Chapter 11 Amara
AMARA
“We’re a little concerned for your safety.”
The doctor’s voice is gentle. The nurse has shut the door, so it’s just the three of us in here.
It’s six in the morning. I’ve hardly slept. Whatever concerns they had, I wish they’d kept them to themselves until a reasonable hour.
“Why?” I drag myself upright. “Did something else show up on the ultrasound?”
The doctor waves her hands. “Oh no, no. The baby is very much fine. Perfect, really. You’re doing an amazing job with prenatal care.”
I frown. “Then what’s there to be concerned about?”
“It’s that man.” She lowers her voice. “The man who was here earlier. The one who brought you to the hospital. Is he your husband?”
“Hell no,” I blurt out before realizing how bad that probably sounded. “I mean—I do know him. But we are not… together… anymore. I mean, we were. Sort of. It’s complicated.”
I’m rambling like an idiot. Meanwhile, she gives me an empathetic nod. Like she understands.
Homegirl has no idea.
“Relationships are complicated,” she says.
Understatement of the year.
“But they should never feel unsafe,” she goes on, and my eyes widen.
“Oh. No. No, no, no.” I let out a little nervous laugh. “Thanks, but—it’s not like that.”
“He’s demanding a paternity test,” she says, and I snort.
“Of course he is.”
“Obviously, that’s not something we would or can do without your consent. Though I will say that he could try to stir up trouble if you refuse. Legally, I mean.”
I shake my head, pressing the heels of my hands to my eyes. “No. It’s fine. If that’s really what he wants,” if that’s what will make him leave me alone, I add mentally, “then let’s do it.”
“Are you sure?” she asks. “Because if you need us to get the police involved, we can.”
“No,” I blurt out way too quickly. Then I realize how bad that sounds. “It’s just…”
The doctor places her hand on my arm. “You really can be honest with us, Miss Hathaway. You are safe here.”
Safe.
What a stupid fucking word.
They have no idea what it means, or what it doesn’t mean, in my situation.
They have no idea who I’m dealing with. Ransome isn’t just some angry, controlling asshole of an ex.
Not even close. And not even cops could make him stay away, which is why it’s easier to just give him what he wants. For now.
“It’s okay, really. His bark is bigger than his bite.” I force a smile. One thing is for sure: I have gotten unrealistically good at lying since I met Ransome Rozanov.
After the doctor and the nurse leave, I close my eyes. I am so tired that they literally burn the moment I shut them. If only I could turn my brain off long enough to sleep. Even if it was only for a moment.
I almost do. Within minutes, my head droops to the side. My breaths start to even. And I almost get that moment of relief—
When, suddenly, the door opens again.
No. Slams. Hard into the wall behind it.
I jolt upright and nearly pull the IV from my arm.
My first thought is cops. The second, because I’m exhausted and paranoid, is Tristan.
But to my relief, and a little bit to my worry, it’s my siblings, all three of them rushing my bed in a tizzy.
“Oh my God, what happened?” Eliza asks, nearly throwing herself on top of me.
“It’s okay, guys. I’m fine, really.”
“You’re in the hospital!” Bella says, coming to the other side of the bed. For the first time in a while, her tone is brimmed with more fear than sass, and it makes my heart clench in my chest.
“I just had a little scare, that’s all.”
“What kind of scare?” Eliza asks with tears in her eyes. “Is the baby okay?”
I nod and take her hand in mine. “Yes. The baby is fine. I am too. I just fainted, that’s all.”
“Fainted?!” both girls cry out.
I look at Gianni. He’s standing tall, but his eyes are shifting around the room from the IV tube to the buzzing machines.
“Yes. After work. It was a blood sugar issue,” I lie. “But I’m fine now.”
“So why don’t they unhook you and let you go home?” Gianni asks. He’s trying to be strong, but he’s always hated hospitals.
“They wanted to hold me overnight to run some tests just to be safe. But I’m sure they’re working on the discharge papers as we speak,” I say just as the door opens again.
Jesus Christ.
It’s the nurse. “Miss Parker, the test results are in the lab. We should know the news soon.”
Fuck.
All three of my siblings look at her, and then turn to me before the whirlwind of questions breaks loose.
“What test results?” Eliza asks.
“Are you sick?” Bella asks. “Is the baby sick?”
“What is actually going on?” Gianni demands.
I take a deep breath, trying to decide how I am going to go about this. Obviously the truth is going to cause an explosion. But I can’t really lie to them, not after everything we have been through. Everything I have put them through.
Also, there’s the glaring fact that Ransome is most likely still out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows waiting for the results of that test.
“So…” I take a deep breath and rip off the Band-Aid. “For the past week or so, someone’s been following me.”
“You’re being stalked?” Eliza’s eyes go wide. “Is it someone from…” she trails off, knowing we aren’t supposed to say anything out loud.
“Who?” Gianni asks. “Because if it’s Tristan, I’ll fuck him up.”
“No.” I shake my head. “It’s not Tristan.”
“What do you mean by followed, then?” Eliza asks. Meanwhile, Bella is leaning over, her head on my chest, crying softly.
“I thought I was just imagining it. Being paranoid, you know? But then I realized it was real.”
“What was real?” Gianni demands.
“A dark car.”
“And it wasn’t Tristan,” Gianni repeats. “Yury, maybe? Or Daniil.”
“No,” I answer.
“Are you sure?” Gianni asks.
“Yes.” I wish they’d shut up long enough for me to talk.
Because it’s only a matter of time before the story tells itself in the form of someone else walking through the door.
And for safety purposes, it’s best if I am able to give them the run down before Gianni tries to kill Ransome in a hospital room that is already going to cost me a fortune.
“It was Maverick,” I say, and all of them look at me.
“Maverick is dead,” Gianni states.
“No. He’s not. I don’t know how, but he’s not.”
“But why would Maverick be following you?” Eliza asks.
“Because… I may or may not have… logged into my work account.”
Eliza’s mouth pops open. Gianni pushes back from the chair he just sat down on, knocking it over in the motion before raking his hands through hair.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Amara. Why would you do that? It’s so stupid!”
“I know!” I run my hand over Bella’s head, who is crying again.
“He can see when you do that, you know,” he goes on.
“I know.”
“And with the tech they have, he probably knows where you logged in from.”
“I know.”
Eliza looks back and forth between us. “Does that mean he knows where we are?”
I nod.
“Fuck,” Gianni lets out. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“Okay, wait,” Eliza says in an attempt to backtrack.
I know her. She’s looking for the sunshine in the situation. The silver lining.
Unfortunately, there isn’t one. Not anymore.
“Maybe he doesn’t know,” Eliza continues. “Maybe he sent Maverick as a precaution but didn’t actually confirm it. Maybe—”
Just then, the door opens, which pretty much confirms everything.
Ransome doesn’t even say a word. He just stands there, arms crossed, making himself known. It’s so… Ransome of him.
“You,” Gianni snarls.
Oh God, here we go.
Ransome fixes his icy gaze on him. “Don’t start, kid.”
“Don’t start?” Gianni goes on. “Don’t fucking start?!”
“G, stop.” I force myself to straighten up. I feel like a sitting duck right now. I can’t get up; I can’t move around. I’m helpless.
“Gianni,” Eliza warns as well, but our brother is a loose cannon at this point.
“I’m not starting anything,” Gianni says, standing toe to toe with Ransome.
“He’s the one who started it. The job, the hope, the lies, the bad company.
Yeah, that’s right, I said it. I wouldn’t have even met the Chadovichs if it weren’t for you.
I’d still have my car, I’d still be taking care of my family, living in my home.
I know it wasn’t much, but it was ours.”
His fists are trembling at his sides, the hint of a crack in his voice as he spits out months’ worth of resentment at Ransome’s feet.
“And you took it all away.” He takes a shaky exhale. “Sent us off with nowhere to go, no apology. Just a good riddance for your mess.”
“Gianni—”
“And she’s pregnant. She’s fucking pregnant, man. And to top it all off, she’s got your guys on her tail.”
“G, I’m serious—”
“So, no. I’m not starting shit. But I’m sure as hell going to finish it.”
“Gianni!” I shout, not really caring at this point who hears. Gianni has already caused a commotion that most likely has security headed our way. Besides, with Ransome here, it doesn’t really matter if people know our real names anymore.
“I suggest you sit down, kid,” Ransome says. “You’re stressing your sister out. It’s bad for the baby.”
“I’m stressing her out?” Gianni yells. “I’m taking care of her. Me. Meanwhile, you’re the one who put her in that bed.”
“Everyone just needs to shut up!” I snap. “You’re all stressing me out. They’re not going to let me go home until my heart rate is steady, and it’s a little hard to be calm with all of you screaming at each other!”
“She’s right,” Eliza agrees. “If you two want to duke it out, take it outside. But not around Amara and not around the baby.”
“I have more business around that baby than you know,” Ransome growls. I cover my face, my heart rate climbing.
“And how are you so sure?” Gianni demands.
“G!” I snap. “Just stop!”
With that, Ransome’s composure is gone and he grabs Gianni by the shirt. “Listen, punk—”
“Excuse me.” The nurse’s voice is the only thing that actually shuts everyone up. Ransome lets go of Gianni, who shrugs him off in the process. Eliza squeezes my hand and Bella sits up.
“The test results are in,” she says.