Page 99 of Brutal Promise

“How long will this take?” I ask the nurse.

“As long as it takes. She’s getting the best care. Please. Sit. It might be a while.”

Nikolay hands me a coffee as if I need more stimulation. My heart is racing. My mind is reeling. Mom and Milan enter the waiting room.

“Any word yet?” Mom asks. Her face is pale, and I notice she’s lost weight.

She’s under duress, and now there is more. She was vigilant when my leg was injured. She sat with me every day that I remained in the hospital. I understand how this would give her flashbacks.

I go to my mom and hug her. “It will be okay. It has to be.”

She pats my hand on her thin shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll make it.”

I wonder about the baby. It’s so early. I’m relieved we didn’t tell anyone, as it’s unclear how much stress my mother can endure.

Roman, Alena, and Anya rush into the emergency room.

“Any news?” Roman asks anxiously.

“No,” Nikolay replies in his baritone voice.

“Okay.” Alena wrings her hands and begins to pace.

“We’ve rounded up Ivan. And we have men on Alexsei’s wife. The bobbies are questioning her, but you know she’ll cover her tracks,” Roman says.

“She will be handled. Don’t let her out of our enforcer’s sight,” I snarl. “Also, we need to have the Sidovo bratva haul in Tito. I’m sure he’ll be averse to pain. I want to know what he knows.”

“I’ll make sure it’s done,” Nikolay replies as he walks outside to use his phone.

“He’ll make sure justice is delivered,” Roman says. “If I know him, he’ll be happy to deliver the punishment.”

“How did you know Alexsei was her father?” Alena asks.

“It all clicked when I saw him. I thought the Moretti girl’s death was too convenient. But how did Maria die in an actual car accident years later? I hope we find out. I profiled Alexsei’s wife. I ran her past history and figured she was an opportunist. Her son wouldn’t inherit her husband’s empire. She was desperate to make him the don, is what I think. Greed is usually the beginning of the end for those in crime. She wants to steal the throne from her husband.”

“I can see that. She’s flashy, bitchy, and a pathological liar. I flew with her, and she annoyed me. I felt like I knew Alexsei. I should have put it together.” Alena stops pacing. “I should have warned her,” she announces as our eyes meet.

“You had no way of knowing, Alena.”

I don’t need her blaming herself. She’s Izzy’s best friend and someone she trusts. I know how rare that is, as I only trust those who have proven trustworthy. It appears Izzy, and I are more alike than I thought a few hours ago.

“It’s my job to protect her,” I murmur and kick myself again for not being by her side when the bomb went off.

I hear the doors behind us swish. I turn and find a doctor with a white coat entering the waiting room. I rush to meet him.

Izzy is going to be okay. She has a concussion and is being moved upstairs to a private room.

“The baby is fine.” He smiles.

I nod, filled with relief. I feel everyone’s eyes on me. Nikolay’s eyes meet mine, his eyebrows raised. Mom’s eyes are tearing, and she brushes them away with her finger. Alena raises a hand to cover her mouth as she gasps in a sigh of relief.

“What?” I ask defensively. “We didn’t want to say anything as it was too early.” I gesture with my hands to demonstrate it was out of my control. “The doctor ruined the surprise,” I add.

Nikolay and Roman chuckle in relief and discuss who will be the favorite uncle. I look to Mom. “Don’t get sentimental on me,” I say, but it’s too late. Mom dabs at her eyes again, but her face quickly becomes a waterfall. She searches through her purse for a handkerchief.

I stalk off to find my wife.

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