I swept the plastic pregnancy test off the tile floor, jamming it deep into the bottom of my apron pocket just as Liam knocked on the bathroom door.

Two Months Later.

The sun rose over the quiet, misty mountains of Aspen, Colorado. The crisp morning air smelled of pine trees, fresh snow, and utter peace.

I stood on the wide wooden porch of our new timber-frame home, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, holding a warm mug of decaf tea. My stomach had rounded significantly now, a distinct four-month baby bump visible beneath my soft sweater.

Behind me, the sliding glass door opened, and Alessandro walked out onto the deck. He wore a simple grey hoodie and jeans—no suits, no weapons, no security guards following his every step.

He wrapped his large arms around me from behind, resting his hands gently over my stomach, resting his chin on my shoulder just as the morning light caught the mountain peaks.

"How are you feeling today?" he murmured, kissing the side of my neck.

"Wonderful," I smiled, leaning back into his solid warmth. "The baby was kicking thirty minutes ago."

Alessandro’s face lit up with that rare, brilliant smile that was reserved only for me. He instantly dropped to one knee on the wooden deck, pressing his ear directly against my stomach.

"Hey there, little one," Alessandro murmured softly, his voice full of infinite tenderness as he patted my bump. "It's your dad. Stop kicking your mother, she needs her rest."

I laughed softly, running my fingers through his hair as he leaned his head against my belly, listening intently.

In the distance, down the long gravel driveway, a black SUV pulled up. But it wasn't a tactical squad or an enemy family.

The driver's door opened, and Liam stepped out, carrying two large boxes of baby clothes and a wooden rocking chair he had spent three weeks building in his garage.

"Hey!" Liam called out with a wide grin, waving at us. "Did somebody order custom nursery furniture?!"

"Liam!" I called back happily, waving him up toward the porch.

Alessandro stood up, wrapping his arm around my waist, watching Liam walk up the stairs with a quiet, genuine respect. Alessandro had personally paid off Liam's student loans and funded his new auto repair shop back in Chicago as a thank-you for keeping me safe when I had no one else.