Tinsley
I lay there after Andre left, just staring at the wall, trying to process what I had learned and what I had done. I never thought I would be able to actually kill someone, let alone my own brother. Does this make me just like him?
A soft knock on the door brings me out of my musing. “Come in.”
Stepping through the door is an older woman with a knowing smile. “Hi love, I’m nurse Tina and I’m here to check on you and baby. Do you think you’re up for it?”
Something about the woman reminds me of my mother—warm and welcoming with an edge of badass that takes no shit and won’t put up with shit.
“That would be wonderful. Thank you so much.” I roll onto my back to give her the room to work.
She comes over, sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling a heart Doppler out of one pocket and her stethoscope out of her other one. Miss Tina does all her checks looking at me, smiling wide. “Are you ready to hear that baby of yours?”
“So ready,” I smile.
Miss Tina takes the Doppler and moves it around over my belly until she finds what we’re both looking for. The sound of my baby's heartbeat fills the surrounding room, strong and steady.
“Sounds perfect to me. Now, I was informed that Sir Silas and yourself are close and that you could help me on his hard days.” She moves around, tucking me in. “In saying that, I also know that until Christmas morning you’re on bedrest so we can be sure that your little one stays nice and tucked where they belong.”
“Can I tell you something weird?” I blurt out.
Miss Tina turns to me, placing her hands on her hips. “You can tell me whatever you want, and I get to decide if I find it weird or not.”
Chuckling, I sit up and then twist my hands in my blanket. “I want to give you a big hug. You remind me of my mom so much, and she always gave the best hugs.”
“Oh, sweet girl.” Miss Tina sighs, sitting on the edge of the bed, and then pulls me into the best hug I’ve had in so long. “Anytime you need a hug, all you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you so much,” I breathe into her shoulder.
She squeezes me tightly before letting me go. “Now you lay back and rest. The food should be here any—” A solid set of knocks on the door cut her off. “It’s right there.”
Miss Tina stands, then goes to the door and pulls it open to find one of the kitchen staff standing there with a tray of food. They speak quietly for a moment before Tina takes the food and closes the door. She brings the food over, setting it on the side of the bed.
“Alrighty, make sure you eat your food and get some rest. Mr. Andre will be back when he’s done with his meeting.”
I reach out and grab her hand. “Thank you so much, Miss Tina. This really means so much to me.”
She pats the back of my hand. “Anytime, love. I’m going to be here for a long time making sure that you, tiny baby, and Mr. Silas are all happy and healthy.”
“Andre finally found the perfect person for us,” I smile wider, meaning it.
Miss Tina winks at me before she leaves. After looking around, I get excited because I find a TV remote. Not seeing a TV anywhere, I simply point the remote, pressing the power button. I nearly spill my entire lunch when I jump as the TV rises from the end of the bed.
“Holy shit, I thought we had money,” I mumble under my breath, finding one of my shows and then tucking into my food.
I sigh when I’m done eating and place the tray on the nightstand beside me. Lying back on the bed, I curl up under the blanket and relax. Somewhere between one commercial and the next, I pass out. I wake with a start, not sure what woke me. Looking around the room for what it could have been, I go tense when I see a shadow standing over me beside the bed. They stand there just watching me, not saying anything for so long that I wonder if I’ve finally cracked and am now seeing things. Sitting up, I watch the figure still standing there. “Hello?”
The shadow turns and bolts out of the room and through another door. Yeah, nope! I will not be staying in the room alone anymore, and to be honest, the need to see Andre is strong and leading. Padding across the room and out the door, I make my way through the house, still marveling at all the Christmas decorations I see in the home. The house has been transformed into one of those Hallmark Christmas movie sets, and I’m so inlove with it. My foot hits the ground floor, and one of Andre’s men steps out of the shadows.
“Are you okay, Miss Reeves?” He looks me over as he asks this question.
“I’m doing okay, just looking for Andre,” I tell him.
“He is still in his office speaking with your brother. Is there anything I can do for you?” He looks around nervously.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll go find him. Thank you for all your help.” I give him a grateful smile and wave as I walk away from him.
I slowly pad down the hallway, finding more and more magical wonders until I reach the hallway leading to the men’s offices, and then there isn’t a single decoration. The door to his office is closed, and I take a deep breath before knocking.
