Page 80 of His Savage Vow
“I sincerely hope that’s all this is. I’ll talk to her, Maximo. Nothing like this will happen again. Constance, I’m so sorry. Cindy isn’t well, and…”
“You don’t have to explain,” I interrupt him. “Enzo actually warned me about…” I start to explain, but I get choked up as tears suddenly flood my eyes. I don’t know if it’s an adrenaline reaction or just the sudden reality of their deaths slamming into me after seeing so much grief.
“Go help your daughter.” Maximo sighs as he claps Leonard on the shoulder. “I’ll take Constance back to the house and we’ll stay away from everyone until they’ve had more time to grieve and deal with their emotions. Come on, firefly.” He takes my hand and guides me out of the bathroom, towards a nearby exit that puts us back out in the parking lot on the other side of the funeral home.
I try to get my sobbing under control as we walk back to the Escalade. I use the towel that I was holding on my arm to dry my eyes now that the bleeding has mostly stopped. Maximo climbs into the driver’s seat, and we ride back to the estate in grim silence. I pull down the sun visor and use the mirror on the back to wipe at my own make-up and clean myself up.
“It never occurred to me that your family might blame us for everything those Russian bastards did. I’m sorry, Max. I feel like I’ve torn your family apart getting revenge for my father.”
“Nothing that has happened has been your fault,” he reassures me with a pat on the leg. “My family knows that. They’re just lashing out blindly and blaming whoever is the easiest target. If they knew what the Bratva really did, they’d understand. But we can’t tell them. I can’t trust someone like Cindy with the truth of how our world works.”
I just hope Maximo continues to trust me with the truth.
41
“The world’s not gentle, Connie. But you weren’t made to break.”
—ROBERT MONROE
Constance
When we arrive backat the estate, Maximo walks with me through the silent house back to the bedroom. “Trenton should be here soon, once the memorial wraps up. I’ll be in my office if you need anything. Go get checked out by your doctor and visit with your friend. Get your mind off of all this drama with my family. I meant what I said earlier, Constance.” He pulls me close in a hug and kisses the top of my head. “I adore you.”
“I feel the same,” I admit as I pull his lips down to mine and kiss him. “Go get to work and I’ll see you soon.”
Maximo smiles sadly at me and then heads for his office.I retreat into the room we’ve been sharing and dig through the closet until I find a pair of jeans that I like, along with a pink sweater and a pair of knee-high boots.
I’ve been wearing dresses around Maximo most of the time, as everything in his world always seems so formal, and I wanted to match how well-dressed and put together he always appears. My outfit today makes me feel more like myself, and I’m more comfortable. Since I’m going into town it’s risky to carry the gun Maximo gave me, but I do tuck the switchblade knife he let me keep down into my boot. I’ve started to find having a weapon on me brings me a sense of security.
It's still an hour until my appointment, but I know with the city traffic I’ll be lucky if I make it there on time. I hustle back down the front steps a few moments later, only stopping briefly when a large man I recognize waves at me. I think his name is Tony. He’s standing near one of the black Escalade’s in Maximo’s collection which is parked right beside my car. I return his wave, then climb into the driver’s seat of my old Honda Accord. When I do, I see Tony maneuvering his bulk into the Escalade parked beside me. As soon as I drive away, he falls in behind me, obviously following my car.
At the first stop light I come to, I pick up my phone and send a quick text to Maximo.
Did you order one of your men to follow me?
Before the light can change, my phone dings with his reply:Yes
Just that single word, with no explanation. I don’t need one, I suppose, as I understand his logic perfectly. The last time I went out on my own I almost got myself kidnapped by Kirill Volkov at Monroe’s. I appreciate Maximo’s concern, but at the same time I’m slightly offended that he thinks I need a babysitter and didn’t even discuss it with me.
I’m ready to give Tony a piece of my mind if he attempts tofollow me into the doctor’s office, but fortunately, he just pulls into the parking deck and takes a spot near me. He gives me a cheerful wave as I walk by him on my way to the elevator. To him, tailing me is just Tuesday. To me, it feels like a leash.
Once I check in at the front desk, telling them the real reason for my appointment, it only takes a few minutes before a nurse calls me back and takes me for lab work. Then, I can’t stop myself from fidgeting as I sit on the examination table waiting for the doctor to come in and go over the results of my urinalysis and blood panel. When she knocks on the door and enters, my heart leaps into my throat.
“How are you feeling today, Ms. Monroe?” Dr. Wright asks me as she sits down by the computer and pulls up my chart.
“Nervous,” I admit.
“I understand that. And I can confirm that you’re definitely pregnant. It says here you also came by today to follow up on…a gunshot wound? Is that correct?”
“Yes,” I confirm as I pat at the gauze wrap on my upper arm. “You may have seen it on the news. It happened when Maximo Luciani was shot at during his press conference last week. A bullet got lodged in my arm, but it was extracted at the hospital, and I only ended up needing two stitches.”
“Well, let me take a look at it and see if the stitches are ready to come out.” Dr. Wright opens a drawer at the small desk and pulls a small pair of scissors. She comes over to cut the gauze wrap off my arm, then inspects the wound. “It looks good. If you want, I’ll go ahead and cut the stitches out.”
“That would be great, thank you.”
“I’m concerned about the pattern of violence around you,” Dr. Wright continues as she snips the stitch with the scissors and pulls it out of my arm. “Ms. Monroe, I’m not going to tell you how to live your life. What I am going to do is refer you to an OBGYN and recommend that you start on a prenatal vitamin.I’m also going to recommend that you stay away from situations where gunfire might break out in the future, for the sake of the child you’re carrying. Also, before you leave, I need to ask you…Constance, do you feel safe?”
The blunt question sends a shiver of fear up my spine as I place a protective hand over my lower belly. The truth is that I don’t know. I feel safe with Maximo, certainly, but I can’t deny that being around him is incredibly dangerous. I glance down at the fresh, angry cuts and abrasions on my forearms before answering.
