Page 36 of Vengeful Embers

No. This is not yours!I tell my subconscious.I’m just the incubator.

But still, I can't take my eyes off the picture.

“It’s always a breathless moment the first time you see that little life starting to grow,” Gavriil tells me, grinning.

When we leave the building, I’m still shaken. The moment feels unreal, like I’ve stepped into someone else’s life.

Then I freeze as we run into the giant just outside the hospital

“Hello again,” he says to me.

Gavriil stiffens beside me.

“Konstantin,” Gavriil says, forcing a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Visiting my father,” Konstantin says, his eyes narrowing. “What are you doing here?”

“You two know each other?” I look at them.

“Yes, Konstantin works for Irina’s brother,” Gavriil tells me, and that’s all the introduction he gives.

My heart jumps. What the fuck? Was he stalking me? Keeping an eye on me because of the rumors about me and Gavriil? Bastard!

His eyes flick to the sonogram in my hand.

“How far along?” he asks.

“Two weeks,” I blurt before I can stop myself.

His brow rises.

“Are congratulations in order?” he turns to Gavriil.

“Would I be wasting my breath asking you to keep this quiet?” Gavriil asks. “As in don’t report back to Ruslan?”

“That depends,” Konstantin replies. “What’s in it for me?”

“What do you want?” Gavriil asks, tense.

Konstantin’s eyes return to me. “To know what was in the puzzle box Miss Craft had with her in the park the other day?”

“Are you following her?” Gavriil asks accusingly.

“No,” Konstantin says, shaking his head. “I was taking a walk in the park when I saw her. She’d kindly helped me the night before, so I stopped to talk.”

“Why do you want to know about the puzzle box?” I ask.

“So I don’t call Irina’s brother about this meeting and what you have in your hand.” Konstantin looks at me. “He’s back in Moscow tomorrow.”

Fuck.

Gavriil stiffens some more, and I can all but feel the anger radiating off him and know he’s going to explode.

“It was just a photo of Anya Novikov,” I say quickly, “and a birth certificate.”

“You didn’t have to tell him,” Gavriil growls, sending Konstantin a warning look before taking my hand.

“It’s okay,” I whisper back, though my stomach churns.

---