His eyes narrowed. “You should take one of the guys with you.”
I laughed off his suggestion, when all I wanted to do was bristle instead. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Think of it as a paid driver, then,” Ivan insisted.
To keep him from fighting me on the issue, I rolled my eyes and agreed. Boris was summoned, and in half an hour, we pulled up in front of the clinic.
“You don’t have to come inside.” I gathered my purse and reached for the handle.
Peering up, out of the windshield, the Made Man grimaced. “I don’t like doctors.”
“Why?” I paused, genuinely curious.
Boris shrugged. “They talk at you. Like you’re some kind of incompetent child.”
Real laughter trickled from my lips. “That’s because to most of them, you’re just the next chart on the schedule. But a good doctor knows you. They have conversations with you.”
“Then I guess I haven’t found a good one.” Boris tapped a finger on the wheel. “Go on inside, I’ll be waiting out here when you’re done.”
Bracing myself, I went. Penelope was in the lobby. Other than the haunted look in her eyes, there was no trace of the sorrow etched in her face. Her smile was brilliant as ever.
“Want to grab lunch when we’re done?” she asked. “We haven’t done a boozy brunch inages.”
“Sure, Penny, whatever you want.” I sank into the vinyl seat next to her.
Mancini gripped the back of her chair, looking stormy and broody. That could have been my fate. Tied to a bloodthirstymonster. But…he was good to my cousin. Soft for her, yet oh, so strong when she needed him to be.
When the nurse called out our turn, I tried to back out of going into the room, but one please from Penelope had me tagging along. The nurse went through the motions of checking blood pressure, weight, and asking a crap ton of questions.
Penelope cheerfully answered. Her voice only caught when she explained that there had been a little blood in her panties.
“None today?” the nurse clarified.
My cousin shook her head.
The stupid organ in my heart caught. It was the smallest of hitches. I mentally tightened my inner shields, refusing to let hope bubble up. It would only be dashed in a few minutes.
When the OB came in, there was another round of tedious questions. The doctor was sympathetic, but there was an edge to her voice. I had to curl my fists when she gently reminded Penelope that she’d said it was unlikely there would be a healthy pregnancy after the last miscarriage.
“It was an accident this time,” Alessandro snapped. “It wasn’t like we were trying to see you again.”
The doctor huffed. Her mouth puckered as she grabbed the handheld ultrasound machine. Her nurse dimmed the lights.
“Poppy?” Penelope asked, reaching for me.
Alessandro stood at her head, hands protectively resting over her shoulders. Sneaking around the other side of the examine table, I gripped my cousin’s hand with all my might.
A lowwhomp-whomp-whompfilled the room.
The nurse gasped.
I shot a look at her and then at the screen. The doctor angled the wand, digging into Penelope’s belly.
“Congratulations, Penelope,” the OB said, voice losing its edge. “There’s a heartbeat.”
A collective shock fell over us. The nurse burst into tears.
Penelope was the first to move, pulling the cart with the screen closer. She stared at the alien-shaped ball. I squeezed her hand and leaned forward as well.
