39. Sterling
39
STERLING
A heartbeat pulses on the screen.
Strong and steady.
“My god,” I choke, running one hand around my jaw.
“Baby looks to be developing normally at this stage,” the sonographer says as she takes some measurements of the small blob. “But we’ll have you back in a couple of days to check again. You said your last period was five or six weeks ago?”
“About that,” Hallie replies, glancing at me.
“Seems about right.” The sonographer finishes up and then hands a wad of tissue to Hallie. “I’ll go get the images printed for you while you clean up.”
The sonographer closes the door, and Hallie wipes up and pulls the hospital gown down, sitting up on the bed.
Her eyes search mine. The relief in them the moment she heard that heartbeat has vanished has been replaced by doubt.
“I didn’t know, I swear. I didn’t even realize I was late. Our engagement, planning the wedding… I lost track.”
“Hallie,” I breathe. “You think I’m angry?”
“We didn’t plan this. We didn’t?—”
I crush my lips to hers in a desperate kiss, ignoring what I must look like, all filthy and messed up.
“You’re carrying our baby. Ours. I’m damn ecstatic. I’m surprised I haven’t flown off this chair with how light I feel.”
“You mean that?”
“I do.”
I kiss her again, swallowing down her whimpered sob as she reaches for my ruined shirt and curls her fingers around the fabric above my heart.
“I know we’ve talked about the possibility of us having children. But Sinclair and Sullivan are adults. Do you really want to do this again?”
“With you? Of course I do. Children are a blessing, Hallie, however they come. Planned, surprise, age twenty, age fifty.”
She lets out a small puff of air, her face lighting up. “We’re really doing this?”
“We are.”
Her beautiful eyes are wide and uncertain as she searches mine. I need to work on showing her what this means to me. I meant it when I said I could float off this damn chair.
A baby. Our baby.
“It must have been around the time we got back from London. I was so emotional I wasn’t thinking straight. They were chart days. You finished inside me the night we got back,” she whispers.
I dust her cheek with the pad of my thumb, following the curve of her skin as I let out a slow breath.
“I did. Many times.” I smile.
Her brows hitch. “You’re not mad that I forgot?”
“Hallie. It takes two. I forgot too. Or maybe my subconscious made me forget on purpose.”
She frowns. “You think the universe wanted this?”
“ I want this.” I search her eyes, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Are you okay? Talk to me. What do you?—”
“I want this too.” She blinks rapidly, her eyes shining. “I want it all with you. I want everything.” Her breath leaves her in a shaky sob which turns into a cough. “I’m sorry,” she wheezes and covers her mouth.
I rub her back. “You need to rest. Jesus, Hallie. I need to get you home so I can take care of you. Both of you.”
“You need taking care of too.”
“I’m fine.” I move my hand down her body and rest it on her stomach. “I’m better than fine. I don’t want you worrying about me.” I drop my gaze to where my fingers are splayed over the hospital gown. “We’re having a baby,” I whisper in awe.
Her eyes fill with unshed tears, pooling along her lower lids.
“We are.” She nods as the first of many slips free and coats her cheeks.
I crush my lips to hers.
“I love you so damn much. I thought I’d lost you today,” I choke, pressure building in my chest. I’ve held it together since I saw her collapsed on my desk. But my resolve is now as thin as a strand of fine silk and about to break.
“I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’m here.” She places her hand over the top of mine on her stomach.
“I can’t wait to marry you.” I kiss her again. “And I can’t wait to meet you,” I say, dropping my head to kiss her stomach.
Her hands thread through my hair and she strokes my scalp as I nuzzle into her.
“I love you, Hallie,” I rasp. “Today was almost the worst day of my life all over again.”
“Sterling,” she sobs, her fingers gathering up strands of my hair like she’s trying to hold the cascading pieces of me together.
“I couldn’t carry on if I lost you too. Not you. I walked into that fire, and I saw you.” My body shakes, and I lose all control.
I wrap my arms around her and grip on tight, giving in to the tears that are making my throat burn.
“I’m so sorry,” she cries.
“I didn’t lose you,” I choke out. “You’ve given me everything to live for, Hallie. There have been days where?—”
“It’s okay,” she says softly, stroking my hair.
I press kiss after kiss to her stomach before moving up to cup her face. “I love you.”
She gives me the most beautiful smile that bathes my soul with light.
“I love you too.”
“I’ll go and find Sinclair. She called Mal and Trudy and asked them to pick some things up from our place on their way. We’ll get you changed and then I’m taking you home.”
“Okay.”
“Okay,” I repeat softly, pressing another kiss to her lips.
I step from the room and stride up the corridor toward where we left everyone to go for the scan. They’re all waiting to see if everything’s okay. If the…
Jesus Christ, I’m going to be a father again.
My steps slow momentarily and I scrub a hand around my jaw.
She’s having our baby.
Hallie’s having our baby.
Emotion clogs my throat, and I force myself to keep walking. She’s given me everything and more. I gave up on the idea of ever having a love like ours. And now not only has she given me that, but she’s giving me the chance to be a father again.
My chest tightens. I love her more than I’ll ever be able to show her. But I’ll spend every day of my life trying anyway.
I round the corner, a disbelieving smile lifting my lips.
“Sterling?”
It’s slapped off with the efficiency of sniper fire.
“Lavinia?” I snap. “What are you doing here?”
She’s clutching a purse, holding it in front of her body like a shield.
“My goodness, look at you!” Her eyes widen as she takes in my wrecked clothing. “I heard it on the news, I… I came to see if you were okay. Why do you look like that? You weren’t inside, were you?”
“I wasn’t. Hallie was.”
She gasps and presses a hand over her lips, the color draining from her face. “Is she…?”
“She’ll be okay.”
“Thank goodness.” Her shoulders sag and she drops her trembling hand back to her purse, fiddling with the clasp. “I’m so sorry, Sterling.”
I stare at her. I might have considered her a friend once. But after what she did to Hallie, tipping off the press like I suspect she did, and the things she said about the two of us being together, I can barely stomach looking at her.
“I have to go.”
I step past her, but she reaches for my arm. “Wait?—”
“Boss?” Denver calls, striding down the corridor toward us.
“What is it?”
Something about the low pull of his brows and set of his jaw has every muscle in my body tensing. He walks right up to us, ignoring Lavinia as he holds my eyes.
“They made an arrest. He’s been brought to the hospital to get checked over.”
“Rory?” I growl.
Denver gives me a stiff nod. “He said you had it coming after the incident with the two hook…” His eyes flick to Lavinia. “He wanted to destroy any evidence you had of it.”
“Where is he?” I spit.
Denver’s eyes darken.
“You better damn well tell me. Rory’s going to wish he stayed inside my club and burned his way to hell when I get my hands on him.”
I step toe to toe with Denver, but he doesn’t flinch. He knows my anger isn’t aimed at him.
“He’s got two cops with him.” He inclines his head toward a corridor leading off from where we are.
I storm past him with one thing on my mind.
Killing that son of a bitch.
The second I round the corner, he’s there, being escorted by two uniformed officers.
“You piece of shit!”
I land one punch straight on his nose, knocking him flat out on the floor.
His hands fly to his face, and he howls like a coward.
“Get the hell up!” I growl, stepping forward and grabbing him around the neck, squeezing his windpipe.
“Boss.” Denver appears next to me, his voice lowering as he leans in close. “They let you have that one punch. But I won’t let you get yourself arrested if you kill him. He’ll get what’s coming to him.”
I grit my teeth and look at both cops. Neither are helping Rory, who’s desperately clawing at my hand in silence because I’m cutting off his air. Instead, they’re looking between Denver and I like they’re questioning their decision.
My grip tightens on Rory’s neck, and I look into his panicked eyes and savor the feel of his miserable life being leached from his body beneath my palm.
“You piece of shit,” I snarl, before throwing him back against the floor, making his head bounce off it.
He coughs and splutters as the two cops grab him under each arm and haul him to his feet.
“He tried to kill me,” he gasps. “You need to arrest him.”
“You slipped,” one cop says.
“Yeah. Fell right on your face. That’s gotta hurt,” the other adds.
“Get this asshole out of here,” Denver grunts.
“Good to see you, Denver,” one says as they lead Rory away.
“You’re a dirty old man!” Rory twists his head, blood dripping from his nose, his eyes unnaturally wide. “She’s young enough to be your daughter!”
I stare after him.
“That the best you can do? Maybe you’ll think of something better on those lonely nights in your cell. Only I won’t give a damn because I’ll be too busy taking care of my wife and our baby.”
His face pales, confusion contorting it.
“Baby?”
I give him a small, menacing smile as the cops drag him further down the corridor. Lavinia is standing at the end of it, and he stares at her, straining to keep his eyes on her shocked expression as they lead him past.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Give us a minute,” I clip to Denver.
“Boss.” He nods, his eyes narrowed on Lavinia.
She rushes up the corridor, her heels clicking on the floor. “Was that him? The man who started the fire?” Her words tumble out like she can’t control them.
“Don’t you recognize him? Because he seemed to know you.”
“I…” she splutters.
“What the hell did you do, Lavinia?” I spit.
She flinches. “I saw him outside Sullivan’s party, waiting for Halliday and… he said he’s her husband .”
“He’s not.”
Her eyes widen, her lower lip trembling.
“He swore it. He was heartbroken, saying you’d taken her from him. That she still loved him, and he just needed a chance to remind her. I thought he was telling the truth and just needed a chance to?—”
“You mean you needed a chance? Another way to ruin what Hallie and I have.”
“I didn’t know what he was going to do! He said he wanted to talk to you man-to-man but that when he tried, you’d cut him off. He thought if he waited inside for you that you’d have to listen. I told him I didn’t know what the code was, but that he should try S?—”
“Don’t you dare say my son’s name!” I yell, pointing a finger in her face. “Don’t you dare.”
How could I be so stupid? She’s right. The code was my son’s birthday. A date I will never forget.
“He could have killed her! How damn na?ve can you be?”
“I swear, Sterling I…” She drops her purse to the floor and reaches out, desperately clinging to the lapels of my jacket. “I thought he loved her and just wanted her back.”
“I love her!” I knock her hands off me, making her suck in a gasp. “And she loves me. You reunited my first wife with her ex. And you thought you’d have the same luck interfering with my life again.”
“No… I thought. You and I, we could have been…”
I lean close, pinning my eyes to hers as I lower my voice.
“You and I are nothing. You disgust me, Lavinia.”
She reels back, looking like she’s about to pass out, throw up, or both.
“Th-this isn’t you. You’ve always been gentle. She’s turned you like this.”
“You don’t know me at all.” I hold her eyes as she stares at me in shock. “Hallie is going to be my wife. She’s carrying my child. She’s a Beaufort now. And I will destroy anyone who threatens a member of my family.”
“You…” She splutters, frowning. “That’s not?—”
“Who I am? Yes, it is. And if you don’t believe me, then come near Hallie again. Talk to her. Look in her direction. But you’d better be ready for me to come for you. Because mark my words, Lavinia. I will kill you myself.” I turn my face to whisper in her ear, my voice the epitome of calm. “And I’ll feel nothing as I do it.”
I move back as her breath leaves her in a silent sob.
“Now please excuse me,” I say, straightening my jacket. “My fiancée is waiting for me.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice small and weak, like her. “I’m so sorry for everything.”
“It’s too late. The best thing you can do now is disappear.”
Her face crumples and she bursts into sobs.
I walk away without looking back. Lavinia might be interfering and selfish, but she’s not stupid.
Not like Rory.
She’ll heed my warning and stay away.