Page 67 of The Enemy's Defector
Aha.He knew how much Joann meant to me. He’d met her before, several times.
A little bit of my heart warmed further at his gesture. He had to be making up to me by finding her and bringing her here. And I appreciated it.
“He called and arranged for me to move in.” She smiled wider, holding my arms out and glancing at my stomach. “Not only to be a permanent guest but to help you with the baby! Oh!” Giggling and bouncing with glee, she hugged me again. “A baby!”
I nodded, wiping the moisture from my eyes. “This means a lot, Joann. I’m glad you’ll be here with me for it.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world.”
“And hopefully, you know… It’ll go differently from when my mother had me.”
She nodded, graver but still happy. “Of course. Nik explained that you’ll be at the top hospital for your birth. He’s asked me to help make sure you’re comfortable every step of the way.”
Hospital?
I smiled again, wider than before.
He really was trying to make amends. He brought Joann here. He was caving to let me decide the health care details of my pregnancy and my birth.
It was almost enough to make me think he might love me, after all.
“Oh, Lucy,” Joann said, now noticing her behind me. Her smile was there, but questioning. “You look so different! You cut your hair and dyed it. I like it!”
“Hi, Joann,” Lucy replied shyly but sweetly, seeing someone she’d seemed to like and befriend before coming here. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Well.” Joann was all cheery smiles. She glanced at Sloane, Lucy, then me. “Let me settle in and we can all catch up, girls.”
“Yes, let’s,” Sloane said before introducing herself. “We were just about to get lunch, and I wouldloveit if you could get these two to make up and be friends again.” She shot me, then Lucy, an expectant look.
“This is going to be the best retirement ever,” Joann said with a peaceful sigh as she squeezed my hand.
28
NIKOLAI
If Katerina wanted more distance from me, she was out of luck. With every minute that passed and this wedge remained driven between us after our last argument, I missed her more.
Giving her space seemed smartest.
We could both be hot headed and over-opinionated. Her stubbornness was what always excited me.
Yet, after that first night when I felt like she could use a breather from me and our argument, I hated to be away from her at all.
She’d been through a lot. We had been with each other in hiding, without a break. If a little space helped her cool down, I would grant her that. Once she realized that I was compromising with her and bending with her wishes, she would have no reason to be so standoffish and upset with me.
I hunted down her former house staff, the closest thing she’d had to friends or family, and arranged for them to move in as retirees. Then I set up appointments at the doctor’s office and hospital so Katerina wouldn’t be nervous about a home birth.
I could cave for her. I wasn’t so stuck in my ways just to make her miserable.
But this had gone on long enough.
I missed her.
And I didn’t want a break from her ever again.
Still, it wasn’t as though I was trying to keep away from her. Now that I was back, duty called. I was expected to be present at meetings. I was counted on to help my brothers handle more attacks and issues with our men being confronted.
Maxim once admitted that he felt like we were experiencing the calm before the storm before Father was poisoned. And we’d been living through the storm these last couple of months. I was sick of the constant battle, even if it was played out in smaller fights. Every attack on our businesses, men, or turf accumulated into a larger headache.
