Page 110 of Midnight Sanctuary

“Uri said he didn’t want to wait another day without making me his wife.”

“Damn!” she whistles. “That’s a good line. Okay, first thing’s first: gotta get my maid of honor hat on. Do you need me to do anything? Get anything before I come to the hospital?”

“Actually, yes.”

“Hit me. Anything. Say it and it’s yours. Food, makeup, even a—”

“I need a wedding dress.”

Elle just starts cackling. “That’s a lot of pressure, babe.”

“I trust you. There’s no one better to pick out my dress. Just keep in mind that I’m seven months pregnant.”

She lets out a long, weary breath. “Okay. I’m on it. I’m freaking out and I’m definitely gonna get ulcers, for which I’ll send you the hospital bill, but I’m on it. See you soon! Love you, Lys.”

I hang up to see Uri looking at me with an amused smirk. “She sounded excited. I could hear her screeching from across the room.”

“She was. She’s bringing over a dress for me to wear. I know this is a shotgun wedding and all, but I wanna look pretty.” I glance down at my big belly. “Well, as pretty as I can look with this massive stomach, anyway.”

He growls and that heat flashes in his eyes like bombs exploding. “If I had it my way, you’d get married in nothing at all, precisely so I could see you curvy with my kids,kiska.”

I blush every bit as hot as Uri’s eyes. “Don’t talk like that in public,” I mumble. “You’re going to make me do unreasonable things.”

He chuckles and takes my hand. “What about your parents? If you want them here, I can have a car pick them up.”

I cringe. In the hoopla and excitement of the last hour, I completely forgot about my parents. “Shit. Is it terrible that I didn’t even think about them?”

“Considering they’ve checked in on you only twice in the last eight months, I’d say it’s completely justified.”

I give him a grateful smile. “They don’t even know I’m pregnant,” I whisper. “I don’t think this is the right setting to introduce them to you. I’ll just tell them about it afterwards.”

“After we’re married? Or after the babies are delivered?”

I frown. “One of those two. I’ll decide later.”

He’s chuckling again when the door flies open and Polly rushes in. “Oh myGod! I can’t believe you guys are actually doing it. And in a freaking hospital, no less!” I hold my arms out and she rushes into them. “We’re going to be sisters now!”

I’ll admit, I feel a little aching tug at my heartstrings when she says that.Sister. I love Polly, of course. I just wish Ziva was here for this, too.

I disentangle myself from her and hold her at arm’s length. “Polly, will you do my makeup and hair?”

“Of course!” she says excitedly.

This is the first time she’s looked and sounded like herself. Like she was before the kidnapping. It warms my heart to think that, in some small way, Uri and I have contributed to making her feel safe and calm and happy again.

“Butfirst,” Polly turns to her brother with a pointed expression, “you’ve got to go.”

“Go?” he says with a frown. “Why?”

“The groom can’t see the bride before the wedding, remember? And before you start off on your usual ‘blah, blah, I make my own rules because I’m so big and tough’ nonsense, don’t even bother. It’s tradition and we’re going to honor it. Now,scram.”

Laughing, Uri drops a kiss onto my forehead and heads out the door. Polly starts plucking stuff from her duffel bag, giving me a sneaky suspicion that she’d planned on getting me ready whether I asked her to or not.

“Where’s Lev, by the way?”

“In the chapel with Nikolai and Dimiv. He’s helping them get it ready. And by ‘help,’ I mean he’s sitting in the corner playing video games on his phone.”

“Is he going to be okay? Like, during the ceremony and stuff?”

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