Page 69 of Wrong Number. Right Don.
“I swear to God,” I say, voice like ice, “if you don’t walk me to her in the next ten seconds, I will shoot you in both kneecaps and drag your sorry ass through this house until you’re begging me to kill you.”
That gets him.
He lifts his hands slightly, palms open. “She’s safe,” he mutters. “Not a single hair is out of place.”
“She’d better fucking be.”
He turns and leads the way, my gun never leaving his back. We wind through corridors. Sasha spots us and slips away from the fray, trailing as backup. The three of us make our way down a hidden stairwell until we reach a narrow hallway. The air is colder here, damp and metallic.
Semion pauses in front of a steel door. “She’s inside.”
“Open it.”
He hesitates.
I press the muzzle of my gun against the base of his skull. “That wasn’t a request.”
He unlocks the door with a key from his pocket and pushes it open. I follow him down a short staircase into a dank basement, where Nicole sits alone, quietly sobbing.
She’s chained to a chair, face pale, hair disheveled. A fresh gash mars her forehead.Not a hair on her head has been touched,my ass. He’ll pay for that one.She looks up and blinks, first at Semion and then at me, as if she’s not sure I’m real.
She exhales, relief and shock tangling in the sound.
I move fast, stepping into the room and brushing past Semion without a second glance. I’m at her side in seconds, setting my gun on the concrete so I can cup her cheek.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper. “You’re safe now.”
She trembles beneath my touch, yet something guarded flickers in her eyes. I look over at Semion, who’s now being held at gunpoint by Sasha.
“Give me the key to unlock her handcuffs,” I command.
He rolls his eyes and stays put. Sasha lifts his gun and fires into the ceiling. Dust and drywall rain down, and Semion goes even paler. He fumbles with his key ring, tosses me a small key, and Sasha immediately drags him out of the room.
I move behind her and release her wrists. She launches herself into my arms, sobbing on my shoulder. I hold her tightly, though her body is trembling.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper, trying like hell to keep the emotion from cracking my voice. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”
She blinks rapidly, then steps back, her expression torn.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurts, so fast I almost miss it. For a moment, the entire world seems to go silent, and all I can hear is the sound of my heart thundering in my ears.
“I’ve known since before you hired me,” she says, determination sharpening her features. “It’s yours, if that’s not clear. And I planto keep it. But I will not raise a baby with a man who would get me involved in all of this.”
“Nicole,” I breathe, speechless. I don’t know what to address first, but my body decides for me. I fall to my knees in front of her, staring at her stomach in awe. “You’re having our baby?”
Shock melts into a surge of happiness I never knew I could feel.
“I’m going to be a father,” I murmur, more to myself than her. Then I look up to see her watching me with that same conflicted look. I stand up and take her hands in mine.
“Nicole, I swear to you that I will be the best father to this baby, and the best man to you. I can’t promise you that there won’t be any danger in my life, but I swear to you that I’ll always make sure you and our child are safe. Please, please, forgive me for all of this.”
She clenches her jaw, then nods and stumbles into my arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” she says, tears streaking her cheeks. “I was scared. I didn’t know if?—”
I cut her off with a kiss. It’s soft, reverent, filled with every ounce of emotion I can’t put into words. When I pull back, I rest my hand over her still-flat stomach and nod.
“We’ll talk more later,” I promise. “But right now, all that matters is getting you home.”
I scoop her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest. She doesn’t resist. She just buries her face in my neck and holds on like she never wants to let go.
