Page 191 of Betrayal and Vows

"He needs to stay innocent as long as possible," Elena counters, then looks directly at me. "That's what his father is working so hard to ensure."

The pointed comment isn't lost on anyone.

Elena knows exactly what I've been doing this past year, the careful balance I've struck between power and family. She doesn't approve, but she understands.

"I'm doing what I have to do to keep them safe," I say quietly.

"I know you are." Her expression softens as she bounces Alexei in her arms. "Your mother would be proud of the father you've become. The man you've become."

The mention of my mother still hits hard sometimes.

I wish she could have met Lena, could have held her grandson.

But in some ways, Elena has filled that void, becoming the mother figure I never had and the grandmother Alexei deserves.

"She would have loved him," I say, watching Alexei grab at Elena's necklace with chubby fingers.

"She would have loved all of this," Elena replies.

"Speaking of babies," Lena says suddenly, her voice carrying a strange note that makes me look up from where I'm watching Alexei play with Elena's bracelet. "I have an announcement."

The way she says it immediately puts me on alert. Lena is never nervous about anything. She faced down armed men without flinching, but now she's fidgeting with the edge of the tablecloth.

"What kind of announcement?" I ask, though something in my gut already knows.

She takes a deep breath, her cheeks flushing pink. "I'm pregnant. Again."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I stare at her for a long moment, then automatically look down at Alexei, who's happily drooling on Elena's jewelry, completely oblivious to the bombshell his mother just dropped.

"How?" I blurt out, then immediately feel stupid for asking.

The table erupts in laughter. Dmitri nearly spills his water, Elena covers her mouth with her free hand, and even Lena is giggling despite her obvious nerves about my reaction.

"Would you like me to explain the process to you?" Dmitri offers with a wicked grin. "I thought you might have figured it out by now, considering the evidence sitting right here."

I frown at him, then turn back to Lena. "I thought the doctor said you couldn't get pregnant while breastfeeding."

Elena laughs so hard she has to wipe tears from her eyes. "Oh, my dear boy. That is absolutely not true. Where on earth did you get that idea?"

"I read it somewhere," I mutter, feeling heat creep up my neck. For someone who's supposedly intelligent enough to run a criminal empire, I apparently know nothing about female biology.

"That's an old wives' tale," Elena continues, still chuckling. "Breastfeeding can delay ovulation, but it's not birth control. Clearly." She bounces Alexei gently. "Are you two trying to repopulate Russia single-handedly? This little one isn't even walking yet."

I look at Lena, really look at her, searching for signs I somehow missed. Now that I know what to look for, I can see the subtle changes—the slight fullness to her face, the way she's been more tired lately, how she pushed her coffee away this morning claiming it tasted off.

"How far along?" I ask quietly.

"Eight weeks," she says, her eyes uncertain as they meet mine. "I wanted to be sure before I told anyone. I know we didn't plan this so soon after Alexei?—"

I'm out of my chair and pulling her into my arms before she can finish the sentence. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have this again—another child, another piece of our future growing inside her.

"Are you happy?" she whispers against my ear.

"Happy?" I pull back to look at her face. "Lena, I'm over the moon. Another baby. Our baby."

Relief floods her features. "I was worried you'd think it was too soon, with everything going on?—"

"It's perfect," I interrupt, pressing my forehead to hers. "You're perfect. This is perfect."