Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“I’ll tell her soon enough,” I say, because it’s the best answer I can give him.
He tilts his head. “And what if that makes her run away from you? You can’t control how she feels, D.”
“I guess I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it,” I answer carefully, not even wanting to consider that possibility.
“Well, then,” he says. “I support that. We’ll protect Lyra as a part of the family.”
I nod once, the weight of that promise settling deep in my chest. After Rurik is dead, I’m going to put a ring on her finger.
“Thank you,” I say to Alek, my voice steady but my chest still tight.
Just as we’re starting to relax, Radimir stops by. One look at him, and my body tenses.
He’s not the kind of man who hesitates. Not ever. Even with the worst news, he delivers it with a detached ease. Whatever he isn’t saying weighs heavily on him, and that gives me pause. I straighten immediately, already running contingencies through my head. If this has something to do with Rurik, if that bastard has changed his plans again after we’ve put so much work into this setup…
“I have some news about Lyra,” Radimir says, his voice low.
I freeze, and Alek fixes me with a look. He takes one final gulp of vodka before he puts the bottle back where he got it, then politely excuses himself. He’ll be chomping at the bit to hear this later, I’m sure of it.
I narrow my eyes at Radimir. “What is it?”
“As you may remember, you asked us to keep a tail on her,” he begins.
My stomach turns before he’s even finished speaking. For a second, I don’t respond. I forgot I even gave that order. It was a gut reaction, a precaution. She seemed off, and I told myself it was just me being cautious. I didn’t expect anything to come of it.
But now Radimir is standing here like he’s holding a live grenade.
I clench my jaw. “She’s been with me for a week,” I remind him. “I dropped her off less than an hour ago. What could possibly be wrong?”
“It’s nothing like that,” he rushes to explain. “She’s home safe and sound.”
“Then what exactly is the problem?” I ask, exhaling through my nose, trying to keep my temper in check.
“She’s been to a medical office twice,” he says slowly. “We couldn’t get the exact details right away. But we finally found out what suite she’s been visiting.”
My hands curl into fists at my sides, and suddenly I’m worried. Is she sick? Is that what she’s been hiding from me? I catalog every mental image of her I have, from the moment I met her at that restaurant to the moment I dropped her off. I’m trying to determine whether she’s lost weight, whether she looks more tired than before.
A weight forms in the pit of my stomach as I run worst-case scenarios. But logic wins and reminds me that the man with the actual answers is standing right in front of me.
“Radimir, spit it out,” I demand.
“It’s an obstetrician.”
The words hit like a bullet to the chest. I go completely still. For a second, all I can hear is the blood rushing in my ears. An obstetrician. There’s only one reason she would see an obstetrician twice in as many months.
Once the news finally settles and I can think again, I move. Radimir steps aside as I storm past him. I don’t even grab my coat. I don’t wait for my car. I just walk out into the street, hand already dialing her number.
It rings once, then twice, then goes to voicemail. I try again. Still nothing. I’m halfway down the block when Alek catches up with me, grabbing my arm.
“Damien. What the hell is going on?”
“She’s pregnant,” I snap. “And she didn’t tell me.”
His eyes widen, but he doesn’t say anything.
“You’re sure about this?”
“She’s been hiding something from me for weeks,” I say. “I’m sure about that. What else would it be?”
He puts his hand on my shoulder to stop me, but I shove it off and start walking faster.
“She’s been going to a doctor and hiding it, Alek. Here I am planning our future together, and she’s been keeping this huge secret from me.”
He keeps pace beside me, silent.
The world feels different now. Tilted. I don’t even know how to process it. My brain keeps flashing back to the island. Her soft sighs. The way she touched her stomach when she didn’t know I was looking. The way she declined wine at every dinner.
She’s been keeping my child a secret from me. I’m furious. I’m terrified. I need to know why she didn’t tell me, and I need to hear it from her lips right now.
“At least let me call your driver,” Alek says when we’ve crossed two blocks. “She’s two miles away!”