Mending the Rift (23 page)

A lump formed in Luca’s throat and lodged itself there. He snatched Kyle’s hands in his own, startling the other man. “That’s exactly how I felt during my time at that wretched hospital. Always afraid I’d never see Marcus again.”

“Damn it,” Marcus muttered. “Come here. Both of you.”

Contrary to his own words, neither Luca nor Kyle had to come to Marcus as he was the one who walked up to them and pulled them against his chest. Luca closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the firm muscles closing about him, anchoring him. When he opened his eyes, he caught sight of Kyle’s white face. How much was Kyle really hurting? If he’d been in his shoes…. Luca swallowed. He couldn’t follow that train of thought any further.

“You’ll see him again, I’m sure about that. My father’s a man who keeps his word, which means he’ll listen to Smith. There’s a chance for you to be with him.”

“You’re more understanding than you probably should be,” Kyle replied.

Luca winked. “Well, I deal with your brother on a daily basis. That means I’ve learned to be
very
understanding.”

“Hey!” Marcus protested. His next words were lost in Kyle’s laughter.

“He can be a bit much, that’s true. Want me to tell you some stories from when we were kids?” Kyle’s eyes glittered with mischief.

“No, he doesn’t want to hear any stories. I’m sure Luca needs to be somewhere,” Marcus said, a desperate edge creeping into his voice.

“Actually, that’s not true. You want me to be secure, and with the new developments with the Southern Union, I’m not allowed to be outside. So we can get comfortable here, and I’ll listen to Kyle’s stories about you.”

With a grimace, Marcus released them. Luca staggered, but Kyle caught his arm and helped him to stay upright.

Marcus walked to the large windows, abruptly closing the drapes and tapping on his communication piece. “Keith, status.”

“All clear and quiet.”

“We’ll be staying in the living room for a while.”

“Roger that.”

Marcus turned back around, quirking a lopsided smile. “Okay, let’s share some stories.”

“Uh-oh, I’m not sure that was my brightest idea after all. Anyone up for playing cards instead?” Kyle asked as red spots appeared on his cheeks, giving him a flushed expression.

“You wanted to share stories, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Luca glanced from Marcus to Kyle, whose shoulders sagged in mock defeat though his voice showed no trace of defeat. “If the almighty Marcus says so, we’d probably better adhere to his rule. I get to start!”

“Wow, this’s going to be interesting.” He patted the baby bump and said, “Shall we get comfortable?”

“You’re talking to the baby?” Kyle tilted his head to the side, inspecting Luca’s belly.

Marcus walked back to them, settled onto the sofa, and tugged Luca between his parted legs. Luca leaned into the offered embrace, cringing when the abdominal wall hardened. Marcus rubbed a soothing circle around his navel, and the muscles relaxed, allowing Luca to breathe evenly again.

Marcus gestured for his brother to take a seat. “He talks to the baby all the time. It was really weird in the beginning.”

Luca pushed his head underneath Marcus’s chin, smiling at the fondness in his husband’s voice. “He likes it.”

“True.”

Kyle lowered himself onto the sofa, a longing gaze on his face. “Can I… may I… touch?”

“Sure.” Ignoring his self-consciousness, Luca pulled his shirt up and revealed his baby bump in all its glory. Kyle’s eyes rounded, and a flush crawled down his neck and throat. He glanced up at his brother first, as if he was waiting for approval, and only then did he reach out to rest his hands on Luca’s belly.

Luca kept still as he cataloged the differences between Kyle’s and Marcus’s hands. Where Marcus’s skin was toned, Kyle’s was white. In a soft tone, he admitted, “When I first saw you in the hospital, I thought you were Marcus because of your eyes. They’re very similar. I thought you two were very alike, at least in outward appearance, but you’re really two different guys.”

“He’s always been the buff one, if that’s what you mean.” Kyle smiled as he trailed his fingertips around Luca’s navel, eliciting a kick from the baby. “He kicked!”

“Yep, it’s his favorite pastime.” Luca frowned as another thought crossed his mind. “You’re going to be an uncle for the first time. How does that feel?”

Kyle’s mouth fell open. He blinked, his hands resting on Luca’s belly. “You’re right. That didn’t even occur to me yet. Oh, I’m gonna teach your boy everything he needs to know to wrap his father around his little finger.”

Marcus groaned as Luca laughed out loud.

DURING THE
next two weeks, the Northern Confederacy was back on high alert. Police and military patrolled the streets, and many cities turned into ghost towns because people stayed inside their homes as much as possible. The government issued an order for all breeders and children to be closely supervised. Institutions like schools and kindergartens were closed, and the tension was almost palpable.

Luca occupied his time by excessively playing the harp. Kyle came by on a daily basis, brought in by two bodyguards provided by Luca’s parents, and out of sheer boredom, Luca taught him a few basics, which Kyle picked up quickly and easily. The Confederacy and Union were setting up new treaties, and so far Kyle hadn’t been able to see Smith. Luca still wasn’t sure how he felt about Smith leading the interim government, but his father had assured him Kyle’s story had been the truth, and the Confederacy wouldn’t press charges. This was a chance they might never get again—a real treaty between the Northern Confederacy and the Southern Union.

Marcus hovered, but he also reorganized security and helped install new security technology. Gregory spent most of his time at the office, which meant he took Nicholas with him. The house felt empty without the whirlwind that was his dad. Even Keith started complaining about the quiet. As they sat in the kitchen for a belated lunch, Keith leaned against the back door and stared out with a gloomy expression.

“Don’t you want to eat?” Luca gestured to an empty chair next to him. “It’s only chicken soup, but it’s good.”

“I thought you’d have to eat chicken soup after giving birth to replenish your energy and stuff like that,” Keith answered.

“That might be true for female breeders, but not for me. Anyway, soup’s what I like to eat best at the moment, and I can eat it throughout the day. The baby’s squishing my lungs and stomach. Not to mention my bladder.” Luca wrinkled his nose. “Speaking of bladder, I’ll be right back.”

After rising to his feet, he straightened, pushing his hands into the small of his back. Tension coiled in his lower back, and his pelvis hurt almost all the time now. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned and tottered out of the kitchen toward the bathroom. After relieving himself, he washed his hands. He caught his reflection in the mirror, blinking owlishly. Was that really him? Dark circles lined his eyes, and despite a moderate weight gain, his face seemed gaunt.

His dark hair touched his shoulders, cascading in waves around his face. He took a strand in his hand and sighed. “The time for a haircut is long overdue. God, what’s happening with me?”

He straightened up and waddled back toward the kitchen, where he took a place in his vacated chair. He dipped the spoon in his soup bowl, and the silence around him caught his attention. Kyle and Keith stared at him, worry lines creasing their foreheads.

“What?”

“Are you all right? You’re white as a sheet and sweating,” Kyle replied.

“I didn’t sleep well last night. No, scratch that. I didn’t sleep well for several nights. No matter how I lie, I’m hurting, or I have to make numerous visits to the bathroom. I guess the lack of sleep is showing.”

“Are you sure that’s all?” Keith asked insistently.

“Yes, what’s up with you? Stop turning into a mother hen.”

“I really don’t like the way you look.”

“Thanks so much,” Luca drawled. He shifted in his chair when a sharp pain surged through him. He cried out and clutched his belly. “Ow.”

A chair scraped on the floor, and the next thing Luca knew, Kyle knelt next to him, asking, “Where are you hurting? Can you tell?”

In the background, Keith tapped his communication piece. “Marcus, get into the kitchen immediately. Something’s wrong with Luca.”

“Luca?” Kyle laid a hand on his cheek and turned his face up. “Where do you hurt?”

Luca opened his mouth to answer, but clicked it shut a moment later. He didn’t know where he didn’t hurt. His blood seemed to buzz, and his limbs started shaking. He shook his head, hoping Kyle would get his meaning. A groan escaped him when another bolt of pain surged through him. Doubling over, he pressed his hands against the baby bump. Anxiety sweltered inside him. “Contractions. I think I’m having contractions. Real ones.”

Hurried footsteps sounded from somewhere. A moment later, Marcus crouched in front of him. Deep crinkles showed around his eyes, but his voice was firm and steady, and Luca latched on to that. If Marcus wasn’t panicking, there was no reason for him to do so. “I think I’m going into labor. Marcus, it’s too early.”

Marcus nodded, but Luca couldn’t make out his next words because another wave of pain engulfed him. Wheezing, and with tears streaming down his cheeks, Luca concentrated on Marcus’s face, eventually understanding his words. “We’ll get you to the hospital.”

Luca nodded, clutching Marcus’s hands when Marcus and Keith dragged him to his feet. Another wave of pain rolled through him, pulling a whimper from Luca. He tried to free himself from Marcus and Keith’s grip so he could curl up on the floor, but they wouldn’t let go. Shaking his head frantically, Luca squeezed out, “I can’t. Can’t walk.”

Marcus stilled, but only for a couple of seconds before he lifted Luca into his arms, carrying him to a waiting car, with Keith snapping out orders at other security personnel. Somehow, Luca made it into the car without puking, and they sped off toward the hospital. Marcus pulled him close, holding him as tightly as possible. Luca dug his fingers deep into Marcus’s shirt, shivering and moaning in pain.

What about the baby? Would he be okay? What the hell was going on? No one in his family ever went into premature labor. Why did he have to be the first?

“Luca, try to breathe, okay?”

“What do you think I’m doing?” Luca shot back.

“You’re hyperventilating.”

Luca sent him a withering look. “Well, given that I’m panicking, that fits, huh?”

Marcus snatched his chin in his hand. When those penetrating gray eyes scrutinized him, Luca went still. His belly hardened again, but the pain was bearable. He only gasped out loud. Marcus gentled his grip before he slid his hand from his chin along Luca’s jaw and into his hair. A light tug followed, and Luca leaned his head on Marcus’s shoulder, tears stinging his eyes.

“Even if you go into labor now, it’ll be okay. We’ll be at the hospital in less than ten minutes. If it’s necessary, the doctors will do an emergency C-section. You and the baby will be fine,” Marcus said.

“But he’d be premature. I’m only in week thirty!” Luca laid his shaky hands on the bump, waiting for the baby to kick or nudge his hands. Nothing happened. He sobbed. “I can’t feel him anymore. He’s not moving.”

FOR THE
rest of the ride, Marcus said nothing and neither did Luca. He’d given up the fight to keep his composure. Instead, he’d succumbed to his fear and cried. The pain lessened. Or maybe he was too exhausted because the terror of losing his—their—baby overpowered any other thought or emotion. This just couldn’t be. They’d survived a kidnapping and hideous experiments—they
had
to be okay.

Doctors and nurses stood waiting upon their arrival, and helped Luca into a wheelchair. They wheeled him off into a labyrinth of corridors. Only the knowledge that Marcus hurried behind him kept Luca from flashing back to his time at the Southern Union hospital.

He ended up on an examination table, where a nurse hooked him up to a couple monitors. Another one took his blood pressure. A doctor applied gel to his belly, and a moment later, the picture of Luca’s baby appeared on a screen.

“Seems as if someone’s tired.” The doctor smiled encouragingly.

“Is he okay?” Luca whispered. Marcus stood at the head of the table. He rested both palms on Luca’s shaking shoulders after he’d asked his question.

The doctor’s gaze flickered to a number on the screen before he nodded. “Yes, he’s doing fine. Look, he’s yawning.”

Luca wiped at his eyes, relief mingling with even more anxiety. “Then what’s wrong with me? I’ve never been in so much pain before, and it felt… I don’t know… as if… as if….”

“Did you feel as if you needed to go to the restroom? A tightness in your stomach? Did you need to urinate a lot?” The doctor, whose name tag identified him as Dr. Lewins, fired off questions in rapid succession while he pulled the ultrasound probe over Luca’s belly.

Just hearing the questions brought up the desire to use the restroom again. Uncomfortable heat spread out in Luca’s face, making it impossible to focus on anyone. He covered his eyes with an arm and bent his legs. If the cords attached to his body would allow him to, he’d turn over on his side and curl up into a fetal position.

“Luca, you’ve got to answer the questions,” Marcus urged.

“Yes, to all of them.”

Luca jumped when Marcus took his head and held him in place, saying, “They’ll just take your temperature, kitten. Nothing bad’s going to happen.”

A nurse slipped a thermometer into his ear, and seconds later a beep resounded. Good thing someone had invented those ear thermometers.

A nurse swiped his left arm with a cool cloth, right before the doctor told him, “We’ll draw some blood to run a couple of tests. You’ll feel a slight prick.”

Luca hissed when a needle pierced his skin. “What’s that for?”

The doctor inserted an IV line as he explained, “My first impression is that you’re suffering from an infection. Your blood pressure is elevated, and you’re running a fever. We’re hooking you up on antibiotics and medication to prevent you from going into labor. Will you be able to give us a sample of your urine?”