Page 111 of Sexting the Single Pakhan

“I’ll get the doctor.” I stand, but she tightens her grip on my fingers.

“Wait.” Her voice is small. “Dmitri… is he…?”

I exhale slowly, sitting back down. “He didn’t make it.”

Her eyes fill instantly, tears welling. Her lower lip trembles. I pull her into my arms as best I can with the IV line and monitors, cradling her against my chest while she cries. I stroke her hair, until the sobs slow to hiccups.

After a long minute she pulls back slightly, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand. “He mentioned having a mom and sister.”

“Word has already been sent to them. I’ll be paying them a condolence visit later.”

“How will they survive without him?” More tears spill down her cheeks.

I thumb them away. “I’ll make sure they are taken care of. You need not worry solnyshko.”

She nods, and then goes silent again.

After a while, she asks, “How did you find me?”

I hesitate. Then decide there’s no point in hiding it.

“I put a tracker on you.”

She blinks. “My phone was smashed. They threw it out the window.”

“Not just your phone.” I look away for a second, then force myself to meet her gaze. “I put one in your hair clips. The little silver ones you wear every day.”

Her brows lift. “Really?”

I brace for anger, but she just… smiles.

“You’re not mad?”

She shakes her head. “Maybe a little that you didn’t tell me. But… your paranoia saved me. Saved us. So no, I’m not mad.”

“I’m deeply sorry. I swore to protect you. I failed—”

She cuts me off, hand cupping my jaw. “You didn’t fail. You saved me. Stop beating yourself up over this. I’m here. The baby’s here. That’s what matters.”

I exhale roughly, leaning into her touch. “How did I get so lucky with you?”

She smiles. “I’m the lucky one.”

I lean in, kissing her lips briefly. When I pull back, I rest my forehead against hers.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips. “Both of you.”

She sighs, eyes already drooping again. “Love you too.”

I kiss her once more—gentle, lingering—then ease her back against the pillows.

“Get some rest,” I murmur.

She nods, fingers still curled loosely in my shirt, and slips back under.

Chapter 31

Laurel