EPILOGUE
Madisyn
I resign from the FBI and take a full-time position at Steele Concierge Medical. Mikhail insists that I don’t have to work outside of the compound, that he’d gladly pay me a salary as their on-call nurse.
Especially since I’m living with him.
But I don’t want to be in that position again, sleeping with my boss.
Of course, whenever Mikhail needs me to handle a wound that one of his men acquires, I’m their first stop, especially if I’m at home.
Even at Steele Concierge Medical, they always seem to find me on the unit and end up becoming my patient. And in most cases, I don’t mind it. The guys, while rough with others, are kind to me.
Probably because Mikhail would kill them if they weren’t.
“We should grab drinks after work,” Hannah says. “I’m dying to go dancing and have a night off. Mark is letting me have a girls' night. So, you have to come out.”
I haven’t disclosed to Hannah that I’m pregnant or that I’m living with my bratva boyfriend. Pretty soon, I’ll have to tell her because I’ll be showing. Well, the part where I’m pregnant. I’m sworn to secrecy about Mikhail being part of the bratva.
“Is he watching the baby?” I ask.
I don’t like Mark. I can’t explain it other than he rubs me the wrong way, but the two of them are engaged, and I don’t want to be the friend to tell her that I think the man she’s marrying is wrong for her.
Why can’t that be her parents or her sister? Anyone else but me.
I know I’m a shitty friend.
“The baby is almost three, and she has a name, Bay.” Hannah chuckles. She changes from her scrubs since our shift is over and grabs her phone from the locker. “Have you seen the pictures of Bay? Oh my gosh, she’s getting so big, you have to see how much she’s grown, and yes, Mark is watching the baby.”
I slip into my black clogs, and she hands me her phone, unlocked to view her photos. I click on her library of pictures and cruise through all photos because she has tons. I scroll through the most recent and work my way back through her newborn photos.
“You'd better not have any naked pictures on here,” I say as I scroll quickly through the photos on her phone.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen, and no, Mark is a bit of a prude.”
“That’s too bad.” I stop scrolling and drop her phone.
“Madisyn! If you break my phone, you’re paying to have it replaced.” Hannah slugs me in the arm.
I bend down, picking up her cell phone. Thankfully, the screen doesn’t break, and the smartphone is still in pristine condition. “Who is this guy?” I ask, showing her the selfie shot of her and Luka together. What I’m asking is how does she know him?
“Bay’s father. My hot one-night stand,” she says and rolls her eyes, snatching the phone from my grasp. “I should delete that picture, but I thought that Bay may want to see it one day.”
“And he’s not in Bay’s life. Why?” I ask again.
“The dick gave me a fake number and didn’t work at the bar like he led me to believe. It’s not like I even know if Luka is his real name. It’s for the best,” she says, her voice trailing off like she’s trying to convince herself that she’s happier.
Except I know that she’s not. She’s engaged to a man she doesn’t even want to marry. I exhale a sharp breath. As her friend, I owe her the truth. “I know him, Hannah. He works with Mikhail. His name is Luka Ivanov.”
The color drains from her face.
* * *