“Why is Raisa calling me?” I asked Ivan.
“Huh?” He reached for his phone tucked behind his body armor vest.
“Hello?” I answered on speaker.
“Hurry!”
My heart raced. Adrenaline filled me all over again. She didn’t sound panicked. But she used that “mom” voice on me, the no-nonsense, do-as-I-say tone of authority.
“What?” I swallowed hard with how dry my throat was from the rush of action we’d just endured. “What’s going on? What happened? What’s wrong?”
“Sadie,” she answered. “Her water broke!”
“What?” I practically screamed it.
“Her water broke,” she repeated, calmly but firmly. “And Gabriella’s having contractions too.”
“What the fuck…” Ivan muttered. Alexsei was alert too.
“When? Why?What?” I knew what she told me, but my brain couldn’t process it. Sadie had already spent too much time apart from me during her pregnancy. She learned about it without me there. She was taken hostage and held away from me when I should’ve been there to protect her and provide for her. Now she was going into labor when I was finishing a mission?
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.
“Her water broke about three hours ago. We couldn’t get a hold of any of you. Actually, I told Lukanotto interfere with the mission and distract you all.”
“This is a distraction I need to know about,” I shot back as the car continued to speed.
“It’s not,” she argued. “I said her water broke. Not that she’s having the baby right now. Calm?—”
“Donottell me to calm down,” I barked. “Is she okay? Is she in pain? Where is she?”
Feeling so far from her and helpless to do anything was the worst combination.
“Luka is personally driving her to the hospital now,” she replied. “Gabriella is too scared to go back to a delivery ward. She’s not handling the PTSD well. But Dr. Hannan is here at the house with her. The boys are helping with Andre.”
“My father took Sadie?” I asked, still too slow to just accept this and let it sink in.
“Yes. Dr. Hannan said she needs to be ready for a potential C-section because of?—”
I slammed my fist on the armrest. “Fuck!”
Ivan took my phone. “Raisa. Baby. The fewer details, the better. She’s safe and out of harm’s way, right?”
“Yes, Ivan. Luka took her. Guards are with him, and another car of backup went as well.”
“Fuck,” I repeated, squeezing my eyes shut tight. “She can’t—” I couldn’t bear the idea of her going through a dramatic andnerve-racking delivery among danger like Gabby had. I didn’t relish the idea of her having to have surgery, either.
“It’s just a precaution,” Raisa said, the voice of reason again. “Dr. Hannan is focusing on Gabriella because her contractions are getting stronger. But Sadie should be in the position to receive the best care possible, something Dr. Hannan decided wouldn’t be feasible at the house. She’s prepared for a live birth for either of them and they are staffed and equipped for that, but in case Sadie needs an emergency op?—”
“Okay, Raisa. Okay,” Ivan said. “The situation is under control, though?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Justhurry.”
The call was disconnected, and both of my cousins shook their heads.
“You are not going to freak out, man,” Ivan stated.
“It will be fine. They’re not alone. They’re safe and within range of proper medical care,” Alexsei added.
