Page 46 of The Bratva's Christmas Bump
My teeth briefly sink into my cheek. “We’re not exactly in communication.”
She nods once. “If that changes, then his family medical history is a must.”
“Yeah, sure.” The thought of bringing that up to Maxim is somewhat amusing. What if all the people in his family are born as big as he is? I’ll be birthing a juiced-up watermelon at this rate.
“Your heart rate is a little high even for a resting rate. How is life at home? Are you feeling stressed at all?”
It takes all my strength not to laugh in her face. Stress and I are becoming best friends at this point. The past week has been the most insane of my life. “A little. Will that affect my baby?”
“It can.” She nods solemnly. “It can be detrimental to both of you, so I need you to be careful. Don’t put yourself in stressfulsituations outside of your norms, get lots of rest, and relax, okay? I’m going to prescribe some vitamins for you just to ensure your baby is getting all the good stuff it needs. And they’ll help you, so make sure you take them, okay?”
I nod slowly, watching her scribble on the pad in writing that’s far too small for me to decipher. Pills. Hiding them from Maxim is going to be difficult.
What if I tell her the truth? That my baby’s father is some kind of Mafia prince and I’ve ended up embroiled in a murder plot and forced into a marriage with no way out? Would she be able to help me?
My thoughts jumble together while the doctor moves around her office with a light smile, collecting medication from a locked cabinet and passing it to me. When our hands meet over the pill bottle, her smile wavers and her eyes widen at the sight of my ring.
“Wow!” she gasps. “You got married! Congratulations!”
“Oh.” I turn my wrist and admire the ring Maxim gave me. “Thanks.”
“Is he the baby’s father?”
As I glance up at her, something about my expression makes her wince and she pats my hand.
“No need to answer that. Not my business. When can I see you next?”
Unable to settle on a date, I tell her I’ll call her the next time I’m free, which doesn’t make her happy, but it’s the best I can offer, given my situation. Then, with the new pills tucked uncomfortably between my tits, I sprint all the way back to thecafe. The owner gives me an alarmed stare when I return from the back of the cafe and I watch him gaze quizzically at the bathroom as if unable to understand how I’ve been in there the entire time.
I’ve scarcely caught my breath when the cafe front door opens and Toto walks in, yawning. He catches my eye and smiles, but it falters. “You good?”
“Hm?” As I stand, I glimpse my reflection in the cafe window. My hair is ruffled, my face almost the same shade of red, and sweat gleams in the hollow of my throat. “I’m fine. Spicy food, y’know?”
“In a cafe?” Toto murmurs to himself as I move past him. “Damn.”
Toto and Stu drive me back to the new penthouse and leave me at the elevator. While this elevator has the same biometric security as the previous one, Maxim added me to this system so it obeys my touch. He also showed me the access list. No one is getting up here except me, Maxim, Rex, Toto, and Stu. While it makes me feel a little safer knowing his father can’t spring up here unannounced, it doesn’t completely rule it out.
Maxim’s nowhere to be seen when I step into the penthouse, so I beeline straight for the bathroom and hide my prenatal vitamins behind several boxes of tampons in the cupboard above the sink. As I close the door, my heart pounds and I stare at my sweaty reflection until my eyes blur.
What am I doing?
I had so many chances today to tell someone the truth or to run away. Why did I come back here? Is my presence really enough to keep my family safe from a monster like Maxim or his father?A man who kills in cold blood surely wouldn’t blink twice about killing an old couple in their home.
Can I really survive under such pressure that one wrong step will destroy my family?
These thoughts plague me as I take a shower to wash off the sweat of the day, but even the amazing hot water and soothing scent of eucalyptus aren’t enough to calm the racing tremor in my heart.
What if Maxim knows I left the cafe? What if he had me followed to the doctor’s office and that doctor has been killed for speaking to me? What if I step out of this bathroom and meet the barrel of his gun because he knows I lied to him?
It’s enough to keep me in the bathroom for what feels like hours until there’s a gentle knock on the door that makes me jump.
“Hollie?” Maxim’s voice drifts through from the other side. “I made chicken and gnocchi. Are you hungry?”
He sounds normal, but it does nothing to calm my panic. “Uh… yeah. Yeah, I could eat.” Gently stepping forward, I press my ear to the door and close my eyes. Slowly, his footsteps retreat from the door and I release a breath trapped under my ribs.
Holy shit.
Placing one hand over my abdomen, I stroke slowly and will my heart to calm down. It’s not good for the baby, right?
