Page 43 of Deadly Devotion
“She will be just as strong as a boy.” He smiled brightly from across the room, his eyes shining with a rare warmth.
“The baby is healthy,” Dr. Daria announced. “Everything looks good.” She handed me a napkin, and I wiped the clear gel off my belly. Sitting up, I adjusted my clothes and waited for Dr. Daria to turn off the machine.
“Take it easy and rest. Your shoulder is healing but will take time to heal completely.” Placing her hands on her hips, she focused on Aleksandr. “Is Talia eating and drinking enough? Getting enough sleep?” she asked, sucking on the inside of her bottom lip.
“Yes, she is a very good patient, listening and following orders.” His heated gaze zeroed in on me, and I felt another blush tinging my cheeks pink.
“I’ll be back next week. Talia, call me if you need anything.” Dr. Daria gently squeezed my shoulder, excused herself, and left the room.
Aleksandr turned to me with a heated determination in his eyes. “You will stay here, with me, indefinitely,” he declared with authority.
I bristled instinctively at the presumption, pushing against his decree. “I can’t just—“
“You can, and you will. You are carrying my heir, meaning you will live here and raise the child here. That’s final.”
“You can’t force me to stay here, Aleksandr! I have a home with Sandy.” Sliding off the table, I stomped to him, leaving barely an inch between us. My hands were balled into fists at my sides, my fingernails digging into my palms. “I amnotyour prisoner,“ I growled, squaring my shoulders and looking him directly in the eyes.
Looming over me, he bent his head slightly. His ice-blue eyes burned into me. “You aremine. The baby ismine. This is where you belong, so get comfortable,“ he ground out through clenched teeth.
Who the hell does he think he is?!Red-hot anger bubbled just below the surface of my skin. I began trembling, unable to control the desire to slap him so hard his grandchildren would feel it. Time slowed down as tunnel vision took over. I felt like I was moving in slow motion as I raised my hand to deliver the slap of the century. Halfway through, he grabbed hold of my wrist, spinning me around and wrapping his arms around me. With my back to his chest, he securely pinned my arms to my sides. Tears pricked the back of my eyes as I cursed and struggled against his hold.
“Talia, stop.” His tone was authoritative but gentler than it had been a moment ago.
“No! Let me go, youasshole!“ He held me in place without much effort, his muscular build and height overpowering me. Struggling to escape his hold was futile, but I struggled anyway.
“Talia, stop.” His tone was calmer as he whispered in my ear. “You’re going to hurt the baby.”
That got my attention. I stopped struggling, but the weight of the situation was too much for me to bear. Tears stung my eyes as I choked on sobs. So much has happened, and I’m not in control of any of it. A killer is after me, I’m pregnant, Aleksandr is a mob boss, and I’m being forced to stay away from Sandy. My body went limp in his arms.
“Talia, what do you need?” he asked gently, loosening his grip on me.
Turning around, I buried my face in his chest. His simple question caught me off guard, and before I could censor myself, I blurted out the most absurd craving as pregnancy hormones took over. “Pickles and ice cream.”
To my surprise, Aleksandr chuckled—a deep, rumbling sound—dispelling the tension like a gentle breeze. “Consider it done.” He stroked my hair, kissing the top of my head.
“You’re not a prisoner here, Talia. You are the mother of my child, and I will do everything and anything to keep you safe and make you happy. This is your home now.”
I breathed deeply, appreciating Aleksandr’s gentleness.
“Come,” he encouraged, “let’s get you back to your room.”
Guiding me back to my bedroom, he fluffed up the pillows and tucked me into bed. “I’ll have Abram deliver your snack,” he chuckled.
“Can he bring enough ice cream for meandthe children?“ Not wanting to be alone, I hoped I could entice the children to keep me company.
“Of course,dushenka.“ Kissing me tenderly on the cheek, he ordered me to rest.
After he left, I lay there collecting my thoughts. Maybe Aleksandr is right. Perhaps I do belong here with him. He is the father of my baby, and I have no doubt he will protect us. It might be nice to have him take care of us. Besides, I can’t deny my feelings for him, as much as I’d like to ignore them. And once he takes care of Mikhail’s killer, I’ll be able to see Sandy.
Moments later, the door swung open to reveal Sasha and Maxim, accompanied by Olga.
“Look what we have!” Sasha squealed. Her face lit up at the sight of the extravagant ice cream sundaes, complete with a side of pickles. Olga placed the tray on my bedside table with a warm smile before slipping away silently.
“These look delicious.”
Sasha handed me a sundae and then took one herself, cuddling beside me on the bed. Maxim took the third sundae off the tray and got comfortable on the chaise.
“We’re going to the fancy ice cream shop soon,” Maxim declared eagerly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.