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Chapter 43: Sofia
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Claiming What's Mine Chapter 44: Sofia
I scrutinize my appearance in the mirror to make sure I'm at least semi-presentable. Unfortunately, I look like death warmed over. The best thing I can do at this point is call it a day. I'll let Sherry know I'm taking a few hours of sick time and head home. I can drive over to the compound once I feel better and tell my parents about Roman's deception in person.Just as I'm shutting down my computer, Ella pokes her head through the open doorway."Hey, Ms. B, do you have a few minutes?" She smiles."Hi, Ella." I hold my hands up, palms out in a stay-put fashion because I don't want her to get sick if I've picked up a virus. "Don't get too close. I'm not feeling very well. I was just about to head home for the afternoon."Her expression turns sympathetic. "That sucks."I chuckle. Throwing up at work in the middle of the afternoon sucks big time. "It really does.""Hopefully whatever you caught will pass quickly. Is it a stomach bug?""I think so.""I bet some Saltine cracke
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 45: Sofia
I rush toward my car in the school parking lot with one thing on my mind.And that's stopping at the pharmacy on the way home to get a pregnancy test.In my two years as a high school counselor, I've had several girls pop into my office, frightened that they could be pregnant. The first thing I tell them is to talk to their parents because this isn't an issue they should deal with on their own. The second is to take a test. For the most accurate results, I advise them to make an appointment with their family doctor or Planned Parenthood to run blood work and take a urine test. If they aren't comfortable with either of those options, I tell them to pick up a home pregnancy test.Most of the time, they stop in and tell me their results were negative. We then have a come-to-Jesus discussion regarding safe sex practices. Abstinence is the only foolproof method, but that's not a realistic option for many teenagers nowadays. And I get that. We go over the different kinds of birth con
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 46: Sofia
A guard waves our car through the gate, and we pull into the wooded grounds of the Valentini compound.Roman received a text from my father informing him that the Russian threat has been eliminated. I'm no longer in danger, and my security detail has been called off.It's a relief to have one less issue to worry about. My hand rests on my stomach as Roman navigates the long driveway. Neither of us said much during the twenty-minute ride. I think we're both in shock. I know I am. I may have suspected this outcome, but was still unprepared for it. I shift on the seat as Roman glances at me and wait for him to start this much-needed conversation.He doesn't though. He just continues to drive in silence as the test results flash through my brain for the hundredth time.I'm pregnant.I'm going to give birth to a tiny human being in less than nine months.My whole world has just been rocked. There's no going back to the way it used to be. I would be lying if I didn't admit that th
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 47: Sofia
"Once I earned Enzo's trust, he brought me to the compound himself and gave me access to the heart of the operation. He opened his home to me and treated me like a son." His eyes drop to his lap."He cared about you. He still does. He planned for you to take over since my brothers have no interest," I grate out, unable to hide the fury tinging my voice at how Roman duped my father.Roman shakes his head and runs a hand over his closely cut hair. "I know."His troubled gaze meets mine again, and my heart softens because I can tell he's just as conflicted over the situation as I am."This assignment was supposed to be a two-year stint. I was instructed to make connections in the lower ranks and gather intel. Just as I was about to be pulled out, Enzo took an interest in me. No one had managed to make it into the Valentini inner circle before. My lieutenant and the DA decided to let me stay. But the problem is that you can't work undercover indefinitely. The deeper you get entr
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 48: Sofia
I shoot Grace a questioning look over my mother's shoulder, but the other woman shrugs in response. "I'm just relieved that you're okay." Mama tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and pats my shoulder.I frown in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?" Is she referring to the Russian situation? I can't imagine my father hasn't kept her up-to-date with the recent developments. "Roman never let me out of his sight, Mama. I was perfectly safe the entire time."Instead of softening with relief, her expression turns murderous. Her dark eyes fill with a mixture of contempt and disgust. She glances toward the wing my father's office is located in. "That man will no longer be working for us."My throat closes. "What are you talking about?"She shoots a nasty glare at the hallway. "He's a traitor.""Roman?" I breathe."Don't ever say that man's name in this house again!" she snaps, drawing herself up to her full height.I thought we had time to make a plan before talking to my father. But we
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 49: Sofia
Surprisingly, my brothers release Roman right away.Roman leans against me, trying to hold himself upright so as not to appear weak in front of my family. We stagger toward a leather armchair, and he slowly lowers himself onto it. The swelling and bruises have worsened in the last few minutes. His right eye is almost fused shut and a rainbow of streaks color his chin.As I turn to face my family, my gaze lands on my mother, who I hadn't realized was standing behind me. Grace is there as well, her blue eyes wide as saucers."You don't have to do this," Roman mumbles.I slip my hand into his and rub his knuckles with my thumb. "Yes, I do." My parents, my brothers, and Grace are all on one side of the room while Roman and I occupy the other. I've never felt so isolated from them. My family has always stood together. That's what we do. The Valentinis present a united front to anyone who tries to harm us.And I'm breaking that code by defying them.Is this man worth it?Is he wor
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 50: Sofia
Mama moves around me and stands toe-to-toe with Roman, who bows his head in deference even though he towers over her. Her fingers slide under his chin and turn his head from one side to the other so she can take a good look at his bruised and bloodied face. "You were let off easy. Don't make my husband regret his generosity.""I won't," Roman says gravely."I always liked you," she muses. "It's disappointing to realize you spent so many years lying to us."Regret flashes across his face. "I'm sorry about that, Mrs. V. If I could go back and change it, I would." His gaze dips to me. "But then I wouldn't have met Sofia."Mama tilts her head to the side, her fingers digging into his chin as she studies him. "If you hurt my darling girl or this grandbaby, there will be nowhere on this earth you can hide that I will not hunt you down."Roman winces as her fingernails cut into his skin. "I'm asking for the chance to make Sofia happy. I want to give her the life she deserves." Loo
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 1: Roman
Present...I'm beginning to lose myself.I feel it happening more with the passing of each day, and it scares the shit out of me. During rare moments of self-reflection, doubt creeps in, and I question objectives that should be irrefutable.For a man like me, this is a precarious situation.Over the last three years, I've done everything in my power to keep her at a distance. I've been a bastard. I've been rude. I've tried ignoring her. I've withheld my friendship. Most days, I'm barely civil to her, because I know all hell will break loose once the floodgates open.None of my tactics douse the spark that flares to life when we're in the same room. I'm a moth dancing too close to the twisting flames.One of these days, I'm going to get burned.Or end up with a bullet in my head.A solitary image of her flickering through my brain is enough to make me grow unbearably hard.I've found myself on the verge of reaching out to slide my fingers through the glossy strands of her dark ha
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Claiming What's Mine Chapter 50: Sofia
Mama moves around me and stands toe-to-toe with Roman, who bows his head in deference even though he towers over her. Her fingers slide under his chin and turn his head from one side to the other so she can take a good look at his bruised and bloodied face. "You were let off easy. Don't make my husband regret his generosity.""I won't," Roman says gravely."I always liked you," she muses. "It's disappointing to realize you spent so many years lying to us."Regret flashes across his face. "I'm sorry about that, Mrs. V. If I could go back and change it, I would." His gaze dips to me. "But then I wouldn't have met Sofia."Mama tilts her head to the side, her fingers digging into his chin as she studies him. "If you hurt my darling girl or this grandbaby, there will be nowhere on this earth you can hide that I will not hunt you down."Roman winces as her fingernails cut into his skin. "I'm asking for the chance to make Sofia happy. I want to give her the life she deserves." Loo
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 49: Sofia
Surprisingly, my brothers release Roman right away.Roman leans against me, trying to hold himself upright so as not to appear weak in front of my family. We stagger toward a leather armchair, and he slowly lowers himself onto it. The swelling and bruises have worsened in the last few minutes. His right eye is almost fused shut and a rainbow of streaks color his chin.As I turn to face my family, my gaze lands on my mother, who I hadn't realized was standing behind me. Grace is there as well, her blue eyes wide as saucers."You don't have to do this," Roman mumbles.I slip my hand into his and rub his knuckles with my thumb. "Yes, I do." My parents, my brothers, and Grace are all on one side of the room while Roman and I occupy the other. I've never felt so isolated from them. My family has always stood together. That's what we do. The Valentinis present a united front to anyone who tries to harm us.And I'm breaking that code by defying them.Is this man worth it?Is he wor
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 48: Sofia
I shoot Grace a questioning look over my mother's shoulder, but the other woman shrugs in response. "I'm just relieved that you're okay." Mama tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and pats my shoulder.I frown in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?" Is she referring to the Russian situation? I can't imagine my father hasn't kept her up-to-date with the recent developments. "Roman never let me out of his sight, Mama. I was perfectly safe the entire time."Instead of softening with relief, her expression turns murderous. Her dark eyes fill with a mixture of contempt and disgust. She glances toward the wing my father's office is located in. "That man will no longer be working for us."My throat closes. "What are you talking about?"She shoots a nasty glare at the hallway. "He's a traitor.""Roman?" I breathe."Don't ever say that man's name in this house again!" she snaps, drawing herself up to her full height.I thought we had time to make a plan before talking to my father. But we
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 47: Sofia
"Once I earned Enzo's trust, he brought me to the compound himself and gave me access to the heart of the operation. He opened his home to me and treated me like a son." His eyes drop to his lap."He cared about you. He still does. He planned for you to take over since my brothers have no interest," I grate out, unable to hide the fury tinging my voice at how Roman duped my father.Roman shakes his head and runs a hand over his closely cut hair. "I know."His troubled gaze meets mine again, and my heart softens because I can tell he's just as conflicted over the situation as I am."This assignment was supposed to be a two-year stint. I was instructed to make connections in the lower ranks and gather intel. Just as I was about to be pulled out, Enzo took an interest in me. No one had managed to make it into the Valentini inner circle before. My lieutenant and the DA decided to let me stay. But the problem is that you can't work undercover indefinitely. The deeper you get entr
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 46: Sofia
A guard waves our car through the gate, and we pull into the wooded grounds of the Valentini compound.Roman received a text from my father informing him that the Russian threat has been eliminated. I'm no longer in danger, and my security detail has been called off.It's a relief to have one less issue to worry about. My hand rests on my stomach as Roman navigates the long driveway. Neither of us said much during the twenty-minute ride. I think we're both in shock. I know I am. I may have suspected this outcome, but was still unprepared for it. I shift on the seat as Roman glances at me and wait for him to start this much-needed conversation.He doesn't though. He just continues to drive in silence as the test results flash through my brain for the hundredth time.I'm pregnant.I'm going to give birth to a tiny human being in less than nine months.My whole world has just been rocked. There's no going back to the way it used to be. I would be lying if I didn't admit that th
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 45: Sofia
I rush toward my car in the school parking lot with one thing on my mind.And that's stopping at the pharmacy on the way home to get a pregnancy test.In my two years as a high school counselor, I've had several girls pop into my office, frightened that they could be pregnant. The first thing I tell them is to talk to their parents because this isn't an issue they should deal with on their own. The second is to take a test. For the most accurate results, I advise them to make an appointment with their family doctor or Planned Parenthood to run blood work and take a urine test. If they aren't comfortable with either of those options, I tell them to pick up a home pregnancy test.Most of the time, they stop in and tell me their results were negative. We then have a come-to-Jesus discussion regarding safe sex practices. Abstinence is the only foolproof method, but that's not a realistic option for many teenagers nowadays. And I get that. We go over the different kinds of birth con
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 44: Sofia
I scrutinize my appearance in the mirror to make sure I'm at least semi-presentable. Unfortunately, I look like death warmed over. The best thing I can do at this point is call it a day. I'll let Sherry know I'm taking a few hours of sick time and head home. I can drive over to the compound once I feel better and tell my parents about Roman's deception in person.Just as I'm shutting down my computer, Ella pokes her head through the open doorway."Hey, Ms. B, do you have a few minutes?" She smiles."Hi, Ella." I hold my hands up, palms out in a stay-put fashion because I don't want her to get sick if I've picked up a virus. "Don't get too close. I'm not feeling very well. I was just about to head home for the afternoon."Her expression turns sympathetic. "That sucks."I chuckle. Throwing up at work in the middle of the afternoon sucks big time. "It really does.""Hopefully whatever you caught will pass quickly. Is it a stomach bug?""I think so.""I bet some Saltine cracke
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 43: Sofia
I blink back tears, refusing to let him see how much he's shattered me. "You should have done us both a favor and never given in."He scrubs a hand over his face. "Don't you think I know that?" he asks in a low, ugly snarl. "Don't you think I fought my feelings every single goddamn day? Every fucking moment was a battle. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. You have to believe that."Unable to listen anymore, I stand. "I don't know what to believe. I need to get to work.""I expected you to call Enzo last night." He tilts his head. "Why didn't you?"I look away.That's an excellent question. One I've asked myself a million times already. I should have called my father right after getting in the cab.Papa would have snapped up Roman by now.Which is precisely why I didn't do anything.Because I can't sentence the man I love to death.My shoulders slump as I acknowledge my own truths. This delay doesn't mean I won't tell my family. It just means I haven't placed
Claiming What's Mine Chapter 42: Sofia
Groaning, I roll toward the alarm clock and slap it.My eyelids feel like they've been cemented shut. Prying them open takes a Herculean effort. Unable to force my limbs into action, I lay in bed as memories of yesterday assault me.Roman is an undercover police officer.Never in a million years could I have foreseen this. If anything, I'd wondered if he worked for the Russians.But the police?The Chicago PD?No. I feel completely blindsided by the revelation. What am I going to do? Acknowledging what a mess this situation is makes me burrow deeper under the covers, wishing I could stay in bed for the rest of the day. Maybe the next few. I had a difficult time falling asleep after getting home because my mind wouldn't click off. As a result, I feel tired and irritable.I would love to call in sick, but can't.Two parent meetings and an IEP are on my agenda for today. These parents have rearranged their schedules to come in and discuss their children's educational needs, whic
