The Skull Ruler

by Penelope Sky

  It’d been that long? Time didn’t seem to have any meaning. It moved quickly, but it also didn’t move at all. What had Balto been doing over the last three weeks? Had he stopped by to collect payment from Case? I didn’t dare ask. “Alright, I’ll come.”

  “Good.” He unpacked another bag. “I don’t know if you need any of this, but I got you a few things.” He pulled out shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, body lotion, and tampons.

  I stared at the tampons with an eyebrow raised. “Wow. You deserve a medal for that.”

  He shrugged. “You get a pass right now. But when you’re better, don’t expect me to buy any of this for you.”

  I smiled for the first time in three weeks. “You’re a good brother.”

  “I know. So, how about I whip up some dinner? You haven’t eaten in three weeks, so you must be starving.”

  “I’ve eaten.”

  “But not enough. You’ve lost about ten pounds.”

  Losing weight wasn’t the worst thing in the world. “How about lasagna?”

  My brother smiled. “There’s my sister…”

  I carried all the supplies to my bathroom and set them on the counter. Case must have figured out exactly what I needed from his experience with the women who stayed over because he’d never paid that much attention to me when we were growing up.

  He even got the good tampons, the ones that weren’t made of cardboard.

  I stared at the box as my heart dropped into my stomach. I couldn’t figure out when I would need a tampon next because I could recall the last time I’d used one. It’d been at least two months since my last period.

  Oh my god.

  My hand shook as I held the box. I kept staring at the brand in the corner without really looking at it. I’d been taking the shot for birth control for years. The doctor came to the house, gave me the shot, and then it was over. It lasted for at least six months.

  I guess I missed my last dose.

  Shit.

  I tried to calm myself down by thinking of other explanations for my skipped periods. It could be a hormone imbalance or stress. Or maybe I lost too much weight so I just wasn’t bleeding. But all those explanations were bullshit.

  I was pregnant.

  I had to be.

  17

  Cassini

  “Where are you going?” Case sat at the table with the receipts and books scattered around him. He didn’t look up from his balance sheet as he watched me grab my purse in his periphery.

  “Nosy, aren’t you?”

  “Defensive, aren’t you?” He looked up, his eyebrow raised.

  “I have a doctor’s appointment.”

  “Everything alright?”

  “It’s just a checkup.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?”

  “No, I’ll be fine. You’ve got too much to do here anyway.” I left the factory then walked through the city to the office. It was the first time I’d been out and about in Florence since…I was with Lucian. I used to drive that ridiculous car around while I went shopping and ran errands. It was a restrained form of freedom.

  I checked in at the front desk, gave a urine sample, and then waited.

  It was still freezing outside, but I was covered in sweat.

  I couldn’t be pregnant.

  I couldn’t.

  The father of my child would be the Skull King. That was the worst thing that could possibly happen.

  Before the doctor even walked into the exam room with the results, I already knew the truth. I hadn’t noticed a change in my body, but when I ran my hand over my stomach, I could feel the slight curve. My belly had grown, but I’d lost weight at the same time. As a result, I looked exactly as I did before.

  The doctor walked inside, gave me a slight smile, and then flipped through the paperwork. “Congratulations. You’re going to be a mother.”

  I watched her lips move as I heard every word she said, but the news didn’t settle right away. My life was forever changed in that moment, and I didn’t even have the full nine months to prepare for the grand event. I had to be a few months along, so that was less time to process everything.

  The doctor studied the consternation on my face. “I guess that wasn’t the news you were hoping for.”

  “I’m just surprised.”

  “Most pregnancies are by accident. You’re two months along.”

  Two months? Wow.

  “Let’s put you on some vitamins. Then we’ll schedule a follow-up appointment with a sonogram.”

  I muted everything she said. My hand moved across my stomach as the truth sank in. I wouldn’t be starting a family with a nice husband. I was knocked up by a cruel man who didn’t want me, who hadn’t changed his mind in the last three weeks since he saw me. “Yeah…let’s do that.”

  Another two weeks passed, and I didn’t know what to do with this newfound knowledge.

  I was pregnant.

  There was no chance Lucian was the father since it’d been at least three months since the last time he fucked me. I suspected he didn’t have the balls to get me pregnant anyway. That meant Balto was the father.

  The Skull King.

  The responsible woman inside me wanted to tell him the truth. It was his baby, and he had the right to know his son or daughter was coming into the world. But I also knew that conversation would be pointless. He didn’t want a family, so if I told him I was pregnant, he would tell me nothing had changed. Or he would step up and be a father…even though he didn’t want to. That would be worse, in my opinion.

  Why would I want him around if he didn’t want to be around?

  I didn’t know what to do.

  In a few more weeks, I would start to show. Dirk and Case were dense about a lot of things, but they would figure it out soon enough. Keeping this a secret from them would be impossible.

  Besides, I didn’t want to do this alone.

  Case came to my bedroom door and knocked. “Dinner is ready. You hungry?”

  “No.” I’d lost my appetite even more since I’d realized I was pregnant. But then I remembered that I needed to eat. I was eating for two now, so turning down meals wasn’t an option anymore. “Actually, I’ll be there in a second.”

  “Good.” Case’s steps sounded on the floor as he walked away.

  I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and checked for messages. Balto hadn’t contacted me once, and it’d been an entire month. He didn’t tell me that he missed me. He didn’t call me to check on me. He dropped me just the way he said he would.

  Why did I expect any different?

  I walked into the dining room and joined my brother. He had a bowl of salad along with fettuccini alfredo with mushrooms and broccoli. He uncorked a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

  I didn’t object because that would be obvious. I never turned down wine.

  Case started scooping everything into his mouth. “How was your doctor’s appointment?”

  “It was fine.” It was a week ago, so I didn’t understand why he was asking about it now.

  “Are you seeing them for depression? I’m glad you’re getting help, but this will pass. You’re a tough woman. You’re a Cardello. You’ll get through this.”

  He couldn’t be further off the radar. “I know it’ll pass. It’ll just take a while.” I ate my salad with my eyes downcast, unsure when I should tell him the truth. He and Dirk were going to be uncles. The Cardello family would grow. “Did you have fun on Friday?” It was the first time he’d left me alone at the house and gone out.

  “Yeah, it was fine.” He kept eating.

  “That’s all you’re going to say?”

  “What do you want me to say?” he asked. “I met a pretty woman and I scored.”

  “Good for you.”

  “When do you think you’ll get back out there?”

  Now that I was having a baby, it would be years before I considered going on a date. My life would revolve around the little person who would dictate my life. My entire e
xistence would be directed toward a whole other person. There wouldn’t be time for romance. “Not for a while.”

  “Maybe you should go out this weekend. Just talk to a few guys. Dip your toe back in the water.”

  Yes, they would love to spend their time with a woman who couldn’t drink because she was pregnant. We would really hit it off. “I’m not ready for that.”

  “It’s been a month.”

  “And that’s not enough time.”

  He refilled his glass of wine then noticed mine hadn’t been touched. “Something wrong with the wine?”

  “No, not at all.” I spun my fork in the pasta and kept my eyes on my plate.

  “Then why haven’t you drunk any of it?”

  “Because I’m too busy talking to you.”

  “Hasn’t stopped you from eating.”

  I lifted my chin and lowered my fork. “Case, back off.”

  “What am I doing? I’m just taking an interest in your life.”

  “You’re interrogating me,” I countered. “Being nosy about my doctor’s appointment—”

  “I just want to make sure you’re okay,” he snapped. “You’re the most depressed I’ve ever seen you, and I’m sorry for being concerned. Wait, no. I’m not sorry for being concerned.”

  “And then you’re pestering me to meet a bunch of guys when I’m not ready.”

  “I just suggested going out and talking to a few. Maybe it’ll make you more open-minded.”

  “And then you’re monitoring the amount of wine I drink. Just back off.”

  “Well, you usually drink your wine quicker than I do. Just wanted to make sure you liked it. I’ve been bending over backward, trying to help you. I want you to feel comfortable after everything you just went through. All I’m trying to do is help you. So, get off my case, alright?” His eyes bored into mine with hostility. Now he spoke to me like he used to, like I was the bane of his existence. But his temper was fired up more than usual, and he was sick of my shit. “Jesus Christ, give me a break.” He took a long drink of his wine then turned his attention back to his plate. This time, he didn’t look up again, ignoring me.

  Now I felt like shit. My brother had done so much for me, and I wasn’t showing my gratitude. I had an enormous secret to carry, but I obviously wasn’t doing a good job pretending everything was normal. “Case, I’m sorry. It’s just…” I spun my pasta around without any intention of taking a bite. I wasn’t ready to share this information, but keeping it a secret would just make it worse. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  He looked up from his food, all of his anger gone as he sensed the pain in my voice. He set down his fork and gave me his full attention, staring at me with the same green eyes I possessed. When he was focused, he looked just as intense as Balto. They shared the same kind of silent aggression.

  “I’m struggling to deal with it, and I’m scared. I was going to keep it a secret as long as I could, but it’s not the kind of secret I can keep forever.”

  “Alright…you’re scaring me.”

  I exhaled the breath I was holding. “I’m pregnant.”

  The only reaction he gave was with his eyes. They widened slightly in surprise, but the reaction only lasted seconds before they returned to normal once more. He didn’t take a single breath, frozen into place by what I’d said.

  “I’m two and a half months along. I’ll start to show pretty soon.”

  He slowly leaned back against the wooden chair, the furniture slightly creaking under his shift of weight. His arm rested on the table, and he stared with that empty expression, like he had no idea what to say about the revelation.

  I didn’t blame him. “It was unplanned, obviously. Now I don’t know what to do.”

  “You don’t know if you want to keep it or not?” He cocked his head slightly, still reserved in light of the news.

  That wasn’t what I meant at all. The thought had never crossed my mind. Even if the baby’s father was a crime lord who wanted nothing to do with us, we were in this together. We were already a family. The pregnancy was unplanned and stressful, but I wouldn’t change anything. I could handle it on my own…once I finally calmed down. “Of course, I want to keep it.”

  “Even though Balto is the father?”

  Especially because he was the father. I loved that man, so obviously I would love his son or daughter. “Yes.”

  He leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. “I don’t know what to say, sorella. That was the last thing I expected you to say. Based on your figure, I had no idea.”

  “Give it a few more weeks, and my figure will be gone…”

  “How do you feel about it?”

  “I…I’m not sure. It’s overwhelming, to say the least. I had no idea I was pregnant. It wasn’t until you got me those tampons that I realized I hadn’t had a period in a while. Everything has been so hectic lately, it just slipped my mind.”

  He nodded slightly. “How do you think he’ll react?”

  I stared at Case blankly, surprised he even asked the question. “I’m not sure if I’m going to tell him.”

  My brother stared at me in restrained surprise, one eyebrow arched while his hand reached for his wine. He pulled the glass toward him but didn’t take a drink. “Why wouldn’t you?”

  “He was pretty straightforward when he said he didn’t want a wife and kids. He made it abundantly clear that he preferred to spend his life as the Skull King, not as my man. He doesn’t want this baby, and the last thing I need is to hear him say it.” I already expected his dismissal, but if I had to watch it or listen to it, it would be a million times more painful. He’d tossed me aside and broke my heart. Being subjected to that again would be torture.

  “Even if that’s his reaction, this is his kid. He has the right to know.”

  “Even if—”

  “It’s his decision to make. Let him make it.” He took a drink of his wine and licked his lips. “I’m not looking to be a father either, but I would want to know if I knocked up some woman. I’d want to know that my son or daughter was out there.”

  “Because you would be a father to them. Balto has no interest in that.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe he’ll feel differently when he knows you’re pregnant.”

  He’d already told me he couldn’t have children because it would be too dangerous. If he wanted to be part of our baby’s life, he would have to leave the Skull Kings. Since that was the last thing he wanted, he would just resent me—and our child. I wanted that man more than anything, but I didn’t want him here just because I was having a baby.

  “Cassini.”

  My eyes met his.

  “You have to tell him—for better or worse.”

  18

  Balto

  I walked into the Underground with my shirt over my shoulder.

  The men followed behind me with the taxes we’d collected. Millions of euros were stuffed into the leather bags to be placed in the vault. Tomorrow, I would meet with Cato Marino, the owner of one of the biggest banks in Europe. He convinced me to keep some of our money in his vaults because it wasn’t smart to store everything in one place.

  We descended farther underground until we arrived at the enormous vault with a circular door constructed out of the strongest metal in the world. Over five feet thick, the door was impossible to drill through.

  The men left the money then disappeared, giving me privacy so I could turn the enormous wheel and enter the code for the door to unlock. I didn’t use an electric passcode because that could be hacked. Old-fashioned locks had the better advantage. The only way someone was getting in here was if they got the code from me—and I wouldn’t crack. I wouldn’t die for money.

  But I would die for pride.

  I opened the door and revealed all the cash already stuffed inside.

  “So, you just never wear a shirt now?” Heath’s voice emerged from behind me.

  I turned around to look at him, displeased by his presence.
<
br />   He stepped farther into the room. “Don’t worry. I stepped inside after the door was open.”

  “I don’t let anyone down here.”

  “I might be a thief, but I don’t steal from my brother.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the bags of money. “Need help with this?”

  “No.” I picked up two bags, carried them into the vault, and then returned for two more.

  “Seriously, what’s with your shirt?” he asked. “Trying to encourage all of us to hit the gym?”

  “Just you.” I placed two more bags inside then returned. “I got blood on my shirt.”

  “And that bothers you?”

  I pulled my shirt off my shoulder and held it out to him. “It was white before.”

  He examined the red blood that had turned the entire shirt the bold color. “How did you manage that? And why are you keeping it?”

  “Good point.” I tossed it on the ground and kept working. “Some prick crossed me. I took care of it.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Why do they never learn?”

  “They do learn. But they like to roll the dice.”

  He shook his head. “Gambling is never a good idea—if you’re betting your life.”

  I finished loading the money then shut the door. “Something you wanted?”

  “Actually, yes.” He looked me in the eye once the door was shut and I was finished working. “You look like shit.”

  I stared him down and noted his serious expression. “I did just work all night.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.”

  Ever since Cassini left, I’d been working all the time, trying to stay busy so I wouldn’t think about her. That plan wasn’t working so well. She came into my thoughts, no matter how hard I tried to forget her. When I closed my eyes, she was in my dreams. I replayed her final words to me over and over.

  I love you, Balto. I always will.

  And I never said it back.

  The weak part of me hoped she would call, but she never did. Even if we only talked about the weather, it would be nice to hear her voice again, to know she was alright. I knew Case and Dirk would look after her just as well as I did.