Sergei, Volume 2 (11 page)

"So part-time at the gym and full-time in construction?" Vladimir made a face. "That's a lot of hours, Sergei."

"I've worked harder. The construction company is a lot of office work. It's draining but I'm learning to like it. It's a fucking breeze compared to swinging a hammer." He sipped his beer. "Bianca doesn't want me to pay back the money she spent to buy my contract, but that’s a debt I need to wipe clean. Doubling up between the gym and the construction is the fastest way to do that."

Vladimir drummed his fingers on the table. "I've only known her for a few days, but I don't think she'll take the money from you."

"She won't. That's why I'm going to put it into mutual funds for our kids."

"Mutual funds? When did you become an investor?"

"I listened and watched. The boss learned from Yuri and I learned from the boss. Twenty thousand invested now and grown slowly is better than some flashy get-rich-quick scheme. I have to think about my kids' future. They'll want to go to college and have weddings and buy houses."

His brother grinned. "Kids? You're already planning to have more?"

"We made this one without even trying." He laughed as a surge of masculine pride rocked him. "I have a feeling that five bedroom house of Bianca's might need an addition before we're done."

Vladimir laughed and shook his head. "I can't believe you're going to be a father. I'm going to be an uncle again."

They both sobered at the memories of the sweet little nieces they had lost. Their older brother's stupidity had taken so much from the family. It was good to have something to celebrate.

"So the wedding?"

Sergei's mouth twitched with sadness. "I wish you
could be there."

"Maybe we can," Vladimir replied hopefully. "We'll try to get travel visas. It might not be possible because we're in the middle of immigration proceedings, but it can't hurt to ask for them."

Sergei started to question Vladimir about his job prospects with Dimitri Stepanov's private security firm when his brother frowned and lifted out of his seat to retrieve his cell phone from his jeans. He glanced at the screen before answering. "Ma?"

The tense expression on his brother's face didn't bode well. Sitting forward, Sergei dropped the coaster and waited for Vladimir to say something. He slipped his phone into his pocket and tugged free his wallet. A handful of bills landed on the table. "We have to go."

"Why?" Sergei's chest tightened. "What's wrong?"

Vladimir's serious face scared him. "Bianca is in the hospital." He paused. "It's the baby."

No.
He silently repeated the word again and again as they rushed out of the pub and into the night to find a cab. His brother made sure the cab driver knew which hospital they needed before they climbed into the back seat. Hands clammy and stomach knotted, Sergei had never felt so nervous or sick in his life. He hadn't been this panicked even before that first cage match, back when he still feared pain and blood. Now, so many years and opponents later, he didn't even bat an eye at either. The burst of pain and the coppery flash of blood on his tongue was nothing to him.

With his heart thundering in his throat, Sergei jumped out the cab before it had even fully stopped. Vladimir stayed behind to settle the tab but was hot on his heels a moment later. Their evening of carousing and good beer seemed like a distant memory. All he could think about now was Bianca and the baby. His stomach twisted painfully.

I should have been there. Why the hell wasn't I with her?
If the worst happened tonight, would Bianca forgive him for not being with her? Would he be able to forgive himself? When she had needed him most, he was tossing back a beer and playing darts with brother. She had urged him to go out and enjoy his last night with Vovchik, but she couldn't have known this was going to happen.

The wait at the reception desk nearly killed him. Only Vladimir's steadying hand on his shoulder kept Sergei from blowing up and demanding somebody speak to him. Finally, a rushed and very busy nurse was able to help him. He tried to remember that she was trying to do her job in a packed unit on a Saturday night.

When he tugged aside the curtain shielding Bianca from the rest of the emergency room cubicles, he stopped dead in his tracks. Rolled on her side, she cried softly while his mother held one of her hands and stroked her hair with the other. The sight of the soon-to-be mother-and-daughter-in-law finding support in one another should have warmed him, but tonight it scared him. How bad was it if his mother had shoved aside all of her prejudices to comfort Bianca?

Wordlessly, his mother pressed a gentle kiss to Bianca's forehead before leaving her side. She joined him at the curtain and patted his chest. She slipped away and left them. Refusing to show the weakness that threatened to cripple him, Sergei strode to Bianca's bedside and took the chair his mother had vacated. Bianca needed him to be strong for her and the baby so he swallowed down the lump of emotion clogging his throat. He interlaced their fingers and captured her mouth in a long kiss. His other hand traveled down her side and settled on her belly. He spanned his fingers across her stomach. Terrified of the answer but desperate to know, he asked softly, "Our baby?"

"I don't know." She gulped loudly and blinked. More tears spilled onto her beautiful face. He wiped them away with his thumb. "They're waiting for an obstetrician to come see me." She gripped his fingers so tightly he thought she might break them. "I'm scared."

"I'm here." He kissed her again, his lips lingering on her soft, pouty ones. "Whatever happens, I'm here."

A doctor and nurse arrived a short time later with a portable ultrasound machine. He held Bianca's hand while she talked with Dr. Jones and helped her slide down toward the end of the bed when it was time to examine her. Bianca's gaze drifted to the ceiling while a sheet was draped across her bent knees. This was new territory for him. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. All he knew for certain was that he wasn’t leaving her side.

When the doctor produced the ultrasound wand, Sergei experienced a moment of surprise. He had assumed it was always done on the belly, but apparently that wasn't true. He kept his gaze fixed on Bianca's worried face while the doctor did what he needed to do. She still gripped his hand so tightly her knuckles had gone white.

"Well, well, well," Dr. Jones said, his voice amused. "I have a feeling you two weren't expecting this."

Sergei's attention jumped to the ultrasound monitor. He couldn’t make sense of the grainy black and white image. The image shifted a little as the doctor made an adjustment and suddenly Bianca gasped. It wasn’t pain or fear that made her inhale so sharply. It was shock.

"Is that…? Are those…?" Wide-eyed, she gaped at the doctor and nurse. "Twins?"

Sergei damned near fell out of the chair. That wasn't possible. Twins? No. They were having one baby. One fat, healthy baby.

Except now that he looked at the monitor,
really
looked at the monitor, he easily spotted the two black sacs in the center of a fuzzy gray and white circle. Inside those dark sacs were two distinct white baby-like shapes.

My babies
.

His heart threatened to burst as feelings unlike any he had ever known exploded within him. When Bianca had shown him the positive test, he had been stunned and flummoxed but also excited. Until now, until he saw his babies with his own two eyes, it hadn't been truly real. Watching the two tiny shapes move around on the screen left him nearly breathless.

"The babies look fine," Dr. Jones commented. "We've got good, strong heartbeats on both." The nurse used the ball-shaped mouse attached to the machine to help the doctor measure the babies. "Baby A is measuring at seven weeks and one day and Baby B is measuring at six weeks and six days. Those are both inline with your last menstrual period. Now let's see…"

Bianca winced as the doctor tried to find the source of her bleeding. Sergei caressed the back of her hand and hoped the doctor would hurry the hell up and stop hurting her.

"There," Dr. Jones said and gestured to a dark spot on the screen. "It looks like you've got a small subchorionic hematoma. It's basically a blood clot between the uterus and the placenta."

"Is it dangerous?" Fear laced her voice.

"Not usually," the doctor assured her. "This one isn't very big. It will probably resolve on its own. When you get home, your doctor will continue to monitor you until it dissolves completely. Some practices administer blood thinners to speed up the process but I don't see the need in your case."

Sergei finally relaxed. The ball of pain and worry that had been throbbing in his gut eased up some. He stroked her hair and cheek while the doctor gave them instructions. She was to rest, stay well hydrated and avoid any heavy lifting or exercise until she saw her obstetrician. Dr. Jones stared at him as he delivered the last instruction. "She needs complete pelvic rest so that means no sex."

"Not a problem," Sergei assured the doctor. He would give up sex for the rest of his life if it meant their babies would be all right. In fact, as he helped Bianca dress, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was his fault. A hematoma was a bruise. Had he done this to her?

Shame gripped him as he thought of all the nights and mornings he had made love to her. How many times had he taken her too roughly? Too deeply? He tried to be gentle with her, but when she started to come around his cock and he felt those silky walls of her pussy gripping him, he struggled to hold back those primitive needs. Faster, harder, deeper. If he had shown more control and care, this wouldn’t have happened. He cursed his dick and himself for being so weak.

No more. I won't hurt her again.

Fully dressed and waiting for her discharge papers, Bianca traced the images on the ultrasound printouts the nurse had given her. Watching her stare so lovingly and longingly at their babies made his heart swell. She lifted a teary, happy gaze to his face. "Twins, Sergei. Can you believe it?"

"No," he confessed. He rubbed her earlobe between his fingers and smiled down at her. "We're very lucky."

"Very," she agreed. With a shaky inhale, she said, "I thought preparing for one was scary but two? I don't even know where to start."

"We'll figure it out, Bianca. We aren’t the first couple to stumble through this. We've got our families to help us and our friends."

"I'm going to have to start pestering Benny for advice. You'll have to ask Dimitri about the best car seats and cribs and—"

He swept in and silenced her with a tender kiss. Knowing her need to plan everything down to the tiniest detail, he murmured, "Later, Bianca. There is plenty of time for that. Tonight, you need to rest."

A nurse brought the necessary paperwork and Bianca signed where indicated. With an arm against her back and his hand on her hip, he walked her out of the emergency room and into the waiting area. His mother and Vladimir had been joined by Vivian and Nikolai. All four were tense and clearly displayed their concern on their faces. The sight of Bianca walking toward them seemed to put them all at ease.

Vivian was on her feet first and hugged Bianca. "I called your phone, and Sergei's mom answered. She told me what had happened. We got here as fast as possible."

Even if Vivian was hurt that Bianca hadn't let her in on their secret, she didn't show it. He suspected Vivian felt guilty for keeping her secret form them. Pulling back, she kept her hands on Bianca's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Nodding, Bianca made sure to speak loud enough for the others to hear. "It's a blood clot. It's probably not dangerous to the babies, but I have to be careful."

"Babies?" Vladimir seized on the word.

Sergei couldn't stop grinning. "We're having twins."

Now that the fear of a miscarriage had passed, everyone seemed overjoyed for them. Hugs and congratulations were exchanged. To make room for others patients and their families, their small group moved outside. Assured that Bianca and the babies were fine, Vivian and Nikolai said their farewells. Before he got into the idling cab, the boss gripped Sergei's hand. "If you need anything, you call me."

"I will. Thank you."

Smiling, Sergei slapped him on the back. "Congratulations, Sergei. You're going to be a fantastic father."

Certain that was the highest praise he could ever hope to earn from the boss, he stepped back and watched their cab disappear down the busy street. Nestled next to Bianca on the ride back to their hotel, he found himself imagining the wildest things. A vision of his two children playing with Dimitri's daughter and Nikolai's son made him smile. He wasn't sure why he imagined having a son and a daughter with Bianca or why he assumed Nikolai's firstborn would be a son. It felt right.

Back in their suite, he stood outside the shower while Bianca went through her nightly routine and tucked her into bed. He promised he wouldn't be long, but she urged him to take his time and enjoy his family while he could. Out in the living room, he found his mother and Vladimir sitting at the dining table having a late night snack. He joined them.

His mother had the printout from the ultrasound in front of her. She blinked away tears as she gazed at the grainy images of her grandchildren. Whatever her reservations about accepting Bianca into the family, she seemed to be letting them go now. Smiling at her sons, she grasped both of their hands. Sergei refused to think about how very few hours he had left with his mother and brother. Right now they were together. That was all that mattered.

Soon, he promised himself. Soon he would have his entire family—Bianca, their babies, his mother and Vladimir—in the same city. No matter the price, he would make it happen.

Chapter Eight

Back in Houston, the weeks rushed by so fast. Before I knew it, the last week of August had arrived and with it the end of my first trimester. That bleeding that had scared us so badly while in London had continued off and on until eleven weeks. It had been almost fourteen days since my final day of spotting, and I was finally beginning to believe that scary episode was over.