Page 167 of Sire
Vale takes care of me. She knows asking only makes it worse, so she gives hugs. She makes me smile. We watch our kittens, Milo and Onyx, fluffy little orange brothers, pounce on the bed.
They’re a cute distraction from the daily texts I get from Yakov with updates about Sire. Each one, a translation. Each one, a daily newspaper. Each one, a picture of Sire looking dazed.
Delirium is one of the life-threatening symptoms of sepsis. I looked it up. I’ve scoured every online resource I can find.
Sire probably got it from a used needle. Or a contaminated instrument. Or his surgical wound. Organ donation isusually very safe. But trusting his father and associates to take care of my husband? That was the risk.
Deep down, that instinct tells me to hang on. To have faith as Sire asked me to. To take care of myself and our baby.
It’s news I can’t expect Nash to hide from The Queen.
With a gentle knock on the guest bedroom door, she enters wearing a blush Chanel skirt suit and carrying a giant bouquet of blue hydrangeas.
“Not that I assume you’re having a boy,” Nadine assures, setting the vase on the dresser. “I’d love a granddaughter to spoil. I just like spoiling you, too. And from your sweet engagement video, I know these are your favorites.”
I sit up, alone with Onyx, and smooth the sheets and my hair. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner.”
She sits on the edge of the bed, reaching for my hand. “Your body, your business; you know I believe that, dear. All I want is for everyone to be okay, but I need to know…”
She blinks back tears. She can barely whisper, “I need to know if my son is okay.”
I squeeze her hand. “He’s okay.”
“He’s withhim, isn’t he?”
Sire always said I had no filter. But maybe I just couldn’t hurt good people. They deserved to know the truth.
I open my mouth to answer, but I pause too long.
Nadine reveals, “I know more than you think I do, but dear Lord, I need to know that my son hasn’t betrayed me.”
“Never,” I rush, leaning forward. “He’ll die before?—”
She gasps.
“I mean, he’s alive, but…” I start swiping my falling tears. It’s useless to stop them. “Ruslan found Sire years ago, through his criminal record, and he’s been threatening him ever since.”
She nods. “That man threatened to kill me, so my eldest son bent tohiswill to protect me. Am I close?”
“Yes, my Queen.”
She pats my hand. “Keep going.”
“Ruslan wanted an heir, so he told Sire to give him one. To get a woman pregnant, and give him the child, and he’d leave y’all alone. Sire agreed and secretly planned to never have kids. That bought Sire years until Ruslan sent Katya to get Axel and?—”
“Say less.” Nadine rolls her eyes. “This wicked part I know.”
“You do?”
“Yes, darlin’. That man wants an heir. He wants my royal blood and believes his sperm is made of gold, when actually, it’s all gurgle and no guts. He thinks all of my boys are his, when probably, most belong to my second king, the man I truly loved.”
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly,” she clarifies.
Bombs couldn’t kill more than Nadine’s pissed off face right now.
“So, you know about Axel’s?—”
