by I. T. Lucas
As if she could eat anything. “No, thank you. I’ll wait for Kian to get home.”
“Very well. I shall be back in time to serve it.”
“Thanks.”
Okidu and Onidu were in charge of cleaning the office building during the night and the underground complex during the day, which meant that Okidu was gone every day between two in the afternoon and six in the evening, and then again after eight.
Syssi appreciated the privacy it afforded her and Kian. Even though Okidu wasn’t really a person, he acted like one, and she couldn’t help but be more reserved with him around.
In the bathroom, she put her purse on the vanity and took out the box with the two positive tests she’d wrapped in tissue paper. Pulling a fresh washcloth out of the closet, she spread it over the counter and put the two tests on top.
Perhaps she wouldn’t say anything as Kian walked in this evening and just wait for him to use the bathroom.
She could fill up the jacuzzi with bubbles and wait for him there with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Surely, a sip or two wouldn’t harm the baby, but just to be safe, she pulled out her phone and did a quick internet search confirming that it was okay.
Watching the powerful water stream fill up the big tub reminded her of her and Kian’s first time together. She’d used the jacuzzi in his penthouse, and when she’d gotten out, she’d found him waiting for her on the bed.
Remembering the Red Riding Hood story they had enacted, Syssi smiled. She’d been so scared and so excited at the same time.
That monumental night had been the beginning of them as a couple.
The difference was that this time she would be waiting for Kian. The similarity was that it would also be a prelude to a new beginning. In nine months, they would no longer be a couple. They would be a family.
It was a little scary.
Feeling guilty, Syssi put her hands on her belly and looked down. “Mommy is a little scared, but she wants you very much, and so does Daddy.”
It was silly talking to what was at this point just a fertilized egg. But perhaps the soul of their unborn child was already hovering nearby, getting to know his or her parents, and it was important to let her know that she was wanted.
She.
Her baby was a girl.
The certainty of it settled over Syssi like a comfortable blanket. They were having a little girl and her spirit was already there.
Happy tears misting her eyes, Syssi spread her arms and hugged the air in front of her. So yeah, it was silly, but there was no one there to see her making a fool of herself.
“What’s your name, little one?” she whispered.
Allegra. The name just popped into her mind.
“Allegra. I like it.”
Shaking her head, Syssi kicked off her shoes.
She was imagining things. This didn’t feel like one of her premonitions, and communicating with spirits was Nathalie’s gift, not hers.
43
Kian
Kian’s greatest joy at the end of his workday was to walk through his front door and have Syssi rush up to meet him, wind her arms around his neck, and kiss him until they both ran out of breath.
This time, however, he was greeted by a lot of quiet. Did she stay late at work?
If she had, she would have called him.
Suddenly worried, he dropped his stuff on the kitchen counter and strode down the hallway to their bedroom.
The hum of jacuzzi jets brought a smile to his face. He remembered another time when his worry had been assuaged by that sound.
When he had first brought Syssi to his place, he’d been called away by some emergency in the office that he couldn’t remember the details of, and when he had come back, he’d thought Syssi had left. Searching for her, he had been ready to turn the building upside down to find her. Then he’d heard the jacuzzi and figured out her whereabouts.
What had followed was forever etched in his mind. Every detail of their first time together was a cherished memory.
Should he reenact it? Wait naked in bed for Syssi to come out and then pounce on her like he had done that first time?
Or should he walk in and join her in the tub?
It was a hard decision, but in the end the tub won. He had so many exciting things to tell her, and the sex could wait for later.
Walking into the master bathroom, his eyes were immediately drawn to Syssi’s breasts peeking out from the frothy bubbles.
“Now that’s a sight for sore eyes.” He took his clothes off in under two seconds, dumped them on the floor, and slid behind Syssi in the tub.
She turned to look at him over her shoulder. “Didn't you notice anything as you walked in?”
“Yes, I did.” He cupped her breasts. “Two beautiful peaks bobbing in the water and waiting for my hands.”
When Syssi seemed disappointed with his answer, Kian looked around and noticed the bottle of champagne and two glasses. Had he forgotten an anniversary?
Not the wedding one, that he remembered, but maybe the anniversary of their first time? It had been around this time of year, but he didn’t remember the exact date. Or perhaps it was the anniversary of his proposal?
“The champagne means that we are celebrating something, but I need a hint as to what it is.” He kissed her shoulder. “Not that I need a special occasion for that. Every day with you is a celebration, but am I forgetting an anniversary or something?”
She chuckled. “You didn’t forget anything, but I’ll give you a hint. Look at the vanity counter next to my sink.”
Straightening up, he glanced at the counter, but all he saw was a washcloth with two white plastic sticks on top of it. He couldn't begin to guess what they were for.
“I need another hint.”
Syssi let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re spoiling my surprise.” She pushed away from him and swung a leg over the tub.
“Where are you going?”
“Since you are clueless, I have to show you.”
She padded to the vanity, took the two sticks and came back, but didn’t enter the tub. Instead, she sat on the lip and lifted the two sticks, showing him the small windows that he hadn’t noticed before.
“Do you see the solid pink lines?”
“Obviously.”
“Do you see the faint pink lines next to them?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a positive result on both tests.”
Pregnancy tests, that’s what the sticks were. He was indeed clueless. He hadn’t known what those looked like, but it was pretty self-explanatory. He should’ve guessed.
Wait, what?
“You are pregnant?”
Syssi nodded.
He stared at her in stunned shock, but just for a brief moment. As a grin spread over his face, he lifted her off the edge of the tub and crushed her against his chest, remembering too late that he shouldn’t squash her.
“Thank the merciful Fates,” he whispered against her neck. “We are going to have a baby.”
Syssi lifted her head and smiled. “A girl. We are having a girl, and her name is Allegra.”
Worry clouding his happiness, Kian frowned. “Did you have a premonition?”
Syssi hadn’t had one in a long while, and he was very glad that she hadn’t. The visions took a lot out of her, and he didn’t like the way they drained her. He especially didn’t want it to happen while she was carrying a child and couldn’t afford the loss of energy.
“It wasn’t a vision or even a premonition. Not the way I usually experience them, anyway. I just know that we are expecting a girl and that her name is Allegra.”
There was nothing that could make him happier than having a little girl who looked like Syssi, and Allegra was a good name. It meant joyful.
“Are you happy?” Syssi asked.
“Are you kidding me? I’m ecstatic.”
“So you are not disappointed that we are not having a boy?”
“No way. I don’t want anoth
er version of me. I want another one of you.”
“What if she looks like you and has your personality?”
He grimaced. “Then we are in for a lot of hard work.”
Lifting up, Syssi kissed him gently. “You are too hard on yourself, my love. I couldn’t be more happy or proud if our daughter turns out like you. She’ll be smart, confident, assertive, loving, compassionate, and a great leader. Not to mention gorgeous.”
“You forgot grumpy, demanding, uncompromising, and a general pain in the ass.”
“As long as she gets all of the wonderful qualities that I mentioned before, I’m okay with that.”
44
Carol
As Carol pushed a cart loaded with the dinner she’d prepared, she hoped the Beef Stroganoff would be the magic pill to mollify Lokan.
She’d jumped the gun by going to Kian without telling him, and then she’d somehow come up with the missing details on the spot, turning her idea from barely possible to doable. It had been almost eerie how the solutions had come to her as if someone had put them there.
That part he shouldn’t be mad about, but men were strange creatures, very prideful, especially when it came to areas they were supposed to be experts on. Lokan’s male ego might suffer a blow because a woman with no background in strategic planning had come up with solutions he hadn’t thought of.
Hence, Beef Stroganoff to the rescue. From everything she’d made for him so far, this was his favorite dish.
Arwel rubbed his belly as she stopped the cart next to his cell. “I was afraid of getting fat on all that fabulous food you are feeding me, but I was saved.”
Carol frowned. “What do you mean?”
Had Kian decided to end her time in the keep? He couldn’t do that. Until she left for the island, Carol wanted to spend as much time as possible with Lokan. Even an angry Lokan was better than none.
“Your guy gave Kian useful information on Gorchenco, and in exchange, he asked for free access to the gym and the pool and the other recreational facilities we have here. Once Kian verifies the information, and provided that it is true, Lokan is going to be free to roam the underground. And since I have to go with him, I guess I will be hitting the exercise equipment as well.”
That was a surprising development. “How are you going to ensure that he doesn’t run away?”
Arwel shrugged. “Easy, I’ll reprogram his cuffs the way I did for the catacombs visit. Besides, he is not going anywhere without me or one of the other Guardians. He doesn’t have access to the elevators.”
Leaning against the wall, Carol crossed her arms over her chest. “So you want to tell me that he could have been semi-free all this time and got caged in a cell for no reason?”
“There was a reason. A psychological one. Lokan needed to internalize that he was a prisoner and at our mercy. Turner knows what he’s doing. His method is more effective than torture.”
It seemed so.
She needed to have a talk with Turner. Heck, she needed to apprentice with the guy and learn as much as she could from him. Unfortunately, there was no way he would take her on. He was so damn secretive that it bordered on paranoid.
“How is Lokan’s mood? Is he happy about Kian’s concession?”
“I don’t know. He’s been sitting on the couch and sipping whiskey ever since Kian left.”
That didn’t sound good, but she’d dawdled long enough and the beef was getting cold. “Here’s your dinner.” She removed a container from the top of her cart. “Can you open the door for me?”
Instead of punching the numbers on the keypad, Arwel used his phone for a change. “I’m in a hurry to dig into this.” He lifted the container and sniffed it.
“Thanks.”
She rolled her cart the few feet separating the two cells and waited until the door swung all the way before pushing it inside the room.
Lokan was sitting on the couch with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, exactly the way Arwel had described.
She plastered a big smile on her face. “I made your favorite dish, Beef Stroganoff.”
He looked up but didn’t smile. “I wish you wouldn’t waste your time on elaborate meals. I was waiting for you.”
She ignored his comment and started setting up the table. “I heard the good news from Arwel. I just wish it had happened before we dragged the treadmill and the punching bag in here. Now that you can use the gym, we can take them out. The bedroom is too cramped.”
With a sigh, Lokan pushed to his feet and sauntered over to the table. “Come here.” He reached for her arm and pulled her against his chest. “Kiss me.”
Her anxiety melting away, she happily obliged, giving him a heartfelt kiss that left him breathless. His mouth tasted of whiskey, but although she didn’t like drinking the stuff, she loved the taste of it on his tongue.
“That’s better.” He cupped her ass, lifted her up, and started for the bedroom.
Makeup sex? Was this what he had in mind?
Not a good idea. They needed to talk first. Besides, she hadn’t slaved in the kitchen only to have him eat it cold.
“Put me down, Lokan. I’m hungry.”
“So am I.” He kept walking.
“I meant for food.” She pushed on his chest. “Come on. We can have sex later.”
Reluctantly, he let her down.
As they sat at the table, Carol loaded both of their plates, arranging them so they looked appetizing and fancy despite being made of paper.
“You should have asked Kian to lift his ban on proper plates and utensils. I’m tired of serving gourmet meals on picnic plates.”
He grimaced. “Soon you're not going to be serving meals at all. You are going to be hanging on the arm of a rich Russian mafioso.”
“I’m sorry about going to Kian without discussing it with you first. I was on my way to the clinic, but my feet, or rather my subconscious, had other ideas. And once I started talking, the final details just poured out of me. I cooked up the rest of the plan on the spot.” She rolled her eyes. “Believe me when I say that I was more surprised at myself than Kian was. I’m usually not such a quick thinker.”
Lokan cut a piece of beef, lifted it, then put the fork down without eating it. “You’ve been thinking about this day and night for almost a week. Your subconscious processed all the information you were feeding it and then completed the work for you.” He lifted the beef and put it in his mouth.
She nodded. “The total immersion method.”
He lifted a brow.
“Supposedly, the best way to learn a new skill is total immersion. Which means ‘going at it until you get it’ sort of thing. Not that I’ve done it before, I lack the tenacity, but I’ve heard others talk about it.”
Chuckling, Lokan nearly spat out the contents of his mouth. He chewed for a moment longer, swallowed, and then wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Are you kidding? You are one of the most tenacious people I know. Once you decided that you wanted to go to the island, you kept attacking it from all angles until you found a solution. And before that, you withstood torture and didn’t reveal the clan’s location. If that’s not tenacity, I don’t know what is.”
“That’s stubbornness.”
“One and the same. Not that I’m happy about it. I don’t want you to go.”
“Because you are afraid for me?”
“That too. I don’t want to be apart from you. Doesn't it bother you that you will not see me for weeks?”
Talk about drama.
“It’s only going to be a few days or a week at the most. And considering what’s at stake, I’m willing to sacrifice a lot more than my time with you. We have eternity in front of us. I think we can survive one week apart.”
45
Lokan
“Logically, I agree with you. But my instincts don’t. If we went in together, I could have protected you. But stuck here, I’m helpless.”
Carol put her fork down. “I think we have a solid plan, and if you think about it,
it’s better than your original one. Have you ever brought a female to the island before?”
“I have not.”
“So bringing me with you would have been out of character. Gorchenco, on the other hand, is a human who has lost his young wife recently and could be emotionally distraught. Bringing along a pretty plaything would not look suspicious. In fact, the entire scenario plays out perfectly because no one on the island knows Gorchenco well enough to expect or not expect him to behave in a certain way, and he is immune to thralling. Also, he is not disposable because the Brotherhood needs him.”
Regrettably, Carol’s assessment was correct. Her plan was better than his.
“Imagine how much smoother everything could have run if I were there too. You would have been much safer.”
“Or not. Seeing me with Gorchenco would have had you foaming at the mouth. Immortals are very possessive of their mates.”
He shrugged. “So everyone would have assumed that I have the hots for you, and that I’m angry because I can’t take you away from the Russian since the Brotherhood needs him and can’t afford to lose him as a supplier. You’re a beautiful, seductive woman. It wouldn’t have been much of a stretch.”
Carol opened her mouth, no doubt to come out with a retort, but then shook her head. “Yeah, I would have felt better knowing that you were around to bail me out if needed. But it’s not happening, and there is no point in dwelling on what-ifs.”
“I think we should keep the pressure on Kian. Maybe he will change his mind. Besides, you still need to talk to the doctor, and Kian needs to talk to Gorchenco.”
“Do you know how to get a hold of him?”
“I have his contact information on my phone, but your people took it away from me. If anyone tried to tamper with it, which I'm sure they did, it was wiped clean.”
Carol smirked. “There are ways to retrieve that information even when it’s erased. We have excellent hackers on staff.”