“Yeah, you are.” He kissed her again, and she kissed him back. Before she knew what was happening she was flat on her back on the bed. “You’re the only person I want to fuck in this room.”
Angela smiled. “I’m glad.”
“Do you want to get married before the baby’s born or after?”
She stared at him. “I haven’t been thinking about marriage.”
“I have. I’m happy to leave it until afterwards, if that’s what you want, but I want to marry you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.” He smiled. “I said that before and I meant it.”
“Does it have to be a big wedding?”
“No.”
“Then I’d marry you tomorrow.” She smiled back at him. “I didn’t think this would happen to me again, that I’d fall in love so quickly, but I have, and I want to be with you as much as you want to be with me. As like as you’re happy with a small wedding I’m happy to do it before the baby is born.”
“I’ll get it sorted.” He stroked a hand over her stomach. “I’ve been thinking about which room the nursery is going to be, because I know it’s going to be relatively close, but I want to make certain we have time together. This is the beginning of the rest of our lives and I only have so much time to be with you alone.”
“We make the most of every moment. Fi’s already offered to babysit as often as we need.”
“Good.” Zane smiled. “I love you, Angie.”
“Love you too.”
Fun Quiz Time!
Can you guess what happens to Angela and Zane over the next year?
A: Angela Finds a New Man in Her Life
B: Angela and Zane Starts Their Own Business Together
C: Angela and Zane decide go their separate ways
D: Angela and Zane Find Plan to go traveling the world together
Do you think you guessed the right answer?
Scroll now to the Back of the Book, or simply use the table of contents and click on ‘The answer to Fun Quiz’ to find out the Surprising answer!
My Alpha Russian Billionaire BWWM Romance
By Joanna Jacobs
Gunshot victims were all too regular an occurrence for Kiara. As she studied the man laying on the gurney in front of her she found herself wondering what had happened to him, and why. It was something she tried not to do, in case she became too close to whoever it was, but he was different. There were four bullets, one of which was in his leg, so it was likely he’d been trying his best to avoid the shots, only it hadn’t worked out. They’d all have to be taken out in surgery, when a room was free. Fortunately none of them were in positions that would cause him any long term damage, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t been painful. When the paramedics brought him in they said he’d been lucky - if it hadn’t been for a member of the public calling he’d have probably died where he was, from blood loss. Being found gave him a better chance of survival.
He stirred. “You’re doing okay.” She moved to his side, taking hold of one of his hands. “You’re in the hospital.”
“No…” His voice was little more than a whisper, but Kiara thought she could hear the trace of an accent. “I must…”
When there was no more she knew he’d passed out again, from pain or blood loss. She checked everything, to make certain nothing untoward would happen if she was called away, but she liked to stay with those who’d been brought in unconscious. They were always confused by what had happened, by finding themselves in the hospital, and she wanted to be there to talk with them, especially if the damage was as bad as his was. No one knew who he was. Anything that might have held his identity was gone. He hadn’t had a driving license, or a bank card. Another John Doe. Hopefully he would survive. Some of them did. Some of them didn’t. That was why she never let herself get too close, and with someone who’d been shot as many times as he had it seemed likely he was a part of something dangerous, or he’d just been incredibly unlucky.
The sound of the paramedics bringing in someone else pulled Kiara out of her thoughts and over to where she was needed. A young woman, who looked like she had a broken leg. “How did you do it?”
“Ice skating.” The woman shook her head. “My boyfriend thought it would be romantic.”
“How much pain are you in, on a scale of one to ten?”
“About an eight.”
“In that case I think we’ll start with a little morphine, and then I’ll check you out properly. Have you broken any bones before?”
“No.”
“Okay.” Kiara took hold of her hand and squeezed. “I know it hurts like hell, but we’ll get you sorted out, and then you’ll feel much better.”
***
Kiara was waiting for the gunshot victim when he left surgery. According to the surgeon he was going to be fine, thanks to the job the emergency ward staff had done. He was still asleep, thanks to the general anaesthetic, and she wanted to watch over him, so she could tell him what had happened when he woke up. She didn’t know why she cared so much. There was nothing that made him stand out, apart from the gunshots. As she studied him she tried to work out the reasons she was still at the hospital when she should be in bed. It wasn’t like her to feel the need to be around her patients for any longer than she truly had to be, and yet she wanted to keep an eye on him.
When he finally woke he was obviously disorientated. Kiara took his hand again, hoping that might help. “You’re in hospital.”
“I remember.” He didn’t turn his head. “You were here before.”
“That was in the emergency room. You’ve had all the bullets removed now.”
He went to push himself up. “I must…”
Gently, Kiara pushed him back down. “After what you’ve been through all you need to do is focus on getting better.”
“No. I can’t be here. They’ll come after me.”
“Who will?”
For the first time he looked at her, and his bright blue eyes seemed to be boring into her soul. “That’s a question you don’t want the answer to.” He pushed himself up again. “I need to leave.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Maybe not, but I have to.”
“If you’re that determined I’m coming with you.”
He laughed. “No, you aren’t. You have a life, a safe life, and you deserve to live it without having to deal with someone like me.” Before she could stop him he’d slipped out of the bed. “Do you know where I might be able to find any clothes?”
“Look, I know you think you’re in danger…”
“I know I’m in danger. You don’t know who I am, and it’s better that way. Thank you for looking after me. I do truly appreciate it, but now I need to leave, before I bring trouble to this place. I know that will happen, one way or another.”
“You’ve just had four bullets removed from your body.”
“These things happen.” He shrugged. “I’ve dealt with worse before, and I haven’t found myself here.” He brushed a hand through his hair, looking around. “How did I end up here?”
“A member of the public called the paramedics. If they hadn’t done you’d be dead right now.”
“Well, that is something to be thankful for.”
“If you leave now all you’re going to do is make things worse.”
“Probably, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stay.” He gently kissed her cheek. “Go home. Don’t think about me again. You’re much better off without me in your life.”
“Maybe I am.” She stared at him. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you leave.”
“You don’t have a choice. I have to go, to keep you all safe from anyone who’s after me, and I know I’ve just been lucky so far.”
***
Following him was a bad idea. Kiara told herself that over and over again, but it didn’t seem to have any sort of effect on her. He’d managed to find some clothes, from somewhere, and was stalking down the street in a way that made it seem as though he was fine. She knew
he wasn’t. The pain he was causing himself had to be immense, and he was going to be making his wounds worse. When he stopped she stopped, doing her best to hide herself in a doorway, because she knew he wouldn’t be happy with her following him. Not when he’d told her she’d be safer if she stayed away from him. Eventually he carried on walking, and she followed, before stopping again.
“You’re a terrible stalker.”
“Probably.” She shrugged as he turned to look at her. “It’s not something I’ve ever had to practice doing before.”
“Go home.”
“No.”
“There are going to be people looking for me, dangerous people, and I can’t look after you.”
“Maybe there are, but you’re the one who’s going to end up dead if you aren’t careful.” She took a couple of steps towards him. “Thank you for caring enough to warn me that I may be in danger. I would be more worried about that if I knew who you were, and as I don’t my focus in on your health, which you’re currently damaging by not being in hospital. Are the wounds bleeding again?”
“Possibly.” He didn’t look concerned. “As I said before I’ve survived worse. I don’t need someone like you following me.”
“Someone like me?”
“Someone who lives a normal life, around normal people, with no worried about being shot by backstabbers.” He raised an eyebrow. “Go home now. Be safe. You don’t need to become a part of this.”
“I already am a part of this.” Kiara asked herself again why she cared about the stranger in front of her, because normally she wouldn’t have followed anyone around in an attempt to help them. “By leaving the hospital you made me a part of it.”
“We both know you have no reason to care about me.”
“True.” Their eyes met, and she smiled. “At the same time I do care about you, so you’re just going to have to accept that.”
“I do have other options.” For a moment he looked terrifying, but then she remembered the wounds, and how much pain he’d be in, and her worries faded. “You’re being an idiot.”
“I could say the very same thing about you. If you won’t go back to the hospital at least come back to my place, so I can check over the wounds and make sure you aren’t going to die doing whatever it is you’re doing.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“I will just bring danger to your doorstep and that’s something I don’t want to do.”
“What is this danger you’re talking about?”
Kiara found herself on the ground underneath him as a bullet whizzed over the top of them. “That danger.” He shot at whoever was shooting at them. “They’ve seen you now, so it’s too late for me to keep you safe.” He shook his head. “You should have gone when I told you to.”
“If you’re right it was probably too late when I started stalking you.”
For a moment he was silent, focusing on shooting. “You may well be right about that.” He sighed. “I don’t understand why you did that.”
“Neither do I.”
“Okay.” He stood, and held a hand out to help her up. “For now we’re safe. I’ve shown them I’m not going to be cowed by anyone, and I will take my place back, so we should have a little time. Do you have family out of state?”
“No.” She made a face. “I don’t have any family at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a long story, and not something I’m going to talk about right now.” She grabbed hold of his hand. “We need to get you somewhere off the street so I can check your wounds. I know protecting me the way you did is going to have pulled some of the stitches.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not, and we both know it, even if you don’t want to admit it to yourself.”
“Are you always like this?”
“I can be, when I care about someone.” Their eyes met again. “For some reason I care about you.”
***
“This is a mistake.” He sat at her kitchen table, his shirt off, showing her the wounds on his back. “We shouldn’t have come here. Someone will have followed us.”
“Yes, I know.” She sighed. “Tell me who they are.”
“Keeping you out of this would be easier if you didn’t keep pushing.”
“I’m not going to stop. I want to know what I’ve made myself a part of.”
“My name is Vitaly Ivchenko, and, until last night, I was the head of the mafia in this area. That’s when someone I believed I could trust shot me.” Vitaly shrugged. “It happens.”
“Does it?” Kiara shook her head. “I wouldn’t know about that.” She wasn’t entirely certain she believed what he was telling her, but it was possible he had been a part of the mafia. They seemed to have cells everywhere. “Who was the person you believed you could trust?”
“A man who’s been my friend since we were both children. Our fathers were friends, and our grandfathers were friends, so it was an inevitability that the two of us would be friends too. Then he made a decision no friend of mine would ever have made. By shooting me he’s taken control. I will teach him a lesson he’s never going to forget.”
“Then what?”
“I regain my position.” Vitaly looked at her. “It is who I am.”
“Haven’t you ever wanted anything more from life? Surely this is your chance to live the life you want, instead of the life you’ve been thrown into.”
***
Kiara started making them both something to eat. She didn’t like not doing something, and, as Vitaly wouldn’t let her leave her apartment, she decided cooking was the best way to get rid of some of the nervous energy. Calling in sick to work hadn’t been the easiest thing for her to do. They were going to be one doctor down, and she hated doing that to them when she wasn’t ill. As she rummaged in the fridge, hunting for anything she could cook, she tried to work out why she’d made the choices she had. Going after him had been the stupidest choice she’d ever made. Sighing, she pulled out some chicken. There wasn’t enough food there if the two of them were going to be staying for any length of time, which was something else the two of them would have to deal with.
“You were the one who chose to follow me.”
“I know.”
“This isn’t what I wanted.”
“Leaving the hospital was a mistake.”
“No, it wasn’t, because they would have come after me there, and more people would have been hurt. I didn’t want that.”
“How would they have even known you were alive?”
“The man who shot me knows a lot about gunshot wounds. He would have known I was fine.”
“If it wasn’t for someone calling an ambulance you wouldn’t have been fine.”
“True, but someone did, therefore I am fine and he is going to be worried about that. He wants me gone, because he knows me well enough to understand how I’m thinking right now.”
“Maybe the time has come for you to think differently.” Kiara pulled her head out of the fridge and looked at him. “You need to let go, Vitaly. Going after him to get your revenge is pointless. Just let it go.”
“I can’t.”
She stepped towards him, and took both his hands in hers. “Yes, you can. He doesn’t matter. Why should he? It’s obvious he was simply waiting for the right time, and now the best thing you could do is move on. Let him go. Let the mafia go. Give yourself a chance to live a normal life.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Of course it is. How would you have had a family if you were a part of that?”
“My family is the mafia. The men are my brothers. I don’t need anything more than that.”
“Really?” She stepped away. “In that case carry on with your idiotic plan to get your revenge. There I was thinking you might be a normal person who wanted normal things out of life.”
“I grew up in the mafia, Kiara. That’s the only thing I know. I’m not going to walk away because some woman I’ve only
just met seems to think I’m an idiot for wanting my life back. It is my life. It is who I am. I can’t change that.”
“Yes, you can, if you really want to.”
***
The doorbell rang. Kiara looked at Vitaly for a moment, and then went to answer the door. It wasn’t a surprise to see two police officers standing on her doorstep. They were in plain clothes, but it was obvious from the way they were standing who they were, and she smiled at them. “Good afternoon, officers.”
“Miss Campbell.” Neither of them smiled back. “We’ve been informed that you’re harbouring a dangerous criminal.”
“You have?” She shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Vitaly Ivchenko left the hospital you work at this morning, after he was in surgery, and it’s believed you were the last person to see him there.”
“I was. I wanted to be there when he woke, in order to tell him where he was and what had happened to him. After that I don’t know what happened to him.” She brushed a hand through her hair. “I didn’t even know who he was until you said his name then.”
“Other people have seen you with him since then.”
“Who are these people?” She looked from one officer to the other. As she didn’t know either of them it was obvious the station had sent strangers, who wouldn’t remember her helping them, and they weren’t going to see her the same way. “Were they anonymous informers?”
“Unfortunately we cannot disclose our informants. However we believe Vitaly is in your apartment now, and we would like you permission to search it.”
“Do you have a warrant?”
“No.”
“Can you get a warrant?”
“Yes.”
“In that case I suggest you come back with a warrant, because I’m not letting you into my home without one.”
“You called in sick today, Miss Campbell.” The second officer spoke for the first time. “You don’t look sick.”
“Not all illnesses are physical. If there’s nothing more I’d like to go back to what I was doing.”
The Alpha Billionaire's Unexpected Baby: A Billionaire BWWM Pregnancy Romance Page 4
