Chapter 30 Elena
CHAPTER 30
ELENA
Eight months later…
The baby refused to come. Elena paced up and down the hallway of the one-story house she had rented months ago. Her son, who was overdue, appeared to be just as stubborn as his dad. If her water didn’t break in the next forty-eight hours, she was getting prepped for a C-section.
Part of her dreaded being all alone in the hospital, but mostly she couldn’t wait to welcome her baby into the world. She just hoped his birth would be less chaotic than her flight from his father, who had wanted to steal him.
It had been months since she’d run from Viking to Katya. There hadn’t been any time to think everything through. All she had wanted was to get away from him. She’d been a bumbling mess of tears when she’d told Katya what had happened. Then Kristoff had walked in, and she’d almost had a panic attack. Unlike what she’d expected, he didn’t immediately rat her out though.
“I owe you for Ekaterina, so I’m not going to keep you here. I let you live sixteen years ago and I’m letting you live again. That makes us even.” He had looked at his watch. “I think an hour head start is fair.”
“An hour?”
Kristoff shrugged. “It worked for John Wick.”
It had worked for her as well. Katya had brought her into contact with a hacker/digital mercenary for hire. A woman named Onyx, who happened to be Tess’ sister. Per the hacker’s request, their sole contact had been by phone and e-mail. Onyx had provided her with a burner phone, a fake ID, a suitcase filled with cash, and everything else a person on the run needed. When she asked about the money’s origins, she’d called it future child support. Onyx had even taken care of getting her house in a small town a few hours from San Francisco. At first, being so close to her home town had frightened her, but in the end, she decided to go with it because at least it was somewhat familiar. She’d made it out of San Francisco unscathed, but not without leaving behind her heart and replacing it with the knowledge she was being hunted. Ever since, she’d been in a paranoid state of mind, expecting to walk into a Bratva soldier at every corner.
She regularly spoke to Vicky on the phone but hadn’t told her about the predicament she was in. Judging by their chats, her daughter had no idea, which was exactly the way Elena wanted it. Vicky didn’t need to get involved in her parents’ messy situation. And what a mess it was. The more she thought about it, the more difficult it seemed to untangle herself from the cathartic state of her marriage.
During the last few months, she’d had a lot of time for reflection. Time to think and to fret.
She’d felt eyes on her for the past few weeks, but told herself she was being paranoid. No one had found her. If Viking had, he wouldn’t be on the lookout from behind a bush. No, he would barge back into her life and stash her back inside his house. She’d probably never see daylight again. Not after she’d shot him. Yes, she’d missed his vitals on purpose, but somehow she didn’t think pointing that out would cut it.
One thing was certain, she couldn’t go on like this forever. Isolating herself from everyone around her, afraid someone was going to connect her to the Romanov Bratva, was no way of living. It had been how she’d lived under Lorenzo’s thumb. She refused to go through that again. Sadly, she hadn’t found a solution to her conundrum yet. If only Viking would be reasonable about this. If only he could push aside his rage and find it in his heart to forgive her. They could be a family, have everything they’d ever dreamed of. This baby could have been their new beginning, a new hope. Instead, history was repeating itself.
A kick to the stomach had her on high alert. She groaned as her stomach tightened. Taking a deep breath, she dragged herself to the stairs and tightly clutched the handrail.
When the pain intensified, it hit her she was having contractions. She called a cab, then went into the living room to get her bag. Another contraction hit her, and her knees almost crumpled. Sweat dripped down the back of her neck. Gasping, she made her way back to the stairs. If she sat back onto the plush couch, she feared she’d never be able to get back up. Within ten minutes the doorbell rang.
“Just a second!” She was halfway into the parlor when her water broke and another contraction squished her intestines.
She couldn’t keep her cry in.
Then the door burst open. When she looked up, she came face to face with a bewildered-looking Viking. His light blond hair was disheveled and a five o’clock shadow dusted his face. Her treacherous heart fluttered in her chest as she took in his big frame while relief poured through every fiber of her being because she was no longer alone. Hope filled her because there wasn’t a trace of anger on his face, only relief, as if he was happy to have found her.
Silly, silly girl. Haven’t you learned anything?
In her pregnancy-hormone-filled mind, she was imagining things. She couldn’t trust him again.
Steeling her heart, she blurted, “You are not getting your hands on my son!”
He blinked. “We’re having a son?”
Oh, God, the anguish in his voice. No, she couldn’t afford to be fooled by that.
“How did you find me?”
He looked at her as if she were crazy. “You want to have this conversation now?”
“Yes,” she snapped. Needles exploded in her stomach just then. She stifled a yell and curled her hands around the stairs for support.
Viking cursed and stepped inside. The corridor seemed to shrink as he closed in on her. He hunched next to her.
“I need to get you to the hospital.”
“I’m not having this baby.” She took another set of deep breaths in a desperate attempt to keep the baby inside.
His eyes softened. “I think you are, Lena.”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I’m not having a baby only for you to steal it.” Her son was staying inside her belly, forever. “And I asked you a question. How did you find me?”
He sighed. “I’ve known where you’ve been for months. There isn’t a place I can’t find you. I will always find you.”
There was no menace in his voice. She must be hearing things. Maybe it was another side effect of pregnancy brain.
“Don’t you dare threaten me.”
He cursed. “It’s not a threat. I mean—”
She didn’t hear what he said after that. Pain wracked her body as the baby told her he wasn’t staying inside much longer.
At her second outcry, she was lifted off the floor. Viking pivoted with her in his arms, going for the door.
“Wait!” She pointed to the bottom of the staircase. “I need my bag.”
Viking had caught her off guard. Never before had she felt so vulnerable. But if he thought she didn’t have a Plan B, he was mistaken.
***
Four hours later, Elena was holding their son in her arms. Compared to her firstborn, this birth had been a walk in the park.
Viking was taking a nap on an uncomfortable-looking chair next to her bed, looking exhausted.
She kissed her baby’s soft head. “That big guy sitting over there is your dad,” she introduced them. “The way he’s looking all worn out, you’d think he gave birth instead of me. This is why God has chosen women to give birth instead of men. Women are so much tougher.”
Viking had insisted on being in on the birth. By the time she was pushing, he had looked pale as a ghost. For a second, she’d feared he would pass out and leave a hole in the floor.
“You’re right about that.”
The sleepy growl startled her. “It is awake,” she mock whispered to her son.
Viking leaned over and placed his elbows on his knees. His gaze went to his son. “Women are much tougher, and your mother is the toughest of them all. She would give her life for the ones she loves. She’ll even marry another man to protect the brother of the man she loves.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “How—”
He looked at her with an apologetic smile. “Let’s just say I wasn’t that drunk.” Viking’s eyes went to her and her heart fluttered. “Thank you for our son, Lena. He’s perfect. After Vicky, it’s the greatest gift anyone could’ve given me. I have no words.”
“I…” Apparently, neither did she.
He scooted his chair closer and held her hand. “Forgive me,” he said in a throaty voice, and his eyes filled with sorrow. “Forgive me for everything I’ve put your through.”
He asked her for forgiveness over and over again, until she stopped him because she couldn’t take the pain in his voice anymore. He was here. They had another beautiful child. It was time to let the past go.
She caressed his cheek. “No more looking back. From now on, there’s only the future. I want to go home, Vik. I want to have the life we had always pictured. You, me, Vicky, and our beautiful baby boy.” It was time to bring Vicky back home and become a real family.
He kissed her hand and nodded. “Looking forward. Us against the world, like we promised years ago. Well, us and a whole bunch of uncles.” He grimaced. “Not sure if the twins are babysitting material.”
“Not happening,” Elena said, nipping that one in the bud. “I heard about the snake incident from Vicky.” The twins’ place didn’t exactly sound like a baby-proof environment.
He smiled, but didn’t deny it. “Anything you say, beautiful. Just as long as you don’t run anymore. Not that you’d get very far. I will always chase you.” His eyes narrowed, but she could see the smile in them. “I’d rather have you pull a gun on me again, than you disappearing on me.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Deal. It was just…” Perhaps it was time to confess what had set her off. “Maybe I overreacted a bit. It’s just that the day I ran, Ricky had just visited me with Giorgia. She said she’d overheard you say you were going to take away my baby and I, well, when you didn’t deny it, I was gutted.”
She didn’t dare ask. They had just agreed to let the past rest. Still, he seemed to see the question in her eyes.
His eyes looked thunderous, but the anger wasn’t aimed at her. “I haven’t told her shit. I haven’t talked to her in ages.” He sighed, and scrubbed a hand over his tired-looking eyes. “I’m sorry, Lena. That day when you saw me with her, I barely remember it. I know it’s not an excuse, but after seeing you with Morelli, I was out of my mind with jealousy. I wanted to commit murder, go on a rampage.”
She understood all too well. It had felt the same for her.
“After that, I lived in a drunk funk for weeks, not caring who was in my bed. Until one day, Kristoff dragged me out of it and kicked some sense into me to sober me up.” He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss in her palm. “Forgive me, beautiful. Please, forgive me. If you’ll give me another chance, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
There were a million things she wanted to tell him. So many things they had yet to discuss, but all she did was burst into tears and cry. A lot.
Like most men, seeing her in tears made Viking uncomfortable. He was out of his seat before she could blink.
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to get you some tissues and speak to the doctor.”
He disappeared before she could stop him.
She looked at her son, who was sleeping. “Guess we’re going home with your dad, after all, baby boy.”
Her baby really was the start of a new beginning, and with him came a miracle. For the first time since she’d found out about her pregnancy, she didn’t fear the future. She couldn’t wait to go home with Viking and start the rest of their lives.
When the door opened, it wasn’t Viking who came in. It was her brother. She’d forgotten she’d texted Ricky to come to pick her up. She felt ashamed that part of her hadn’t expected him to come through.
“Thank you for coming, Ricky.”
“Any time, sis.” He hurried into the closet and took out her bag. His one eye was on the door. “We need to hurry.”
Right. He still believed he needed to rescue her from Viking.
“Everything’s okay now,” she explained. “It was all a misunderstanding. Viking and I are good.” They had a lot of talking to do, but the first step had been made. “You can go. I mean, you don’t have to leave, of course, but—”
“I’m afraid I can’t,” Ricky said. His eyes kept darting back and forth between her son and the door.
A tendril of unease went down her back. “What do you mean you can’t?”
He dropped into the chair next to her and patted her leg.
“Don’t you see he is bad news? He was never good enough for you. That’s why I chose Lorenzo for you. Planted the idea in his head that you’d be the perfect candidate for his bride. It was a win-win. I mean, after I caught him with that busboy, it was only a matter of time before he would silence me to keep his secret. It’s ridiculous how conservative his family is. My plan was the ultimate solution to everyone’s problem. Lorenzo got a wife, and you got anything a woman could ever want.”
Elena was speechless. Her brother’s betrayal crushed her.
“Don’t forget yourself, Ricky.” He was the one who benefited most from her union with Lorenzo. It had lifted him from a smalltime junkie slash dealer to a brigadier in the Morelli ranks.
“I can’t go back,” he insisted, only confirming her words. “With Lorenzo dead and Pedro kicked out of the family, I was next. They took everything from me, Lena. My turf, my men, my money. I have nothing!” He sounded frantic. “I’m not going back to the streets.”
She took a deep whiff from her son’s rosy head to calm herself. She’d deal with her brother later.
“Guess you reap what you sow.”
A grim determination was etched on his face. “I thought so too.”
Somehow she doubted they were talking about the same thing here.
“I need you to help me out, sis. We can have it all, just work with me.”
“I don’t follow.”
A wash of guilt flooded his face. “I tried to get you to leave with me when I came over with Giorgia. See, she’s smart. She knows what’s good for her. I need you to be smart too, Lena. We’ve thought this through and it’s the only way.”
“We?”
Then the door opened and in came the devil. Pedro Morelli walked in, as if he owned the place.
Ice-cold terror flooded her when she finally connected the dots.
“No,” she whispered, fear tightening her throat.
“Oh, yes. It’s so nice to see you again, Elena.” Pedro moved his jacket to expose his gun. His predatory gaze settled on her son. “I bet Viking is prepared to pay anything for his brat.”