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Mafia Entanglement
Shay was seated on the plane, her hands folded on the table, leaning in. I tilted my head, studying her. She offered a smile but didnât shift her position.
âWhatâs on your mind, sweetheart?â I asked, taking a seat across from her.
âRemember when the doctor said weâd get our results in a day or two?â
Her eyes were twinkling, and I felt a surge of excitement. She giggled, moving her hands to reveal an envelope. I stood up and pulled her into a hug.
âWeâve been so busy, I completely forgot about that. Letâs move to the couch and open it together.â
Conner strolled past us, a smirk playing on his lips. âAbout time you guys did that.â
âFuck off,â I shot back at him.
He ignored my comment and plopped down on the couch with us. He reached out, grabbed my arm, and gently bit down. I yanked my arm away, my other hand instinctively balling into a fist.
Shay placed her hand on mine. I turned to look at her, and Conner burst into laughter before leaving.
âYou did that on purpose,â I accused her. She looked away, a smile tugging at her lips. I took her face in my hands, cupping her cheeks. âI guess it was kind of cute.â
She held up the envelope, making me grin. She handed it to me, and I noticed it had already been opened. My smile faded. âWho the fuck opened this?â
âYour mom. She wanted to know the babyâs sex so she could plan the baby shower.â She moved back a bit.
âDid you see?â I tried to keep my disappointment in check.
âNo, I wanted to wait for us to find out together. She wanted to know, so I gave it to her and left the room. When she was done, she handed it back to me.â
Her smile was there, but it wasnât as bright as I wanted it to be. My heart eased knowing she had waited for us to find out together.
I shouldâve known she wouldnât peek without me. Her smile told me she was just as eager to find out as I was. Clearing my mind, I held up the envelope. âWhoâs going to do the honors?â
She pointed at me. âYou, of course, silly.â She slid over to sit beside me.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the envelope and pulled out the paper slowly, my hands trembling. I unfolded it with my eyes closed, then opened them once it was fully unfolded.
We both scanned the paper until our eyes landed on the gender. A smile spread across my face. She pointed at it and squealed in delight.
âIâm not seeing things, am I?â I asked, turning to her.
Conner walked by and snatched the paper from my hand. âGreat, another Zane in the making,â he grumbled.
I jumped up and grabbed the paper back. âThat wasnât cool, man.â
He shrugged, heading over to the mini fridge. âYou were taking too long to tell us. I got impatient waiting for you two to spill the beans.â
âMy son will be treated with respect and might someday be your boss.â I pointed a finger at him.
He snorted as he sat down at the table and twisted the cap off his beer.
âYeah, right. Iâll retire when you do, man. Thatâs how it works. When your son takes over, Noah and I will step down to let his loyal friends take our places.
âThatâs whatâs going to happen with your dad. His two loyal friends will retire for you and us to take over.
âI know how this business works, man. Weâve been in it with you since we were kids. Now you have to decide if his friends will be from the States or from your homeland.â
âWe have time to figure that out. She still has six months, and then his friends will come into the picture when he turns six, just like you two did. So I still have plenty of time.
âIâd love it if you and Noah settled down with someone. Then your sons would be my choice. You two are the sons of my dadâs best friends, so thatâs what needs to happen here with us.â
I pointed to both Connor and Noah, who had now joined us at the table.
Noah smiled. âIâve been interested in a girl at the club for a few months, but Iâm not sure if sheâd be into all of this.â
Shay crossed her arms over her chest. âWho is she?â
He blushed. âYou donât know her. She works in a different section of the club.â
âTry me,â she challenged.
Noah took a deep breath and looked up at her. âAmanda. Iâve been watching her for a while.â
Shayâs jaw dropped. âThe stripper who works on the other side of the club?â
Noah cleared his throat. âYeah, is that a problem?â
She burst into laughter. âNoah, sheâs not into you at all.â
His face turned red, and he glared at her. âWhy the hell not? I think I have everything a girl would want!â
She was still laughing. âYou donât have the right equipment for her, Noah. Sheâs not into guys. Sure, she dances for them, but she goes home with a girl every night.â
His eyes widened as we laughed at him. âWell, shit. No wonder she never reacted when I tried to flirt with her. She wasnât into me at all, then.â
Shay leaned forward, looking at both guys. âI can set you up with some girls who have been trying to get your attention for months.â
They both looked at each other, then back at her. âWho?â they asked in unison.
âWould you be up for some blind dates and a double date?â She wiggled her eyebrows at them.
Conner tugged at his collar. âWell, uh, what do you have in mind?â
Noah smiled. âWould it be just us, or would you two be joining us?â
âI can arrange for you guys to go out with them, either one-on-one or as a group. These girls have been talking about you for months, but they didnât know how to approach you. They were too shy to make a move.â
âHell, Iâm game for that.â Noah rose to his feet as the planeâs engines roared to life.
Conner let out a sigh. âAre they attractive? Please tell me theyâre not trashy.â
âConner,â I warned him.
âHey, dude, there are some seriously unattractive girls at the club. I donât want to end up with a girl who looks like she just crawled out of the woods.â He crossed his arms defensively.
âTheyâre both gorgeous. Oneâs a blonde, and sheâs the one whoâs into Noah. The other has dark brown hair and bright blue eyes.
âI thought she was wearing colored contacts at first, but she inherited her dadâs hair and her momâs eyes. Itâs a really unique combination.â Shay leaned into me, and I wrapped my arm around her waist, resting my hand on her belly.
âDo we get to know their names?â Connor and Noah asked in unison.
âIf they give me permission to tell you, then yes. If not, youâll find out when you meet them on your date,â Shay responded, snuggling deeper into my arms.
âFine,â they both conceded.
I couldnât help but chuckle. Theyâre in for a surprise if itâs the two girls Iâm thinking of.