls.

“I have a better plan,” I tell him. “I have a plan to ruin him. I don't want him dead. That's too easy. I want him to suffer. I want him to wish he'd never heard the name Cara. I want him to wish he'd been the one in the car accident, not my mother.”

I say it with such force and spite that I shake. I help run a crime syndicate but this is the first time that I feel like a mobster. This is the first time that I feel like using my power to destroy someone. I feel dangerous.

Dante's eyes glitter. “Tell me what you want to do and it's done.” I look at him and see a dangerous man. I've always known it, but now I see it. He loves me and he'll destroy Norwood with his bare hands.

“I have a plan,” I promise. “But, I need to tell you something else first.”

“Anything,” he says.

This is somehow harder to say. This one catches in my throat. Telling him that I was hurt was simple. Telling him that I want to destroy Norwood was easy.

This, though, this changes everything. This changes us.

“Dante.” I pause and take a deep breath. I look into his dark eyes, afraid that I'll see them change the way they look at me. “Dante, I'm pregnant.”

At first he doesn't move. It's like he didn't hear me say it at all, so I repeat it.

“I'm pregnant.”

He blinks, his mouth falling open.

“I thought we were careful, but...” I take a shaky breath. “You're going to be a father.”

Dante lets go of my hands and leans back on the couch. Shock is the only thing on his face and for a moment I'm terrified all over for his reaction. This is half his fault. I feel anger start to heat in my belly.

“I'm going to be a dad?” he says softly.

“Yes.” I keep the anger in check, but it's mixed with fear and hard to contain.

A slow smile creeps across his face. “I'm going to be a dad.” The smile gets bigger. He's grinning. “I'm going to be a dad!”

He jumps up and kisses me, suddenly all excitement and joy. The anger fizzles alongside the fear, quenched by the flood of relief. He's excited.

He gently touches my stomach, his eyes soft and full of kindness. It's such a difference from the angry danger of before that it's like he's a different person.

“I'm going to be a dad,” he whispers once more. He looks up at me and grins.

“So, you're not mad?”

“Mad?” He shakes his head. “How could I be mad?”

He kisses me softly. His hands cup my face. I smile at him, and somehow find that I'm crying.

“I love you,” he whispers, kissing my forehead. My heart melts and I feel perfectly happy despite everything terrible that happened today.

Dante Russo loves me. If everything else in the world fell apart, he loves me. I could survive anything with that knowledge.

“I love you, too.” I look up into his beautiful dark eyes and see the love reflected in them.

He smiles back at me.

“There is one small problem, though,” he says, a mock frown crossing his face.

“What?” I can tell he's teasing me, but I'm not sure about what.

“We're going to have to move the wedding up. You're aunt is going to be so disappointed. She just booked the hotel.”

I laugh, feeling my soul lighten. “I think she'll understand.”

He kisses me again, and the world no longer feels like it's spinning out of control.

“I will keep you and our child safe,” he says. His voice is full of hidden danger and love. “Tell me what your plan is.”

I nod and tell him exactly how I plan to destroy Norwood and keep our baby safe.