Chapter 8
Adrian
The doctor's office is too quiet. There's no sound except for Sera's soft breathing and the beeping of the medical equipment. Not that I am processing anything else, but what I've been told.
Sera is pregnant.
With my child.
An heir.
Shit.
I stare at her unconscious form. Her face is pale beneath the blood that had splashed across her when I took out Dimitri.
There's a bruise forming on her cheekbone, dark purple spreading rapidly.
The doctor said there was no breakage, and I'm surprised.
Already, there's a knot, and if Dimitri wasn't already being dissolved in acid, I would make sure he died screaming.
Sera looks fragile. Breakable.
Not that she is. I watched her fight Dimitri Morozov. She might not have won, but it was a lot closer than it should have been considering her size. It's impressive, and yet…I don't want her to have to fight.
I want to protect her from harm.
The idea of someone, anyone, putting hands on her, makes me want to burn shit to the ground.
I chalk it up to some sort of biological imperative. Sure, I want to fuck Sera again. Maybe, even explore what makes her tick, but I have never felt this protectiveness about anyone before, not even the women in my own family.
Even now, thinking about what may have happened…
I don't finish the thought. If I do, I'll murder anyone who looks at me wrong.
Pregnant.
All this time, she's been walking around with my child growing inside her.
Did she know? Did she plan this?
The question eats at me. She said she was on birth control. The shot. I'd trusted her, wanting to leave my mark inside of her body against my better sense. And yet, here we are. The one fucking time I'd come inside a woman, and now, she's pregnant.
And while I want to believe this is accidental. I can't ignore reality. There are plenty of people out there, enemies and friends alike, who'd love me to be distracted by Sera.
Her life isn't exactly easy, so I couldn't blame her if she took money for a job.
Seduce the heir. Get pregnant. Watch things unravel and take my child from me.
It's exactly the kind of play Bianca would make if the roles were reversed. After all, there's no better way to control a person than with the people they love.
The way she looked at Dr. Reeves when he declared she was pregnant—my gut tells me that she didn't know.
And at this point, it doesn't matter if she is working with someone. Not really. She is carrying my child; however, we ended up here, doesn't matter. She's trapped. The heir in her belly makes it so.
"Mr. Nero."
Dr. Reeves approaches carefully. He's worked for my family for twenty years, so he knows when to speak and when not to.
"How is she?" My voice comes out rougher than intended.
"Stable. The baby's heartbeat is strong. The bleeding has stopped." He glances at his notes. "She has a mild concussion from the impact with the wall. Bruised ribs. Facial contusions. But nothing that won't heal."
"The baby?"
"As far as I can tell, unharmed. But she needs to see an OB-GYN. Someone who specializes in high-risk pregnancies." He pauses. "The trauma, the stress, the physical assault—all of it puts her at risk for complications."
High-risk.
Of course it is. Nothing can ever be fucking simple.
"When will she wake up?"
"I gave her a mild sedative to help her rest, but it should wear off within the next hour or so." Dr. Reeves sets down his tablet. "She'll need time to process everything. The attack. The pregnancy. She's been through significant trauma."
"She'll process it at my penthouse."
His eyebrows rise slightly. "Mr. Nero, I'm not sure we should move her."
"Is she in danger?" My mind flashes to the blood. The way it had soaked his jeans, and she's grabbed me, digging her nails in my arms as the pain wracked her body.
Now that I know about her delicate situation, I feel a bit of fear in my gut at the thought of her being in harm again.
The doctor sighs. "Pregnant women are more vulnerable, but I believe the bleeding was a subchorionic hematoma."
"Is the child in danger if she's moved?"
He looks hesitant. "No more than normal."
"Great."
"But I must caution—"
"I'm not asking for your opinion on where she recovers." My voice drops to ice. "I'm telling you she's coming with me."
He has the good sense not to argue. "She'll need follow-up care. Rest. No stress."
I almost laugh. No stress. Fat fucking chance.
"Arrange the OB-GYN," I say. "Someone discreet. Someone who understands the need for privacy."
"I know someone. Dr. Tracy Mann. She's handled sensitive cases before."
I pause. "Not Mann. Someone else." Dr. Mann is basically my mother's puppet, and I don't trust her. At all.
Dr. Reeves blinks but doesn't question it. "Dr. Patricia Kristopher, then. Excellent reputation. Very discreet."
"Fine. Set it up for tomorrow."
"She really should rest for at least—"
"Tomorrow." I don't raise my voice. I don't need to.
He nods. "I'll make the arrangements to ensure that her movement is as seamless as possible."
My phone buzzes. I pull it out, already knowing who it is before I look at the screen.
A message from Leo. Bianca wants you at the mansion. Now.
I close my eyes briefly and glance back at Sera. Reeves told her. I know he did, and I can't fault him for it. After all, he answers to her, not me. Still, I was hoping to get in front of this.
I'm busy.
Leo responds. She knows about the girl. And Dimitri. She's not asking. I have orders to kneecap you if you won't come.
Bianca's network is terrifyingly efficient. The body's barely cold, and she already knows everything. Odds are good that one of the clean-up crew told her, or even worse, she has had me followed.
And now that she has this information, there is no fucking telling what she is going to do with it, which means I need to talk to her.
Twenty minutes, I respond.
I look at Sera again. Still unconscious.
"Leo's coming to stay with her," I say to Dr. Reeves. "She doesn't leave this building. She doesn't wake up alone. You understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"And if anyone other than Leo or me tries to get to her, you call me immediately."
"Of course."
I move to the bed.
I reach out, carefully pushing a strand of hair from her face. Her skin is warm. Alive.
Mine.
"Don't let anything happen to her," I tell Dr. Reeves. "Or I'll make sure the only patients you operate on are corpses."
He pales. "I understand."
The elevator takes me down to the parking garage. My car is where I left it, Sera's blood still on the leather seats.
Evidence. All of it evidence.
I'll have it detailed later. Burned if necessary.
Right now, I have a more immediate problem.
My mother.
Leo is waiting outside Dr. Reeves' building, with another vehicle.
"How is she?" he asks, as he hands me his keys.
"Don't pretend you don't know," I grumble.
He sighs. "Bianca informed me when I made some excuses for you. Reeves called her immediately."
I exhale.
"You can't blame her," he says. "An heir is a big deal for the family. For all of the families."
"And for me," I bite out. "But I suppose my mother only cares about power."
Leo says nothing, and there's nothing that needs to be said. After all, Leo knows I'm not wrong.
"I need you to stay by her side. There's no telling who is looking for her."
Leo nods. "I need to ask you a question," he says.
I nod.
He's quiet for a moment, and then, he asks. "How do you know it's yours?"
I snap my head so quickly, I nearly get whiplash. "Don't fuck around with me, Leo."
He holds his hands up. "It's a valid question. One your mother will ask, and you should be prepared for."
"It's mine," I say flatly. "Trust me."
His eyes are on me, and I expect him to snap another question my way. Instead, he nods, letting it go. We've been friends for long enough that he trusts me, and I trust him.
He glances at me. "Bianca sounded pleased with the news."
That's never good.
"Fantastic," I mutter.
"What's the play here?" he asks. "With your mother?"
"My mother is going to be staying out of this." My voice is harder than I intend. "She doesn't get a say in my personal life."
He snorts. "Don't be na?ve, Adrian. It's not like you.
You and I both know that your mother is not just going to let you 'figure this out.
'" Leo continues. "An illegitimate heir is a weakness.
A pregnant woman with no protection is a liability.
Bianca will demand you marry her. Legitimize the child and make the baby your official heir. "
He's not wrong, but I've never been one to concede, especially to Bianca. "I'm not getting married because my mother tells me to." I sound obstinate. I know I do. And yet, the idea of being forced into an arrangement by MY MOTHER hurts my ego.
"Then Bianca will take that child."
I freeze, glaring.
"I'm loyal to you, Adrian," he says. "You know I am, which is why I am telling you this. You need to go into the meeting with your eyes open."
He's not wrong.
If Sera's pregnant with my child, if that child is the Nero heir, then marriage isn't optional. It's necessary. Expected. Required.
The child is also a danger. Bianca could cut me out, raise the child as her new heir, and tell me to fuck off.
"I need you to keep an eye on Sera," I repeat. "She can't be moved yet until she stabilizes."
"I hope you know what you are doing," he tells me.
I ignore him, speeding off.
Time to face the music.
Bianca's waiting for me in her office. She's always waiting. Like she has nothing better to do than monitor every move I make.
I don't bother knocking. Just walk through the front door, through the marble entryway, up the stairs to the second floor.
Her office door is open, and she's behind the desk reading. There's a cup of tea by her. It all looks delightfully traditional, and I nearly laugh at the visual.
I can't ever recall a time when my mother was anything other than powerful and detached.