Page 9 of Emerald Vices

“The babies are doing well?—”

“I know that already,” I snap. “I’m not asking about the babies right now. I want to know how she is doing.”

He shuffles from one foot to the other, refusing to lower the clipboard. “Natalia was very clear that she didn’t want me conveying her personal information to anyone else.”

I almost smirk. “You mean to me?”

“She… uh, did mention in passing that… ahem… that you’re not her next of kin. Nor are you her husband.” The man is sweating and tugging at his collar. “She wanted the details of her condition, unrelated to the babies, to be kept private.”

I take a step towards the skittish doctor and he flinches back. “Those babies inside her are mine, Abdulov,” I snarl. “She is mine, too—wife or not. I’m not going to let a piece of metal on her finger determine what I can and can’t know about her.”

He swallows under my unwavering glare. “I suspect that she’s experiencing some prenatal depression.”

“That’s in addition to the PTSD?”

Abdulov consults his clipboard again. “In my professional opinion, I think that perhaps the combination of the two is creating an unstable psychological environment. I spoke to Ms. Boone at length. The pregnancy hormones might be interfering with her existing PTSD. Her fears and panic could be heightened.”

Perhaps enough to pick up a gun and pull the trigger.

“So fix it.”

The doctor’s brow creases. “This is not a condition with a quick and easy solution, sir. Ms. Boone has a history of depression and anxiety.” He clears his throat. “Her current mental state speaks to a deeper problem. She should be in therapy. Intensive therapy that will help her work through some of her past traumas so that she can deal with her current responses.”

Predictable though his answer is, I don’t have time for it. There are enough external threats that I can’t spend time on the ones that exist inside Natalia’s head.

“What about pills? Antidepressants?”

“There are medications I can prescribe,” he admits. “But I’m hesitant to do so considering her advanced stage of pregnancy. Regardless, pills alone won’t help. Ideally, therapy and medication should be used hand in hand. No amount of drugs will make her feel safe if she isn’t in a calm, nurturing environment.”

Nurturing. What a fucking joke. How the hell am I supposed to nurture her when my very presence is a trigger?

“Thank you, Doctor,” I say, dismissing him with a wave of my hand.

Abdulov passes Shura once more on the way out of the room.

“Meeting is set,” he informs me as he shuts the door. “All three men are in. Ten o’clock tonight at Maria.”

“What about the Halcones spy?”

“He’ll be waiting for you in a cell beneath the club,” Shura says with grim satisfaction. “Along with some toys to encourage him to talk.”

5

ANDREY

“Boss?”

I jolt away from the wall as if there’s any way I can hide from Leonty that I’ve been standing outside Natalia’s room like a lovesick teenager.

“What is it?”

“Mino has just arrived.” When I show no sign of recognizing who the hell that is, Leonty hurries to explain. “He’s the physical therapist that you had me hire to help Misha with his shoulder.”

“Right.” I nod, embarrassingly grateful for the excuse to knock on the door. “I’ll let him know.”

Natalia, Misha, and Remi have spent the entire day locked away in her room. Even their meals are being brought up to them, Remi’s included.

At first, I was just grateful Natalia was content to stay in the main house instead of the pool house. Now, proximity isn’t enough. I want to see her.

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