Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
The doctor hands her a paper towel to clean off the gel, and then the nurse brings in some pages about vitamins and healthy growth. When we walk out of the office, I feel like the world has shifted on its axis.
“Thank you for letting me come,” I tell her, my voice catching. “That was really something.”
She actually blushes. “You’re welcome,” she answers quietly. “I thought about doing it alone, and it just felt way too depressing.”
We smile at each other, and for one fleeting second, I feel the ice starting to thaw. Unfortunately, peace is a fragile thing. No sooner do we turn toward the car than another vehicle comes tearing down the street.
The squeal of tires grabs my attention first, and then I see the barrel of a gun slide out the window. I pull Val behind a car. Not even a second later, shots ring out. She screams and covers her ears, and my men are already on it, returning fire at the car.
I put my body between her and the bullets, not caring what happens to me. Then hands are on us, and my team is guiding both of us into the car. I see the offending vehicle speed off too fast for me to catch its plates.
“Did anyone get the plates?” I shout to my team. “Even a partial?”
They all shake their heads. Fuck. I look over at Val, who’s clutching her middle and sobbing. My anger is instantly replaced by worry.
“I’m fine,” she says, like she can read my thoughts. “It’s fine.”
It’s not fine, though. It’s fucking unacceptable.
21
VALENTINA
Ipace the guest room like a lunatic. I’ve tried sitting. That lasted maybe thirty seconds before my skin started crawling. I’ve tried lying down. That was worse. The second I close my eyes, I see the sedan rounding the corner, hear the crack of the gunshots all over again. I’m not sure if the baby can feel adrenaline, but I feel guilty for putting it through this.
Sebastian appears in the doorway.
He pauses on the threshold instead of coming straight in. He already understands me better than I thought.
He’s changed his shirt, too. The one from earlier had makeup on the collar and a torn button from when I grabbed him outside the doctor’s office. This one is clean, white, and crisp. No hint of anything amiss.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I stop pacing and stare at him. “Do I look okay?”
“No.”
That almost pulls a laugh out of me, which is deeply unfair. I cross my arms instead and look away before my face betrays me. The ultrasound pictures are still sitting on the dresser where I dropped them when we got home. I can’t stop looking at them. I also can’t bring myself to pick them up.
It’s such a weird, horrible contrast. This morning, I was staring at a blurry little shape on a screen, barely able to believe it was real. Now I’m standing here wondering how close I came to never meeting that little person.
“The doctor called,” Sebastian says. “She wants you to come back tomorrow so she can check you again.”
My stomach drops. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” he says quickly. “She just wants to be careful after everything that happened. She said you should rest tonight, hydrate, and call if you have cramping, bleeding, pain, dizziness—anything at all.”
I narrow my eyes. “Did you write that down?”
“Yes.” A smirk. “I also put it in my phone.”
“I don’t need you taking care of me.”
His expression shifts, and for a second I regret saying it. I start pacing again because that feels too intimate to deal with head-on.
“Did you find the car?” I ask, changing the subject.
“We’re working on it,” he answers carefully.
“That means no.”
He steps farther into the room, but not too far.
“Matteo’s pulling every camera within a ten-block radius of the doctor’s office. Nico’s checking the property logs from the clubs and restaurants to see if the same car turned up anywhere else. I have men watching your house and your office.”
“My office?”
“Yes.”
I can feel the reflex to argue clawing up my throat. I want to tell him he can’t just send people to lurk around my business without asking me. Instead, I rub both hands over my face and exhale. “Fine.”
“Fine?” he repeats, surprised.
“Yes. Believe it or not, I do understand how serious the threat is.”
He eyes me. “You did walk into your house after someone broke in.”
He lifts both hands in surrender before I can argue. God, I wish he weren’t right.
“I’ll stay here,” I say, forcing the words out before pride gets the better of me. “For as long as it takes to find Adrian and deal with him.”
Sebastian tilts his head like he can’t believe what he just heard.
“I’m not asking for details,” I say before he can respond. “I don’t want to know what taking care of him means. I can guess well enough.”