Chapter 3

3

SCARLET

I awoke to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains. Julian lay beside me, his arm draped over my stomach as I lay on my back. A smile tugged at my lips as I watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. Kenny was curled up at the foot of the bed, a furry ball of contentment.

Last night flooded back to me. Julian had sat with me for hours, our conversation flowing easily as we devoured pizza and binge-watched some mindless show. It felt... normal. Nice even, despite our starting topic. We'd moved onto talking about TV and other things in life, leaving behind the heavy conversation about Cristian and what he'd done. I'd drifted off, nestled against his side, his fingers running through my hair.

I studied Julian's face, relaxed in sleep. He looked younger, softer somehow. It was hard to believe we were captor and captive in this moment, with how comfortable I felt with him.

"Mornin', pyro," he mumbled, his eyes opening slightly.

"Hey," I whispered back, smiling at the nickname that was never going anywhere.

He stretched, his arm tightening around me for a moment before he propped himself up on an elbow. "Sleep okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, actually. Better than I have in a while." I had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with his presence and the way he'd been playing with my hair. Either that or because I'd been so emotionally drained.

Julian's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Good. You needed it."

We lay there in comfortable silence, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us. But it didn't feel suffocating. It was just... there. He stared at me with an odd softness that made my heart flutter, and I took in his face, the curve of his lips, the sharp line of jaw and the slight stubble. His blond hair was a ruffled mess, which only made him look more at home and content.

Kenny chose that moment to saunter up the bed, demanding attention. I laughed as he head-butted Julian's chin.

"Alright, alright," Julian grumbled, but there was no heat in it. He scratched behind Kenny's ears, eliciting a loud purr from our companion.

I shifted to better pat Kenny, and became suddenly aware of the pressure in my bladder. "I need to pee," I announced, sliding out of bed, knowing my bladder control was always tested first thing in the morning.

Julian chuckled. "Thanks for the update, pyro."

I rolled my eyes and padded to the bathroom, leaving him to his cat-whispering. When I returned, the bed was empty, and my heart sank a little. He'd left without a word, which was odd considering our casualness this morning. I'd been oddly enjoying this side of him, this softer, sweeter side. This human side.

Shaking off the disappointment, I headed downstairs, desperate for coffee and trying to ignore the worry gnawing at my insides. I touched my stomach as I headed down the staircase, my stomach twisting with unease. The anger at Cristian bubbled up again, threatening to consume me as I scowled.

My anger fizzled down as I found Julian in the kitchen, buttering toast. "Want some?" he offered.

I nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Please."

"Ty needs me at a meeting," he said as he slid a plate towards me and beckoned at the different spreads he'd taken out, as if he'd been planning to offer them to me. "You'll be home alone, but he said you can call Naomi. Figured you might need to talk to someone close."

The thoughtfulness caught me off guard, and I softened. "Thanks," I murmured, biting into the toast.

"So, what's this meeting about?" I asked between bites.

Julian shrugged, his expression carefully neutral. "Nothing you need to worry about."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is it about the Russos?"

"It's family business," he replied as he leaned on the counter, his own toast poised by his mouth. "Call if you need anything, okay? Or text if you want food delivered." He polished off his slice of toast in a few bites, and I frowned, not satisfied with his evasion.

"Well, I'm off, you've got Kenny here. Don't get up to much trouble," he said as his gaze moved to where the furry creature was padding into the area, looking at us expectantly. Julian moved to the other counter, whisking an already prepared bowl of cat food off the counter and setting it on the floor before he made his way to the elevator.

"Bye," I called out, knowing the disappointment was evident in my tone.

He glanced back at me as the elevator dinged, and gave me a nod of farewell before stepping inside.

Well, at least I could call Noms. She was sure to have something to say about all of this.

I grabbed my phone once in my room and dialed Naomi's number, my heart fluttering as I waited for her to pick up. When she finally answered, her voice was a mix of relief and concern.

"Scar! Thank god. Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm... I don't know, Noms. It's been a hell of a few days."

I spilled everything to her - Cristian removing my IUD, the possibility of pregnancy, my decision not to take the morning-after pill. Naomi listened, occasionally cursing under her breath.

"Jesus, Scar. You need to take that pill. This isn't the time or place for a baby."

I sighed. "I know, I know. But... I can't explain it. Something's holding me back."

"And if you are pregnant? You can't keep it, right?" Naomi's voice was gentle but firm.

"I don't know if I could get rid of it," I admitted softly.

Naomi was quiet for a moment. "Scar, honey, I get it. But this is the Silvestris we're talking about. They're not exactly father material. You know you'd be stuck with them forever? They'd never let you leave with a child of theirs. They'd deem you their property, their baby momma, hell, their baby-maker. What if they chain you up in the basement and just make you pop out babies for them?"

I sighed at her wild thoughts. "They wouldn't do that, everything has changed since the whole Russo thing."

"How has it changed?" Naomi's skepticism crackled through the phone.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "It's... different now. They're treating me like I'm their woman, not just a captive."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, they've given me these gorgeous dresses. Not just any dresses, Noms. We're talking designer stuff that probably costs more than our old apartment."

Naomi scoffed. "Clothes don't make up for holding you captive and raping you, Scar."

"I know, I know. But it's not just that. They've taken me out to dinner and on shopping trips. Real, sit-down meals where we talk and laugh. We had a blast shopping the other day. It felt so… normal."

"Normal? There's nothing normal about your entire situation!" Naomi sounded flustered, and I chewed my cheek.

"It's more than that. They're... affectionate."

I paused, realizing how strange it all sounded. "Even Cristian, as crazy as he is, had his moments."

"Yeah, I'm sure he fucking did, the crazy bastard. He also drugged you and ripped out your IUD. Scar, these men are not romantic interests. They're master controllers, they seek to possess and control, that's who they are, they're a crime family for Christ's sake," she hissed.

"I know. Julian has been so sweet though lately, and Tyrone, he's, well, he's different than I thought."

"He stabbed Ray, let's not gloss over that," she said sharply, and I sighed. She was always the one to bring reality crashing down and shatter my rose-tinted glasses when needed. Which was something I likely needed right now, but I just couldn't shake how I felt. I knew she was right, and hell, the hatred and anger I held for Cristian right now was not something I was sure I could get past.

"I'm not. I just think there's more to them than I realized."

"Scar, honey, this sounds like Stockholm syndrome," Naomi's voice was riddled with concern.

"Maybe it is," I admitted.

"Think about it, Scar. Keeping a baby to them, you'll be all tangled up in their family business. Their criminal fucking empire, where they murder and deal drugs and god knows what else," Noms tried to sway me, and I groaned as I ran a hand down my face. She was making all the points I knew were right.

I sighed. "Yeah, that. But they're not as bad as we thought. They have a code, Noms. They protect their own."

"And you think you're one of their own now?" Naomi asked hesitantly.

I hesitated, realizing the truth in her words. "I... I don't know. Maybe I am."

"Scar, do you really think Cristian can be trusted ever again? He's done something horrific, not something you can just forgive easily."

"I know." I didn't need her telling me that. I was furious and devastated by what he did, and I knew it was not something I could just brush aside. He'd betrayed me just when I thought we had a strange connection. But I also knew his brain was messed up. How had he twisted it in his mind to make him think this was the right call? I couldn't even fathom how he'd reached that thought. Was it his way of trying to keep me? That thought was unsettling to say the least.

"I think Cristian may have done this to keep me. He said he'd make me his," I said as a chill coursed through me. It made sense.

"Fuck, it's possible, which leads to a new worry. What if getting rid of it triggers him? He's unpredictable, we know that, what if he lashes out at you?" Noms was worried now, and I mirrored her concern. He'd been broken when Tessa had aborted their child. He couldn't withstand something like that again I imagined. Would Tyrone and Julian protect me from him? Or would they step back if he lost his shit?

I exhaled heavily. There was no way of knowing what he'd do if I was pregnant and then aborted it. "We just have to pray I'm not pregnant then, and that they don't touch me anymore without protection or something…"

"Take the pill, Scar."

"He might get mad at that too."

"Yeah, but it's not like it's even a thing yet. You can keep it from him," she urged.

"I can't." I knew the brothers might not keep the secret for me, and one of them would need to get the pill for me. Would Cristian hurt me? That was the one question I was unsure of right now. He'd said he'd not kill me, but if I did this, would that all change? No, I still wouldn't, and not because of him. Because of Lily, my sweet baby. I couldn't.

My mind drifted to Cristian. I hadn't seen him since he'd stormed out yesterday, frustrated but accepting of his brother's order to leave.

"I haven't seen Cristian since we all found out," I murmured.

"Maybe that's for the best," Naomi said. "How did it even come up?"

"No clue, I came downstairs to Tyrone pinning him on the table, furious. I guess Cristian told them, maybe? Who knows, it doesn't matter now."

"True, but still. It's been a wild run for you, Scar. Can you actually imagine living in a life that messy with them if you are pregnant and keep it? I hope for your sake that this is just a scare," she said honestly.

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Yeah, I know. Hopefully I'm not."

"Just have to wait until your period. It'll be there, and then you can come home," Naomi reassured me. "I still hate that they're changing the month deal, but I guess, from their side, it's understandable. A Silvestri baby is a big deal. Dangerous for you if you're not with them. Lots of people out to hurt them."

Great, just another thing I needed to think about. A part of me wished I could just get rid of the baby if it wound up being there, or take the damn pill. But there was some stupid, broken part of me that plain out refused, unable to do it.

"Can we talk about something else? How's things with you, anything new?" I asked, desperate to move from the subject.

"Right, sure. Well, Steve asked if I'd consider being his private lady, move in with him, all that jazz."

"Let me guess, only if he gives you an allowance the same as you earn there, right?" I said with a snort, but my mind was wandering.

"Clearly," she scoffed. "He's not a terrible guy, but you never know what someone's truly like behind closed doors."

She was right on the money there, and I closed my eyes.

As we continued talking, my thoughts kept circling back to Cristian. Where was he now? What was going through his mind? The uncertainty of it all made my stomach churn.