21. Sonya
21
SONYA
“ Y ou sure are a lucky woman, Mrs. Warner.” The ultrasound technician returned after Ben left the room. While she resumed rubbing the wand over my belly and checking my baby, she gave me that praise and winked.
I blinked, stunned by too many things at one. One, that anyone could consider me lucky. I had yet to get over the lag of being in captivity. I was lucky—now. Two, that I was Ben’s wife. I guessed that he’d said that to make it easier for me to be registered and receive care. It implied he’d handle my bill. I appreciated that, of course. I also understood he’d blurted that out in the heat of the moment, in the circumstances of getting me seen as soon as possible, without any questions about who I was and why I didn’t have an ID or insurance. His calling me his wife obliterated the need to explain that I had recently been missing for eleven years.
But it was the warmth that enveloped me at the idea that stunned me too.
I wanted him to be my man. I wished he could be my husband. In a bittersweet pang of longing, I wanted Ben to be mine like Kyle was for Jenny. Then Ben would want me and welcome our baby.
It felt like such a silly thought to cling to, but with him identifying me as his wife, I dared to hope.
“Yeah, he’s a catch.”
“So attentive,” the tech said, smiling as she continued checking the monitor.
And protective , I wanted to add.
With his phone next to me, I had a lifeline to help until he could return. Impressed that he would stand by me even when he had to go tend to the matters in my uncle’s room, I tried to wrap my head around the fact that things could be falling into place in my life after so much loss and hell.
For the next hour, I was thoroughly checked out. Blood was drawn. Ultrasounds were performed. A urinalysis was completed. Then another ultrasound. A nurse also took a while to clean up the wounds I’d received in that fight with the “nurse” in my uncle’s room. I hadn’t felt the slight scrapes when they happened, too keyed up on adrenaline in the fight to notice, but now that I was being checked out, I realized my skin stung for a reason in those spots.
The doctors came in and out, checking me alongside the technicians, and soon enough, I lost track of who was who and which one specialized in what.
When they asked me for my obstetrics contact, I admitted I didn’t have one as I’d only recently learned that I was pregnant. My baby bump was still small, and with how slender I’d always been, it wasn’t overly noticeable that I was carrying a baby at all.
I couldn’t tell if they believed my lie about not realizing I was pregnant until a couple of weeks ago, but they didn’t comment otherwise. That spared me from having to explain why I didn’t already have a doctor for my pregnancy.
“You rest, and we’ll get more results in on those labs,” the doctor said.
I dared to close my eyes, so exhausted from the stress of the day. I couldn’t actually sleep, not with my mind running a mile a minute with questions about Uncle Oleg. I couldn’t relax fully with the awe of being able to see him again, even if he had been unconscious. Not to mention my heart, still so full and healing with this concept of letting love in, of letting Ben in and trusting that it wouldn’t be a mistake.
Before I could get closer to dozing off, he returned. I had no clue how long he might have been standing there at the door, watching me, but the soft and tender smile on his face soothed my soul.
“Were you watching me sleep?” I teased.
“Were you sleeping?” he teased back.
I shrugged, yawning. “I was close to it.”
“Do you want me to go and?—”
“No!” I patted the bed and urged him to sit with me.
He joined me, shifting until he could drape his arm around my shoulders. I didn’t know how we could fit together so well. It was like he had been made just for me, snug and secure against each other like this.
“How is it going upstairs?”
“Lev and Vik are there, and…” He lifted his face from gazing at me and brushing my hair back from my face. As the doctor returned, he got a more serious expression instead.
“Baby Warner is completely healthy,” she announced with an easy smile. “So is Mom.”
I sighed, letting all the relief seep through me.
“Spotting can always be scary at first, but it’s not always a bad sign.”
For the next several minutes, she went over all the information. All the bloodwork results, the ultrasound, everything. With a loose and general instruction to rest and listen to my body during the pregnancy, she gave me—us—a good bill of health.
“Now if you do spot again or have concerns, don’t hesitate to check with your doctor.” She held out a flyer. “You can find many options for obstetric physicians here.”
“Thank you,” I told her. Ben thanked her as well, but he waited until she walked out of the room to frame my face and kiss me hard.
“Thank fuck you’re okay,” he whispered as he stared into my eyes.
I drowned in the affectionate gaze. “And the baby.”
“Of course.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You didn’t look to see whether it was a boy or a girl, did you?”
He chuckled. “Tempted, but no.”
“Would you rather have a boy over a girl?”
“I would rather have a healthy baby. That’s it.”
I licked my lips, realizing we were doing this. We were talking about the fact that we’d have a baby now. It would no longer be an elephant in the room.
“Have you thought about fathering a child?” I asked, hating how nervous I felt to say that. “I can’t imagine many independent contract killers who hunt down Mafia men are wild about being tied down with a baby.”
“I am. Or I am now.” He let out a long but contented exhale, watching my face as he smiled softly. “I’ll be forty this year, and I can’t deny it’s been making me think about settling down. I wouldn’t be tied down like it’s a burden. I’ve been gradually wondering how and when I could slow down and start a family. And now…” He picked up my hand and held it as he lowered his gaze to it.
“And now you have one.”
“Do I?” he asked, making eye contact again.
“Are you asking me if you’re the father of this baby?” I accused, narrowing my eyes.
He chuckled, that delicious, deep sound I was coming to love. “No. I’m asking if I have a family with you. If we’re in this together.”
“How can you ask that?”
“I can ask that because I need to know.” He leaned in to kiss me soundly. “I need to know if you really want to be mine.” Another drugging kiss. “If you want to be with me and raise this baby together.” Once more, he laid his hot lips on mine, kissing me until I moaned with need. Damn, was he potent.
When he reared back, staring at me, I nodded. “Yeah, I want that, too. I kind of assumed you were interested in… something with me when we kept having sex.”
“It’s not just sex I want with you,” he murmured.
“But I couldn’t tell if you wanted me, or what you wanted.”
“I want to kill Eric for you. I want to raise our child together. I’ll kill O’Malley so he’s not a threat. I’ll kill the Petrovs and Ilyins. Any rival who threatens you. I want no threats coming from any direction when I’m focusing on my family.” A goofy grin lifted his lips. “ My family. It feels so right to say that. I’m done with the solo, nomadic hitman life, Sonya. I want you. I want our family.”
This time, I was the one who leaned in to kiss him deeply. He grunted and held me close, encouraging me to practically climb onto his lap.
Only the nurse coming into the room to discharge me prevented us from getting carried away with lust and need.
As soon as Ben handled the payment and billing details, everything sent to him, we walked out of the room with the peace of mind that nothing was wrong with our baby. Now that I had ultrasound pictures, I felt like it was so much more real. It was stupid to think that. Of course, the baby was real. But seeing him or her in a black-and-white image was different. A pregnancy milestone, I supposed.
“Are you ready to go see Oleg now?” he asked in the elevator. He’d closed the doors but hesitated before tapping a button for a floor. “You didn’t really have a chance to see him before.”
I nodded. “Is everyone else still up there in his room?”
“Lev will be. Vik too. I bet the women will still be there as well.” He tapped the button for Oleg’s floor. “Eva is at home, but Irina and Kelly were there when I stopped in there earlier.”
“And you didn’t tell them I was back?”
“No. I gave you my word, Sonya, and you can always trust in that.”
I think I’m already in love with you. I smiled instead of sharing such a declaration. It seemed surreal to fall in love this quickly. Things were moving so rapidly between us, but in life-or-death circumstances, that wasn’t too surprising.
We walked toward my uncle’s room for the second time. Two Baranov guards stood at the door, narrowing their eyes at us as we approached.
Ben nodded at them.
“Warner,” one greeted dryly.
“Lev said no more visitors,” the other guard said.
“You’re going to tell me I can’t see my uncle?” I challenged.
It took them a moment, but they both reacted by dropping their jaws.
“Sonya?” one asked, eyes wide with shock.
I nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve been waiting eleven years for this moment.”
Ben held my hand as he opened the door, leaving the stunned guards outside.
I held my breath slightly, apprehensive about what I’d face in this room this time.
No guard was attempting to smother my uncle. No nurse was on her way to inject something into his body. And no corpses lay on the floor. The cleanup had been done.
Lev spun, furrowing his brow at me. Vik faced us too.
“Holy shit.” Vik coughed out an incredulous laugh.
“ Sonya ?” Lev asked, glancing at Ben.
I nodded. “Yes, it’s me.”
Lev scowled at Ben. “You piece of shit. How many damn secrets are you going to keep from me? From this family?” He gestured at us holding hands. “What’s going on?”
“Will it appease you to know that I asked him to keep it a secret for a little bit?” I asked.
Lev turned his stunned expression back to me as he walked closer. “Not really. But you’re here . You’re alive after all.”
I laughed at his blunt tone, detecting the joy in it too. We hugged, and Vik wasn’t far behind. In a blur of smiles, hugs, and more confused expressions, we embraced each other in this initial return.
Irina was introduced properly. As was Kelly, who was Rurik’s wife.
Ben didn’t leave my side, and I was proud when Lev and Vik snapped at him and said he had a lot of explaining to do.
“Sonya can explain on her terms,” Ben said. “She should be in control of her return.”
Okay, that settled it. I was so in love with this rugged man. The idea of his letting me call the shots was a huge thing to me.
“Eva won’t believe it. She’ll—” Lev laughed once. “My God. She will be stunned.”
“I can’t wait to see her. I’ve worried about her all the time that I had been gone.”
“Just as I’ve worried about you.”
We all stopped, going still at that remark. It hadn’t come from anyone standing in the room, but from the bed.
In unison, we faced Uncle Oleg. He was lying in the bed, fully alert as he gazed at me.
He was awake!
“I’ve worried about you every day you were gone, Sonya.” A tear traveled down his cheek.
I choked on a sob, rushing to hug him.