Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Semion sneers. “This isn’t over.”
“If you were smart, you’d back off,” Sasha adds, stepping forward with his gun still aimed. “Because I’ll have no problem taking you out if need be.”
Semion doesn’t respond.
He knows we’re right.
Sasha and the rest of our crew sweep the exits while I carry Nicole through the mansion’s corridors. It feels like walking through a battlefield. Bodies litter the floor, blood streaks the marble, and glass shards glitter along the corridor. Semion’s men took a heavy beating tonight, and they won’t forget it soon. With luck, they’ll remember their leader started all this. It never had to be like this.
At the SUV, I settle Nicole into the back seat and tuck a blanket around her shoulders while Sasha climbs into the front. The SUV pulls away from the compound, tires crunching gravel, and only then do I let out the breath I’ve been holding since the call came in.
She’s alive. She’s safe. She’s carrying my child.
Nicole stays silent for most of the ride, but her hand finds mine in the space between us, grounding me.
After a few miles she finally speaks. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.
I glance at her. “For what?”
“For lying to you,” she breathes. “For keeping the pregnancy a secret for so long. I just didn’t know if I could trust what we had.”
I shake my head. “I know why you did it,” I tell her honestly. “And I can’t blame you for keeping it to yourself.”
I slide closer and thread our fingers together. “But, just so you know, I meant what I said. I’m going to be the best damn father to this child. Not only will I protect our son or daughter with my life, but I will do the same for you. With me, you’ll never be unsafe again. I promise you that.”
Nicole’s eyes shine with tears as she squeezes my hand. “I was hoping you would say that.”
I press a kiss to her knuckles, then lean back and exhale as the adrenaline drains from my system.
29
NICOLE
Afew weeks go by, and they are some of the most amazing weeks of my life. Despite the trauma of being kept in that hellhole, Sergei has done absolutely everything he can to make me comfortable.
For starters, he’s barely left my side since I came back. I keep telling him I’m fine and he can get back to work, but he insists I matter more than any business deal. It’s kind of nice.
Plus, he knows about the baby now. Somehow, instead of bolting or spiraling, he becomes even more protective of me. Of both of us. He’s shifted into full-on caretaker mode, which is downright adorable.
He read a few articles on the internet about healthy pregnancies, and suddenly he’s an expert on all things baby. I have to keep reminding him that I actually am a medical professional and I have a good grasp on the situation.
Liliya has been healthier this week than I’ve ever seen her. She’s barely needed me at all and has told me multiple times over the past few weeks how happy she is that I’m safe. She’s even happier that she’s finally going to be a grandma.
“These boys, I tell you.” She shakes her head the day after I get back. “I was sure I would die without ever getting to spoil my first grandchild. Thank God for you, Nicole. I couldn’t ask for a better person to be the mother of my grandbaby.”
That same night, Sergei asks me to move in with him permanently, and I don’t hesitate.
“Mom’s doing much better now,” he says when I tell him about our earlier conversation. “We don’t really need you here as a nurse anymore. But I would be so happy if you’d agree to move in. Let’s give this a real shot and raise our baby together.”
“Yes,” I answer before he even finishes.
The very next morning, he sends movers to my apartment to pack up everything and haul it to the mansion. He’s bought out the rest of my lease, too. I’m learning he’s both eager and impatient in the best possible way.
Today, that impatience feels downright endearing. He’s about to see our baby on the ultrasound for the first time. He’s going to hear the baby’s heartbeat. He’s been vibrating with excitement since dawn.
I sit on the crinkly paper at the OB’s office, waiting for the ultrasound technician to come in and show us our baby. Sergei is beside me, his hand clasped in mine, warm and strong and steady. His thumb traces slow circles over my knuckles, bleeding some of his nerves into me.
“You nervous?” he asks, voice low and gentle.
I smile up at him. “Not really,” I say. “Mostly I’m excited for you to meet our little bean. I bet you’ll be every bit as obsessed with them as I am.”