His Queen of Clubs (Vegas Underground 6)

That may or may not be true. The child may be Zima’s. It may be Victor’s; it may be any other number of men she attempted to manipulate into doing her bidding.

But now I have to find out if it’s mine. Alessia would want that.

And that’s the thought that sends a lance straight through my heart.

She hates me now after the way I threatened her brother’s lives. It’s true—Victor would never allow them to set foot in this country alive, but I shouldn’t throw such a thing at her. The words were meant to cut.

And clearly they did.

I rub my forehead. Hearing Sabina and Alessia were in cahoots together was a shock to me. It cut deep, especially after the way Sabina ruined my life. But I can’t really blame Alessia for accepting Sabina’s help. I’m the asshole holding her prisoner. Keeping her from going home.

And if Alessia thought the worst of me, if she took Sabina’s side, it’s because she has a soft spot for children. I just took her to an orphanage, for fuck’s sake. So of course hearing I allowed my own child to languish in an orphanage would be the most horrifying, most damning thing she could possibly hear about me.

That, and me threatening to kill her brothers.

Not my smoothest move.

Fuck.

I really fucked up.

I try to call Mika again. When he doesn’t answer, I open up tracking software and find his location.

And then I breathe easy. They are in a nice hotel. Safe.

Good.

Tomorrow morning I will go there and try my best to fix things.

I’ll let Alessia go, because she deserves her freedom. But first I must apologize to her. Do my best to sort out the situation with Sabina’s child.

I go to bed, but I don’t sleep. All night I keep seeing Alessia’s horror at my words. The way she stumbled back. The way she flinched as if I might hurt her.

And all night my heart breaks a little more.

I only manage to doze off right before dawn.

And then I’m woken by my phone ringing and Mika’s terrified voice. “I didn’t keep her safe, Vlad. Something’s wrong and she won’t wake up.”

Chapter 18

Vlad

No.

No, no, no.

I talk Mika through giving Alessia a shot of glucagon at the same time I throw on some clothes and run out the door. I stay on the phone with him the whole time, my heart racing faster and faster when he tells me that she hasn’t woken up. Hasn’t responded.

“I’m going to hang up and call an ambulance,” I tell him with a calm I don’t feel. “Then I’ll call you back.”

I hear the wail of a siren as I run into the building. Because I can’t stand to wait even an extra few minutes, I carry her down to the hotel lobby in my arms, her head lolling on my shoulder.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck.

Mika’s eyes are wet and he’s scared. “She said she would check her blood sugar later. And then she fell asleep. I’m sorry, Vlad. I should’ve woken her up.”

“No. It’s not your fault. And she’s going to be all right,” I promise, even though I’m not so sure. Nothing feels right about this.

And it’s definitely all my fault.

Alessia

I’m in a hospital.

The room comes into focus. The low chatter of Russian coming from the hallway provides the next clue.

Moscow.

I was in a hotel with Mika. And I fell asleep without taking my insulin. But I shouldn’t feel this bad.

I feel horrible. Groggy and tired. I try to move and find blood-filled tubes are coming out of my arm. I try to sit up, but I’m too weak. Too tired. I lift my head and look around. “Vlad?”

Movement comes from the corner, and Mika’s pinched face comes into view.

“Where’s Vlad?”

“He’s here, he’s talking with the doctors.”

“I don’t feel right. What’s this?”

Mika’s chin wobbles. I realize his eyes are red. “You had problem. Your—I don’t know how to say it in English—” He touches his back.

“Kidney?”

“Da. Kidney failed. Vlad is getting you transplant.”

Fear shoots through me like lightning.

A transplant.

Am I already here? It’s that bad? This is the place I’ve been avoiding even thinking about since my diagnosis in Italy. My worst fear.

And now it’s happening. My kidney failed. The tubes of blood must be the dialysis. Oh God, my body totally failed me.

And I’m all alone in Russia. No family, no friends.

My vision blurs. I haven’t felt this scared or alone this entire time in Russia. Even when Vlad first brought me here and I didn’t know what he had in store for me. Nothing compares to the fear I feel now.

I don’t like being here in this hospital bed, with tubes coming out my arm, surrounded by nurses who only speak Russian.

“Your brothers are coming,” Mika says, as if he guesses my thoughts.

That gives me pause. I try to sit up again, but it’s too much work. “They are?”