Chapter 34 Maxim
MAXIM
“How is it looking?” I’m trying not to hover over Rex, but I can’t help myself.
Ever since someone tried to break into the hospital floor Zoe’s been recovering at, Rex and I have been trying to clamp down on the flow of information outside the family.
I persuaded Zoe that it was just a tired doctor confused about where they were supposed to be, and it did calm her, but the security footage showed me otherwise.
A stranger dressed in black with a cap pulled down far over his eyes. Given how quickly he fled the elevator, I suspect he was simply testing my security measures, but after what happened to Hollie, I’m now utterly convinced that this fake client of hers is actually the bastard I’ve been hunting.
Vinnie won’t be hiding for much longer.
“Not that long. Here.” Rex passes me a brand-new cellphone.
“Every number there is linked to each one in the system. You can listen to anyone’s calls if you need.
I’m running facial recognition through every camera in the building and down the entire block.
I’ve also got the system looped into the cameras we set up around Hollie’s parents’ and your father’s manor.
Whatever Vinnie’s game is, if he pops up here or at the clubs, we’ll know it. ”
“It doesn’t feel like enough,” I murmur, staring at the phone screen. “How is one man escaping us this long?”
“Because he’s exactly that,” Rex replies. “One man with no contacts is harder to track than an organization and he knows it. He’s slotting into everyday life, but he made one mistake. One he can’t hide.”
My attention darts to Rex. “Which is?”
“Hollie fucked up his face with that snow globe. That shit will take weeks to heal, so he’s either going to crawl into the dark and die or he’ll do something big because he can’t hide anymore. Either way…” Rex grunts softly and finishes his work on the keyboard. “We’ll be ready for him.”
After saying goodbye to Rex, I return to the small office in my penthouse and study the cameras.
Down in the lobby, Toto hugs Rex and elbows him lightly in the gut, resulting in a soft brawl that ends when Rex gets a phone call.
The phone in my hand supposedly can connect to any call since every call on our network routes through it, but he never actually showed me how.
I tap a few buttons and something clicks, so I lift the phone to my ear.
“I’d really prefer if you came in for a check-up,” comes an unfamiliar voice. “I can’t tell you much over the phone without examining you.”
Is Rex sick?
“I can’t do that,” comes Hollie’s voice, and my heart stalls briefly in my chest.
I shouldn’t listen in on her conversations, but something about her tone keeps me listening, concern bleeding through with each frantic thump of my heart.
“Well, are you in any pain?” comes the stranger’s voice. “Any unusual vomiting or discomfort when you lie down?”
“No, nothing. The only pain comes from my hip but he… he shoved me so hard against that desk.” Hollie’s voice wobbles. “I haven’t told the father yet, and now I’m too scared because if something’s happened to this baby, then it’s all my fault and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!”
Baby?
Baby… Hollie’s pregnant?
Wait… this doesn’t make any sense. I haven’t been fucking her long enough for her to know if she’s pregnant or not, surely?
“Breathe, Hollie. Listen… I need you to come in for a scan. Preferably, as soon as possible. It’s the only way I can soothe your fears and find out if there is any real cause for concern.”
Hollie is silent for a long moment and then she sighs. “I have lunch with my mother today. I could maybe slip away to see you.”
“Slip away?” The stranger, presumably a doctor of some kind, pauses. “Hollie, are you in an unsafe situation?”
“No, nothing like that,” Hollie assures hurriedly. “It’s complicated, that’s all. I’m fine, I promise.”
After a little back and forth, the call ends. I sit slowly, staring blankly at the security monitors in front of me.
Pregnant? Is that even possible?
Is it mine? Someone else's?
My heart races. A baby changes everything. If it’s mine, even if it’s not, what I feel for Hollie is almost overwhelming and it sits warmly in my chest like a hug that never lets go.
Confronting her doesn’t feel like a wise move without revealing just how in-depth the new security software is, so I’ll remain quiet for now. With any luck, Hollie will tell me herself when she feels ready.
But a baby?
The revelation leaves me reeling and it stays with me through the next hour until I meet Hollie in the kitchen.
“Hi,” she says cheerily. “I’m just packing some water before I meet Mom for lunch. You good?”
She’s so beautiful. Is she glowing because she’s smiling or because she’s carrying a baby? I struggle with myself, keeping my gaze locked on her eyes, refusing to look down as if I could suddenly reveal everything I wanted to know about the baby. Forcing a smile, I push a booklet toward her.
“I found this on the dresser. Are you looking to buy a private yacht?”
Hollie glances at it and groans. “No, that’s the offer I was telling you about.
The banquet is on Friday and it’s an amazing opportunity.
Tiffany thinks I’ll be perfect for it, but it clashes with Mom’s dinner and she’s so pissed at me for missing Thanksgiving and the dinner last Christmas.
And the one before.” Her brow dips as she screws the lid onto her water bottle. “I don’t know what to do.”
Leaning on the counter, I map out every detail of her face. The wisps of hair framing her face, the slope of her lips, the bump in her nose. I map it all out and smile. “Do you think your parents would move dinner?”
“It’s in three days. There’s no way,” she sighs. “Plus…” Hollie stops on the other side of the counter and stares at me. “It’s… kind of a huge deal, don’t you think?”
“Moving dinner?”
“No. A cruise for ten months.”
Is she asking me permission? It’s strange to think she values my opinion here and my heart races slightly, my mind still reeling from the idea of a baby. “It is a long time. Are you sure you could handle it?”
Her brow lifts slightly and she shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve never been on a cruise, but it sounds nice.”
“I do remember your mentioning a desire to leave New York. Is that still something you want to do?”
Her hands come together around the water bottle and her knuckles flex, then she tilts her head. “Things are… different now.”
“Different how?”
“We’re married.”
“That doesn’t equate to a loss of freedom.”
“Uhm, excuse me. Yesterday, you wouldn’t let me leave and today, you’re only letting me leave because Toto and Stu are coming with me, along with God knows who else.”
“So your freedom currently involves a few shadows. I want you safe, but I don’t want you imprisoned.”
A soft smile creeps across her lips. “You know, back in November when you forced me down that aisle, I didn’t think you had a kind bone in your body.”
“And now?”
She shrugs. “I dunno. I like this version of you. The real you.”
“If it makes you feel any better…” Leaning over the counter, I catch her chin and lightly kiss her lips.
“I’m perfectly capable of running my business from the ocean.
My father would be happy I’m no longer personally involved and I would love to see one of my many enemies try to catch me in the middle of the ocean. ”
Her lips remain slightly parted as she stares into my eyes. “You’d come with me?”
“If you wanted me to. Yes.”
“I…” Her gaze breaks away and then she steps away.
“I don’t know. It’s so much to think about.
My parents are old so I don’t want to miss dinner because as much as I hate it, Mom is right about how many I miss.
And after you got stabbed and I got attacked, suddenly, it feels like there’s not enough time with family.
But also, a cruise around the world playing music would be amazing. I don’t know what to do.”
“You will figure it out,” I assure her gently. “Either because one choice is clear and you’re trying to avoid how much you want it, or things will slip into place naturally.”
“Maybe.” Sighing, she glances at her phone. “I’m going to be late.”
As she hurries toward the elevator, my mind races.
Does this baby factor into her plans? Is that the real reason she’s reluctant and she can’t admit it without telling me the truth?
Guilt nestles like a small ball under my ribs from accidentally eavesdropping, but I can’t bring myself to influence the choice I think is best for her and the baby.
No matter how I feel, I haven’t known her long enough to do that.
But her talk of family sits with me.
My own father has taken a back seat since our argument and this time of year is hard for him. For both of us. With Hollie dwelling on her own family, and the baby in the air… I’m at a loss for how to support her without revealing what I know.
But I will do my best.
“Let’s go dancing,” I call to her as she reaches the elevator.
She spins around, causing her skirt to swirl around her legs. “Now?”
“No, tomorrow. Xena and the girls always throw some amazing parties at this time of year. I want to take you to one. Drinks and dancing. A way to properly relax after everything that’s going on.”
“Will it be safe?” The doors slide open behind her.
“Of course,” I reply easily. “I’ll protect you.”