Chapter 1

After ten years with Logan Richter, a sex-addicted mafia boss, I had endured twelve miscarriages.

All because he claimed his enemies were everywhere, and a kid would just paint a target on our backs.

When I got pregnant for the thirteenth time, Logan surprisingly agreed to let me keep the baby.

Once the pregnancy stabilized, he went completely legitimate—leaving his criminal empire behind.

At seven months pregnant, I accidentally discovered the bastard'd been keeping a mistress Marina Morris on the side.

His little side piece was also pregnant—and she was two months further along than me.

I confronted him through my tears. Logan just gave me a annoyed look:

"Marina is different from you, Rachel. She's just an ordinary girl who needs a child's companionship."

"Come on, you know she'd never compete with you, even with a baby. You'll always be Mrs. Richter."

Staring into his cold and indifferent eyes, I clenched my fists until my nails bit into my palms.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke with calm resolve:

"Forget it. We're done, Logan Richter"

...

Logan's frown got even deeper.

He never expected me to say "We're done"—the same words I'd refused to speak even with a gun to my head from his enemies.

"Seriously, Rachel Campbell? You're gonna pull this shit now?"

Logan's voice dropped to that dangerous tone I knew too well. His eyes bore into me, waiting for me to take my words back.

In his mind, this peaceful life was everything I'd ever wanted. He couldn't figure out what the hell my problem was.

Neither could I, honestly.

But I stood my ground—kept my chin up and refused to back down.

"Yeah. Seriously."

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Logan's face got darker by the second.

Then Marina—Logan's dirty little secret he'd been hiding for over a year, her voice broke through the standoff.

She traced lazy circles in his palm with her finger—part flirtation, part comfort.

"Logan, babe, if this is too complicated, we could always postpone the wedding..."

My head snapped up.

Looking at her sweet and innocent face, my brain just... shut down.

For ten years, Logan had every excuse not to marry me.

He was afraid of having a weakness enemies could exploit.

Afraid he couldn't protect me properly.

Afraid he couldn't give me the stable life I deserved.

No matter how many times I told him "I don't care," Logan wouldn't even give me a damn marriage certificate.

Now he was planning some big fancy wedding for his mistress!

The pain in my chest was so sharp I could barely breathe.

"Nah, we're not waiting. Baby's coming soon—we can't put this off any longer."

"As for Rachel," Logan's cold eyes fixed on me, waiting for me to cave, “my business is none of her concern.”

Our eyes locked, and something inside me just died.

I suddenly remembered that time I took a bullet for him and nearly bled out. He'd torn through a crowd of shooters to get to me, holding me like I was everything.

I was dying in his arms, blood everywhere.

Logan was crying, screaming my name and kissing my lips.

That was when I first fell for him—crossing a line I never should have crossed as his enforcer.

After that, our crew started calling me "Mrs. Richter."

Now I realized Logan didn't just have one "Mrs. Richter"—he had a backup too.

Well, I was about to reject this title soon.

I shook myself out of the memory and turned away, done watching their little lovefest.

I'd barely taken two steps when I heard someone snort behind me.

"Logan, honey, did I do something wrong? Why is Rachel still so upset?" Marina's voice carried a wronged and wounded tone.

Logan let out a cold laugh.

"It's not your fault, sweetheart. She just forgot her fucking place."

Chapter 2

"But Logan, what if Rachel gets so pissed she takes off with her baby? What's gonna happen to ours?"

"You know I grew up in foster care, baby. Never had Rachel's luck—having you look out for her since she was a kid, getting to carry your healthy baby. Jesus, I'm so fucking jealous of her!"

"You know what? Forget it. I can't keep putting you through this shit. Maybe I should just take our baby and jump. At least in the next life maybe we'll both be normal enough to be together!"

Marina rushed past me toward the window.

When she shoved me aside, I caught a flash of something cold and calculated in her eyes for just a second.

Then she was out on the fire escape, putting on her whole dramatic suicide show.

This delicate little thing swaying in the wind, and Logan completely lost his shit, his voice cracking as he tried to talk her down.

I pressed my hand to my chest and started to leave, but Logan grabbed my wrist.

For the first time in years, his voice went soft—but his eyes stayed dead and brutal.

"Come on, Rach. You've been riding with me for ten years—you're stronger than this."

"I'll get the best cardiac surgeons in the city, buy the most advanced artificial heart they make."

"Just do this for Marina, alright? Just this once."

Ten years, and this was the first time Logan Richter had ever asked me for a favor.

But I couldn't make sense of what the hell he was really asking.

Logan helped Marina climb back inside and kept going:

"Rachel, even if... if your baby doesn't pull through, I promise I'll knock you up again."

I stared at him like he'd completely lost his mind.

*Knock me up again?*

Who the fuck did he think he was, playing God with my baby's life like it was some kind of business deal?

"Logan, honey, my water just broke! The baby's coming!"

Marina suddenly started screaming and doubled over.

Logan switched into crisis mode like he'd been planning this forever.

One nod from him, and his boys—the same guys who'd taken bullets for me—pinned my arms behind my back.

Logan grabbed a syringe off the table and jabbed it straight into my stomach.

These assholes were built like brick walls. I thrashed and fought, but couldn't break loose.

All I could do was clench my jaw and lock eyes with Logan, searching for any sign he might stop this.

Nothing.

His face stayed stone-cold as he pumped shot after shot into my belly.

After the third injection, one of his guys grabbed Logan's arm, hands shaking.

Gavin Thorn, the crew's doc.

The only one who'd muttered "sorry" when they first grabbed me.

"Boss, three shots is maxed out! You can't give her any more!"

"I get that Marina's in labor and you're freaking out, but Rachel's gonna fucking die if you keep this up!"

"Get your hands off me!"

Logan's voice dropped to that deadly whisper that used to make rival families wet themselves.

I knew he'd hit his breaking point.

In all my years running with Logan, I'd only seen him this furious twice.

First time was when I took those bullets and almost bled out. He sat by my hospital bed all night, silent and seething.

Next morning he walked into Alexandra Bloodaxe's compound solo and carved up her entire crew.

This was number two.

I squeezed my eyes shut as he kept stabbing needles into me. Agony tore through my gut, and the I passed out completely.

Chapter 3

When I woke up, I was already on the operating table.

I felt the scalpel slice through my skin, cold sweat streaming down my face.

I clenched my fists as agonized screams ripped out of my throat.

To make sure the baby wasn't affected—to make sure Marina got that perfect little heart she wanted—Logan even wouldn't let them give me any fucking anesthesia.

My numb heart started aching again, worse than the tearing pain in my body.

When Gavin saw I was awake, he looked at me with this broken expression—his eyes were full of pity.

I actually started laughing.

Some medic I'd known for ten months cared more about my pain than the man I'd spent ten years with.

By the time I heard three babies crying, I'd already given up. Then everything went black again.

I don't know how long I was out, but when I woke up, the babies were nowhere to be found.

No time to feel guilty about not protecting them—I dragged my torn-up body out of that hospital bed.

Something inside me was screaming to find those kids.

Blood dripped behind me, leaving a trail down the hallway.

The pain between my legs was so bad I could barely stand.

Right before I collapsed, I finally found them in the NICU.

I stood at the window, and my blood turned to ice.

Why were there only two babies?

They were hooked up to machines—tubes everywhere, blood flowing through the lines.

One side connected to Marina, the other to her baby.

Both kids were pale as death, their cries so weak I could barely hear them.

My chest felt like it was being ripped apart. I burst into the room and started yanking out every tube I could find.

My fingers were shaking like crazy—scared shitless I'd hurt them.

I tried to pick up both babies, to tell them mommy was here. That's when Marina grabbed my hair and slammed me down.

She was grinning like she'd been waiting for my coming.

Marina threw me to the floor and stomped on my head with her heel.

That's when I realized she wasn't some fragile college girl—she was stronger than me, even if I'd been killing people for years.

"There you are, Rachel Campbell! You finally showed up," she was enjoying every second of this, "You should be kissing my ass right now. If my baby didn't need a heart, you never would've gotten pregnant with Logan's kid."

"All I had to do was whisper in his ear, and boom—he's shooting you full of hormones like some prize heifer. Wanted you cranking out babies for my little prince."

"Too bad trash is still trash. If I had any other choice, you think I'd let their disgusting hearts go into my perfect baby? Makes me sick just thinking about it. Guess they'll just have to die now."

Marina pressed her hand down on one of the babies' heads. Just a little pressure, and the weak whimpering stopped completely.

"Marina Spinnett, I'll fucking kill you!" My whole body was shaking. How could she snuff out a life so easily?

I stared at her through tears of rage.

But my screaming just made her more excited.

She lifted her hand, and the other baby fell right in front of me.

It was just maybe three feet—but the baby hit the floor and just... exploded into pieces.

Blood and pieces of my child splattered across my face. Then the world went dead silent.

All the blood in my body seemed to flow backward. I lunged at her, ready to tear her apart.

But Marina just smiled wider.

Before I could touch her, something slammed into me and sent me flying across the room.

Before I could see who it was, Marina started crying, looking terrified:

"Logan, help me! I was just trying to help—brought Rachel's babies to stay with ours in the NICU. But Rachel got so mad! She said she was gonna kill our baby first, then kill me!"