“Dangerous enemies to be playing that game with.”
“All in a day’s work.”
He flicked his cigarette behind a chauffeur lifting a suitcase into a trunk. “Well, good luck with that, Slugger.” He smiled at me. And I knew instantly he wasn’t done with Daniil and me. He hadn’t believed a word I said. “See you in New York.” He waved and walked away, heading back into the lobby.
“Perfect,” I muttered, kicking the wall.
“Problem, Ms. Forter?” Trofim asked, appearing at my side, staring where Micah had been walking. “Do you need me to handle him?”
I glared at the sidewalk. “No. There will be no ‘handling him’ just because he’s smarter than the other reporters here.”
“It would be no trouble,” Trofim said softly. Honestly.
“Look, Trofim, I don’t like violence. I don’t like shooting.” I interrupted him when he started to open his mouth. “Or stabbings, drowning, strangling, poisonings, or pushing him off a tall building…or anything else that I missed. I don’t want him killed. Understood?”
His mouth pinched, but he nodded slowly.
“Good.” My tummy rumbled. Trofim and I both glanced down at it since it had been louder than a jet engine starting. “Maybe you could get me something to eat, though.”
Trofim grinned. “It’s a boy.”
I glared, placing my hands on my hips. “Food! Not commentary.”
His ugly smile only increased. “A definite boy.” He dug his cell phone out and started dialing. “What do you want?”
I thought about that while he talked to someone inside since he wasn’t going to leave my side to get the food. “Maybe pasta, no meat on it. Some bread, no butter. Fries with a side of ranch. Some bacon with syrup.” I tapped my stomach. “A slice of chocolate pie with cherries on top. Oh!” I pointed a finger in the air. “And some Twizzlers.”
He stared at me, then at my stomach, slowly repeating everything I’d said. I snapped my mouth shut because I had been ready to add a strawberry shake to that, but as he listed everything I wanted, it did sound a little off. Probably best to not gain too many pounds in the beginning.
Driving to the private airport we would be flying out of, I tried not to be too embarrassed with the box of food in front of me. Daniil, his kids, and Ember sat in the limo with us, and they were all studiously trying to ignore me as I finished off the pasta, grabbing for the fries next. Daniil hadn’t said a word only smiled a little when the food was brought out at the last minute before the limo left the resort.
Well, all except Ember, who grinned. “You know, when I was pregnant, I ate everything in sight, too.” Her eyebrows snapped together. “Well, at least until the twins got really big, then I just ate smaller portions, but all the time.”
Eva, Artur, and Roman snickered, and then quickly cleared their throats. I was too busy stuffing my face with fries dipped in ranch to say anything, but Grigori pulled her in closer to his side, wrapping his arms around her stomach, murmuring, “I remember you had a thing for pickled eggs. Never in my life have I ever smelled something so foul. You ate them non-stop.”
Ember’s cheeks pinked. “Funny thing is, I didn’t like them before, and I don’t like them now. It was only then.” She shuddered.
Daniil’s hand snuck into my line of site and went for my food. I growled a little, and he quickly took his hand back without the goods. I cut it off, my eyes enormous.
What the hell?
“Papa, you should know better than that,” Grigori chided, staring at me and holding Ember close, like a content kitty cat.
“It’s been a while,” Daniil murmured softly. He glanced at me, sheepish. “Sorry. I’ll get something later.”
“No,” I squeaked, completely embarrassed, shoving the box of fries in his hand. “Go ahead. I’ve got plenty.” I dug out the bacon, ignoring how much I wanted those damn fries. Pulling out the bacon next, I turned my back on him a little so I didn’t take the gifted food back. “I ordered half the menu. I’m good.”
Ember was chuckling. “It doesn’t get any easier.”
“Wonderful. I’ll be a bottomless pit, crankier than shit, and I’ll get fat on top of it. I don’t know why more women don’t do it.” Then, I stuffed my mouth full of bacon slathered in syrup. Mmm.
Daniil started rubbing my back, but I scooted farther away from him because I could hear him munching on those fries. Ember laughed in an uproar, her head falling back on Grigori’s chest. She said, “There’s all that, but the end result is worth it. When the doctor lays that baby in your arms, there’s nothing in the world better.”
Grigori smiled softly. “I remember when Beth and Nikki cried for the first time. There really is nothing more precious than that.”
I paused in my munching—briefly. “You were in the room when the twins were born?”
They both nodded.
