Page 58

Clenching my jaw, I watch as the girls walk into the clinic.

One of them has to be pregnant. I vaguely remember when I set up the appointment for Alina years ago, thinking one day she’ll get married and have kids and that I wanted the best for her in women’s care, especially for pregnancy, and this doctor had some of the best credentials around.

But if one of them is pregnant, which one? Alina might be pregnant with Max’s child. However, I’d like to think, if she was, she’d have told me about Erin, or me as well as Erin. We’re close, close enough for that, definitely. And I’d be one hundred percent behind her if she was.

And Erin?

Shit, this fucking idiotic wedding bullshit with Stefina’s complicated things enough that she might not confide in me if she found out she was pregnant.

I swallow hard.

Another baby?

I’m honestly not sure how I feel about that possibility or the fact she just might keep it from me. If it’s her, is it going to turn out to be like Sasha all over again?

Worse, is she going to try to rip Sasha from my life?

And if I can’t get out of the Stefina thing? I refuse to let that happen, but worst case, if it does, then she’s got every right to move out. Even if I set her up, it wouldn’t be the same.

Fuck. I’ll bring the world down, burning in war before I let?—

My phone buzzes, breaking my doomed thought stream.

I pick it up from the seat next to me. Ilya.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

“You need to come to the hospital right now.”

“I was going to bring Sasha?—”

“Alone.”

I frown, plugging the phone in and starting the engine. “Is everything okay with you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ilya’s voice fills the car as I pull out into the traffic. “But I need you now.”

I drive home, and hand Sasha over to Olga, then text Erin to let her know Ilya needs me but I’ll be back when I can. Then I head to the hospital, putting the whole maybe baby situation out of my head.

It’s all conjecture anyway, and thinking about it is only going to drive me crazy and take up precious real estate that could be given to the Stefina/Sergio issue.

Oh, I’ll deal with thewho might be pregnantdrama later, but as I head inside the hospital, I pick up a couple of coffees from the fancy cafeteria and go up to the private and now very secure wing where Ilya is.

The hospital security’s already now top notch but this wing’s next level.

My only regret is I didn’t set it up when Erin came in.

For a checkup and a stay overnight, I remind myself. I didn’t know and I can’t walk about putting up the equivalent of royalty level security at every fucking turn.

I took Sasha to the park, for fuck’s sake and it was fine. Erin’s out with only a couple of guys watching her. High-level guys, but only a couple.

Finally, I walk into Ilya’s room and put his coffee down on the table that he has set up as a workstation.

He looks better than he did the other day, and I know part of that’s because he’s working.

There are fewer tubes and drips and machines hooked up to him, but he’s still wired for sound as the beeps and blips announce.

When I sit, Ilya lets out a noisy breath.