23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Talia

The bedroom door opens slowly, and four pairs of eyes peek in.

"Talia?" Sasha's voice drifts in from the doorway.

"Come in," I greet cheerfully, sitting in bed and straightening the blanket tucked around my legs.

Sasha walks in with Maxim trailing behind her. He's carrying a tray of food, and something smells delicious.

"We brought you something to eat," Maxim states. He puts the tray down on the bedside table. His eyes are glued to the bandage covering my wound. "Does it hurt?" he asks curiously.

"A little, but it'll get better." I pat the bed, inviting them to sit. Sasha fluffs up the pillow next to me and makes herself comfortable. Maxim sits on the edge of the bed, keeping his distance.

"Did you almost die?" Sasha asks wide-eyed.

"No," I reassure her.

"But Uncle said you got hurt really bad." She sniffles and lays her head against my arm.

"Yeah, we heard someone shot you," Maxim chimes in.

"Your uncle told you that?" I asked, surprised.

"Well…not exactly. We sort of heard him talking to Abram." Maxim glances at Sasha and back at me.

"Ahh, you were eavesdropping," I said, smirking at him. "Your uncle was telling the truth. Someone hurt me, but I will be okay."

"What about the baby?" Sasha whispers.

My eyebrows raised in shock. How did they know about the baby? "Oh…um…the baby will be okay." Clearing my throat, I ask, "How did you know about the baby?"

"We heard Uncle and Nanny Olga talking," Maxim says sheepishly.

"I see," I say gently.

"You have to eat. Uncle told Nanny Olga it's important for you to eat and drink so the baby can grow." Maxim pushes the tray of food closer to me."

I picked up the sandwich and took a big bite. "This is delicious. Did you make it?"

"No, Abram made it. And he made the soup. But I added the fruit side." Maxim grins, proud of his contribution.

"And I added the chocolate chip cookies!" Sasha giggles. "I bet the baby loves chocolate chip cookies."

My heart warmed at their thoughtfulness. "Thank you both so much. This really means a lot." I gave Sasha a hug and knuckle bumped Maxim.

"Talia, where is the baby's daddy?" Sasha inquires. Maxim looks at me intently, also wanting to know.

"He's here. Your uncle is the baby's father." I hold my breath, waiting for their reaction.

"He is?" Sasha squeals, her blonde pigtails bouncing up and down from excitement.

"Yes, he is." I instinctively cradle my stomach.

"That's awesome," Maxim declares. "So, the baby is our…cousin?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right." It hadn't dawned on me that the children were my baby's cousins. Safe to say, I've been a bit preoccupied with everything else going on. "This baby is so lucky to have you two."

I could feel their excitement bubbling in the room as their grins stretched from ear to ear. Maxim's eyes focus on my belly. "Is it a boy or girl?"

"I don't know yet. I'll find out in a few months." Hmm, boy or girl? It doesn't matter as long as they are happy and safe.

"I'm going to have tea parties with the baby." Sasha claps her hands in delight.

"Tea parties? That's boring! I'm going to teach him how to play video games." Maxim steals a cookie from the tray, breaks it in half, and gives a piece to Sasha. She nibbles on it gleefully.

"No matter if it's a boy or girl, the baby will love everything you teach it." I smile warmly at the thought of my baby playing with its cousins.

"Does this mean you're going to stay with us forever?" Sasha hugged me tightly, her face full of hope.

My smile faltered. "I don't think I can, sweetheart," I whispered, my mind filled with conflicting thoughts. I would love to stay here with the children, but the best thing for me and my baby is to get far away from Aleksandr Avilov.

"Why not?" Maxim asked as his eyebrows pinched together.

"It's complicated. I would stay if I could, but I don't know if that's possible right now." I squeezed Sasha, hugging her gently. "But I want to thank you both. You two are the best medicine."

Sasha climbed off the bed, stealing another cookie from the tray. "We have to go now. We promised Nanny Olga not to stay too long so you can rest." Holding her arms open wide, she leaned in for a hug. Maxim stole a quick hug, too.

"Thank you both. I'll see you later."

After the children left, I lay back on the pillows, my mind racing. I allowed myself a moment of daydreaming about what life would look like if I stayed in the mansion. My baby would have wonderful cousins, and I would have a family. We would be safe and protected. And if Aleksandr was a different man, we would be loved. But the reality is that he sees me as a burden. He doesn't care for me at all. I'm only here to help him find Mikhail's killer, and then he'll discard me. I must get to San Francisco with Sandy.

With a determined sigh, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, testing my strength. Slowly, I paced around the room, feeling the muscles strain in my limbs. I need to find a way to contact Sandy. Glancing out the window, I studied the massive estate. This isn't going to be easy. Just then, the door creaked open, and Dimitri entered.

"Why are you out of bed? Come, come, you need to rest," he tutted, getting me back into bed.

"I'm okay. I just needed to stretch my legs."

He examined the half-eaten sandwich on the tray. "You need to eat. The baby needs to eat, too."

"Is there anyone around here that doesn't know about the baby?" I asked in a huff.

"I'm not just anyone," he noted. "The baby is my blood; he needs to eat to get strong." He sat in the plush chair beside the bed, crossing his legs from ankle to knee.

"You've already decided it's a boy? Typical man," I groaned.

"Typical Russian. " He let out a hearty laugh, releasing some of my tension.

"Why do you believe this is Aleksandr's baby? He doesn't even believe me."

"You have been honest since we've met. And you are trying to help us find Mikhail's killer. You have no reason to lie about the baby." His smile was genuine. "Here," he said, holding a cell phone, "call Sandy." A hint of sympathy shone in his eyes.

"Are you serious?" I sat straight up, shock plastered on my face. "Does Aleksandr know?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Yes," he smirked. "He won't let you leave the mansion right now; it's unsafe. But he agreed to let you speak with her. He thinks it will help ease your mind and reduce the stress," he explained.

I was speechless. My hands shook slightly as I took the phone from him. "Do you think he'll let Sandy stay here with me?" Hope fluttered in my chest.

Dimitri let out a heavy sigh. "That's not possible."

"But I'm worried about her. What if she's not safe? What if someone tries to hurt her because of me? I'd never forgive myself." Horrible thoughts flashed in my mind of losing my sister, the only person that loved me. My chest squeezed tightly as panic gripped me in its icy fingers.

"Talia! Breathe…it's okay." Dimitri held me by the shoulders as I gasped for air. "It's okay; everything will be okay. I will look after Sandy myself."

He sounded so sincere and reassuring. Slowly, the panic attack passed, and my breathing returned to normal. He handed me a glass of water, which I sipped gingerly.

"I won't let anything happen to your sister. Call her," he suggested, nudging the phone in my hand. I looked him square in the eyes but didn't see an ounce of deceit. I believed he would watch over Sandy. "I'll give you some privacy," he said, walking away.

"I'll be quick. I'll call out when I'm finished so you can take your phone back."

"It's yours now," Dimitri said simply. "A gesture of good faith from Aleksandr." Then he left.

My emotions were a whirlwind. Could it be that Aleksandr isn't entirely heartless? Maybe there is more beneath his harsh exterior. Relieved yet anxious, I dialed Sandy's number. Her voice on the other end was like a lifeline.

"Talia, thank goodness you're okay!" Sandy exclaimed, her voice filled with relief. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

My eyes welled up. "Are you okay? I'm worried about you."

"I'm as good as can be. Dimitri told me that Aleksandr paid the rent for the apartment but insisted I stay at the hotel. He has a guard watching me at all times."

"I think you're safer if you come here, but Aleksandr won't let you. I'm trying to figure out how to sneak out of the mansion."

"We'll find a way, Talia. Just hang in there," Sandy reassured. "I told Dimitri I would stay at the hotel with my ‘babysitter', but I'm going back to work and there's nothing he can do about it. He thought he was going to win that argument, but you know I always win. I told him I was having a severe case of cabin fever, but the truth is I have to make money so we can get to San Francisco."

"Please be safe sis! I'm not thrilled you're going back to the club, but at least I have a phone now so we can keep in touch."

"You do? How did that happen?" Sandy whispered.

"Dimitri gave it to me. He said Aleksandr doesn't want me stressed out," I laughed. "At least the children are taking my mind off of being held captive."

"Seems he has a heart after all," Sandy joked. "Tell me about the kids."

I recounted my conversation with the children, and Sandy's laughter floated through the line.

"They must be so excited!" Sandy remarked. "But we need to focus on getting you out. I'll contact Luke and make arrangements for when we get to San Francisco."

"Okay, sis. Stay safe." I reluctantly ended the call.

As I lay back on the bed, cradling the phone, a flicker of hope ignited in my chest. I can do this. I'll figure out a way to escape and get to Sandy.