Chapter Eighteen
Igor
“You have a visitor, Boss.” Ivan stood in the doorway of my office located at one of my restaurants with a wary look on his face.
His tone drew my attention more than the thought of a visitor and my brows knitted into a question. “What kind of visitor?”
“The rat fucking snake kind.” Ivan shook his head, the contempt for my visitor evident in his defensive posture and dark scowl.
I stood with a smile, knowing it could only be one person. “I’ll be out shortly.”
Ivan was confused but I didn’t bother to explain the visit to him because it wasn’t his business. “I’ll let him know.”
“No. Don’t say anything at all.” I smiled and once alone, took my time to put on my jacket and a welcome smile because the restaurant was open for business. I entered the dining room with a blank expression until I spotted my visitor. “Dmitry,” I smiled. “So sorry to hear about Yuri.”
His nostrils flared but his gaze darted around the half-full dining room and all the curious gazes aimed our way. It took him a full minute, but Dmitry finally got his emotions under control. “I believe this is yours.” He tossed the floral wreath at my feet.
I looked down at the arrangement of red and white roses and shrugged. “Funny because it has Yuri’s name on it.”
“You bastard,” he growled through clenched teeth. “I know you killed him.”
My brows shot up in mock surprise. “You give me too much credit, Dmitry. Or maybe you don’t give me enough credit. It’s difficult to say with you.”
“Bullshit!” His shout drew even more attention. “You disrespected Yuri and his family with this fucking display.”
“Did I?”
Yuri’s face turned a bright shade of red. He was damn near apoplectic. “You know damn well you did,” he snarled and got in my face.
“Excellent. Disrespect is exactly what I was going for.” My lips curled into a taunting grin.
I knew that fucking display would dig under his skin and force him to make an appearance.
My smile slowly faded, and I took one step forward, closing the gap between us completely.
“Doesn’t feel good to lose those important to you, does it? ”
A flash of hurt appeared but he quickly covered it with anger. “I lost my son,” he growled and put a hand to my chest.”
I swiped his hand away and placed my finger in the center of his bony chest. “Yeah, and I wake up each morning without my brother, my sister-in-law, my nephew and Maria.”
Something like pride flashed in his eyes.
“By my calculations you still have a few more to lose before we’re even.” And I had a plan of attack for each life I intended to take.
“You have taken everything already.”
I shook my head and looked around the room, smiling at my customers as if nothing was amiss. “It was my father,” I reminded him.
“It was a Romanov and that is all that matters to me.”
“Good to know. Rumor has it that your mistress has a four-year-old who looks a lot like you.” He let out a strangled noise but otherwise did not respond. “That could be your grandchild, possibly even your great-grandchild. A Voronov.” I didn’t need to issue a direct threat.
Judging by the fear and hatred that flashed in Voronov’s eyes, he heard me loud and clear. “Careful, Romanov. Rumor has it that you haven’t lost everything yet either.”
My thoughts automatically went to April.
“Yeah, that’s right Romanov. Watch your back.”
I smiled. “I always watch my back, but you better be careful Romanov because when the time comes my face will be the last fucking thing you see.”
He wanted to say more but wisely the old man kept his mouth shut and got the fuck out of my restaurant.
I needed to do something about Voronov, and I needed to do it yesterday. Soon, I promised myself.
“Ready?” Maxim appeared at my side, a stern expression on his face.
“For? The old man is angry but not stupid enough to start a war.”
Maxim’s lips twitched. “You are meeting April for her sixteen-week checkup. You forgot.” It wasn’t a question which was good because I would never admit that I had forgotten.
“I’m ready.”
***
The drive to the private doctor’s office was short, which gave me no time to prepare for the appointment. The red brick building was inviting, and I strolled inside as if I owned the place, mostly because I did until the loan was paid off.
Since there was no longer a need to keep my identity secret, I wanted to be as involved as I could in my child’s life. It should’ve been Maria here with April.
“Hey.” April looked up from e-reader and offered up a shy smile. “Maxim said you might come to the appointment.”
I nodded, unable to tear my gaze from her. She wore a pale green shirt dress that clung to her tits and hips.
“Nervous,” she guessed.
“Maybe,” I admitted and dropped into the seat beside her. “You?”
“Hell yes,” she answered honestly. “Not about the baby, but this is all pretty weird. I know what I signed up for but days like today make it real.”
I laughed. “More real than morning sickness?”
April laughed. “Surprisingly, yes.”
“April Stone?”
April quickly got to her feet and headed toward the nurse dressed in lavender scrubs. “I’m April.”
The nurse’s gaze flicked to me and intensified with appreciation as she looked me over. “Hi April. And Dad.”
I put a hand against April’s back and guided her forward. There was no need to explain our situation to the staff.
“The doctor will be with you shortly,” the chipper nurse said before closing the exam room door on her way out.
“You develop a fan club everywhere you go, don’t you?” April’s tone was full of amusement and for a moment it reminded me of Maria. “I’m only teasing,” she added in response to the blank look on my face.
“It’s fine,” I told her and took her hand in mine. “Women like handsome men but more than that, they love rich men.”
She laughed again. “And you are both.”
“You said it yourself, I am a catch.”
She bumped her shoulder with mine as she started to undress, replacing her clothes with a cotton gown. “I said you seemed to be a catch.”
My smile grew along with hers. The woman had an uncanny ability to make me laugh and smile more than I ever did. “I don’t hear a difference.”
She laughed again but it was interrupted by the petite female doctor with straight black hair who greeted us both with a warm welcome and a handshake. “How are we feeling?”
“Good,” April answered with a smile. “The morning sickness is finally sticking to the mornings. But my gums have been very sensitive. Is that normal?”
The doctor nodded. “It is perfectly normal in the second trimester. Just try to avoid anything sweet or too acidic.” The doctor smiled at me as if she was trying to include me. “Are we ready for the first shot of your little one?”
“Isn’t it too early for that?” It seemed like just yesterday she’d sent the text to say she was pregnant.
“Sixteen weeks is just soon enough,” the doctor assured me with a professional smile. “If your little one is feeling cooperative today.”
April laughed. “If they’re anything like their father, it’ll be a tossup.” She and the doctor shared a laugh at my expense, but I didn’t care. My image was focused on the screen and steady thrumming that suddenly sounded in the exam room.
“That is your baby’s heartbeat.” The doctor beamed proud as if it was her baby.
It was strong and fast. It was a Romanov heart. “That’s the heartbeat?”
She nodded. “It’s strong.”
“How cool,” April whispered, her voice a little shaky and watery. “Wow.” Her words summed it up perfectly.
“It never gets old,” the doctor assured us. “Do you want to know the baby’s sex?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately.
April and the doctor laughed.
I was in a daze for the next thirty minutes as we left the doctor’s office and headed to lunch, thinking about the magical moment I’d just witnessed. If Maria had been here, I would have missed this and that would have been a travesty.
“Are you okay, Igor?” April waved her hand in front of me, concern etched on her face. “Igor?”
I blinked and a slow grin spread across my face. “I’m fine.”
April laughed and tilted her head to the side with a knowing smile. “You’re stunned and that’s all right.”
“I’m not,” I insisted.
“You are,” she teased. “You’re going to have a little son who will probably be a hellraiser just like his father. You should be stunned,” her smile dipped into a conspiratorial grin. “Unless you’re too tough to be stunned?”
“Not stunned. Excited and in disbelief.”
She arched a brow.
“Okay and yes, a little bit of shock. It’s real now. A son. I’m going to have a son.” It was exactly what I wanted. Exactly what I planned for. My son was growing in April’s belly, and I couldn’t be happier. “Thank you.”
Her face blushed a sweet shade of pink. “You are very welcome, Igor.” Her gaze slammed into mine and it was unsettling. Her eyes and her smile were warm, almost affectionate. “Congratulations.”
Now that I knew the Romanov name would continue for another generation, I needed to have a conversation with April about taking care of the baby. Our current inability to keep our hands to ourselves made this sticky but it needed to be done. “We need to have a conversation.”
Her smile dimmed. “Don’t worry, Igor. I’m not trying to change my status as your surrogate,” she whispered the last word. “It’s been fun and now you want me to know this isn’t anything serious and that it can’t possibly be anything but what it is. Right?”
I opened my mouth to tell her she was both right and wrong, but something just outside the window drew my attention. A black sedan rolled past slowly, so slow that it was noticeable against the faster moving cars.
Trouble.
The car crawled to a stop and the two windows on the driver’s side rolled down at the same time just as two muzzles appeared. “Get down,” I growled.
“What? Igor, what did you—” April’s question was cut off by the sound of the front window shattering and gunshots spraying the restaurant. “Igor!”
I reached behind me for my gun, one hand on April beside me.
I squeezed off two shots before the tires squealed, and the car took off.
“April!” I called out, but she didn’t respond.
“April!” Her body shook under my hand and when I turned to face her, I found her curled into a ball, one hand protecting my baby and the other shielding her head and face. “It’s okay, April. They’re gone.”
“Igor,” she whispered. Her voice was small and shaky, unsure as she risked raising her head.
“I’m here.” I helped her up and wrapped my arm around her. “Let’s get you home.”
“Yes, please.” She looked up at me with tears shining in her green eyes.
I held her a little closer and took her home.
Her body trembled beside me, and she remained silent but nestled into my side.
“Gather the men,” I ordered Maxim before getting April settled into her rooms. I needed to come up with a plan of action because this bold and blatant attempt at sending a message required a response.
Fuck that, it required retaliation.