by Holly Rayner
“I don’t know if I can walk,” she said through gritted teeth.
Malouf shook his head. “I can help you to the car.”
Alyssa went to push herself off the couch, but another intense contraction stopped her. How many seconds had gone by since the last one? Thirty?
She closed her eyes and rode it out with a long exhale. She could feel Malouf hovering nearby, watching her.
“Mrs. bin Talid,” he said, “if I may ask, how long was your first labor?”
Alyssa looked at him. “It was fast. Really fast.”
His jaw tightened. “Perhaps I should examine you.”
“You’re an OB-GYN?”
“No.”
Alyssa nodded. Fine. Whatever. She didn’t see any other doctor in the room.
Malouf hurried into the kitchen to roll up his sleeves and wash his hands. Laying back, Alyssa did her best to get comfortable—not easy with another powerful coming on.
Malouf kneeled and performed an examination. Like every other examination in the history of obstetrics, it took way too long.
As he drew back, Alyssa scooted herself to the edge of the couch. Time to get to the hospital.
“Will you help me up?” Alyssa gasped.
He didn’t make a move. “Mrs. bin Talid, this appears to be a precipitate delivery.”
The words wound tight around Alyssa’s heart. She knew what they meant: labor had progressed much, much faster than it typically did. She just didn’t want to believe it.
She had a scheduled cesarean. The twins couldn’t be born naturally. Especially not in a dingy house with Ali nowhere nearby.
Tears filled Alyssa’s eyes. “Then we need to hurry up.”
Malouf’s gaze was calm. “No, Mrs. bin Talid. You are fully dilated. It’s time to push.”
Chapter 14
Alyssa
Alyssa’s hands shook and adrenaline raced through her body. The contractions came on swifter, and intense pressure pushed against her pelvic floor.
It was a baby. Ready to come out.
“Here. Cushions.”
Malouf piled a couple against the back of the couch, and Alyssa leaned into them. Many times, she’d imagined what giving birth to the twins would be like. Usually nice things like a warm tub, exercise balls to bounce on, or a friendly nurse with a big smile were involved.
This? This was insane.
There wasn’t time to give more than a few seconds to that thought, though. Malouf had rushed to the bathroom, and Alyssa gripped the edges of the couch. Her head spun as a flurry of sensations washed over her. More than anything else, though, there was pressure.
She needed to push. Now.
Alyssa didn’t have time to yell for Malouf to hurry up. He was back, towels draped over his shoulder and medical bag in hand. She tried to say something, to tell him the first baby was on its way, but grunts stole her breath away.
“We are about to crown,” Malouf announced, dropping onto his knees. His forehead was deeply wrinkled, and sweat glistened on it. “Push when you feel the next contraction.”
The next one? Did he know what precipitous labor was like? This whole experience was one big contraction.
Alyssa pushed, not that she needed an invitation. Gritting her teeth, she pushed again and again. She reached deep inside of herself and found all the strength she could muster up. Two babies—she’d need it.
She counted to ten in her head, making each push as long as she could.
“Aah!” she screamed as the pain suddenly intensified even more than she had thought possible.
“Very good,” Malouf said. “I can see the head.”
Alyssa pushed again, and again, and then, suddenly, Malouf held a tiny baby in his arms. Alyssa gasped. Somehow, even after all the months of waiting, seeing a real-life baby come out of her was a surprise.
Malouf wiped the baby’s face with a towel, and a high-pitched wailing pierced the air.
Alyssa reached her arms out, and Malouf handed the infant, wrapped in a towel, over to her. “I’m sorry there is no nurse to hold her.”
Despite the fear, pain and exhaustion, Alyssa laughed. She held the baby in the crook of her arm and looked down. Malouf was a right. It was a girl.
A double whammy of a contraction hit, and Alyssa made sure not to squeeze her newborn daughter too tight as she pushed.
“It’s crowning already,” Malouf said.
Alyssa gasped. This one seemed much faster. A few more pushes and she would have both babies in her arms.
She felt the baby emerge. Saw its head, then feet. Whichever baby had been breech, it looked like he or she had turned around. Alyssa’s heart filled with relief. They were okay!
But no, something was wrong. Malouf’s face was pinched, and he turned the baby over and laid it across his arm. And then, Alyssa realized something else. The baby was an odd shade. Blueish.
No. That couldn’t be right.
Alyssa’s heart leapt into her throat. “What’s wrong?”
The baby in Alyssa’s arm cried, and Alyssa bounced her slightly, even as she felt painful tingling all over—like she’d placed both hands on an electric fence.
“She’s not breathing,” Malouf said.
Alyssa’s chest tightened. “Okay.”
Such an odd thing to say, but how else could she respond? Malouf’s words played on a loop in her head. She’s not breathing. She’s not breathing.
The baby in Alyssa’s arms cried, and Alyssa watched her twin, willing her to do the same. Probably only a few seconds had passed since Malouf announced the baby wasn’t breathing, but it felt like an eternity.
As she watched, and time stretched out, Malouf leaned down, placed a piece of gauze over the baby’s mouth, and proceeded to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Alyssa’s own breath caught in her throat. There was a chance. Maybe she would make it.
Malouf paused. Took a fresh breath. Kept going.
A second cry pierced the room, and Alyssa gasped loudly. The second baby’s eyes were squinted closed, but her lips trembled and her fists curled. She was alive!
“Oh my God,” Alyssa gasped as, taking one of the towels off his shoulder, he Malouf wrapped the baby in it and handed her to Alyssa. “Two girls.”
“Two girls,” she murmured, her gaze jumping from arm to arm, from baby to baby.
“Yes.” Malouf used his forearm to wipe sweat from his forehead.
The placenta delivered just as quickly as the babies, and Malouf used the third towel to carry it away. He stood there, his hands filthy from the delivery, and took in long, heaving breaths.
“No further complications,” he announced. “You’ll be okay. But we do still need to get all three of you to a hospital as soon as possible.”
Tears filled Alyssa’s eyes. “You saved her.”
Malouf’s lips parted like he was confused. “Of course. Why would I have not?”
“That’s not the point,” Alyssa said.
He nodded, and a long moment passed where they simply looked at each other. A strange understanding seemed to be developing. Had the speech Alyssa given before she went into labor had an effect on him? Did he regret kidnapping her?
Alyssa meant what she’d said before. It wasn’t too late for him. Especially now that he had saved her daughter’s life. If she had been at home when she’d gone into labor, the paramedics would not have made it to her house in time. She would not have been able to deliver both babies and revive one all by herself. Even if Kinsley had been there, there would have been no guarantee.
A shiver went through Alyssa. She shouldn’t think about that. What had happened had happened, and she was well aware that the stress of being taken by Malouf might have contributed to the early labor.
But Malouf had jumped into action. He had saved her daughter.
Competing emotions swirled in Alyssa’s chest, but as she looked down at her sweet babies, only one took precedence: love.
A bang burst through the house as the door
to the garage flew open, making both Alyssa and Malouf jump. The babies howled. In rushed half a dozen men dressed in black military gear, all of them armed.
Alyssa held the twins closer, and the room erupted in a cacophony of noise: the authorities shouting, the babies crying. Malouf got onto his knees and laced his hands behind his back.
One of the men searched Malouf while another put handcuffs on him. Alyssa opened her mouth to tell them to be careful with him, but there was no use. In between the shouting at Malouf and the babies crying, she wouldn’t be heard.
“Are you all right?” one of the men asked Alyssa. “Medics are on their way.”
Alyssa only nodded dumbly. How had they found her?
The man said something into his radio, speaking too fast for Alyssa to catch anything meaningful. Malouf was led out, past the broken-down door, and two medics came in.
“Mrs. bin Talid,” one of them said in English, “we’re here to help you. We are going to give you something to help you calm down.”
“What?” Alyssa stared at the medic. “No!”
“It’s all right,” she said firmly. “You are in shock.”
“I’m not in shock,” Alyssa said.
The woman pressed her lips together, but nodded. “All right. We will take a look at your babies.”
Much as she hated to, Alyssa handed the babies to the medics so they could look them over. “Where did they take Dr. Malouf?” she asked.
“They look well,” the medic said, ignoring her question. “Don’t worry, we’ll get the three of you to hospital now.”
“Alyssa!”
The familiar voice—one she’d prayed she would hear again soon—made Alyssa gasp. Ali entered through the doorway and pushed past a medic with a wheelchair.
“Sheikh bin Talid,” one of the men in black said. “We must ensure the area is secure before you enter.”
“Screw that,” Ali growled.
The man stiffened but nodded and bowed.
“Ali,” Alyssa croaked.
“Alyssa.” He knelt at her side, his eyes red and watery.
The medics stepped back to give them some space, and the man with the wheelchair hovered nearby.
Ali’s palm cupped the back of her head, and he looked from her to baby to baby, then started the cycle all over again.
“Did he hurt you? Are you all right?”
“No, no. I’m fine. Look.” Alyssa nodded at the baby closest to Ali—the one they had nearly lost.
Ali carefully took the baby into his arms. “When were they born?”
Alyssa laughed drily. “Ten minutes ago.”
He cut his gaze up to her, his eyes hardening. “I am so sorry this happened to you, Alyssa. I’m here, now, though.”
“How did you find me?”
Ali swept his palm over baby number two’s cheek. “Zahid called the hospital to tell them to expect a woman in labor with twins. One possibly breech. The hospitals had already been notified to alert us if any call like that came in.”
“But you got here so fast,” Alyssa said in wonder.
Ali nodded. “We were already in the area. Zahid sent me an email with your ransom. We tracked the IP address to a radius of a few miles, but beyond that, we were lost. And then the call came into the hospital, and we tracked that.”
Alyssa nodded, dazed. “Okay.”
Ali cupped her face. “You are sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah,” Alyssa said thickly. “I’m fine. I’m just so happy to see you.”
Ali pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you, Alyssa.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
“These are two beautiful…boys? Girls?”
“Girls.” Alyssa grinned.
Ali chuckled. “Two little sisters. Rashid will have his hands full.”
“We all will,” Alyssa said through happy tears.
“Sheikh bin Talid,” one of the medics said, “we should get them to the hospital.”
Still holding the second baby, Ali stood. The medic extended her arms for the first baby, and Alyssa grudgingly turned the infant over. After everything they’d just been through together, she didn’t want to ever let the twins out of her sight.
Alyssa’s legs wobbled as she stood, but Ali wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her into the wheelchair. Outside, the yard was full of cars with flashing lights. Ali wheeled Alyssa to the ambulance.
“Where is Dr. Malouf?” Alyssa asked.
“He is on his way to jail,” Ali said tightly. “Where he belongs.”
Chapter 15
Alyssa
At the hospital, nurses and doctors rushed around Alyssa and the twins. They took tests. They poked. They prodded. They asked a hundred questions.
Alyssa went through it all diligently, though she felt like, were she to simply rest her head against a pillow, she would be asleep within a few seconds. The most annoying part was that the twins were taken away for hearing tests. She knew that was mandatory, but still…
Only once they were back in the hospital room with her, nestled together in a bassinet by the bed, was Alyssa finally somewhat calm. Now, all she needed was her first baby.
“Where’s Rashid?” she asked.
Ali took a seat on the edge of her bed. “At home with Kinsley and the new bodyguard.”
Alyssa raised her eyebrows. “New bodyguard?”
“We couldn’t take any chances. I did what I should have done earlier and hired a twenty-four-seven team.”
Alyssa looked at her lap. “I shouldn’t have talked you out of doing that.”
“Stop.” Ali put his hand on top of Alyssa’s. “If there is anyone to blame here, it’s me.”
“I know why you’re saying that.” Alyssa looked into his eyes, and he flinched the slightest amount.
“I don’t know what Zahid told you,” Ali said slowly.
“That he started dating your ex behind your back and so you pulled all of the funding on the plastic surgery business you guys started.”
Ali blinked rapidly. “Yes. That is true.” He paused. “Anything else?”
“Not really, no.”
Ali’s shoulders stiffened and he looked at the wall for a long moment. “It’s true, in case you wondered.”
“I figured it was.”
Ali looked sharply at her. “I used to think it was a mistake. That I should have done better by him. Now, I know that, if anything, I should have taken better precautions. Gotten rid of him when I could have.”
Alyssa gaped. “What do you mean, gotten rid of him?”
“No, I didn’t mean that. I meant…” Ali huffed. “I should have…made sure he was out of my life for good.”
“And how would you do that?”
Ali raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. I’m just venting.” Abruptly, he jumped to his feet. “I’m furious, Alyssa. Not only with Zahid, but with myself, as well.” He pressed a clenched fist to his mouth.
“Ali.” Alyssa extended a hand, but he was too far away to touch. “It’s okay. Everything’s all right now.”
“It almost wasn’t.” He exhaled hotly.
“But it is, now.” Alyssa made herself smile, though truthfully, she wasn’t sure how she felt. Zahid Malouf had been on her mind ever since the authorities had carted him away.
Her initial response was to hate him. Except…did she?
Alyssa knew the answer to that. Situations were complicated. People were complicated. Nothing was ever black or white.
“Zahid saved…” Alyssa paused. They still hadn’t named the babies. “Baby number two,” she whispered, looking at the sleeping infant closest to her. The twins had been identified with strips of paper on their wrists, as they were identical. Somehow, though, Alyssa felt she would be able to tell the two of them apart, no matter how similar they looked.
“What are you talking about?” The mattress creaked slightly as Ali took a seat close to Alyssa. He was peering at her like she’d gone crazy.<
br />
“When the second baby was born,” Alyssa explained, “she wasn’t breathing. Zahid revived her. If he hadn’t been there—”
“You’d have been at the hospital,” Ali angrily cut in.
“No, I wouldn’t have. The labor was too fast, Ali. My water broke, and then I couldn’t even make it to the car. If I’d been at home, I don’t know what would have happened.”
Ali listened, his brows knitted together. Alyssa could tell he was hiding something. Maybe the effect her story was having on him.
“He was taking me to the hospital,” Alyssa said. “He really was.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that he kidnapped you in the first place.”
“No,” Alyssa agreed. “It doesn’t. But it shows that he’s capable of good.”
Ali tilted his head and looked into her eyes. “You see the good in people, Alyssa, and that is a wonderful thing. This time, though, I have to disagree with you. Zahid might have saved our baby, but he did not have to kidnap you.”
“I know.”
“Are you asking me to forgive him?” Ali asked.
Alyssa drew her bottom lip between her teeth and thought about that. “I forgive him.”
Ali guffawed. “What?!”
“It’s true.” Alyssa stared him down. “What he did was awful. Trust me, Ali, I know. I lived through it. But I also saw another side to him. And yes, I forgive him.”
As she said the words, Alyssa realized with all her heart that they were true. She’d already known she wasn’t mad with Malouf, and now that full-on forgiveness had entered her heart, it was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
“You want me to do the same,” Ali said.
“I can’t tell you what to do with your heart.” Alyssa hesitated. “But there is something I can ask you for. Help me get Zahid clemency. Don’t press any charges against him.”
As Alyssa had predicted, her husband’s eyebrows rose and he opened his mouth in shock.
“But…why…” A darkness swept over his face. “No.”
“Ali,” Alyssa said sternly. “This involves the both of us.”