Nine.

Five days later...

With my anxiety taking over, I am powerless to keep my nails from digging into the wooden armrests of my chair, small splinters embedding themselves deeply beneath my nails as I loudly swallow back the nausea that has been coaxing the back of my throat for several weeks and my focus is solely on the man sitting in front of me.

"You are, in fact, pregnant, Ms Starkk." As he examines my file, the doctor makes an announcement.

"P..pre.." I stutter, the words refusing to leave my lips as my body begins to burn up.

"Yes, pregnant," he says, looking at me through his concerned hazel green eyes as he slides his pair of glasses down the bridge of his nose.

"I...I..I. Shiiit..." I mutter, removing my hands from the chair, I grip my purse violently that lays on my knees, turning my knuckles white as I try to figure out what I'm going to do.

"With the information you have given us, you're about twelve weeks pregnant," he says as he leans back in his chair and places my file on his desk. "You have two choices: either keep the baby or schedule an immediate termination."

"I..." Dread slams into me, etching fine lines across my forehead as I lower my head, having a baby is the last thing I want.

"No way, fuck that. We're keeping the baby." Ace speaks up, his words tinged with excitement. "We're on the verge of producing a Mafia prince." He looks at me as he pumps his fist in the air.

'Why me???' My inner Goddess screams out in distress.

"Ms Starkk?"

I raise my head, my gaze meeting the doctors as I blink away the tears that well up in my eyes.

"What do you want to do?" His voice is soft and soothing as he asks me. "You, too, have a say in this." I notice his eyes narrow slightly as he shifts his gaze to Ace.

I watch in slow motion as Ace abruptly rises from his chair, knocking it over, his eyes narrowing into thin slits as he glares at the doctor.

I exclaim in surprise as he reaches into the back of his jeans and extracts a gun. "As I previously stated, old man, she is keeping the baby." He declares firmly, his other arm reaching out and dragging me to my feet.

The doctor prepares to speak whilst opening his mouth. "Ah, ah, ah..." Ace sneers as he cocks the gun. "If you want to live another day, old man, I'd shut the fuck up." He titters.

"We will not terminate the pregnancy, thank you for your concern, doctor." I slip my hand into Aces, interlacing our fingers to give the impression that this is what I want for the sake of the doctor.

Ace has developed into something of a loose cannon since that day with Trent; where he took me in front of his army of goons.

I believe he is even more unpredictable now after Trent coerced him into shooting me after I was forced to shoot the Irish leader's son, and I have no doubt that he will shoot the nice doctor if he believes that his opinion has been undermined.

Ace makes a snickering sound. "Are you listening, doc? She is against my baby's termination." He proudly puffs up his chest. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some wonderful news to share with our families back home." His words were stained with glee.

"Very well then," The doctor responds with a sigh, his gaze fixed on Ace's gun, which remains pointed at him. "Please, at the very least, make a trip to the pharmacy and pick up these." He scribbles on a piece of paper, tears it from his small prescription notepad, and extends it to me with a shaking hand.

"What on earth is this?" Ace adds as he snatches it from the doctor's grasp before I can.

"Vitamins for the baby, to aid in his or her growth and development." His eyes are locked on mine. "Please do not hesitate to call me during my regular business hours if necessary." His eyes soften with pity, leading me to offer a sad smile.

"I appreciate it," I murmur as Ace begins dragging me from the office.

On the journey back to the mansion, I sit with my body to the window, absent-mindedly gazing at the passing scenery and discreetly brushing away my tears.

How am I to fall in love with this child?

A child that was created solely as a result of my violated body, a child who will grow up in a mansion filled with rapists and murderers, this child will not positively contribute to the world, and that is what worries me the most.

Releasing a younger, heartless version of Ace or Trent into the world with the intention to cause havoc amongst the innocent.

I exhale, releasing some of the built-up frustration I've managed to attain since the doctor reported back with the confirmed pregnancy test.

The sudden desire of wishing Ace had shot me that night, piercing my heart and left me to bleed out in front of Trent and his army on the wooden flooring coats me shamelessly.

Ace, on the other hand, refused to point the gun at me a second time that day, refusing to let me die by his hands and denying me the only wish I'd had in a long time.

Resulting in me having to stand there and watch as Trent whipped him on the back, lash after lash, creating scars on his lean torso as blood pooled around the slashes rooted into his skin.

I gained an inkling of respect for him that day onwards, but he always seemed to misinterpret my actions, believing I was falling in love with him once again and it always ended with him slapping me around as I cried, yelling at him, "My heart needs a beat, Ace, and it's just not you!"

As he intrudes on my personal space, I notice his hand sliding across and resting on my thigh. I dip my head down to look at his calloused fingers, which are roughly rubbing up and down my thigh.

"Tesoro (treasure), we're going to be parents." He says with zeal, his gaze fixed on the road and a broad smile on his face.

A scowl forms on mine as I gape at his dumbarse, "Ace, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you do realise Trent fucked me without a condom too right?" I scoff at his naiveness.

"Don't, just don't fucking start, Mila!" His handsprings back from my thigh, running it over his face before he slams it against the steering wheel. "It's mine, okay, I'm the baby's papa. Me!" He yells, slapping his open hand against his chest. "Me. I'm gonna be a Papa, not him."

I sit back and study him. His reaction surprising the hell out of me, "Okay, Ace." I say in a toneless manner. "You are the father of this child." I return my attention to the passing scenery, restraining myself from taking control of the wheel and driving us straight into a ditch.