A baby though.

My hands returned to my stomach. I’d be able to have a child to love and to cherish it in every single way my parents had failed me. I’d never fail my child. If it was a boy, would Slavik allow me to … be there? Would he take our son away from me? My daughter?

Tears filled my eyes, and I gritted my teeth.

I needed to clarify our position, or at the very least, my position in our child’s future. This shouldn’t be something I found out now. There was no way I wasn’t pregnant. The sickness had to be explained that way.

Releasing my arms, I stared up at the ceiling. I couldn’t spend all day floating my troubles away.

Arms wrapped around me, dragging me down into the water. I screamed, water filling my mouth.

I flailed against the arms, but they let me go the moment I started to struggle. Breaking free of the water, I turned to find Slavik, a smile on his face.

Coughing out the water, I slapped him on the chest. “Don’t do that again.”

“I couldn’t help it. You didn’t even hear me come in, did you?”

“No.”

I pushed my hair back, glancing around to find the guard who’d recently been assigned to me gone.

“Any news on Gus?” I asked.

“He’s recovering still.” Due to the extent of his wounds, a short stint in rehab had been needed. I’d been unaware he’d been shot in the hip, and the damage alone meant he was having to learn to walk again. The surgery had gone well in repairing him. Slavik usually gave me updates.

“Good. That’s good. Do you think we should send him a gift basket?” I hated that someone was hurt because of me.

“I’ve taken care of it. A man like Gus doesn’t want a gift basket.”

“What did you get him?”

Slavik’s brow rose. “Do you really need me to say it?”

“No.” Women.

Slavik smiled, and it wasn’t an I’m-about-to-murder-you smile. This was an actual, genuine smile. Not scary. He wrapped his arms around me, and I didn’t fight him as he pulled me close. “Do you want to tell me why you’re all alone in the pool?”

“You’d be pissed if I took my new guy.”

“True.” He ran his hands down my back to my waist. I didn’t notice a difference in my stomach. He pulled me close, and I felt the hard ridge of his cock. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve thought about you today?”

He went to the strap of my one-piece bathing suit. My mouth went dry as he lowered it. I didn’t put up a fight as he pushed it past my breasts, going down my body until it was at my waist. He guided it past my hips. Once in the water, it fell slowly to the pool bottom, and I stepped out of it. Slavik dipped beneath, picking it up, and threw it across the pool for it to land on the edge. “You can put that back on later.”