BONUS SCENE

Creed

“I can’t believe you’ve lived in New York your entire life and have never been to the zoo before.” Zara smiles and shakes her head while we watch Oriana feed the penguins.

“I’m glad my first visit is with you and Ori.”

My wife beams at me, looking even more beautiful today than usual in her green, oversized tee and black leggings. “Here,” she says, holding out her phone to me. “Take a few photos of me and Ori?”

“Absolutely. I can use my phone…”

“Just use mine,” she says as she hands it over.

I snap shot after shot of the two loves of my life feeding penguins, followed by the sea lions in our behind-the-scenes tour, before moving on to the petting zoo.

Zara and I trade off there. I hold up Ori so she can see the baby goats playing while Zara resumes taking pictures.

It seems like she’s shooting more photos than usual today, but I don’t blame her. The mother and daughter have three years of catching up to do.

While I still feel guilty for having so much love and happiness in my life, I try to remind myself that my brother wouldn’t want me to stop living just because he died. He was always trying to make me laugh, to help me lighten up. I’ll be forever grateful that Carmine manipulated me into talking to Zara. If he hadn’t, I think his death and my anger would’ve eaten me alive.

While I’m holding Ori, she points a small finger to the rose ink on the top of my hand, right next to a skull, and rubs it back and forth. “Why don’t your tattoos ever come off?”

“Because mine are the permanent kind of tattoos.”

“I want the perm-an-an-ament kind too.” She draws out the word that’s not a regular part of her vocabulary.

“Sorry, princess. You have to be an adult to get the permanent kind.”

“Aww. I want one now!” she whines, her lip pouting in that cute way I know means she’s gearing up for a tantrum. It’s nearly her naptime, which doesn’t help.

“No, sweet girl. Waiting is a good thing.”

“No, it’s not,” she argues while shaking her head of curls back and forth.

“Sure, it is. You get years to decide what sort of artwork will make you happy to look at for the rest of your life. That’s a big decision, and one you have to think about carefully, so you don’t have any regrets.”

Pointing at the flower again on my hand, she tries scrubbing it harder to make sure it’s not coming off. “I want a rose too. I won’t have regrets.”

“A rose is a good choice. Sleep on it for the next fifteen years, and if you still want a rose, I’ll make sure you get one on your eighteenth birthday.” Before she can keep arguing for a tattoo, I say, “For today, how about we go find an ice cream cone? You can pick any flavor you want.”

“Yay, ice cream!” she cheers. “And I can pick the color?”

“Absolutely.” I carry her back over to her mother, who is frowning down at her phone. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Of course,” she replies, then flashes a smile that doesn’t reach her gorgeous green eyes.

“Mommy! Mommy! We’re getting ice cream!”

Zara’s eyes brighten because she’s finally been calling her mommy since we got home from Italy. “We are?”

“I promised Ori she could pick out a flavor,” I tell my wife while she’s already upset about something.

“Of course you did.” She grins and rolls her eyes.

“It was either ice cream or a rose tattoo,” I tell her with a wink, making her laugh.

“Okay, but I want one last picture of you two in front of the Lehman Gates on the way out.”

“Absolutely,” I agree, carrying Ori to speed things along and knowing her little feet are probably getting tired.

Once we’re standing where Zara wants us, she says, “Could you fix Ori’s shirt? It’s riding up a little.”

Without looking, I give the cotton tee a tug. “Better?”

“Yeah,” Zara answers with a heavy sigh that makes me feel like I’ve disappointed her in some way.

I don’t know if it’s my upcoming guilty plea to the gun charges or she’s having second thoughts about being married to a mob boss. Whatever is upsetting her, I have no doubt it’s all my fault.

***

Zara

I can’t figure out if Creed is ignoring the truth that’s right in front of his face or if he really is so freaking oblivious that he doesn’t have a clue what he missed all freaking day.

But I can’t take it any longer. No more waiting, postponing, driving myself crazy. I’m too emotional as it is, so it’s now or never as soon as he gets out of the shower.

I’m swiping through all the photos we took today and transferring them to the digital frame when he comes out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist, his entire body still dripping wet.

Damn him for looking so devastatingly delicious that I want to lick his entire body, even though I’m frustrated with him and dreading this conversation.

“What are you looking at so intently?” he asks while drying his hair with a second towel. “I know it’s not the photos you took of me in the crown last week because you’re not laughing.”

The reminder of the mob boss in a tiara brings an enormous smile to my face.

“I was just putting the photos from today on my frame.” I hold up the device to show him the images even larger.

Coming over to my side of the bed, he takes the frame from me with a smile as he watches the photos go by in a slideshow.

“Ori had fun today. I’ve never seen her so happy. She’s so damn cute, though, even when she pouts.”

“She loves the zoo,” I agree. “I’m glad the three of us got to go together. We’ll be fine, you know, while you’re away. I have Paige and Bethany here to help. I don’t want you to worry about us.”

“Too bad,” Creed says without lifting his gaze from the frame. “I’m going to worry, every second, every day…” His words trail off, and his brow furrows as he glances down again. “What does Ori’s shirt say? Big something?”

Finally!

“Big sis,” I answer.

“Big sis,” he repeats with a frown when he looks over at me. “Is sis like some new slang?”

“Yes, Creed, sis is the brand-new slang for ‘sister.’ How crazy, right? Where do they come up with this stuff?”

“Big sister?”

“Big sister,” I confirm with a slow nod.

When his blue eyes widen and lower to my belly, I heave a sigh of relief as I place my palm over it. “Surprise. I’ve been waiting all day for you to notice. I didn’t think we would make it out of the apartment, but then you didn’t mention it…”

“Baby, we’re having a baby? You and me?”

“Yes! I tried to tell you the day of my doctor appointment, but you were depressed about the plea and all.”

Creed pounces on me so fast, his towel is left behind on the floor. His lips find mine, kissing me until my face is soaking wet. Stupid hormones. My mafia husband’s cheeks are damp, too, when he pulls back to wipe away my tears. Unlike the princess crown, I’d never tease him for trusting me enough to let me see him so vulnerable.

“I love you. I love him or her,” he whispers as he presses his palm to my lower belly.

“We love you too.”

“Oh hell no. I am not going to miss my baby’s birth, first steps, first words, first any fucking thing!”

“Creed…”

“No, Zara. I’m serious. I’ll find a way to stay with you and our family.”

I wish I could believe him, but a mandatory sentence doesn’t have any wiggle room. “Promise me you won’t do anything rash to make it worse.” When he doesn’t respond, I can see the bad ideas already forming in his eyes. I grab his face to make him look at me. “Promise me, Creed. Promise our son or daughter you won’t go to prison for the rest of their life.”

After another long moment, it’s like all the air goes out of him. “I promise. Dre’s going to be busy chasing his wife’s ass like a dog after a car, so Tristan said he was going to handle the gun charges. I’ll leave it up to him.”

“Good,” I say in relief. “And maybe…maybe we can postpone the plea deal until after the delivery. That’s only seven months away.”

“Seven months?”

“Seven months.”

“I’m going to be there.”

“I hope so.” I force a smile.

“No, micetta mia. You don’t have to hope. I am going to be there with you, holding your hand when my baby comes into this world, even if I have to sell my soul to do it,” Creed pledges.

My angel of death is going to be a damn good father.

How do I know? Because my husband keeps all his promises.

The end for now…