Cruel Paradise - A Mafia Romance Chapter 116

It’s enough to make me feel terrible for staying away this long. Emma deserves to be punished. Doesn’t mean the kids do. Although my decision to stay away had less to do with punishing Emma and more to do with trying to rein in my weaker instincts.

Kissing her that night at the motel from hell was a mistake. It opened up a whole Pandora’s box that I need to shut back down again. The only way I’ve figured out to do that is distance.

And masturbation.

Lots of both.

“Where’s Emma?” I grit out past my clenched teeth.

“She’ll be out soon. She’s in her room, I think. You want something to drink?”

“Just water,” I say, if only to get myself some distance from the hope in his eyes.

A few seconds after he’s disappeared into the kitchen, the girls find me in the living room. “Ruslan!” they cry in unison. I’m tackled around the waist and as per usual, take a glancing hit to the balls before either one calms down.

“How’ve you two been?”

Caroline smiles. “Good! Uncle Kiki brings us new toys every day.”

Uncle Kiki. Yeah. That’s gonna have to stop.

“Where’s your aunt?”

Reagan’s little bottom lip sticks out. “She’s sick. She’s throwing up all over the bathroom.”

“Ew, Rae. Don’t be gross.”

“But it’s true.”

“I’m sure it’s just a stomach bug,” I comfort Rae, running my hand over her downy hair.

“It’s not a stomach bug!” she insists passionately. “It’s the baby. The baby’s making Aunt Emma puke all over the bathroom.”

“Reagan!”

My eyes snap up to find Josh by the entry way with my glass of water. His jaw is hanging open.

So is mine.

Did she just say baby?

Reagan looks between me and Josh. She’s chewing on her bottom lip like Emma does when she’s nervous. “Oh no… it was supposed to be a secret. Don’t tell Aunt Emma I told you, okay, Ruslan? Please? Pretty please?”

My gaze veers to Josh again. His expression is all the confirmation I need.

For fuck’s sake.

Emma is pregnant.

And she was gonna skip town without telling me.

Yeah? Well, she can kiss that plan goodbye. Because she’s not leaving in a month.

She’s not leaving ever.

I turn and storm out of the penthouse immediately. As I go, I pick up my phone and dial Kirill’s number. “Called to compliment me on making such a fantastic Lego castle?” he says when he answers. “Or is this an apology call for being such an asshole earlier?”

“I’m transferring Emma and the kids to my estate,” I snap instead of answering his questions. “Make the necessary arrangements. They’ll be moving in tomorrow.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Sure thing, boss. Everything okay?”

Great fucking question.

I wish I had an answer to it.

13

EMMA

The morning sickness has officially hit with a vengeance.

And boy, is it frigging awful. I can’t even keep down Nutella on toast. You know shit’s getting real when your system rejects gooey chocolate on warm, toasted bread.

So I’ve been sprawled miserably on the sofa with a hot pack over my forehead, trying to get Rae to tell me why she’s been allergic to me all morning.

“Can I get a hug at least?” I ask as she scampers past.

“No!” she screams before running into her bedroom. A second later, I hear the door slam.

I glance at Josh. “What’s up with her today?”

Josh gives me a noncommittal shrug that makes me think there’s definitely something going on there.

“She’s just scared, Aunt Em,” Caroline offers.

“Scared?” I put the hot pack aside and sit up. “Scared about what?”

Now, Caroline looks like she’s caught Reagan’s allergy to me. She backs away slowly, her eyes skidding from one side to the other. “Um… I dunno…”

Then she leapfrogs over one of the footstools and follows Reagan to the room. I bite my lip. Maybe I should invest in therapy sooner rather than later.

“Josh, is there something going on I should know about?” Like his sisters, he’s not looking me in the eye. “Sweetheart, you know you can tell me anything, right?”

He nods.

“Is this about the kidnapping? Or are the girls missing Ben?”

Josh just shakes his head. “That’s not it.”

“Well, something’s up. I feel like I have a bad case of the cooties.”

He smiles but it’s a half-hearted one. “I’ll go talk to them.”

He slips away and I’m left in the empty vastness of the living room. I remember being enamored by the views when I first saw them. But as it turns out, even the most beautiful view loses its appeal when you know you can’t be a part of it.

Maybe what’s going on with the kids is a simple case of boredom. They’ve been cooped up indoors for too long. They need grass and fresh air and the sound of other people.

I pick up my new phone. It feels foreign in my hand. Too big, too heavy, too sleek, and too silver. I miss my old phone. The one with the cracked screen and the fuzzy display.

EMMA: Hey. Is it possible to get a child therapist to come in a few days a week? I think it might help the kids to talk to someone.

KIRILL: We can discuss it.

Hmm. I had expected a quick and easy yes on that one. Unless he’s thinking of running it by Ruslan first…

Which is super annoying.

EMMA: When?

KIRILL: When you’re settled in at the estate.

EMMA: Excuse me. What estate?

KIRILL: I’ll fill you in on the details when I see you. I’ll be there in ten.

EMMA: I’d rather you tell me now. We’re leaving the penthouse?

He doesn’t respond. I notice him typing but then the three dots disappear and he goes offline.

EMMA: Kirill.

EMMA: Kirill???

Okay. This day is pissing me off. Everything feels just a little bit off-kilter. Like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something. Maybe it’s just the morning sickness. Speaking of…

Urgh.

I race to the nearest bathroom and puke up the glass of lemonade I spent the last half an hour gingerly sipping. So much for tricking my body into accepting some calories. When I come back outside, Josh is standing in the living room with the girls. Caroline is on the divan and Reagan is hiding behind her brother.

I smile. “Uh-oh. This looks serious.”

Not one kid returns the smile.

I lower myself down to the sofa and face all three with the same somberness they’re directing at me. “Starting to get nervous here, guys.”

“Aunt Emma, Reagan has something she wants to tell you,” Josh explains, taking Reagan’s hand and pulling her forward.

“But you have to promise not to get angry with her,” Caroline chimes in.