Chapter 54

54

Lena

Karma's gaze widens. She seems speechless for a second, then a smile curves her lips. "Older men, eh? There's something so appealing, so intriguing, so enticing about them, hmm?" She adjusts the pillow behind her back. "Michael is twenty years older than me. Did you know that?"

I shake my head. "I could tell he was in his late thirties or early forties, but no, I hadn't thought about the age gap between the two of you."

"Well, he is. Also, he kidnapped me."

I blink. "He what?"

She nods. "Kidnapped me. He pointed a gun at me, and I thought for sure he was going to shoot me?—"

"But he didn't," I murmur.

"Instead, he pushed me into the boot of a car, then climbed in after me."

"He didn't." I shake my head. Michael Sovrano, that tall, massive Don climbed into the trunk after her? "It must've been a tight squeeze."

Her eyes gleam. "You have no idea."

"Then he married you?"

"To pay a debt our father owed him."

I glance in Summer's direction and find her features wearing a slightly stricken expression. "I'll never get used to you talking about this. After our father revealed who was after him, I should have insisted that you move in with me and Sinclair after we got married."

Karma snorts. "And be the third wheel? I don't think so. And Sinclair did have security on me. It's my fault that I gave them the slip and went on the run that day. I don't regret it, though. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have met Michael." Her eyes go all dewy. "I love him, Summer. I do. And it's not his fault I didn't come to visit, or update you on what was happening. That's completely on me."

Summer searches her features. "When I found out I was pregnant, you were the first person I wanted to tell. But you were gone. Thank God for the Sisterhood of the Seven, or else I'd have been so lonely."

"Sisterhood of the Seven?" I furrow my brow.

"That's our informal name for the wives and girlfriends of the Seven." Summer smiles, more than a touch of wickedness on her features. "Each of us is more than a match for our men. Put us in one room, and the Seven get worried."

With good cause, no doubt. I haven't met the rest of the Seven, nor their wives, but if the sisters are anything to go by… I have no doubt they're each a handful, and together have the kind of energy that could cause revolutions.

"You need to meet the wives of the other Sovranos, too. They've been my de facto family the last few months. They were my strength when I lost my child. Even Michael's brothers. And Xander, the youngest of the Sovranos who passed away… He was my best friend." She sniffles.

"Oh, honey." Summer joins us on the sofa. She wraps her arms around Karma. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I wish you'd called me. I'd have been there on the next flight."

"I knew you would, and maybe that's why I didn't call."

Summer leans back. "What do you mean?"

"It's just… It felt like I was too close to you. You knew me as your younger sister who you had to be responsible for while growing up. Whereas, I was now the wife of the Don. And with that, I had responsibilities." She coughs, then reaches over and sips from her glass of water. "My position was something I wasn't sure you'd comprehend."

That's something I understand. After all, it's a very similar reason that has me holding back from speaking with my family.

"Let me get this right," Summer says slowly. "You didn't call me because you thought I was too close to the situation?"

"I knew you'd want what was best for me, but I had to think about what was best for the family. The other women? They only know me as Michael's woman. The one who's responsible for the future of his family. They" —she places the glass of water back on the table— "they got why I did what I did…" She hunches her shoulders. "Or didn't do."

Summer searches her sister's features, then gasps. "You didn't tell him."

Karma rises to her feet and walks away.

Summer pushes up to standing, and follows her. "Oh, my god, Karma! You didn't tell Michael about your heart condition, did you?

Heart condition. What heart condition?

Karma turns. She coughs again. Is her color paler than it was? Surely not.

"I couldn't." She wrings her fingers. "If I had, he'd have never allowed the pregnancy to proceed. He'd have told me that he didn't want children."

"And rightly so," Summer declares.

Karma places her palms on her swollen belly. "You don't understand. I want to give him children. I want children, a family of my own, Summer. Surely, you understand that?"

Summer's face softens. "I know we didn't have the best experience growing up, but we were lucky the foster family that took us in turned out to be all right."

"Sure, they provided us with all the material requirements?—"

"And we were comfortable. We had each other. We didn't need anyone else," Summer says softly.

"We needed the love of a mother and a father." Karma's eyes shine. "I still miss them so much."

"You were too young to remember the details. It's why you think they were such ideal parents."

"Oh, but they were," Karma insists.

"That's why our father preferred to dump us into the system instead of finding a way to take care of us?" Summer scoffs.

"He tried his best. It's not his fault he got caught up in something bigger than him," Karma insists.

"What are you guys talking about?" I glance between them.

The sisters look at each other, then Summer blows out a breath. "You know how Michael's father was responsible for the kidnapping of Sinclair and the rest of the Seven when they were boys?"

I nod.

"He had an accomplice, Freddie Nielsen, who was killed in an encounter with the Sovranos." Summer locks her fingers together. "Our father was blackmailed by Michael's father into helping them. Only, he lost his courage and reported them. Then, he faked his death and fled to the US?—"

"—leaving the two of you in foster care," I murmur.

"It's not as bad as it sounds." Summer leans forward on her feet. "Like I said, our foster parents were good to us. Not the warmest of people, but they were good to us. Compared to some of the other nightmarish stories one hears about, we were lucky."

"The two of you turned out well. And you have amazing husbands who love you, and you're both pregnant. You're going to have your own families, and you still have each other. That's pretty amazing, huh?"

Summer seems taken aback, then laughs. "It is pretty amazing. It all turned out okay."

"It did." Karma shoves the hair back from her face. "Is it hot in here?" she murmurs.

"Only problem is, Karma's heart condition means her pregnancy is high-risk, and she never told Michael so?—"

Karma begins to slump forward.

"Karma!" I jump to my feet and rush toward them.

"Where is she?" Michael Sovrano bursts into the hospital waiting room. His hair is mussed. His tie is askew. The few times I've met him, he's been so impeccably well-dressed. Now his eyes are wild and his color is pale.

On his heels, Sinclair Sterling enters the room, followed by JJ.

Summer jumps up and rushes into Sinclair's arms. He wraps her close, tucks her head under his chin.

I rise to my feet. "She's inside with the doctor. They're examining her."

"Which doctor?" Michael turns to me. "Who's looking after her?"

"Umm." I take a step back. The man's sick with worry. I get it. But being the focus of those piercing black eyes of his is almost as nerve-racking as being the target of JJ's attention. Only difference is, I can read JJ's moods, including when he's angry. With Michael? All that worry bouncing off of him only adds an edge to his already threatening presence. "I think it was someone Summer called." I swallow.

Michael moves forward. My guts churn. Then suddenly, JJ's there. He plants his bulk between me and Michael, and shoves his hand into Michael's chest. "Back off, Sovrano."

Michael narrows his gaze on me. "Who's. The. Doctor?" His jaw tics. He runs his fingers through his hair. His fingers tremble. Damn, the man's beside himself with worry.

"Sovrano, get the fuck out of your head," JJ barks, and his voice is like a whiplash. I jump. Sinclair and Summer freeze. It must get through to Michael, for he blinks.

"Weston!" Summer pulls away from Sinclair. "Weston's with her."

"Weston?" Michael scowls.

"He's one of the leading heart surgeons in the city, and one of the Seven," Sinclair interjects. "She's in good hands."

"Why would she need a heart surgeon?" Without waiting for an answer, Michael pulls out his phone and begins to dial. "I need to call Aurora. She's Karma's doctor. She needs to be here."

"We do have good doctors in London. Weston is my childhood friend. I'd trust him with my life. She can't do better than him," Sinclair assures him.

"I'm calling Aurora anyway." He spins around and walks out.

JJ turns to me. " You all right?"

The tension drains out of me, and I sink into the chair behind me.

"Hey." JJ walks over and sits down next to me. He doesn't touch me, though. "You okay?"

I nod.

"You don't look okay."

"It was so sudden. One moment we were all talking. The next, she'd collapsed. Luckily, the air ambulance was there in minutes."

"We have one on standby," Sinclair clarifies. He leads Summer over to take the chair across from me.

"She never told him. Karma didn't tell Michael." Summer chews on her lower lip. "How could she not tell him?" She wrings her fingers.

"Didn't tell Michael what?" JJ asks.

Footsteps sound behind us, then, "Didn't tell me what?"