Page 53 of Surrogate for the Bratva
“Fine,” I shot back, took a deep breath, and stepped inside my brother’s hospital room. He was awake and smiling, and holding Kelsie’s hand which I made an effortnotto comment on. “Jacob.”
He looked up with a tired smile. “April. You didn’t have to come running.”
I waved off his words. “We both know that I did, just to annoy you and to see you being dramatic just to get Kelsie to play nursemaid.”
His cheeks stained pink even as he rolled his eyes. “Shhh, she can hear you,” he shot back with a grateful smile. “I’m feeling okay, April. I swear. I’m a little tired but okay.”
“That’s good. Really good.” I gave him a visual examination just to be sure and other than being a little too pale, he looked like the same man I’d last seen a few months ago.
“Come here.” Jacob held his arms wide, and I bent over to hug him. “Whoa, where did that gut come from?” The sound of his laughter was welcome but that didn’t stop me from punching his arm.
“Gut? It’s a pregnant belly you jackass.”
“And pregnancy boobs, wow,” Kelsie added with an awe-filled tone. “Amazing.”
I stood with a smile and a laugh. “Right? Too bad I can’t put them to use.”
“And that’s enough of that,” Jacob groaned just as a triple knock sounded before the doctor, a tall Black woman with salt and pepper curls, walked in. “Jacob Stone?” her gaze went to me and then April.
“It’s okay, Doc. That’s my sister April and this is Kelsie. They can hear it all.”
I took a step forward and wrapped my arms around my midsection. “What happened, Doctor?”
“A lung infection but thankfully it’s mild enough that a quick round of antibiotics combined with anti-inflammatories and Jacob will be right as rain.”
“So he won’t have to stay beyond tonight?”
“No. A few more hours of monitoring and then we’ll release him.” With a professional smile, she turned and left the room.
“That’s good to hear,” I sighed with relief as my mind raced wondering how to convince Igor that I had to stay with my brother.
Kelsie’s hand was on my shoulder before I came up with a plan. “I’ll stay with him April. Promise.” She wrapped her other arm around me and laid her head on my shoulder. “You never said how scary it was.”
I nodded and flashed a grateful smile to my friend. “One of us worrying all the time is more than enough,” I assured her.
“He’s lucky to have you,” she whispered.
“He doesn’t think so,” I shot back and hugged her tight. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I think my heart is almost back to normal. I was so fucking scared that something would happen on my watch and that you wouldn’t forgive me.”
I squeezed even tighter. “Thank you for worrying.”
“Everybody can stop worrying,” Jacob grumbled. He grumbled twice as hard when Kelsie and I stood on either side of his bed and bent over for double hugs which he hated more these days than he did as a kid. “Gross.”
I laughed and belched at the same time. “Speaking of gross,” I laughed again and rubbed my chest. “Indigestion and heartburn suck balls.”
Jacob wore that guilty expression again.
“Don’t.” I pointed a finger at him. “It’s done and I’d do it again so just stop it, okay?”
“Okay fine,” he shot back with a smile. “But if I have to hear about your boobs again, all bets are off.”
“I could tell you about the nipple,”
“You could but then I’d have to plunge large needles into my ears which would make life really difficult.”
We shared a smile, hell it was a whole moment which of course meant someone knocked on the door to interrupt it. I braced myself, expecting Igor to storm in being impatient and annoyed but it wasn’t him and that only annoyed me further. “Maxim.”
