What's this? Two updates in one week? Better get used to it!
(Another chapter that I haven't spent hours checking for any errors. I think I got them all, but I apologise for any that slipped past me.)
Rose.
March 1925. (Twelve Weeks Pregnant)
I was honestly surprised that Dimitri had even listened to my request to not kill Nathan. I had been half expecting him to ignore me entirely and pull the trigger anyway.
To hell with my requests.
But he had and I wasn't too sure if I had made the right choice in asking Dimitri to spare Nathan's life.
A first, all that had been going through my head was how I would be able to maybe stay in Chicago if he were dead. But when I thought about it, I realized I had become attached to the idea of living in Dimitri's old hometown.
I wanted our baby to have more than a city run by gangs. I wanted my child to grow up with other children. I wanted a home for him or her, not an apartment.
I wanted my baby to have the same kind of childhood I had experienced. Playing outside in the sun and on grass – not in the concrete streets of Chicago.
I wanted to take my baby to Russia. So I'd decided it didn't matter if Nathan was dead or alive really because I was going. But if I got to spare one more life, I would do it.
There were things I had been able to experience – and others that I hadn't – which I wanted my child to have. I wanted him or her to have a large family with other children to grow up with. Didn't every mother?
My own mother had always told me to have a family for the right reasons, and even though our baby wasn't planned, there was no way that it would be treated any differently.
I would do anything to keep the tiny life inside me alive and still growing. But I didn't know if I could handle having another life on my conscience.
Stan had died at the hands of Nathan because he lost interest in Dimitri and I. I killed Inna because she had been moments away from ending my own life. Isaiah was shot and even though he kind of had it coming, it was still another death.
Dimitri didn't think I knew, but I was well aware of the mess he had left in the clinic upon my rescue.
I had read about the carnage in the morning paper. Eight men had been shot and left for dead in the lobby – five of them actually dying. American Mob. None of Dimitri's men had fallen that night.
It was too much death and it all weighed on me. I didn't want anyone else losing their lives – no matter how easy it would make my own life or how much they deserved it.
Men were still missing. No one had heard from Luka since the rescue or Elena. Mason had tried his hardest to track the siblings down. But they had just vanished.
It was still undetermined if they had fled Chicago and Nathan, or if their bodies were buried somewhere out of state. I wouldn't have put it past Nathan to take out anyone who he thought for a second, had something to do with my rescue.
He'd wanted a game, and he'd gotten it for approximately a week. Then his game had come crashing down around him.
All those lives, male and female, innocent and guilty, it was a lot of death to have hanging over your head.
The Police precinct was cold and quiet at that time of night. It had felt the same way when we had been held here after finding Stan's body. Though, we were there under very different pretences this time.
I'd been sitting in the cold chair in the hallway for over an hour by this point. I was tired and still had alcohol in my system, which didn't help my irritability.
The only person who was tenser than myself was Dimitri. For the entire time we sat in the hallway, his knee had bounced nervously and he rambled incoherently in Russian.
I practically jumped out of my skin when Dimitri unexpectedly got up from his chair. He murmured something along the lines of finding Detective Steele and told Kadir to keep an eye on me. Because apparently, I needed a babysitter now.
Dimitri didn't say why he wanted to talk to Detective Steele, but I assumed it was to ask if we could go home.
When Dimitri didn't come back within five or so minutes, that was when I went looking for him. There were only so many places in a Police precinct that he could have disappeared to.
Kadir came with me, staying by my side. It annoyed me a bit that they acted as if I was precious cargo. I wasn't incapable. I appreciated the concern, but I didn't need someone hovering over me twenty-four seven.
What I didn't expect to see when I eventually found Dimitri, was him standing outside a door having a hushed argument with Detective Steele. Kadir and I stayed out of sight, unable to hear what they were arguing about but both of us concerned.
It wasn't until Dimitri disappeared behind the door that I started approaching the Detective. They had obviously been arguing about something and I sure as hell wanted to know what about.
"What's behind that door?" I blurted out while stomping towards him.
He let out an exasperated sigh, one that I couldn't help but glare at him for. He looked drained and ridiculously tired. Large black bags hung under his eyes and deep down I knew I didn't have to be pushy with him tonight. He's probably had enough of people being pushy with him.
He didn't bother trying to hide anything from us.
"Nathan," he sighed defeatedly. He's being interrogated and your boyfriend wanted in. I told him we don't do shit like that, but he insisted."
What the fuck did Dimitri think he was going to accomplish by going into the interrogation? Closure? I didn't think so. If anything, whatever Nathan would say would just get under Dimitri's skin.
I looked to the door directly beside the one Dimitri disappeared behind. "That the viewing room?" I asked harshly while waiting for Steele to allow me passage.
He nodded reluctantly and began ushering me towards it. "I'll warn you though, Nathan seems to have finally cracked mentally. Something in him has broken."
"In what way?" Kadir asked.
Steele shrugged. "He's gone off the hook. He's admitting to stuff we didn't even know about. He even told us he left Chicago and only returned tonight with a clear intention of killing Miss Hathaway. He's got this look in his eye."
"What kind of look?" I asked cautiously.
"You'll see."
And indeed I did.
I didn't have a chance to process the new information before we were entering a dark viewing room. A wall which I could only assume had some sort of two-way glass covered a majority of the wall, and there sitting at a table in the middle was Dimitri, Nathan and another Detective.
While the Detective looked bored and I could only see the back of Dimitri's head, I could tell by his posture that he and Nathan were having at it.
A small grate was placed below the mirror, which allowed us to hear exactly what was being said in the adjacent room.
I wished I'd stayed out in the hallway. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to hear in any way.
"I'll be out of here before you know it," Nathan spat at Dimitri across the metal table that divided them. "And when I am, you best believe that I'll come after your whore and that bastard child growing inside of her."
My entire body went rigid and my hand immediately flew to my only barely protruding stomach. How could he know that I was pregnant? It had only been Luka in my room that day. I refused to believe that after everything he did to get me out of his own clinic, he would betray Dimitri and me by telling Nathan about our baby.
If Detective Steele was telling the truth about Nathan actually fleeing Chicago, it meant he shouldn't have known about the pregnancy at all.
It seemed that his words hadn't affected just myself. Dimitri's entire body went stiffer than my own, and I could see his fists clench tightly on the table they rested on. I could only imagine the look that would be displayed on his face.
Dimitri was fiercely protective, and even though this baby was conceived and would be born out of wedlock, I didn't want him or her being referred to as a bastard. Our child was going to be born into a family that loved it – that cared for it. What's the difference if there was or wasn't a wedding band on my finger?
Almost as if he knew I was hidden behind the two-way mirror, Nathan switched his gaze from Dimitri to look at his own reflection. His lips spread into a haunting toothy grin; enough to make me take a sudden step back from the mirror.
Even though I knew he couldn't see me, it was as if he was staring right at me. I felt his eyes bore deep into my own and it sent shivers rippling through my entire body. I took another step back until I hit something behind me.
That was the look Detective Steele warned me about.
Hands softly held me from behind me, keeping me steady and putting me slightly at ease.
"It's okay," Detective Steele suddenly murmured while comfortingly rubbing his hands softly up and down my arms. "He can't see you. He's only assuming."
"I had eyes everywhere in that clinic. It doesn't take much for women to see the signs in another woman."
"Inna…" both Dimitri and I murmured at the same time.
As if he were happy that Dimitri had figured it out, Nathan dropped the hold he had on me through the mirror and refocused on Dimitri.
"She was there when Luka figured it out…of course she would come right to me to tell me. You just got there before I did. She was always so good with eavesdropping; of course, it could get her into trouble more often than not. She knew too much for her own good."
"Is that why you killed her?" the Detective sitting beside Dimitri questioned.
"I didn't touch Inna," Nathan growled.
"Yet it was your pocket knife that was found in the room."
"That's because I gave it to her. The fine choice of calico hidden behind the mirror is the one that stuck it in her."
No one looked behind them.
The Detective sitting beside Dimitri scoffed and crossed his arms defiantly over his chest. "It's a bit too late for false accusations."
But Nathan ignored him entirely because he knew the truth. He didn't care that my father had managed to pin Inna's death on him – he didn't believe that he would be behind bars for long.
"Know this Belikov – I'll take away what you love, just like she did to me. I'll make sure she never takes another breath. And if I get there while she's still pregnant-" Nathan shrugged, leaning back in his chair- "it becomes a two for one deal."
While Nathan's words rocked me to my core, Dimitri only stared back at him. I felt the temperature plummet in not only the interrogation room but also the viewing room I was in. I half expected my breath to come out in clouds.
The hand that I had resting on my stomach moved up to my exposed collarbone. Without thinking, I began rubbing the thin skin while staring blankly at Nathan. Even though he was locked in a staring match with Dimitri that appeared to make everyone nervous, his words hadn't escaped me.
There was nothing that Dimitri and I could do that would really keep our child protected. One way or another, Nathan was going to hunt me down like a hobby.
I had truly fucked up this time.
I should have let Dimitri pull that trigger. I should have let him fix everything that was wrong. But no, I had to pick that moment to have a conscience. By sparing Nathan's life, I had condemned my own.
How could I fix this now? I had thrown away the opportunity to save myself mere hours ago. It was clear that Nathan wasn't going to stop, not until I was dead.
The idea struck me like a car going sixty miles an hour. An idea that just maybe…could-
The screech of Dimitri's made me jump on the spot. My attention was dragged back to the interrogation room where Dimitri stood abruptly. His chair continued to loudly scrape against the floor as he leaned in close to Nathan's relaxed frame.
"Enjoy your time behind bars, Nathan," Dimitri growled down him before stepping away from the chair.
"It will be more of a brief holiday rather than an incarceration, believe me," Nathan yelled back, although Dimitri didn't seem to possess any interest in acknowledging Nathan any more.
As the door slammed behind Dimitri, I was too shocked to even exit the viewing room.
All I could do was stare at Nathan as he conversed with the other Detective. His words fell to deaf ears and I was too busy staring at him. My fingers began to twirl the engagement ring Dimitri had given me
"I wouldn't worry too much, Miss Hathaway," Detective Steele said, softy. "We have enough murders and deaths tracing back to him that we can put him away for a long time. No matter what he says, he will be behind bars for a decent portion of his life."
"Portion?" I mumbled, not liking the sound of that, but I went ignored.
"He will be kept in a form of solitary. No contact to the outside world, and limited contact with gen pop. With his constant threats towards both you and Belikov, we have enough to keep him inside for a long time."
Despite the Detective trying to ease my concerns, I didn't feel the least bit at ease. If anything I felt angry with myself. I'd let this happen. There was one way to fix it, but I wasn't sure if I was prepared to go that far yet.
May 1925. (Twenty-one Weeks Pregnant)
The two months that followed Nathan's incarceration was unusually easy going. I had the option of moving back into my apartment, but at the point, I was already comfortable in Dimitri's apartment. I didn't fancy leaving.
Although, I had come to find out just how annoying Ivan could be as a person. He was like an annoying older brother than had a knack for pissing you off. Which I guess fit well seeing as he referred to me as his sister regularly.
That night though, Dimitri was at the downtown docks collecting a shipment. There had been a steady stream of shipments that Dimitri hadn't been present for. Even though he had a pregnant fiancé, he still had a job to do. I could understand that.
However, it left me in the apartment while Ivan had a string of women through his bed. I wasn't a prude or anything, but a little bit of subtlety wouldn't have gone amiss.
I'd been having a pleasant evening of my own with the record player on a softer sound. It was starting to heat up a bit outside now, but the nights were still somewhat cold. So a blanket did wonders.
It was exactly why I hadn't expected Ivan to be lurking around the living area, looking over my shoulder to see what I was doing.
"Watcha' doing?" I heard Ivan ask me in a singsong voice.
Without thinking, I shoved my notepad that had been on my lap into my chest protectively and glared around at him. "Nothing."
He raised an eyebrow and smiled widely. I was never good a covering my tracks. Dammit.
"I'm just taking notes," I mumbled to myself, not wanting to show him the pad.
Apparently, I wasn't going to be given a choice in that matter.
Ivan swooped forward and took the pad out of my hands and from my chest, holding it triumphantly above his head. I jumped up in an attempt to get it back.
But even standing on the couch, Ivan's height meant that the notepad was more than an arm's length above me. I had no hope reaching it and getting it back.
It didn't stop me from trying though.
"Give it back, Ivan!" I growled, but he only laughed at me.
"Has anyone told you that you look a bit like a wet kitten when angry?" I glared at him. "I'll take that as a no then."
"I'm serious, Ivan. Hand it over!"
"What are you taking notes on, sestra?" he laughed again, taking a peek at the scribbling.
When he paused and his smile fell slightly, I knew it was too late to stop him from reading it. He had already seen it.
"What is this? Who are all these names?" he asked with almost a worried tone.
Huffing in defeat, I sat back down in the cushions and crossed my arms over my chest before wincing.
I shouldn't have done that so roughly. I had had so much pain and sensitivity recently in my chest that I couldn't handle it. Whenever Dimitri touched my breasts, it was like pain would explode through me.
Damn pregnancy.
"Toma? Sofya? Alena? Alexsandr? What is all this Rose?"
I sighed. "Baby names. I wanted something Russian," I said, looking down and rubbing my growing stomach.
I didn't hear anything for several seconds after that. Just his heavy breathing.
I didn't want anyone to find that piece of paper. I wasn't sure why, but wasn't there some old advice telling you never to share your baby names with anyone? Not that I thought Ivan was going to steal my baby names – unless he had a secret baby on the way.
"Can I make a suggestion?" he eventually said, sitting down in the cushion next to me and picking up my pen. He promptly scratched out the name Alexsandr with several hard lines.
"What? I liked that one!" I huffed again.
"Dimitri won't. Alexsandr was his father's name," he said quietly.
My eyes widened. That was news to me. I had heard a lot about Dimitri's family recently. He talked regularly about his mother and sisters. He practically gushed about his nieces and nephews like they were his own children. But he had only ever spoken about his father once. He had never told me his name.
It had been that morning so many months ago. I remembered vividly the fear in his eyes as he told me how he beat his abusive father to death. He thought I would have feared him. But it only made my heart swell in some way.
Dimitri, even as a child, was brave and defensive. It made me feel safe in his arms. I had known from that moment that I would always be safe with Dimitri. Despite my missing week, he had never stopped tracking me down.
He was nothing like his father. And while I liked the name, I knew the Dimitri wouldn't appreciate naming his son after the man who tormented his family.
"Good call then," I nodded, going along with his train of thought.
Ivan smiled softly at me and then went back to scouring through the names. Every so often, he would scratch some out, but he never told me the reasons for it. Not until he returned to the top where I had my favourite names.
"Do you know what these mean?" he asked. I shook my head. "Alena is like light. Nobility. It's quite proper but it's beautiful. I think Sofya is originally Greek, but we translate it to mean knowledge and grace."
"I think I like Sofya the most. If this baby is a girl, do you think Dimitri would like it?" I was rubbing my belly again, thinking of a miniature me running around my legs.
I shivered at the prospect of her being anything like me as a child. I had been a hell of a handful. I wanted a son.
"I think he would like Ivanna more," he grinned.
I couldn't help myself. I had to laugh as well, but I also pushed his arm playfully. "I'm serious," I managed between giggles.
"Fine," Ivan laughed again. "Your best names here are Toma and Sofya if you are set on Russian names. He will love both of them."
Talking with Ivan had made me realize how close this all was becoming. I was almost halfway through my pregnancy at this point and I had to make a decision.
It appeared there were a few cops on my father's payroll as well now – ones that were more than willing to keep Nathan disconnected from the outside world and the rest of the prison.
But that wasn't why I needed to act on the plan I had concocted. The closer I got to my due date, the less of a chance this plan had at working. If I was going to do it, I needed to get those who I needed in on it as soon as I could.
"Could you take me to the club?" I asked abruptly, jerking Ivan back to my direct attention.
Even with Nathan being incarcerated, I still preferred to have one of the guys with me. It was just for peace of mind really.
"Yeah, okay. Let me get the sugar out of my bed and we will get going."
With that, Ivan disappeared down the hall and into his bedroom. A moment later, a red-head with shortly cropped hair scurried out after kissing him goodbye at the door.
The club was as busy as I had expected it to be. Saturdays always were. But for once, I didn't stop as I walked through the theatre. I didn't stop to greet any of the dancers I saw or patrons I knew by name. I didn't even stop for Adrian and Christian.
I hadn't come to the club to socialize; I'd come to talk to my father and hopefully Kadir and Pavel if they were hanging around. Ivan escorted me all the way through the busy theatre until I reached my father's office door.
I didn't particularly care that it was closed. Because whatever he was having a meeting about, was surely not as important as the lives of his daughter and grandchild.
I'd bet my life on it.
However, when I opened the door, it wasn't the kind of meeting I'd expected to be interrupting.
All the men I had been hoping to see were sitting at my father's desk with papers in front of them.
"We need to talk, Old Man," I said closing the office door promptly behind me.
All three men looked up, not noticing my arrival prior to me closing the door. They all wore the same grin on their faces. They had been planning something, and I immediately wanted in on it.
My father sat back into his leather chair, the chair groaning under his weight while he weaved his fingers together on the desk.
"I believe we do, Kiz."
I didn't hesitate. I just jumped straight into it. "I have a plan to get me and this baby out of Chicago alive. But I need all of your help to pull it off."
"Why, so do we. Why don't you have a seat and we can compare notes, Zmeyette?"
Author's Note:
Okay all, this AN is kind of important.
There will be another time jump next chapter to keep the story at a faster pace. I want to have this story completed by the time I leave for my Europe holiday, so I'll be hopefully updating at least a few times a week so this story should be completed by the end of next week!
I've skipped a lot of time during Rose's pregnancy, but that's mainly due to the fact I have struggled immensely with writing chapters of pure pregnancy fluff – I just can't do it. So I hope that the story doesn't appear to move too fast.
This story is about to get angsty, so an early warning.