by K. J. Dahlen
“Just a piece of your heart.” Roman kissed her forehead.
“You have that and so much more,” Stevie whispered.
Just the way she said this made Roman suspicious. “What are you up to?”
Her finger began making patterns in the hair on his chest. When she didn’t speak for a few minutes Roman lifted her face again and searched her eyes. “What’s going on?”
Stevie wet her lips with the tip of her tongue but couldn’t meet his eyes. “I have something to tell you but I don’t know how to say it.”
Roman felt a moment of dread but before he would let it take hold of his heart, he told her harshly, “Just say it.”
“I didn’t mean to do it, I swear.” She trembled.
“Do what sweetheart?” Roman frowned. “What didn’t you mean to do?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Roman froze as his mind went blank. “What?” he muttered when he was finally able to speak a few minutes later.
Stevie burst into tears. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She cried harder.
Roman cupped her chin and raised her face again. “You’re sorry?” he queried. “Why are you sorry?”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Tears rolled down her face.
“You don’t want my child?” Roman had to ask. His mind went blank.
Stevie stopped in mid-rant. “What? What do you mean? Not want your child? Of course, I want the baby, he’s part of you. I love you, of course I want this child. It’s my child too. I just wasn’t sure you would.”
Roman was almost giddy with awe and he lifted her up as far as he could without ramming her head on the ceiling of the shower stall. He broke into a grin so big it almost split his face. He buried his face in her stomach spreading tiny kisses all over her skin. He looked up into her eyes. “You want my…baby?” he whispered brokenly in awe. “You really want my child?”
Stevie smiled. “Yes, of course I really want this baby.” She lowered her hand to cup his bearded jaw. “I love you.”
He laughed out loud and swung her around the cramped shower stall. “We’re having a baby!”
By this time, the water was growing ever colder and he reached behind him and shut it off. He helped her out and wrapped her in a huge towel. Grabbing another towel, he gently patted her face and shoulders dry, all the while looking into her eyes. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered those words again, “We’re having a baby.” Sliding his hand down her body, he cradled her stomach and smiled.
Stevie giggled at his actions. “The doctor told me today. He said my bloodwork showed it up.” She looked away from a moment then turned back to him. “Yuri was there when the doctor told me. So he knows already. I wanted you to know first but he was in the room when the doctor came in.”
Roman shrugged. Then his eyes darkened as he thought about the reason she had the bloodwork done. “Did you know before today?”
Stevie shook her head. “I didn’t grow up with anyone to tell me about this stuff. I know how the birds and bees stuff goes, it just never occurred to me how to recognize that I was having a baby.”
“Hey, you aren’t alone in this anymore. I didn’t know what to look for either. I’m as much to blame for this as you are. I should have known better.”
Stevie looked up at him. “Are you sure you’re ok with this?”
Roman smiled. “I am so more than ok with this. I’ll finally have a family of my own. My brothers and I are close but this is much closer. This is my own blood and I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Or her.” Stevie grinned. “It could be a girl.”
“It could be.” He smiled. “I wouldn’t mind as long as he or she is heathy I don’t care what we have.” His smile grew. “I can’t wait to tell everyone.”
Stevie stepped back and shook her head. “Maybe we should wait.”
“Why?” He frowned. “I thought you were happy about the baby.”
“Oh, I am. I just don’t want the news to overshadow what’s going on right now. You guys have a lot on your plate at the moment and now there’s someone out there looking for us. I don’t want to take the attention away from that.”
Roman searched her face for a moment then realized she was telling the truth. She really did want this child but she wanted this nightmare gone even more. But then he did too. He wanted nothing to prevent his child from being born. “What can I do right now that will ease your mind?”
She raised her hand to his jaw and rubbed along the length of it. She loved the feel of the hair on his face. When he was clean shaven, it was nice but the beard was nice too. It leant his face a certain texture and she loved it when he ran his beard along her body, it was soft yet rough at the same time. “Just be here for me. Assure me things will be ok, that we can be happy and stay alive long enough for our child to be born. I know there are no promises in this world, so please don’t make me any. And please just tell me the truth, not what you think I want to hear, but the truth. Please don’t lie to me, even by omission.”
Roman wrapped his own hands around her head and looked her in the eyes. “I won’t lie to you sweetheart and while there are no promises I can guarantee. I will do everything in my power to protect you and Benny from whatever is coming. You and the baby and Benny are mine now and I protect what’s mine.”
Stevie leaned into his embrace and face planted in his chest. His arms went around her and he held her close for a moment before he asked, “Are you ready to join the others now? We have some plans to discuss with them.”
Stevie nodded. “We should probably get dressed then huh?”
She turned away and didn’t know what to do. She didn’t have any clothes here, but Roman walked over to the dresser and opened a drawer. Inside he pulled out jeans and a t-shirt for himself and then a pair of sweat pants and another t-shirt for Stevie. Passing them over, they got dressed and together, they went out to the living room.
When she looked at him funny he told her, “Yuri and Raven make these available to whoever needs them in a hurry.”
Yuri noticed them first then went over to the bar and poured Roman a drink. He handed him the glass then handed Stevie a bottle of juice. He gave her a hard look then looked over at Roman. Roman gave him a short nod and Yuri relaxed a bit.
Barshan, Sazon and Mikial were sitting there waiting. Several of Yuri’s security men were scattered around the room including Kosta. Raven sat with Talli, Ana and Benny in the kitchen area. Because the apartment wasn’t that big, they could see and hear everything that was going on.
Benny’s gaze searched Stevie for any injury and he still looked shaken.
Stevie walked over to him and knelt beside his chair. “Hey buddy, I’m ok. Just a few cuts and the doctor took care of them. I didn’t even need stitches. I promise you I’m ok.”
Benny hugged her hard. “I was so scared. How did they find us anyway? Nobody is supposed to know we’re here.”
Stevie hugged him close for a moment then turned to Roman. “I don’t know how they found us, whoever they are.”
Roman stepped over to the two of them. “It might take a day or so to find out what’s going on, but you guys are safe here. We won’t let anyone get to you.”
Benny shook his head. “I thought after Mrs. Harris and Caulder were out of the picture, we’d be safe.”
Roman knelt beside Stevie and looked at them both. “You guys are safe.”
Yuri nodded then told everyone, “My men searched the area near the house. We found what we think was his sniper’s nest. He hadn’t been there long but the fact he was there at all isn’t good. We still don’t know who he is or what he was doing there.”
“Does this have anything to do with what’s going on in Baton Rouge?” Stevie asked.
Yuri shrugged. “It might. I put a call in to Pappy earlier. He was just leaving for Baton Rouge when I called. He’s having his girl Trudy dig into the backgrounds of all the players. Maybe they will find something no one else can. He’s a
lso going to let your friend Silas know, so they can dig into it as well.”
Stevie nodded. “I don’t know this Trudy but Silas will find something. With the trial only a few of days away the ones on trial must be getting nervous.”
“Do you know what the evidence you took is all about?” Barshan asked.
Stevie shook her head. “I just took her books and a shitload of cash. I hid it somewhere safe and never went back for it. I didn’t want to draw attention to where I put it. I thought if they didn’t know where it was I would be safe.” Shaking her head she added, “Guess I was wrong about that.”
Yuri stared at her. “They don’t know anyone else knows where you put it. They must think as long as you aren’t in the picture anymore, they’re safe and the evidence you have will be lost forever.”
“What’s going to happen to us now?” Benny asked in a trembling voice.
Yuri strode over to the young boy and put his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “We will do everything in our power to keep you and Stevie safe. The two of you belong with us now and nothing will ever change that.”
Benny swallowed hard as he searched the older man’s face. When he decided Yuri was telling the truth Benny closed his eyes and said a small prayer in his mind. Reaching out his hand, he grabbed Stevie’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
Stevie returned the squeeze and when she felt Roman’s arm wrap around her shoulders she leaned into the safety of his arms. Suddenly she was tired.
Raven studied her face and suggested a nap. “Maybe you should lay down a while. You seem drained all of a sudden.”
Stevie nodded. “Maybe you’re right.”
Roman led her off back to the bedroom. Closing the door behind them, he assisted her over to the bed. Pulling back the covers, he pushed her gently onto the mattress and covered her up. When he would have left the room, she called out to him, “Please stay.”
Roman went to the other side of the bed and pulled back the blanket. Lowering himself to a place beside her, he pulled her into his arms.
Kissing her forehead, he told her, “Sleep. This has been stressful for you and the baby.” Reaching out he cupped her still flat belly. Then he whispered, “I still can’t believe it. You’re having my baby.”
Stevie smiled and placed her hand over his. “I can’t believe it either. I never thought I would have a child of my own before.” She shrugged. “Until I met you, I never met a man before that I wanted to share my body with anyone. To my mind, sex just wasn’t in the cards for me. Mrs. Harris used sex as a weapon and for profit and I swore I wouldn’t do that, it was just wrong. I know others do it but I just couldn’t.” She turned to gaze at him. Reaching out she cupped his jaw. “You made me feel something totally different. When we had sex it was beautiful, it felt so right between us.”
Roman shook his head. “We never had sex, we made love to each other, and there is a big difference between the two things. Sex is very often meaningless, just there for release without any of the messy feelings two people should have between them. What we did was make love to each other. That is so much more than just release.”
Stevie smiled. “Yes, it was.”
Roman chuckled. “You little minx, you need rest. Go to sleep.”
Stevie closed her eyes and she felt a soft kiss on her temple as she drifted off to sleep.
Roman held her in his arms but he couldn’t sleep. He was still in awe at the fact that she was having his baby.
He might not know who wanted her dead but he did know that it wouldn’t happen. Part of him felt helpless at the fact that it almost happened already but he and the others were on the case now and he knew it wouldn’t happen again. His woman wouldn’t be in danger ever again. He would always stand between her and any bullet with her name on it.
He would keep her and Benny and now, their child safe. He also knew that if anything happened to him his brothers would stand in his stead. They would find the threat and eliminate it even if he was no longer in the picture. If anything happened to him, he knew they would take care of her, Benny and the baby.
Crouching below the lip of the roof, Jack Hail settled in atop the roof of the building across the street from the hotel. After the shooting at the house on the edge of the woods, he’d carefully followed them to the hospital and then to the hotel. He didn’t know who these people were but he easily recognized the security surrounding them.
The roof of the building across the street was as close as he could get to the hotel and still remain hidden. The low lip around the top of the building was barely high enough to hide his body and was punctuated every so often with a missing brick for drainage on the flat roof.
Jack had clocked the security cameras on and around the hotel so he knew he couldn’t move around a lot. He could only hope he could get another shot at the girl before long. He didn’t think this one wouldn’t be as easy as his earlier attempt.
He knew he wouldn’t get off another easy shot at the girl again. That shot they hadn’t been expecting. He hadn’t known the pair were there in the house until this morning. He’d been in New Orleans for three days now and when he heard about a pair of dogs being taken to the house by the woods he checked it out. Curiosity more than anything led him to the find. He’d been curious about the reason why anyone would want two huge German Shepherds trained for protection. When he’d seen his target standing in front of the window, he’d taken the shot without thinking.
Now they knew someone was out there hunting her. He smiled. To his mind that made his job more interesting. Whenever he took a job, he did the job, no matter how difficult. He’d never been caught nor close to being caught before.
How he missed her this morning he didn’t know but now, he would have to be more careful. It wasn’t just the money anymore…he was almost looking forward to killing her now. Now the challenge to get to his mark was even greater than before. It was a matter of personal pride that he finish this job. If he could get to her through the security she now had he would prove to the whole world he couldn’t be stopped.
He settled in and began taking stock of the new situation through the scope on his weapon. Adjusting the fine tuning on the scope he saw inside the suite his targets were in. He could make out the face of the men and women sitting around the set of rooms.
He couldn’t see the girl though. Moving his weapon around slowly, he checked the rooms again but couldn’t see her anywhere, so he settled back and waited. He was a patient man. In his line of work, he had to be.
Yuri looked around the room and caught his brother’s eyes. A few minutes later, he went over to his wife. “I need to run down and check with security a moment but I’ll be back. I’ll leave Kosta and the others here to protect you, Talli and Benny.”
Raven knew something was up but she also knew he didn’t want Benny to know, so she nodded. “Can you check on the kids on your way back?”
Yuri smiled. “Of course, but I’m sure Pepper and Ana have things in hand and I have security on the door.”
Raven smiled. “I’m sure they do, but please check on them anyway.”
Yuri leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Of course.” He turned and walked out of the penthouse apartment. Three of the four brothers followed him and they didn’t speak until they reached the elevator.
“What did you find?” Barshan inquired.
Yuri pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed them a picture of the face of a man beside a tree. “Roman’s cameras caught this image just after the shooting this morning.”
They could see the man’s face and the fact that he was carrying a sniper’s rifle. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to run this image through our software and see if we can get a hit on who he is. I think I’m also going to send it to Pappy and his group.”
“Why Pappy?” Barshan asked.
“His VP’s woman, Trudy is looking into the backgrounds of the people on trial in Baton Rouge. He wants to know if any of them could be h
unting Stevie and Benny.”
Sazon grinned. “Well, if anyone can find out she can.”
Yuri shook his head. “You really think this woman is that good?”
Sazon nodded. “Dah, she’s the one you fear the most. She can find out anything about anyone. Even the government wants to know who and where she is. Not to stop her, she never reveals what she finds but to get her to work for them. They would like to lock her up and throw away the key. With her on their side, they could be a super power again, she’s that good. She can crack into any computer system out there and never get caught. And from what I hear, she’s been doing this since she was fourteen years old with little or no formal training.”
Yuri raised his eyebrow. “I’ll get this photo over to Pappy and we’ll see if she can identify this man.”
Chapter Four
Baton Rouge
Silas and Old George watched from the shadows as Nick Bennett walked past them on the streets. George spit on the ground and growled slightly just after he passed them.
Silas turned to his friend with a look as if to say, ‘What the hell?’
George shrugged. “I don’t like that man. He’s slimy as a snake.”
Silas turned back and watched as Nick crossed the street and went inside his hotel. “I have to agree with you there.”
“There’s just something about him that sets the fine hairs on the back of my head dancing. He’s been here since everything went FUBAR around here and my bones tell me he’s trouble.”
Silas nodded. “Yeah I’ve been hearing rumors about the man. I think we should keep an eye on this one.”
“We should tell Jackal about him too.” George growled. “Maybe he can find out the skinny on this guy.”
Silas shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt. The more eyes we have on him the better off Stevie and Benny might be.”
George sneered. “He’d better not hurt them two kids. If I find out he’s behind hurting her, I think he deserves a one way ticket into the swamps.”
