The night's work was evident in Cole's expression. Dieseli had him run 5 races in ONE night, that had to be a new record. Luckily, he managed to win all of them, and ended up with a pretty dang nice payout at the end of it, but he didn't know he could be so exhausted. At least his medical issues were mostly cleared up now, so his breathing wasn't holding him back anymore. It was days like these though that suggested to him to get back in the weight room, and maybe do some cardio while he was at it. The mob was starting to overwork him, that he had to admit. He was called out almost every night there was something going on, and always put in the biggest money races, and expected to win them or else. It was becoming a challenge to keep his sanity. He was beginning to see what Brian was talking about.

Though he was tired, it had been a couple days since he last saw Taya, so he figured he should probably stop into her place and check up. Her company was good relaxer for him anyway. His corvette finally found its way to the back of her shop and he drove it through the open gate. He lazily pried himself out of the car and took a look around the shop. "You around, babe?"

Taya was sitting at her desk working on a carborator and heard Cole come in and sighed. "In here baby!" She called and decided to take a break. She stood up and walked out to the small waiting room and smiled. "Hey babe." She said softly and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. "I have to talk to you about something. I tried texting you and you never answered. Did you get them?" She asked softly wondering if he saw the text "Baby I'm pregnant." she sent him earlier.

Cole did his best to look enthusiastic as Taya came out, even though he was absolutely washed out physically. After their embrace he stumbled over to the fridge and grabbed a corona, something that was much needed. He searched for his phone in his pocket when she mentioned the text but then remembered it was buried somewhere in his car, and he was much too lazy to go find it. "I didn't, it's been insane all day, and night." He said as he tore the cap off. "What's on your mind?"

Taya sighed and looked at him. "Maybe you should sit down..." She said softly. Once she saw he was seated she took a deep breath, wondering what he was going to do. "Remember when I told you I was sick and wasn't going to race a while ago?" She bit her lip and looked up at him. "I'm pregnant..."

"With pleasure." He exclaimed as he found the sofa in the garage and sank into it, the feeling of the day collapsing around him. His eyes grew a curious look as she began explaining her side. But at the end, those last two words gave him an unreadable expression, to say it hit him like a ton of bricks would be an understatement. "Whaa...?" He barely uttered out, not sure if he heard that right. "Oh god..." He breathed out as it started to sink in. He was in no position to be a father, at all. He had no idea how to conduct himself, he just sat there with a shell-shocked expression. "I-I dunno what....to t-think."

Taya felt tears forming and shook her head. "I'm sorry please don't hate me don't leave me please Cole.." She sobbed and looked at him. "Don't hit me please..." She said softly her last relationship was nothing but blows and last time this happened she was beat to death and lost the baby.

A million thoughts were going through his head, one side of his brain told him to be happy, but the rational side of his brain told him freak out. Her words hurt him a little, did she seriously think he was like that? "What kind of sick person hits girls?" He shot her a look that almost looked offensive.
Finally, he stood up off the couch and subconsciously paced around. "We gotta adopt it out." He concluded. "We can't raise a child, not in this environment." He said with a wince and rubbed his forehead nervously.

Taya winced and looked up at him. "I'm sorry...." She then listened to him go on about adopting it out. "Cole...I can't do that you don't understand what I went through." She said tears falling. "Please don't make me do that please." she pleaded and looked up at him. "I grew up not knowing my own family and look, they're all dead now. I'm not letting that happen to this baby..." she went over and stopped him and cupped his face in her hands. "Calm down okay we both have to breath and sit down and think clearly. We're both upset and it's only going to cause a fight okay?" She said looking up into his eyes. "Please baby I'm sorry about that other comment....I'll explain later okay?"

After taking a few deeper breathes, Cole managed to come back to his senses, at least a little bit. Though inside he was still panicking. "I can't make you do anything." He said subtly, his tone picked up a little as he tried to explain the situation. "But Taya, do you understand what I do for a living? I drive for the MAFIA." He emphasized that last word. "That means that at any moment I may have to vanish, and that's only if I have the chance." He sighed, this wasn't easy for him to say, but the point had to be conveyed. "I can't be a father figure, for the baby's sake." He shook his head.

Taya nodded and held him close. "I know baby I know it's hard. But...think about how later on the baby starts asking questions. It'll find out it's parents are really it's blood. It'll be worse off...." She said softly and looked up at him. "I love you and I'm scared everytime you have to go race or vanish for days at a time, yes. But I'd rather have this baby knowing it wasn't caconstantly who it really is. Do you understand where I'm coming from? I went for YEARS not knowing who my family was until I did some digging. I can do that to this baby. I love you Cole and I already love this baby because if I ever lost you I'd have a part of you with me forever." she said tears falling.

"I understand you perfectly and I agree." Cole nodded, though a little frustrated that he couldn't seem to make his point any clearer. "But the baby would be much worse off getting caught in the middle of my mess with the mob, you included." Cole thought over those words a little. This was why he had been so apprehensive about relationships these days, it wasn't just his problem anymore. If he had to disappear and Stephano found out about Taya or their child, god knows what kind of danger they'd be put through to force Cole back.
"Alright, you want to keep it. That's great, but my boss CANNOT find out about the baby or our relationship." He emphasized, knowing how difficult it would be to keep that under wraps.

Taya nodded and looked up at him. "I understand what you're trying to say and I agree too. If I have to I'll stay in hiding with Dom for a while. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you both safe alright." She said softly and looked into his eyes. "I lost a baby once I'm not doing it again, I can't." she sniffled. "I can't lose you either right now, but you have to do what's needed."

"I wish I could promise that I'll be here forever, but I can't." He said with a certain sadness to his voice. Her words that she couldn't lose him resonated with him for a moment, man did she ever pick a bad time to date him. "There's nothing you can do on your end for my safety, Taya. You'll just end up getting yourself killed." He said with a serious tone. "When I agreed to do this job, having a relationship, let alone a child wasn't something I was even thinking about, its just not smart." He shook his head, thinking of how much of an idiot he was looking like right now. "You need to live as independently from me as possible, that's something I've been meaning to tell you for awhile, but it's especially true now."

Taya shook her head and tears started to fall more. "You...you want to..." She started to shake and covered her mouth sobbing. "Dom was right..." She said looking up at him. "You were gonna leave me the whole time..."

Cole grew a confused look as Taya had a bit of a meltdown, partially because he didn't understand where she got the idea he was breaking up, and partially because he was caught off guard by this "Dom" person she kept bringing up. "I'm not going to leave for as long as I can stay." He put his arm around her cautiously. "But you can't lean on me too much, that's all I'm saying." He let out a sigh and replayed the words Brian would tell him over and over, that he was essentially as good as dead. With each day that passed, and each instance that would continually wear him out, along with discovering more and more of Stephano's character, he was definitely thinking Brian was right. It was a matter of time, and he needed a way out.

She nodded and held him close. "I know that I knew that from the beginning." She said softly. "Dom's a friend he can help get me started. He...he dated Letty...." She said softly. "He's like a big brother to me, I'm willing to do whatever."

Maybe it could've been a lack of understanding, but Cole didn't get Taya's flip-floppy attitude. One second she's making some profound accusation, the next second she's all buttery again. It confused him, and even angered him a little. But for now he shook it off and put it aside, he knew he was already on eggshells here.
"Help you get started with what?" Cole asked not following. Letty, that name was familiar, or was it? Some girl off the streets...wasn't she killed? Then it hit him, oh that's right, Letty was Taya's sister, he had to go way back in his thoughts to remember. "Well whatever you're willing to do, don't get stupid. This isn't anything to be taken lightly." He said, thinking it was a little ironic he was the one doing the talking on such a topic.

Taya nodded and looked up at him. "Started on arrangements and stuff. I can't stay at the garage anymore it's not safe. Maybe I can stay with him or something until we figure something safer out." She said softly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry....I'm just all over the place right now. I don't mean to be so emotional it's just trying to figure everything out."

"Not safe from what?" Cole raised a brow. Both of them were running from something now? Man, this day certainly went downhill fast. "Dunno if 'safe' even exists anymore." He said in a mellow tone. He knew for damn sure that it didn't for him.

"Times two on that." The blonde blinked quickly and looked aside, he wasn't sure if his own emotions could be at anymore of peak than they were now. "We'll sort something out. Where there's a will there's a way."

OOC: Sorry for taking forever to respond...

"People try and break in here and there and with all this going on with you I'd rather be in a house with a proper lock." She smiled up at him the door lock to the loft was rather faulty and was coming off the hinges. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "Love you Cole." She said softly and buried her face in his chest.

OOC: It's okay I have finals anyway.