Page 128 of Ivory Oath

Dr. Rossi hands over my pictures and leaves while I re-dress. A few minutes later, he comes back in with a stack of pamphlets. “We did the fun stuff first. Now, it’s time for the business side of things. I have some information for you about prenatal testing.”

“Is there something you’re looking for?” I ask with a spike of panic.

“It’s something I recommend to all my patients. When it comes to babies, knowledge is power. The more you know, the better you can prepare.”

I flip through the pamphlet, my eyes skimming over the pages. In the photos, a woman grins as she reads her results. Her husband is right behind her, squeezing her shoulder and smiling alongside her. Every page is filled with happy families and beaming couples.

“The test also reveals the gender of the baby,” Dr. Rossi explains. “I’m not sure if that is something you’re interested in, but the test allows you to know the gender well before the usual twenty-week anatomy scan.”

I never found out the gender with Dante. Somehow, I just knew he’d be a boy.

Mikhail and I haven’t talked about whether we want to find out this time. We haven’t had time to talk about much of anything. Even the announcement was interrupted by the FBI, though I decide not to tell Dr. Rossi about that particular wrinkle in the story.

“You can discuss with your husband before you make a choice. Just let me know and we’ll see you back within two weeks to draw blood and?—”

“I want to do it,” I decide all at once.

He frowns for the first time since I walked into his office. “There’s no rush. You can take your time.”

“Not necessary.” I sit tall, shoulders back. “I want the test.”

If Mikhail wanted to be part of this pregnancy, he’d be here. As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t get a say. Not when he can’t even bother to show up for appointments.

With a shrug, Dr. Rossi sends me to the lab for a blood draw and then I’m spat back into the lobby where Raoul is waiting for me. If he wants to see the sonogram pictures or know anything about the baby, he hides it well. His job is to escort me to and from the appointment, not ask questions. So he doesn’t.

It’s another silent, stuffy drive back to the mansion. As the residential roads become more and more familiar, the little bit of joy I managed to scrape together in Dr. Rossi’s exam room fades like the skyline behind us.

I have a healthy baby. I should be celebrating. I pinch the stupid hemline of my stupid dress and feel ridiculous for ever thinking there might be a date afterward.

Mikhail comes and goes whenever he wants, and I’m always just there… waiting for him. Demanding nothing.

How could I make demands when he’s in the middle of a war? It seems unfair. But it’s also unfair that, for the second time in my life, I’m experiencing my pregnancy alone.

Mikhail missed everything with Dante. That was my fault, I know. But I thought this time would be different.

He promised he’d always take care of our family. I just didn’t realize the price would be doing this life without him.

53

MIKHAIL

Stakeouts usually involve sitting in cramped cars for hours on end. A meal break for greasy fast food if I can spare the time.

But tonight is no normal stakeout.

For weeks, I’ve been working towards and waiting for this shipment of weapons to arrive. When Cerberus went up in flames, I wasn’t sure we’d pull everything together in time to be able to handle the influx of product and cash.

Now, the ship is in the harbor and all the years of work are coming to fruition. I think that’s deserving of a drink. Though I’d prefer to have it with my woman on my arm.

The rooftop bar is encircled with glowing heaters, fighting against the chilly air off the water. The harbor is lit up below. City lights glint off the surface of the Hudson.

“Your drink, Mr. Novikov.” The waitress slides a glass in front of me and leaves a second one on the table. “And for your wife.”

When the server first sidled up to my table, she flipped her hair and batted her lashes at me. She asked how a man like me could be drinking alone.

“Because my wife is running late,” I told her succinctly.

The way she deflated gave me no small amount of joy.

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