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  Gianna spun around, her face inscrutable. In two strides, she was beside Frankie, putting a hand on her forehead.

  “Nonna, what are you doing?” Frankie looked up at the old lady with a raised brow.

  “Mimma, how much have you been eating in the last weeks?”

  “What do you mean? Normal, I guess?”

  “You had two desserts last night. And three servings of pasta.”

  Frankie flushed. “So, I’ve been eating my feelings, so what?” she huffed.

  “And you threw up this morning?”

  She nodded. “I couldn’t stand seeing the restaurant…like that.”

  Her great-aunt’s eyes widened. “And your period? When did you last have it Are your breasts feeling tender?” Her hand snaked down to Frankie’s chest, squeezing her breast.

  “I—oww! That hurt, Nonna!” the younger woman stood up, pushing the hand away. “What are you doing?”

  The old woman chuckled and looked at her, her eyes sparkling. “Francesca, mimma…your grandmother was the same, and your mother too.”

  “Same with what?”

  “When they were pregnant. Ate two or three times more than they usually did, especially if it was a Lycan baby.”

  “Pregnant?” Frankie felt lightheaded when she said the word, her hand immediately going to her stomach. “No…it can’t…I get my birth control shots religiously!” Damn her genetics! “I’m not ready to raise a child!”

  “Francesca, no one is really ready,” Gianna patted her hand. “I never had my own, but I know what it was like for your grandmother and Adriana. And who says you’ll raise your child alone?”

  She looked up at her grandmother. “Grant doesn’t…he won’t…” She swallowed the lump in her throat, ashamed at herself, for falling again for a man who lied to her, told her he loved her and then cheated on her. “Grant doesn’t want me. That’s why I came back.”

  “Even if things don’t work out for you two, Grant doesn’t strike me as a man who would deny or abandon his own child! He’s a Lycan and an Alpha!”

  “It’s not that…I…” A child would tie her to Grant forever. She would have to see him regularly, possibly with other women, maybe his future Lupa. And how would that work anyway? They were both Alphas. Would her child be both Alpha of New York and New Jersey? “We’re not even sure if I am pregnant.”

  The older woman raised a brow. “You should take a test then. In any case, if I’m wrong, then you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Right.” It was a mistake. She was 99% sure she wasn’t pregnant.

  ***

  Five pregnancy tests later, her 99% certainty went down to exactly zero.

  “What do you want to do?” Gianna asked.

  “I…don’t tell my brothers, please, Nonna.” She had to think. No way she was going to get rid of the baby. Even the thought of that made her sick and her she-wolf snarled and growled at her.

  Ok, ok, she told the wolf. I won’t think about that anymore.

  “But you will have to tell them eventually. Are you worried about them reacting to the news? You know they love you.”

  “Yes, but…” Her brothers would have mixed reactions for sure. “I just don’t want them to be disappointed in me.”

  “Francesca! Don’t say that! They would never be disappointed in you.”

  Frankie sighed. “What do I do, Nonna?”

  “You know you have to tell Grant, too right? He’s the father and he has the right to know.”

  The thought of seeing Grant and telling him made her nervous. But Nonna Gianna was right. “I should see him.” We can work it out, she thought as she rubbed her stomach. There was a child’s life involved now.

  Chapter Thirty

  She doesn’t love you.

  She wouldn’t have left if she loved you.

  She doesn’t deserve you.

  Grant should have blocked the unknown number as soon as the first message came in. Hell, he should have tossed his phone out. Vanessa Bennet was trying to get into his head and mess him up.

  He tried to get in touch with Frankie since she left, but she wouldn’t answer his calls or text messages. Seeing as he was uninvited from her territory, he couldn’t even go to her. Sending someone in his place would only make her madder, and he didn’t really want to involve anyone else. What a fucking mess.

  His phone rang, and he was tempted to smash it against the wall. An unknown number flashed on the caller ID.

  “What do you want, Vanessa?” he answered coldly.

  “Why won’t you answer me, Grant?” Vanessa whined. “I’m only trying to protect you from that gold digger! Can’t you see, she only wants you for your money and your position.”

  “And you don’t?” he sneered.

  “Grant, I…I love you.”

  “Shut up, Vanessa,” he growled. “You don’t love me. You don’t even know me.”

  “But all this time…I know you’ve been busy, but I haven’t forgotten. You danced with me at the Fenrir Charity ball two years ago! You said I looked beautiful!”

  “That was two years ago! I was being nice.”

  “You meant it! I could feel it!’

  “Goodbye, Vanessa. I’m blocking you now.”

  “Wait! Don’t block me, not until you see what I have to send you.”

  His phone chirped. With an impatient sigh, Grant opened the message. It was a picture of Frankie, looking beautiful in the same white floral dress she was wearing that one night at Muccino’s. There was a man with her in the picture, standing close to her, whispering in her ear and his hand on her waist. Frankie was smiling, her eyes cast down.

  Grant gripped the phone so hard the screen cracked. Fuck. A stab of jealousy pierced through him.

  Kill, kill, the wolf growled.

  He didn’t need his wolf to tell him that. He wanted to kill the man in the picture with her, for putting his hands on Frankie. God, he needed a drink.

  ***

  “Well now, I never thought I’d see you back so soon.”

  Grant sipped his drink and gave Tattoo Guy a sardonic smile. “Things have been busy at work, I’m afraid.”

  Tattoo Guy sat the stool next to him. “You wanna talk about it?”

  “You sure that redhead won’t mind,” Grant motioned to the woman sitting on the couch, dressed in a scandalously short dress that showed off her gazelle-like legs. As soon as he entered Luxe, Grant had seen Tattoo Guy and the redhead on the couch, the girl straddling his lap.

  “Nah, she’ll wait,” he said, and motioned for the bartender. “You runnin’ into some kind of trouble?”

  “Ha,” Grant swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “It’s more like trouble is running into me.”

  “Well then,” Tattoo Guy took a small card from his wallet and slid it over to Grant. “Here.”

  Grant’s brows furrowed as he took the card. Creed Security. Sebastian Creed, CEO. “You’re a security contractor?”

  He nodded. “Military and Private. Trouble is my game.”

  “Thanks. Sebastian.” Grant put the card in his pocket. “I’ll keep you in mind.”

  “No worries. By the way, you should go talk to that brunette over there,” he motioned to a girl in a tight pink dress sitting by herself in one of the corner tables.

  Grant eyed the girl. She was tall, slim and looked like she was after a good time. He thought about it, sleeping with some random girl until he forgot about Frankie. He shook his head. “I just came here because I didn’t want to drink alone at home.” He dropped a couple of bills on the table. “See you around, Sebastian.”

  Sebastian gave him a two-fingered wave as he stood up with his drink and headed over to the couch and the waiting redhead.

  Grant finished his drink, sent a text to his driver to pick him up, and walked to the elevators.

  He was exiting the lobby doors when a blur came from nowhere, and he reeled back in surprise. Pain shot through his jaw as a fist connected with face. The punch caught h
im off-guard him and he stepped back, but his quick reflexes allowed him to recover and stop himself from falling over.

  Shit, the mages!

  He swung his fists, hitting his attacker in the face, and then on his side, sending the other man tumbling on the ground.

  “Who sent you?” he asked, towering over the man on the ground. His driver, Tate Miller, stopped the car on the curb and was already out, dashing towards him.

  “No one sent me, you fucking asshole!” Matt Morretti looked up at him, his eyes filled with hate. Blood dripped from a cut on his lip.

  “Jesus, Matt! What the hell did you do that for?!” He nodded to Miller. “It’s ok, stand down.” The bodyguard relaxed, but kept his hand over where the holster was hidden under his jacket.

  Grant extended his hand to help the younger man up, but he brushed it away, standing up on his own.

  “I don’t want your help!” Matt swayed at first, but steadied himself. “You’re gonna pay for what you did to Frankie!”

  “Frankie?” Grant’s heart sped up. “Is she ok? What happened? Is she hurt?”

  “You know what you did!” Matt shouted at him. “You got her pregnant and sent her back to Jersey!”

  Grant felt the bottom of his stomach drop. His ears started ringing, a buzzing in his head blocking all sound. Matt was saying something but he tuned it out. Frankie…she’s pregnant…with his child.

  “…And then she was crying! Crying over you, you asshole! She thought I wasn’t at home, but I overheard her talking to Nonna Gianna!”

  “Matt,” Grant shook his head. “I didn’t know! I swear! She just ran off.”

  Matt looked confused. “Wait…you didn’t send her away because she was pregnant?”

  “I would never!” Grant’s shoulders sank. “I didn’t send her away! Why would I do that? I’m in love her.”

  “She said you didn’t want her!” Matt railed. “That’s why she came back.”

  “No, no!” Grant ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “There was a misunderstanding and she left! I swear to you, Matt, I would never hurt her or abandon my own child!”

  A baby. He thought of Frankie, her belly swollen. Holding a perfect little child with dark hair. A boy. Or girl that looked like her. It didn’t matter. Either would be wonderful.

  Our pup, his wolf whined. Must…protect…

  “I need to talk to Frankie,” Grant said. “But she won’t answer my calls, won’t even let me go to Jersey.”

  “Do you really want to be with her? And the baby?”

  “Yes,” Grant answered without hesitation. “I’m going to do everything I can to make her listen and take me back.”

  Matt seemed appeased. “Well, we should think of a plan. Make her hear you out.” He clapped Grant on the back. “So…sorry punching you in the face, man.”

  He chuckled. “You did get me good. And sorry about hitting you back.”

  “No worries,” Matt said in a good-natured tone. “If you’re gonna be part of our family, you gotta get used to the fighting…daddy.”

  Grant’s face lit up at the word. Daddy. Jeez, he never thought he’d be so happy. A baby. A family. With Frankie. “C’mon, let me buy you a drink and we can talk. Miller,” he called to his driver “Go and park the car. We’ll be at bar around the corner.”

  ***

  “So, why did Frankie leave New York?” Matt asked as they sat in the little dive bar not far from Luxe.

  “Well…this is a little embarrassing, but you should hear my side.” Grant recounted the story to Matt, including how Vanessa was calling and texting him several times a day.

  “What a psycho!” Matt said, looking at the text messages after Grant handed him his phone. “Oh and that picture?”

  Grant frowned when he mentioned the photo of Frankie and that man. “Yes?”

  “I posted that on our Facebook page last week, but that was taken months ago.” Matt took out his own phone and showed Grant the picture. This one was slightly different, and it was bigger. Vanessa had obviously cropped out the rest of the photo. It showed that the picture was taken inside Muccino’s, long before the fire had destroyed the dining room. Also, the man’s other arm was around another woman, who was looking at Frankie with a smile. “That’s our Uncle Jesse and his wife, Amy. They came to the restaurant to have dinner for their 30th wedding anniversary, and we actually surprised them with a big party.” He scrolled through the rest of the album, showing him all the other pictures from the event.

  The Alpha sighed in relief. “I wouldn’t have blamed her if she wanted to move on. But I’m glad that it was just Vanessa being manipulative again.”

  “You need to make her listen, Grant.” Matt frowned. “It won’t be easy. She’s been hurt before.”

  “You mean her dad? And your dad?”

  Matt nodded. “And Jacob, too.”

  “Jacob?” Grant asked. “Who’s Jacob?”

  Matt sipped his beer. “Well, it’s not my place to say, but…I think she was about eighteen when this guy started sniffing around. You know the type. Handsome, rich, arrogant. We all knew he was bad news, but Frankie really liked him and was sneaking around with him. One night…well morning, really, she came home and my Ma was furious. They were shouting at each other and Frankie was screaming how she and Jacob were in love and stuff. Anyway, to make a long story short, after he got what he wanted, he stopped coming by.”

  “And then?” Grant gritted his teeth. Hearing about Frankie and some guy, even if it was ten years ago, made his chest hurt and jealously gnawed at his insides.

  “Well, one day she came home and she was crying. I’ll never forget it. My brothers and I…well, we found out from some other people that Jacob was going around with some other girl, you know?” He paused. “It’s a small town so everyone gossips, right? Apparently, there was some sort of confrontation and he humiliated her in front of half the town. Called her a townie bitch.”

  Grant’s jaw hardened. “Fucking asshole,” he muttered.

  “We were so mad,” Matt gave an evil smile. “I was only thirteen, Dante was sixteen I think, and Rafe was ten, but we made him pay.”

  “What did you do?”

  “We trashed his sports car. Dante actually went full Lycan and ripped up his leather seats. Then me, Enzo, and Rafe spray painted giant penises onto the hood and the sides.” He took a chug of beer. “He was a dick, and now the whole town knew.”

  Grant laughed and clapped the younger man on the back. “Good for you.” He probably would have maimed the man. For a moment, he wondered if he could get Alynna to track down this Jacob.

  “Oh, and that’s not all. Dante stalked him in his wolf form,” Matt said with a grin. “Followed him and his new girlfriend around until he became paranoid. One night, Dante actually jumped them. Not to hurt them, right? Just scare them a little. Jacob peed his pants and then abandoned his girlfriend to save himself. She spread the story around town and his reputation was wrecked.”

  “Well, remind me never to piss you guys off,” Grant said wryly. “I think I’ll stick with the punching.” He stared down into his mug, thoughts drifting to Frankie. His beautiful, strong Frankie. How she must have felt, being rejected by all the men in her life, yet she managed to keep her life, her family, and clan together.

  “You ok man?” Matt asked as he finished off his beer.

  “Yeah, I’m ok. Want another one?”

  “Naw, I’m good.”

  “I’m going to make this right,” Grant vowed, rubbing his now-healing jaw, then looked down glumly into his beer. “Assuming she’ll still have me.”

  “Frankie is tough,” Matt mused. “But I think you’ll win her over.”

  “I hope so.” Grant wanted nothing more than to race to Jersey, kiss Frankie senseless and then put the biggest ring he could find on her finger. He wanted Frankie to be his, forever.

  “Let’s go now,” Matt stood up. “Come back with me, and you can talk to her.”

  “I can
’t just do that, Matt,” Grant shook his head. “I would be breaking Lycan law.”

  “So what?” the younger man said. “What’s the worse she can do?”

  “Well, I’ll get a reprimand from the High Council, and then she could declare war on me. She can rally her clan members and attack us.” Grant really didn’t need that now.

  “Shit, Grant,” Matt laughed. “A slap on the wrist from the High Council? That’s it? And war with Jersey? Have you seen the ‘clan’? Except for Dante, Frankie, and maybe two other people, no one’s under thirty. They’re mostly out of shape rednecks and guidos. Believe me, no one will be waging war against you.”

  Grant downed his beer and stood up. “Alright, I’ll do it. Let’s go.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Matt gave him a bear hug. “Let’s go to Jersey!”

  The two men laughed and chatted as they left the bar. “Let me call my driver,” Grant said, taking his phone out. “I should pass by--Matt!” He dropped his phone as a shadow behind Matt tackled him to the ground. The younger man struggled, but he was overpowered.

  “What the fuck!” Grant looked around. Five men were closing in one them.

  “Mr. Anderson,” one of them said as he came closer. He was the tallest and largest of them. “You’ll be coming with us now.”

  “Who the hell are you?” Grant growled. The air prickled with energy and the various scents assaulting his nostrils told him they were all Lycans. His wolf was raring to get out, and he could feel the shift coming.

  “That doesn’t matter,” the man said. “But if you don’t come with us, we’ll hurt your friend here.”

  “Grant, don’t listen to them!” Matt gasped. The goon who tackled him had him in a sleeper hold. “Get out of here!” He howled in pain as the man held him tighter.

  “Don’t hurt him!” Grant calmed his inner wolf down. “Look, what do you want? Money? I have it,” he tossed his wallet to the ground. “And I have more.”