Wicked Boss (Bratva Brothers 2)

TWENTY-TWO

Hannah

Several Months Later…

"Oh shit!" Madisyn's voice carries down the hallway of Steele Concierge Medical.

I hurry around the corner, and before I can ask her what's wrong, I realize that she's in labor. The floor at her feet is shiny and wet. Her water broke.

"I need you to call Mikhail," Madisyn orders between contractions. I don't have Mikhail's phone number on my phone, and now doesn't seem like a grand time to ask for it, either.

She's focusing on her breathing, and I'm taking her downstairs to labor and delivery. The surgical unit is no place for a woman to give birth, and I may be a nurse, but I'm not about to catch Madisyn's newborn.

I've memorized Luka's phone number, and the minute I step into the elevator, he picks up the call.

"Hello?"

"Is Mikhail with you?"

"Yes," Luka says. "Why? What's wrong?" His cheery hello has turned to concern.

"Nothing," I say, not wanting to worry him.

"It's not nothing!" Madisyn shrieks as she grasps the elevator wall, and the reception on the phone gets spotty.

I pull back the phone to see if I've lost the call. Not yet, but it's hard to hear anything. As soon as we get to the ground floor and the double doors open, Luka is back on the line.

"Madisyn is in labor," I say.

"I got that from her screaming," Luka says. "We're on our way to the hospital. Stay with her until we get there."

Where else am I going to go?

"Can you swing by and pick up Bay from preschool?" I ask.

"After I drop off Mikhail at the hospital," Luka says. "We're already in the car and halfway there."

I don't bother to ask what they were up to; I know better than to discuss their business dealings.

I don't want to know. That's the agreement that we made. He'd keep his business responsibilities to himself to protect Bay and me.

Although he swears that I worry too much.

And he might be right.

Madisyn is whisked away by a nurse, and I follow down the hall, refusing to leave her side. "Do you want to talk to Mikhail?" I ask, giving her privacy while she's behind a curtain with the nurse, helping her change into a hospital gown.

"Is he not coming?" Her voice rises an octave, and the nurse pulls the curtain open, the hospital gown on, and Madisyn's clothes in the middle of the floor.

"He's on his way."

"Well, tell him to hurry up!" Another contraction causes her to moan and double over in agony.

"You’d better get here before the baby does," I say.

"Yes, boss," Luka jokes with me before ending the call.

The nurse checks Madisyn's vitals. I give her a few minutes while I pick up her dirty clothes from the floor, place them inside a plastic bag, and then glance out into the hallway. No sign of Mikhail yet.

"Is he here?" Madisyn asks, glancing at me from the bed.

"He will be," I say, reassuring her that everything will be fine. Mikhail isn't going to miss the birth of his first child, no matter what.

I don't dare admit I'm jealous that Luka wasn't there when Bay was born. It's not the least bit his fault or mine. I tried to track him down, but he was a difficult man to find.

And now, I don't want to be anywhere else but with him. We've been taking things slow since Mark's death, which is best. Jumping head-first into a relationship may have felt good initially, but we both have Bay to think about. Plus, because we barely know anything about one another, it's hard for it not to be about lust.

And lust isn't long-lasting. With Luka, I want more. Forever.

"I'm here!" Mikhail rushes into the room and brushes past me, giving me a nod. "Thanks," he whispers and hurries to Madisyn's side, taking her hand.

I don't want to intrude. I quietly step into the hallway. I'm near the door if Madisyn needs anything, but she has Mikhail, the nurses, and the doctor.

I give her space, privacy, and time for them to bond. Pretty soon, it'll be three, and their lives will forever change.

* * *

"Did I miss the birth?" Bay asks as Luka carries her down the corridor. She's cuddling a stuffed teddy bear from the gift shop, the tag still on its ear.

I have a feeling they grabbed the gift for the new baby, but if I’m right, Bay isn't going to want to part with it.

"Trust me, you don't want to see it," I joke, smiling at Luka and Bay. "Thank you." I appreciate that he took the time to pick her up, doubling back since he was already going to the concierge center with Mikhail.

"Of course. How is she?" Luka asks.

"Madisyn or the baby girl?" I ask.

Luka smiles a genuine grin. "Wow. Mikhail must be surprised. He swore it would be a boy. I should have taken his bet."

"But you're a good man," I say, rising up on my tiptoes and kissing him. "And do you really want to piss off your boss?"

"Good point."

"Mama!" Bay holds out her arms, wanting to get down from Luka as she climbs onto me like a little monkey.

"How was preschool? Did you have fun?" I ask.

"Can I have a baby sister?" Bay asks.

"That's an excellent question," Luka says, a wry grin on his face.

"Did you put Bay up to this?"

Luka holds his hands up in surrender. "I plead the fifth."