Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War

by Hardin, Michelle

  Carter laid on her side staring at the frown lines on Nathan’s forehead. He sat next to her in a chair frowning and focusing on her wedding ring as he twisted it on her finger. Carter could tell that he was deep in thought and she wondered what he was thinking about. She herself refused to think about anything right now. Not about Silas, the shooting, nothing. All Carter could think about was her baby, and how much she really, really wanted him or her to be okay.

  Placing her free hand on her belly, she closed her eyes to see if she could feel her child’s presence. Every day since the day she’d confirmed her pregnancy, Carter had been talking to her baby. From the current whether conditions in New York, the craziness of her favorite vampire television show, to how lonely the penthouse was without Nathan there with them. In her heart, Carter had already developed a relationship with her child. She never knew how much she’d really wanted a baby until the doctor walked in with the blood test results and said, ‘Congrats, Mama!’.

  Now it could all be over. Carter didn’t even want to think about how she’d take it if she found out she had lost her and Nathan’s baby. She didn’t think she was strong enough to handle such a loss …

  “Nathan?” she whispered, needing to look into his eyes.

  Nathan lifted his gray eyes and gazed into hers. “Yes, Моя красивая роза?”

  Carter just stared into his eyes as the memory of him talking to her belly in their bedroom made its way to the forefront of her mind. She’d been so surprised when he’d done it. It only made her want the baby even more.

  “I hate these hospital gowns,” she whispered.

  “You have to wear it, baby. The guys just texted that they were back with your clothes. Kyle picked you out a comfortable night shirt to wear on the plane.”

  “I wish I could wear it now,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “Soon, honey. Soon.”

  “I hate these underwear they’re making me wear, too. It feels like a diaper. Why do I have to wear them? I wasn’t bleeding anymore when I came in.”

  Nathan smiled. “Carterina, stop complaining, baby.”

  Carter frowned. “How am I supposed to stop complaining, Nathan? My whole ass is sticking out of this gown and I’m wearing a pair of freaking Depends.”

  Nathan’s even, white teeth were revealed when he leaned forward and laughed softly, resting his head on her shoulder. His laughter was contagious. Even though Carter tried to fight it, she couldn’t help but smile.

  “Stop laughing at me,” she pouted through her laughter.

  He lifted his head, and she felt his smile against her cheek. “You’re such a cry baby, Carterina,” he teased.

  Carter turned her face until she was face-to-face with him. “Only because I know how much you love to make me feel better.”

  He kissed her. First softly, then deeply. Carter brought her hands to his face, needing to feel the connection that she had only with him. It had been a full and hectic day. She wanted nothing more at this moment then to be in his arms. Nathan always made everything better.

  He ended their connection by placing three more lingering kisses on her lips. Carter gazed upon his loving face.

  “I love you, Nathan,” she whispered as tears gathered in her eyes.

  Nathan brought his hand to her face and wiped the tear that had begun its descent down her cheek. “Shh … Please don’t cry, baby.”

  “I’m scared,” she confessed.

  Nathan nodded and held on to her hand tighter. “Me, too, baby,” he whispered. “Me, too. But you know what?” Taking her hand, he placed it against his heart and rested his forehead on hers. “Whatever happens tonight, we’ll get through it together. Me and you. No matter what, just like we always do. Okay?”

  Carter nodded. “Okay.”

  “Everything’s going to fine, baby. I promise.” Carter nodded again even as more tears escaped her eyes. “Trust me?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” This time it was her that kissed him. She kissed him with every bit of love she felt in her heart for him, only stopping when someone new entered the room and cleared his throat.

  Nathan and Carter broke their kiss and turned to see who it was. Their eyes landed on a short, white-haired, white-bearded black man, with an adorable round belly, staring at them sternly over the rim of his dark red glasses.

  “Hello,” he said, his heavy Russian accent thickening and lengthening the word.

  “Hi,” Nathan and Carter replied simultaneously.

  The man then said something in Russian, to which Nathan responded to. He nodded his head after Nathan answered him and looked at Carter.

  “You are American?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Carter answered.

  He nodded his head firmly. “I will speak English for you then. Shall we begin?”

  They nodded as Carter turned to lie on her back.

  “My name is Dr. Baakir Chahine. I am a Doctor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. I understand you have been experiencing some vaginal bleeding, yes?”

  “Yes,” Carter answered.

  He pulled up a seat next to the bed and sat down, keeping his dark eyes on the chart. “And how far along are you, Mrs. Salerno?”

  “Seven and a half weeks.”

  “Hmm …” He nodded his head. “It is still very early in pregnancy,” he muttered.

  Carter swallowed and glanced over at Nathan, who gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

  “Is this your first pregnancy, Mrs. Salerno?” the doctor asked.

  “Yes, sir, it is,” she answered softly.

  “And this is the first time you have experienced bleeding?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay,” he muttered, jotting something down on his chart. “Do you feel any pain in lower abdomen? Any cramping?”

  “Just a little. Right before my husband brought me to the hospital.”

  He looked up at her over the rim of his glasses again, and then turned his eyes toward Nathan. “You are husband, and father of baby?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Nathan answered.

  “This your first child as well, yes?”

  Carter frowned. It better be.

  “Yes, it is,” Nathan stated.

  The doctor stood up and told Carter to lie flat. Lightly he pressed on her stomach, asking Carter if she felt any pain, to which she replied no. Looking up at Nathan, he said something to him in Russian again.

  ~*~

  “Your wife, she is very stressed.”

  Nathan nodded even though the man wasn’t asking a question.

  “Her blood test show a very large amount of catecholamine in her blood. It is a hormone released in the blood by the adrenal glands when one is physically or emotionally stressed.” He gave Nathan a stern look. “That is not good for woman with child. A blood pressure so high can be harmful to the infant.”

  Nathan glanced over at Carter, who was shifting her eyes back and forth between the two of them, most likely wondering what was being said.

  “I know,” Nathan said in English, feeling lower than shit.

  “If you know, then do something about it. You are the husband. Take your wife and unborn child somewhere peaceful so she can get some sleep.”

  He frowned at the austere old man and nodded. He already knew that Carter needed rest, and planned to do something about it. He’d do anything to ensure she was in good health.

  ~*~

  After five more minutes of questioning, a nurse came in with the ultrasound they’d been waiting for.

  “Lift your gown, young one. Fold it under your breasts.”

  Carter did as the doctor had instructed. The nurse came over to straighten the blanket covering the lower half of her body. After that a warm gel was squeezed on to her belly and the doctor began the ultrasound.

  “You can see baby right here,” he said pointing at the screen. “And look closely. Do you see that little flicker in baby’s chest?”
He turned to them and smiled for the first time since he’d introduced himself. He has a nice smile, Carter thought. “That is baby’s heartbeat.”

  “So the baby is fine?” Nathan asked, hope evident in his voice.

  Carter pretty much stopped breathing until she saw the doctor nod his head.

  “Yes, baby is fine.”

  “Oh thank God,” Nathan sighed in relief.

  Carter released the breath she’d been holding and gazed into Nathan’s now brightened eyes. She felt lighter, like a huge weight had just been lifted from her shoulders and she could move again, breathe again. She’d been so afraid—more afraid than she’d ever been of anything else in her life—but now she knew everything was okay.

  Nathan leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly. “Are you happy, baby?” he asked with a loving smile on his face.

  Carter was more than happy. She wanted to jump off of the bed and jump for joy. “Yes,” she whispered. “Are you?”

  Nathan nodded his head, but before he could answer the doctor shocked the hell out of them both.

  “There is another baby in Mama’s belly.”

  He had spoken the words so casually that Nathan and Carter weren’t really sure that he’d actually said them.

  “Excuse me?” Nathan croaked. Carter didn’t say a word; she was stunned speechless.

  “Right here.” He pointed to the monitor again. “This is baby B, and the flicker is the baby’s heartbeat. Congratulations.”

  “Oh my God!” Nathan exclaimed.

  Seriously, this was the most excited Carter had ever seen her husband. Ever. She wished she had a camera to document this moment, so she could show their children how their father reacted when he found out Mommy was having twins. Nathan went full on Italian, and it was epic. “Carterina,” was all she understood as he spoke rapidly in Italian and kissed her face over and over again. His excitement was contagious, even spreading to the stern doctor and blushing nurse when Nathan hugged them both. Carter was laughing. Genuinely laughing! Nothing else mattered to her in this moment more than her husband’s happiness. No thoughts of this horrible night, no thoughts of Silas, and no thoughts of war. Carter surrendered to peace. Not just for herself, but for the two babies growing inside of her womb. From this moment on, Carter was in her happy place.

  ~*~

  “Twins? I will be a grandfather of two?”

  Carter smiled as she looked into her father’s eyes. He sat in a chair in front of her while she laid in bed resting as the doctor had told her to. According to the doctor, Carter’s stress level was too high, she wasn’t sleeping enough, nor was she eating enough food. Carter tried to explain that she couldn’t keep anything down, but he only told her to eat light meals often, then he gave her a list of foods that would probably work for the babies. He explained to her that morning sickness tends to be more excessive for mother’s carrying twins, so her hellish mornings and afternoons were as normal as the bleeding that freaked her out.

  Although he did tell her that if it happened again to go see her doctor immediately.

  “Yes,” she answered her father. “You’ll be great, Daddy. I know you will.”

  After she had gotten out of the hospital, they’d went and filled her prescription for stronger nausea pills then headed straight for the airport. The private jet was spacious, beautiful, and best of all, had a bedroom for her to rest in. They’d been in the air for nearly an hour and they still had a long way to go. Carter planned to rest the entire way, just like the doctor instructed.

  “I want to talk to you about something, Carter.”

  She nodded for her father to continue.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said back at your house, before you went to the hospital. It never really occurred to me to even talk to you about how you,” he cleared his throat uncomfortably, “felt about all of this.”

  Felt? Did my father just say something about feelings?

  “How I felt?” she said slowly.

  “Yes, Carter. I want you to know that I care about your feelings. You were right. You are at a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with Silas and I, and I just want you to know that I hear you, and I will fix that. You and I are going to spend a lot of time getting to know each other, baby girl. After we do this, Silas will never be able to fool you again. Plus, I want to know this amazing woman you have become.” He grinned wide. “Do you see? I listened to you and I care about your feelings.”

  Carter frowned. “You do?” she asked in disbelief.

  Too many feelings make you weak. That had always been what he’d taught her in their fighting sessions. Empty yourself of emotion and fight ruthlessly, go for blood. Carter and her father had never talked about feelings. Carter had hid her tears from her father … except when she was trying to guilt him into getting her something.

  He chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised, baby girl. I’m not that bad.”

  “Yes you are,” she said honestly. “You don’t like feelings. Most of the time, neither do I.”

  “Maybe we should have. I had a lot of time to do things that I’ve never done before while Silas held me captive. Stuff like watch television shows and movies. The father’s on television have real talks with their children. I should have done that more.”

  Carter nodded, but suddenly remembered something. “But you used to watch movies with me, Dad.”

  “I never listened to those,” he said dismissively while reaching forward, and he gently tugged a strand of her hair. “I can’t believe you let it grow.”

  Carter shrugged. “Nathan likes it.”

  “Did I forget to teach you about the dangers of people pleasing?”

  “Dad, he’s—”

  “Your husband. I know, I know.” He rolled his eyes.

  Carter chuckled. “Are you pouting?”

  Robert glared at her. “I don’t pout, baby girl. I’m saying just because he’s your husband doesn’t mean you have to please him all of the time.”

  “Umm … I think it does, Daddy. I do things to please him, just like he does things to please me. It’s called being in a relationship.”

  “And what do you know about being in a relationship, young lady?”

  “I didn’t know anything about it, and neither did Nathan. However, we learned together. It wasn’t easy, but we made it, and all of the shi—stuff we went through to get to where we are only made us stronger.”

  Her father didn’t say anything for a moment; he simply stared at her with a small smile on his face. “You sound so … grown.”

  Carter smiled. “I am grown.”

  Reaching forward, Robert pinched her nose lightly, making her giggle.

  “Stop,” she laughed.

  Robert chuckled and pinched her cheek. “Well, you still sound like my baby girl.”

  “I’ll always be your baby girl, Daddy,” she said softly.

  “My baby girl is about to have some babies of her own.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You’re going to be a good mama, sweetie.”

  Carter smiled and sat up on her knees. “I love you.” Pulling her father into a tight hug, Carter closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

  “Hey, Daddy?”

  “Yeah, baby girl?”

  “You know a good way that you can help me know you from Silas?”

  “How’s that?”

  “If you’d stop covering up the scar on your neck with the turtleneck shirts.”

  Robert nodded. “Will do.”

  “Also you can wear more color. Like some purple or orange, you know? Something that will really make you stand out—”

  Robert chuckled. “No color, Carter. You know that.”

  Carter chuckled. “Well, we can make a code. Like a saying or something that only we know. A secret for just the two of us. How about ‘The early bird gets the gummy worm’?”

  Carter giggled while her father lightly pinched her side for teasing
him about his top secret gummy worm addiction.

  When they pulled back from the hug, he gave Carter a goodnight kiss on the cheek. Laying back in the bed, she made her father tuck her in. Robert did so happily then walked over to the door and cut out the lights.

  “Goodnight, Carterina.”

  “Daddy” Carter stopped him before he left. He turned around and looked at her. “Whatever happens back home, you know, with you and Mama—”

  “Off limits, Carterina,” her father warned.

  “I know,” she said quickly. “And I’m not trying to butt in. I just want to make one tiny little request. That’s all.”

  Robert nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “Please promise me that you won’t fight my father-in-law,” she pleaded. “I love him very much, Daddy.”

  Robert didn’t respond.

  “Daddy, please. I know the situation will be complicated, but I think it can be worked out without confrontation. You three need to remember that in just months you’ll be grandparents to the same two little angels. I want us to be a family, not enemies.”

  “Carterina, your mother shouldn’t be—”

  “Don’t say anything!” she cut him off quickly. “Just … think about what I said, and what I asked. Then do what you think is right. Okay? For me?”

  His features morphed into an angry expression. “For you,” he said tightly right before he exited.

  Carter sighed in relief, knowing that her father would think about it like she’d asked. The last thing she wanted when they got home was a brawl between all of the men that were after Anastacia Stone’s heart.

  Closing her eyes, she succumbed to sleep. The only thing on her mind—surprisingly—was Kyle, and the conversation she had yet to have with him.

  ~*~

  Robert closed his eyes to calm himself before walking back into the main area of the jet, angry that his daughter had just pretty much ruined his plan to castrate Angelo Salerno when they arrived back in America. Robert sighed. It wasn’t that he expected Anastacia to be single, he had just hoped that she wouldn’t go back to Angelo. It was never a relationship he approved of, but he supposed he had to let it go. It was probably for the best anyway. His plans had to change after everything that happened tonight. He hadn’t known his baby girl was with child. He definitely had a lot to think about. The last thing he wanted was for Carter to be unsafe. He didn’t want her to be fooled by Silas again.