Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“We’ll get you to the hospital.” It makes me nauseous to see blood streaked across his white tee and know it isn’t his. He beat a man to the point of almost death…for me. I should be more troubled by that than I am.
Viktor watches, standing guard against any other attacks.
“Polina?” he says.
“Mom’s pulse is faint. She’s alright. We need to get both of them to a hospital immediately.”
Mikhail holds me to him and stands with me held tightly against his chest. He leans in and kisses me. I almost turn away, but at the last second…I let him.
“We have a lot to talk about,” he whispers in my ear. “But know that you are mine and that I love you.”
The rest of what I wanted to say fades. I can’t even remember why I’m upset with him anymore.
You are mine and I love you.
It might be the only thing that can sustain me through what I have to go through next.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Aria
“There,” the doctor says, pointing to the screen in front of her. I squint my eyes to see what she’s pointing at, but only see blurry, indistinct images. It’s a bit unnerving to me that I’m able to see patterns on a screen in ways other people never can, but I can’t make heads nor tails of the ultrasound screen in front of me.
“Where?” Mikhail snaps.
I squint harder, but it doesn’t help.
I’m lying on my back and Mikhail is scowling at the doctor and the screen.
“There’s a heartbeat,” she says. “You likely pulled a muscle when you fell, but thankfully the female body is remarkably resilient and built to protect and nourish growing life. You’re fine, Aria, and so is your baby.”
Tears prick my eyes. I’m not fine, not at all, but I’m glad I don’t have to face the reality of a lost pregnancy. I close my eyes to stop myself from crying, but I can’t. Sometimes you don’t know how much something means to you until you almost lose it. I’m not super good at stopping myself crying when I’m overcome with emotion, and the feel of Mikhail’s strong arms around me only makes matters worse.
I want to sob it all out to him.
I couldn’t bear the thought of losing our baby.
I hate that you bought me.
I hate myself for going behind your back and not addressing it head-on.
Is your mom okay?
Did your brothers all survive?
I was the one that brought this on all of you.
Instead, I swipe at my eyes and swallow the lump in my throat for the umpteenth time.
The doctor turns and pats Mikhail’s shoulder before she hands me a white towel to clean the goopy mess up with. Who knew that ultrasounds are a messy business?
“Looks like you two can resume business as usual. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to return to,” she says with a wink before she leaves. My cheeks burn when I suddenly remember the conversation she had with Mikhail.
“Mikhail, you pulled her away from a date!” I say as the door shuts behind her.
“And?”
“There are plenty of other people who could’ve met us at the ER.”
“Or I could give her fifty thousand dollars to drop what she’s doing because she’s the only doctor I trust.”
I balk. “You gave her fifty thousand dollars?”
He’s still scowling, even as he gently helps me off the table. “I did, and I’d do it again. She works for me, Aria.”
And I know by now that Mikhail Romanov is very good to those who belong to him in any capacity at all.
Like…me.
Unless, of course…they betray him. My heart sinks.
We hear a knock at the door.
“What?” Mikhail snaps. He’s stressed as hell since half his family’s been brought here tonight. I don’t blame him. This whole ordeal has pulled the edges of my nerves so taut I feel ready to snap at any second.
Polina enters, a bandage across her forehead, looking even paler than usual. She looks wordlessly from me to Mikhail. I hand her the little printout the doctor gave me and point to the tiny bean. “The baby’s fine,” I say in a whisper since I don’t trust my voice tonight after everything that’s gone down. “I’m fine.”
To my surprise, Polina bursts into tears. In seconds, she’s gone from pale and holding her shit together to full-on sobbing. I sit up and reach for her but before I can get to her, Mikhail takes one step toward her, wraps his enormous arms around her, and holds her. Tears prick the corners of my eyes again. She lays her head on his chest and sobs.
“I was so afraid I failed to protect Aria and the baby,” she weeps. “And Mom, when she was passed out, I thought she was gone. I was so worried, Mikhail, and I was so afraid we’d fall apart.”