“I’ll get that for you.” Julian gets up. “Be back in a few.”

He disappears through the door, and I close my eyes, my earlier tiredness returning now that the adrenaline rush is over. Maybe I’ll just catch a quick nap before Julian comes back…

A knock on the door startles me again, causing me to jerk to a sitting position. “Yes?”

“Nora, this is David Goldberg. May I come in?”

“Oh, sure.” I lie back down, my heart still beating too fast. “Did you already run the tests?” I ask as the doctor enters the room.

“Yes.” There is an odd expression on his face as he stops next to the bed. “Nora, you’ve been fatigued lately, right? And unusually stressed?”

“Yes.” I frown, starting to feel uneasy. “Why?”

“Have you noticed anything else? Mood swings? Atypical food cravings or dislikes? Maybe some tenderness in your breasts?”

I stare at him, a cold fist seizing my chest. “What are you saying?” The symptoms he’s listing—surely he can’t mean…

“Nora, the blood tests I ran showed a strong presence of the hCG hormone,” Dr. Goldberg says gently. “You’re pregnant.” He pauses, then adds quietly, “Given the timing of the implant removal, my best guess is you’re about six weeks along.”

7

Julian

Carrying the tray with tea and crackers, I walk up the stairs toward the bedroom. I should be furious with Nora, but instead, my worry for her is tinged with reluctant admiration.

She defied me. She locked herself in the bathroom and hacked into my computer to pay a debt that she believed was owed. She had to know that she would be caught, but she did it anyway—and I can’t help respecting her for it.

I would’ve done the same thing in her shoes.

In hindsight, I should’ve expected this. She’s been adamant about wanting to get the list to Peter, so it’s not all that surprising that she decided to act on her own. From the very beginning, I’ve sensed a quiet, stubborn strength within her, a steel core that belies her delicate appearance.

My pet might be compliant much of the time, but that’s only because she’s smart enough to choose her battles—and I should’ve known she’d choose to fight this one.

As I approach the bedroom, I hear voices and recognize Goldberg’s slightly nasal pitch.

He’s back with the test results, and Nora sounds upset.

Fuck. Fear, icy and sharp, bites at me. If it’s something serious, if she’s truly sick… Picking up my pace, I reach the door in two long steps. Tea sloshes over the rim of the cup, but I barely notice, all my focus on Nora.

Gripping the tray with one hand, I push open the door and step in.

She’s sitting on the bed, her eyes huge in her colorless face as Goldberg says, “I’m afraid it is possible—”

My heart freezes. “What’s possible?” I ask sharply. “What’s wrong?”

Goldberg turns to look at me. “Oh, there you are.” He sounds relieved. “I was just explaining to your wife that the morning-after pill is only ninety-five-percent effective when taken within twenty-four hours, and even though the likelihood of conception was low given the timing of the implant removal, there was still a small chance of pregnancy—”