Page 131 of Toxic Salvation
“Promise?”
“Swear.”
This one, I might actually be able to keep.
She kisses me then, soft and sweet and full of relief. When she pulls back, she’s almost smiling. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”
44
VESPER
I’m not stupid.
I know the only reason I can boss Kovan around is because I’m pregnant and he doesn’t want me stressed out and hurting the baby.
When I tell him to rest, he rests. When I tell him to eat, he eats. When I essentially put him under house arrest, he accepts that, too.
Not that he does it without complaining. The man can gripe better than anyone I know. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s where Luka gets his whining from. The pair of them have been attached at the hip since Kovan got shot.
It pisses me off every time Luka asks questions about the shootout. Only because he seems so damn excited by it.
I had hoped for fear and revulsion, but so far, no such luck.
The kid looks well on his way to wanting to join the Bratva. There goes my plan to slowly brainwash him into hating it.
Still, there’s plenty of time.
I’m thinking up new strategies as I head into the hospital for my shift when I catch sight of a familiar face. I double back, looking toward the staircase where I thought I saw a scowl and a hooked nose, but there’s no one there.
I turn to my security detail. “Did you guys see anyone over by the stairwell, staring at me?”
Nikolai frowns, scanning the area. “No. But we can do a sweep of the place. Who did you think you saw?”
“Never mind. It was probably nothing. Just paranoia. Forget I said anything.”
With another glance toward the stairwell, I take the elevator up to the pediatric ward to get ready for rounds.
As I pass the nurses’ station, Bessie and Courtney greet me with smiles. “Good evening, Vesper! Did your friend end up finding you?”
I stop short. “My friend?”
“There was a man who stopped by a few minutes ago asking for you,” Bessie explains.
“He was very charming,” Courtney adds, blushing.
“What was his name?”
“Oh, we didn’t ask,” she says. “We were busy with patient files and I forgot to ask. My bad.”
Okay, so maybe it’s not paranoia. I debate whether to tell Kovan. If I do, he’ll probably freak out and demand I come home. Or worse, he’ll ignore my orders for rest and come here himself.And the last thing I need is another shootout. Particularly in my condition.
I say goodbye to the nurses and head to the doctors’ lounge, keeping an eye out for Ihor the entire time.
By the time I’ve changed into scrubs and my white coat, I’ve managed to shake off that eerie feeling of being watched. After checking in with Kovan and Luka via text, I start my rounds. I expect to see Ihor in every patient room I walk into. But I complete rounds without anything suspicious happening.
I’m hoping the new board president, Richard Lovell, will give me the reassurance I desperately need. I head into his office five minutes early for a preplanned meeting.
Nikolai is about to follow me inside when I stop him with a firm glare. “You are not going in there with me.”
