Page 31 of Claimed By the Pakhan

I practically fall into her arms, letting her take my full weight. Her being a mixed martial arts instructor comes with its perks.

She grabs my shoulders, standing me back up.

“Let me feel sorry for myself for just a little while longer,” I groan, combing my hair away from my face.

“Drowning in your sorrows isn’t proactive, Fia,” she says, dragging me away from the sidewalk. “Where’s all your stuff?”

“Still in the middle of the forest at Emil’s. I had to climb out of the window, since he locked all the doors.”

Chloe’s eyes flare wide. She’s in for the shock of her life when I tell her about the rest of it.

“I have an ultrasound in an hour,” I tell her, slumping into the wall. “Will you come with me?”

“Does Emil know you have an ultrasound?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’re staying far away from the hospital so he can’t kidnap you again.”

“The babies could have complications. They come first.” I slip my phone, bringing up the GPS. “It’s a five-minute walk from here. Come on.”

Chloe snatches the phone from my hand, zooming in on the location. “Aprivatehospital,” she says. “And not just any private hospital. St. Hughes is the most prestigious hospital in the city. Where the hell does he get the money?”

I can hazard a guess…

I flash Chloe a look. “Come on. We’ll grab a coffee while we’re waiting and I’ll update you.”

Cars roll by, pedestrians spilling out onto the sidewalk. Listening to the familiar sounds of the city, the blaring horns, the constant groaning of vehicle engines passing by, fills me with peace. I feel like I’m living a normal life again, commuting to work drinking my single shot latte, business as usual.

I make it to the hospital, signing in at reception.

“Mrs. Volkova,” says the receptionist. “Welcome. Will your husband be accompanying you for the ultrasound?”

Dread fills every ounce of my body. Once again, I’m being reminded that I married the devil.

The receptionist’s smile turns sour as time passes, waiting for my response.

“Mrs. Volkova?—”

“I’ll be accompanying her,” says Chloe, resting a reassuring hand on my back.

After checking in, we head straight to the cafeteria, grabbing a coffee. For me, that’s a double shot latte, and Chloe points it out straight away.

“Good heavens," she sighs, taking a seat opposite me. “Soon it will be a triple shot.”

I look over my shoulder constantly, anxiety turning me cold at the thought of Emil secretly being here. What will he do if he catches me again? Punish me in the bedroom? Lock me into the handcuffs for being his naughty little girl? One can fantasize, but the reality of the situation is very dire indeed. Regardless of how my body feels about the man, trust is the foundation of every marriage, and I don’t trust him one bit.

“Excuse me?” I say, running over to the nurse, interrupting her break. “So sorry—is there any way my appointment can be pushed forward, say, fifteen minutes early? I’m in a rush.”

“I’m sorry,” says the nurse. “We need at least a day’s notice.”

I drag my heels, collapsing back at the table.

“There’s security here. Don’t stress.”

“Emil will be on a first name basis with all of them.”

“How can you be sure?”