Seven months pregnant, Sienna was glowing, beautiful, and completely over being pregnant.
"I'm enormous," she complained, looking at herself in the mirror. "I can't see my feet. I can't tie my shoes. And I have to pee every five minutes."
Luca came up behind her, hands settling on her swollen belly. "You're perfect. Absolutely perfect."
"You have to say that, after all you did this to me."
"And I'd do it again." He kissed her neck. "You're carrying our daughter, Nothing has ever been more beautiful."
Their daughter, they'd found out at the twenty-week ultrasound—a little girl with Luca's nose and what the doctor swore was already a stubborn expression.
"She kicked again," Sienna said, taking Luca's hand and placing it where she felt the movement.
His face lit up. "Strong, Just like her mother."
"Or just like her father who can't sit still."
Luca had been insufferable during the pregnancy—hovering, protective to the point of obsessive. He'd reduced his working hours, worked from home most days, and refused to let Sienna do anything remotely strenuous, She'd threatened to divorce him at least once a week.
But she'd never been more in love with him.
"Come to bed," he said now. "You need to rest."
"I'm not tired."
"Then let me help you relax." His hand slid lower, between her thighs.
"Luca—"
"The doctor said sex is perfectly safe. I even encouraged it." His fingers found her through her thin pajama pants. "And you've been tense all day."
She had been. The pregnancy hormones made her constantly aroused, and Luca had been more than willing to help with that particular problem.
"Okay," she breathed. "But you do all the work, I'm too big to move."
"Perfect.
I love making you come while you just lie there and take it."
He guided her to the bed, helped her lie on her side—the only comfortable position at this stage. He settled behind her, one hand on her belly, the other sliding into her pants.
"Already wet," he murmured against her ear. "My pregnant wife is always so wet for me."
"It's the hormones."
"It's me." He pushed two fingers inside her, thumb finding her clit, "Your body knows what it needs."
He worked her slowly, carefully, mindful of her pregnant body. But that didn't make it any less intense. Sienna moaned, hips rocking against his hand.
"That's it, baby. Take what you need." His other hand moved to her breast, full and sensitive from pregnancy. When he rolled her nipple, she gasped.
"Luca, I'm close."
"Then come for me. Let me feel you."
She came very hard, clenching around his fingers. Luca worked her through it, whispering praise in Italian.
"Better?" he asked when she'd caught her breath.
"Much." She turned her head, kissed him. "What about you?"
"I'm fine."
"Luca, you're hard as a rock. I can feel you."
"And you're seven months pregnant and tired. I can take care of myself."
"Or I could help." She turned carefully, managing to face him despite her belly. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't please my husband."
His eyes darkened. "Sienna—"
"Let me do this. Please, I want to taste you."
He groaned. "You're going to kill me."
She maneuvered carefully onto her knees—not easy with her belly—while Luca lay back. She freed his cock, thick and hard and already leaking.
"Beautiful," she murmured, then took him into her mouth.
Luca's hand fisted in her hair, gentle but possessive. "Fuck, baby, your mouth."
She worked him slowly, using her hand where her mouth couldn't reach, loving the sounds he made—rough groans and whispered praise in Italian.
"I'm close," he warned.
She doubled her efforts, taking him deeper, and Luca came with a shout, spilling down her throat. She swallowed it all, then kissed her way up his body.
"Thank you," he said, pulling her close as much as her belly allowed.
"You take care of me. I take care of you. That's how this works."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
They fell asleep tangled together, peaceful and content.
---
A peace that was shattered two days later.
Sienna was in the nursery, organizing baby clothes, when Luca's phone rang. She heard him answer in the other room, heard his voice go sharp and cold.
Something was wrong.
She found him in his office, his face dark with rage.
"What happened?"
"Marco escaped."
The words hit like a physical blow. "What? How?"
"Prison transport. Someone attacked the van, killed three guards, and freed him." Luca's hands clenched into fists. "He's out there. And he knows about you, about the baby." and
Fear spiked through her. "He wouldn't dare—"
"He would. He'll come for us to get revenge. For me putting him in prison, for you betraying him." Luca moved to her, hands gentle on her belly. "I need to get you somewhere safe. Now."
"Luca-no"
"Please, Sienna. Don't fight me on this. Our daughter's life depends on it."
The fear in his eyes convinced her. "Okay. Where?"
"My family's estate in the countryside. High security, private. You'll be safe there with my mother and Gia." He kissed her forehead. "I need to handle Marco. End this once and for all."
"Not without me."
"You're seven months pregnant!"
"And he's my demon too! Danny was my brother. Marco used me, threatened me. I have just as much right—"
"I won't risk you!" His voice cracked. "I can't lose you, Sienna. I can't lose either of you. Please, go to the estate, let me protect you."
She wanted to argue. But the baby kicked hard, reminding her that this wasn't just about her anymore.
"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll go. But Luca—you come back to me, to us. Promise me."
"I promise." He kissed her deeply. "I love you, both of you. And I'm going to make sure Marco can never hurt us again."
---
The estate was beautiful but felt like a prison. Sienna paced the main house, her phone constantly in her hand, waiting for updates from Luca.
It had been three days. Three days of silence except for brief texts: *I'm okay, Still hunting. I love you.*
Maria and Gia tried to distract her, but nothing worked, she was going crazy with worry.
On the fourth day, her water broke.
"No," she gasped, looking down at the puddle on the floor. "No, no, no. It's too early."
"It's only two months early," Gia said, already calling for the doctor. "The baby will be okay."
"I need Luca, I need him here."
"I know, sweetie, I'm calling him."
But Luca didn't answer, His phone went straight to voicemail all through.
The contractions started—sharp, intense, overwhelming. The doctor arrived, confirmed she was in active labor.
"We need to get her to the hospital," he said.
"No," Sienna gasped. "Not safe. Marco—"
"The baby's coming, Sienna. We don't have a choice."
They rushed her to the nearest hospital, Luca's security surrounding them. Gia held her hand the whole way, trying to call Luca over and over.
He still didn't answer.
---
Luca kicked down the door of the abandoned warehouse, gun raised. Intelligence said Marco was here, hiding like the coward he was.
"Marchetti!" Marco's voice echoed from somewhere in the darkness. "Come to finish the job?"
"Come out and face me, you piece of shit."
"Why? So you can kill me like you killed Volkov?"
"Well I didn't kill Volkov, but I'm definitely going to end you." Luca moved deeper into the warehouse, senses on high alert. "You threatened my wife, my unborn child. That's a death sentence."
"Your wife?" Marco laughed. "You mean my spy? The woman that I, Marco hired?"
"The woman who chose me over you, who helped me put you in prison? Who's carrying my child right now?"
He saw movement to his left, spun, fired. Missed. Marco fired back, the bullet grazing Luca's shoulder, pain bloomed, but he ignored it.
They circled each other in the darkness, both looking for an opening.
"You ruined everything," Marco snarled. "My plans, my operations—"
"You ruined yourself, you got greedy, Sloppy." Luca's gun tracked Marco's movement. "And you killed an innocent kid. Danny Castellano,remember him?"
"That little shit? He was collateral damage."
Rage exploded through Luca. He charged, forgetting strategy, forgetting caution. They both went down in a tangle of fists and fury.
Luca's phone fell from his pocket, skittering across the floor. He heard it buzzing—someone calling—but he was too busy trying not to get shot.
He got his hand on Marco's gun, twisted it away. It fired, the bullet going wild. Then Luca had his own gun against Marco's temple.
"Any last words?"
"Fuck you."
Luca pulled the trigger.
Marco went limp beneath him. It was over, Finally over.
He retrieved his phone with shaking hands, and saw fifteen missed calls from Gia. His blood ran cold.
He called back. She answered on the first ring.
"Luca, thank god! Where have you been?"
"Handling Marco. What's wrong?"
"It's Sienna. She's in labor. The baby's coming early, we're at St. Mary's Hospital—"
He didn't hear the rest. He was already running.