Page 100 of Beautiful Agony

"Of course, Captain" I stand and extend my hand towards him. "I expected nothing less from a true believer."

He follows me to his feet, and grips my hand firmly, calloused palm rough against mine.

As we shake, a hint of grudging respect crosses his face.

"Your wife is an extraordinary woman, Stravinsky," he says. "Hard to believe she'd marry a real piece of shit like you."

31

LACEY

5 WEEKS LATER

Rain pattersagainst the nursery window in a soothing rhythm as I cradle my tea, lost in thought. My free hand drifts to my growing belly, still amazed at the changes happening within me.

The nursery has come together beautifully. The walls have been painted a soft cream, with delicate pink and gold accents. My rocking chair faces the window, letting me watch Seattle's endless rain that portends the start of autumn.

These past weeks have been a whirlwind. Captain Rutledge has been relentless in his mission to clean house alongside with Vadim's ruthless purge of Seattle's underworld. Corrupt cops are falling like dominoes, and right there with them are the trafficking establishments. Every day brings forth another report about women and girls being freed from slavery and suffering.

Megan's been thriving too. Her articles about Svoboda have gained national attention, and she's going to fly out to New York for a job interview in a few weeks.

Working with Taliya has been wonderful as well. Her enthusiasm for design is infectious, and watching her confidence grow makes my heart swell. She taught me to say "thank you" in Tuvan yesterday.

I probably butchered the pronunciation, but her delighted smile when I said it to her in the proper context was worth it.

Even Freddy and I have found our way into being real siblings. His recovery has been slow but steady. Sometimes when he's not in pain, he'll tell me stories about Mom that I've never heard before.

But right now, as I stare at the rain outside, all those things are pushed to the other corners of my mind.

I can think about is Dr. Chen's words from this morning.

"It's a girl."

A daughter. Our daughter. I touch my belly again, wondering if she can feel how much she's already loved.

I can't wait to tell Vadim when he gets home.

The door opens with a soft creak and Vadim steps in, still in his suit from the day's meetings. His eyes soften when he sees me. "I thought I'd find you here,zvyozdochka."

My heart skips at his presence. Even after all this time, just the sight of him still gets my heart racing.

He crosses the room, kneels beside my chair, and takes my hand in his. "How was your appointment with Dr. Chen this morning?"

I can't contain my smile any longer. "We're having a girl."

His breath catches. For a moment, he's completely still. Then his hand reaches out to touch my belly, reverent and gentle. "A girl," he whispers, voice thick with emotion. "A daughter."

Warmth spreads through me at his touch, at the way his eyes shine with unshed tears. I cover his hand with mine. "She's going to have you wrapped around her little finger."

"Just like her mother." He presses a kiss to my belly before looking up at me. "I can already picture her wearing little dresses that you design."

The rain continues its gentle rhythm against the window as Vadim stays kneeling beside me, his hand warm against my belly. Our daughter.

The thought should fill me with joy.

But slowly, a tendril of terror snakes through me. Tears well up in my eyes, and I can't stop them from falling even if I want to. They're not tears of joy, but something darker. Something that burns hot and painful down my cheeks.

"Zvyozdochka?" Vadim's voice is gentle with concern. "What's wrong?"

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