Page 62 of Bound For You

I clear my throat and rasp, “Anthony Dimitri Popov-Garcia.” Juan came in right at that point and gasps at my son’s name. But I can’t focus.

The nurse nods. “We’re going to take him up to NICU and have a look at him.”

I just nod, not moving a muscle.

Phoebe steps up beside me. “I’ll go with him, okay?”

I nod again, still not moving, and they go off to make sure my son’s healthy despite his traumatic birth. Dimitri pulls me back into the waiting room. The same one we were in with Phoebe, the same room where I decided to pull back from my love and make her into my whore. Mindy taking her was my fault; I fucked her. I did this. A sob claws out of my throat, as my knees buckle. I fall to the floor, and placing my face in my hands, I cry. My wife might not make it, and I don’t think my daughter did.

Dimitri wraps his arms around me as Maria hurries into the room.

“My boy,” she cries, and wraps her arms around me. I hold her tight, and cry into her neck. Pain like no other flashes through me at the thought of raising my son without his mother and sister.

Dimitri drags me up and over to a seat, and Maria takes the seat right next to me. Dimitri kneels in front of me.

He grips my cheeks, and rasps, “Have faith.”

I shake my head, and sob. “If she survives this, losing our daughter will destroy her. She doesn’t even have a name.”

Dimitri grips my face harder, and he rasps, “Natalia Iris. That’s the name Avery whispered before…before….” He can’t finish the sentence.

Avery not only named our son after our fathers, but also our daughter after our mothers.

My angel.

Dimitri wraps his arms around me and holds me tight as Al and Damian rush in. I look up and my heart stops. If my daughter didn’t survive, then I can kiss goodbye to my relationship with Avery. This will kill her, and I know I’m to blame for it all.

Al rushes over to me and pulls me up, hugging me tight. “Sofia did it! As soon as you left, my fighter of a niece cried out. Sofia never gave up. They’re in NICU with Phoebe and Anthony. Your daughter has a high chance of recovery. She was only out of oxygen for about three minutes, brother, but she made it.”

I collapse in his arms. Damian rushes over as Al falls with me, both holding me tight as I sob.

Two hours later, Sofia rushes into the waiting room. I lift my head out of my hands and hurry toward her. I hug her tightly to me, and rasp, “Thank you.”

She lets out a sob and nod. When she pulls away, she grips my face.

“She’s stable. Her vitals are looking good.” I nod, relief burning through me. “Do you want to see your babies?”

I shake my head, making her scowl at me. I whisper, “I can’t without Avery, Sofia. It’s not right without her.”

I hear Maria sob in the background as Sofia whispers back, “You know Avery would be pissed if you aren’t there for your children, Serg. You know how pissed she’ll be at you.”

I wipe my eyes and rasp, “At least she’ll be pissed. I can’t, Sofia.” I walk away, heading outside of the waiting room to lean up against the wall. I just need my woman to survive, then everything will be fine.

A few minutes later, I hear someone coming toward me. I look up to see Surg. He’s covered in my wife’s blood. I go cold at the sight. I meet him halfway, just outside of the waiting room door. Peter sees us first and walks over.

Everyone else follows as I ask in a rasp, “How’s my wife, Surg?”

He grips my shoulder and reports, “It was touch and go. She lost a lot of blood and required a blood transfusion, but we managed to stop the hemorrhaging. Also, I managed to save her womb. She’s at high risk of sepsis, and the next forty-eight hours are going to be critical.” Tears flood my cheeks, and he squeezes my shoulder. “A nurse will take you to see her, but Sergi, go see your fucking kids, will you? Avery will have my ass if she finds out I let you get away with this shit. It’s bad enough she’ll be pissed I had to shove my fist inside her to control the bleeding.”

He shakes his head and walks away. For the first time tonight, I smirk as everyone else chuckles. Avery and Surg are good friends. Turns out, she’ll be working with him during her residency. I look toward Sofia, and she grins, then takes my hand.

Juan stops me by gripping my shoulder. “I’ll sit with Avs, okay?”

I give him a one arm hug, and let Sofia lead me to my children. I see Juan’s wife Valerie rush in on our way to NICU, but I don’t stop. She’s been relentless in wanting to sit down with me, and to be honest, I don’t understand why. I’m not her son. I understand I’m her husband’s, but that doesn’t make me hers. According to Phoebe, she’s been bad mouthing Maria latelyabout keeping me from her, which has pushed Phoebe to cut her from her life. And if I see her, I’ll explode.

When we make it up to NICU, my breath catches at the sight of my twins, snuggled up together in the bassinet. I move toward them when a young nurse steps in front of me, stopping me. She’s unbuttoned her work top so her cleavage is showing, and she’s giving me ‘fuck me’ eyes, while twisting her mousy blonde hair around her finger. I feel Sofia tense next to me while Phoebe scowls. I think the only thing keeping her from killing the nurse is that my son is tightly gripping her finger. My heart melts. Phoebe sees my expression and she smile’s gently at me.

My gaze returns to the woman in front of me when she touches my arm. She flashes a coy smile, then coos, “Here visiting with family?”

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