Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Becca raises both eyebrows as if she’s not convinced of my counting skills.
“Okay, maybe longer.”
“Lyra…” she starts.
“No,” I say quickly. “No, it’s not that. I can’t be pregnant.”
She folds her arms. “You can’t be or don’t want to be?”
“Both!” I sputter, unable to believe we’re actually having this conversation.
“You’ve been with Damien almost every day for the last month,” she says softly, not judging, just confirming.
I look down at the table, unable to meet her eyes. “That’s true,” I reluctantly admit.
“Were you guys using anything?”
“We were careful,” I mutter, unable to meet her eyes.
Becca doesn’t say anything to that.
“I mean, it’s possible,” I mutter. “But it can’t be that. Right? I probably just caught a stomach bug or something. That restaurant kitchen didn’t look great.”
“Your aunt’s been eating there for years, right?”
“So what?” I argue. “Maybe they had an off batch of meat or something.”
Becca stands and grabs her phone. “We’re calling your doctor.”
“No!”
“Lyra.”
I sigh and slump back in my chair. “You’re bossy, you know that?”
“I’m a great friend,” she argues, sticking her tongue out at me. “There’s a difference.”
I roll my eyes but take the phone she offers and call my doctor’s office. There’s a cancellation for later that morning. Becca insists on coming with me, and I’m too tired to argue. The subway ride over is mostly quiet except for her playlist humming through her headphones. I keep thinking about Damien, wondering how he would react to this news. We’re not even officially dating. Would he think I’m trying to trap him into something?
Nope. I’m not going there.
We get to the clinic, and the waiting room smells like antiseptic and baby powder. A mother is in the corner with a toddler on her lap, reading a board book about colors. I sit beside Becca, my hands twisted in my coat, my stomach still doing cartwheels.
“I feel like I’m going to throw up,” I whisper.
“Good thing we’re at a doctor’s office, then,” she whispers back.
I swat her arm, but it makes me smile for a second. Then the nerves return, heavy and sharp.
The nurse finally steps into the room. “Lyra Taylor?”
I jump at the sudden calling of my name, unable to process it. Becca nudges me. “Go. You’ve got this.”
I follow the nurse down the hallway, answering questions like a robot, too dazed to process much. She hands me a cup and points toward the restroom. I lock the door behind me and stare at myself in the mirror for a moment before doing what I need to do.
When I return, I sit on the exam table and wait. And wait. Each minute stretches until I’m sure I’m going to scream.
When the doctor comes in, she’s holding a chart and smiling gently.
“Lyra,” she says. “It’s good to see you again.”
I nod, my throat tight, wishing she’d just get to it. I answer a few more questions on autopilot until she finally does.
“We ran the standard test and confirmed the result.”
I feel my pulse in my throat.
She meets my eyes. “You’re pregnant.”
14
DAMIEN
“Rurik’s leaving New York in two days,” Alek says, handing me a phone loaded with shots of him. “He’s flying private to Boston to meet some of his family from Russia. They’re coming in through a back channel via Miami, then switching to domestic, so there won’t be a customs trail.”
“Are they on our watch list?” I ask, glancing at it.
“Mostly. There’s a new face we haven’t seen before. He’s probably just muscle or an intermediary, but he’s worth watching just in case.”
I lean back in my chair and rub my thumb along my jaw. “So Rurik thinks he’s untouchable again, that he can start laying groundwork with his family overseas.”
Alek nods. “It’s the first time they’ve tried a face-to-face meeting stateside since your father was alive.”
“Then it’s the perfect time to remind them why they stopped.”
I tap the photo twice, weighing the angles. A crowded street outside a club, bodies packed tight, Rurik halfway through the frame with that same smug look on his face. He’s always so sure he’s outsmarted everyone.
“We do it in Boston,” I say. “Quietly. I don’t want any bodies left for the press to find.”
“We have eyes on the hotel,” Alek confirms. “I’ve got two teams ready. One to tail him. One to eliminate him.”
“Good.” I stand, buttoning my jacket. “Move the plan up by a day. I want him gone before he even reaches the damn lobby.”
Alek’s eyes glint. “Copy that.”
I nod and grab my phone. “Since I’ll be out of town for a few days, I want everything locked down before we leave. No noise in New York while I’m gone.”
“I’ll handle it,” he says, already pulling out his phone.
My thoughts drift to Lyra as I head toward the elevator. I text her that I’m picking her up. One more night before I’m off the grid. One more time to see her face, hear her laugh, feel her skin beneath my fingertips.