Broken Together (43 page)

“Wife,”
he replied. His eyes sought mine. “Mrs. Garcia.” His eyes closed against the
emotions that evoked. “You’re finally mine.” He buried his face in my neck as
he began to cry.

I
gently caressed his back. “I fear I was intended for you long before I was
born.”

He
lifted his head.

I
grasped his face in my hands. “I love you more than you could possibly know.”

“We’re
a family now.”

I
nodded.

“I
love you.” He clasped my hands in his as he forced them above my head.

I
arched against him. My desire had grown as unbearable as his.

Rafael
pulled back and thrust. In long, demanding strokes he erased the boundaries
between his body and mine. He drove us higher and higher, knit us tighter and
tighter, until there was no him… no me… only us.

*
* * * *

I
sighed contentedly as I curled against Rafael’s side. He’d flung the windows
open at some point during the night. The waves eventually coaxed us to sleep. I’d
lost count of the amount of orgasms he’d wrung from me.

My
heart stalled. I didn’t want to leave.

“What’s
wrong?” Grudgingly, Rafael opened his eyes.

I
stretched deliciously sore limbs while untangling myself from him. “How am I
supposed to pick up where I left off when so much has changed? I’m supposed to
return to Virginia today, where no one will know we’re pregnant and married
except Brady and Jase.”

Rafael
linked his hand with mine. “Do you want to tell people?”

I
forced myself to think. “I don’t want to tell anyone about the baby until we’re
further along.”

He
nodded.

I
ran my fingers along the whiskers that darkened his jaw. “But I want to scream
the fact that we’re married from the rooftops.”

Rafael
laughed. His hand dipped beneath the sheet so he could feel my belly which was
ridiculously flat. “I feel the same way, but I don’t want Maxim to know. I
don’t know how he’ll react when he discovers we’ve been married. I’d prefer to
be present when he does.”

I
admired the braided diamond band gracing my left hand. “I should return this to
you before I leave, but I’ll still picture it there.”

His
fingers skimmed my hip. “Do you mind if I wear my ring? I’ll remove it when I
travel to Virginia and when our friends arrive just before the wedding.”

I
grasped his hand so I could see how the ring looked on his finger. “Sure. I
would prefer you wear my ring. Did you read the inscription?”

Rafael
bolted upright. He removed the ring so he could read the inscription. “Broken
together?”

I
admired the beautiful script before sliding the ring back onto his finger. “I
couldn’t stop thinking of all the tragedies, the heartache, and pain that life
has thrown our way. We ended up together, despite all the obstacles and frankly
dismal odds. But what if God intended it that way? Man has been broken since
the Garden of Eden, but we were never meant to be
broken apart
. We were
meant to be
broken together
until He comes for us.”

His
lips brushed against my knuckles. “The inscription couldn’t be more perfect.” He
tugged the sheets toward my hips so he could rest his head on my tummy. It was
some time before he spoke again. “You’re so thin, I’m having a difficult time
picturing our baby in there.”

I
combed my fingers through his hair. “I’ll look like a beached whale by the time
October rolls around.”

“I’ll
worship you even more when your belly is round. That’s my child in there.” His
fingers curled possessively around my side. “I’m having a really hard time
letting you go. I don’t want to miss a second of this pregnancy, and I feel
this gut wrenching need to keep you and the baby close.”

My
heart clenched. “I feel the same way, but I’m so close to graduating. I need to
return to Virginia so I can finish my degree.”

He
linked our hands together once more. “I want you to earn your degree, but I
don’t want you to leave.”

“I’ll
take good care of our baby while we’re apart. We’ll be together before you know
it,” I promised.

 Rafael
glanced at the clock before climbing up my body. He pushed just inside of me
when our bodies aligned. “I have four hours to change your mind.”

I
pushed off the toilet. My reprieve ended as morning sickness reared its ugly
head again.

“You
can’t go to work,” Jase growled from the doorway. We’d been home less than a
day.

I
splashed water on my face. “I’m going to work. I’ve already missed a week, and
I’m pretty much out of leave.”

He
watched me brush my teeth. “Why are you returning to work? You’re leaving in seven
weeks.”

“I’m
not entirely sure I am leaving,” I argued unreasonably.

Jase
laughed.

I
stomped downstairs.

“What’s
wrong?” Brady asked.

Jase
folded his arms across his chest. “She’s being hard headed again. We should tie
her up in bed.”

Brady’s
eyes widened.

“Morning
sickness,” I rebutted. “It won’t be pretty if you tie me to the bed.”

Jase
growled. “The toilet then.”

“It
wouldn’t be the first time,” I grumbled. “Let’s go.”

Jase
grabbed a bottled water, soda crackers, and a large plastic bowl. “Just in case.”

Brady
followed me into the garage. “How are you going to hide this from Shae?”

“My
stomach will settle once there’s food in there.” I hoped the baby was
listening.

They
eyed me skeptically.

We
climbed into the Jeep. “The baby is demanding food. He doesn’t like waking up
to an empty stomach,” I recalled from my previous pregnancy.

Jase
stopped by Starbucks so they could feed me a bacon, egg, and Gouda breakfast sandwich.

“This
works,” I purred happily.

I
made it through the first day without giving the baby away. I called Rafael the
second I got home so I could play the Doppler over the phone. Brady and Jase
snuck into my bedroom when they heard the sound. They stood mesmerized while
Rafael sang the baby a Portuguese lullaby.

The
rest of the week progressed in much the same way. I crawled into bed thoroughly
exhausted after my classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Still, I played
the Doppler every night so Rafael could hear the baby’s heartbeat. Brady and
Jase popped their heads inside the room more often than not. They nodded,
reassured, each time they heard that steady swooshing sound. They doted on me
like a couple of midwives and plied me with food.

Kadyn
invited himself over for dinner Friday night. I thought he might reveal
something juicy about Shae since she was behaving oddly at work.

“I
got it!” Jase yelled when the doorbell rang.

I
glanced at Brady, worriedly. “He doesn’t know about the baby or the wedding.”

“We’re
fully capable of keeping your secrets.” He gave me a hug.

I
wondered how many secrets the Templar kept.

Kadyn
deposited three paper bags on top of the counter. “I hope you’re in the mood
for Chinese food.”

Jase
eyed me uncertainly.

“Chinese
food sounds great.” I gave Kadyn a hug. “Would you like a Sprite?”

He
shot me a curious look. “Yes, please.” He shook hands with Brady and Jase. “You’re
welcome to join us. There’s plenty of food.”

I
set four Sprites on the counter while Brady retrieved the plates. We loaded our
plates with steamed dumplings, Crab Rangoon, shrimp fried rice, General Tso’s Chicken,
and beef with broccoli before traipsing into the family room.

Kadyn
set his plate on the coffee table. “Where’s your laptop?”

I
set my plate next to his. “In the office. Do you want me to get it?”

He
started flipping through the channels on my television. “Please. There’s
something you should see.”

I
grabbed my laptop and plopped next to him on the couch.

Kadyn
typed a URL into my browser before handing me the computer. “Check this out.”

I
read the headline aloud. “NATO ships enter the Black Sea.” I read the first
paragraph to myself before jumping to my feet. “Oh my God! NATO exercises. In
the Black Sea! The defense shield is being installed!” Relief collided with
fear as I burst into tears.

Jase
beat Kadyn to my side. “Are you okay?” He eased me onto the couch.

Kadyn
looked stunned. “What’s going on?”

“Hormones,”
Brady muttered. He quickly realized his mistake. “You know, that time of the
month. She’s completely exhausted between work and school and… uh…
Aunt Flo
.”

“Aunt
Flo?” Jase mouthed.

Kadyn
stilled. “You’re pregnant.”

My
tears stopped as abruptly as they’d begun. “How could you possibly know that?”

He
looked thoroughly embarrassed. “Well, I’ve been hugging you for three years
now.”

“I’m
not even showing,” I objected.

All
three men eyed my chest.

I
covered my breasts. “Stop that!” I glared at Brady. “Aunt Flo? Seriously? What
kind of cover up is that?”

Kadyn
tried not to laugh. “Does Rafael know?”

“Yes.
We discovered I was pregnant when I was in the hospital. I don’t want to tell
anyone until I’m further along. I’m worried I might have another miscarriage.”
My voice grew panicked. “Kadyn, I’m serious. I don’t want anyone else to know.”

The
smile slid from his face. “What about Shae?”

I
shook my head. “You, Rafael, Brady, and Jase are the only ones who know. Although,
Shae might figure it out if I start vomiting at work.”

He
sank next to me on the couch. “Why were you so upset about the military
exercise?”

“I’m
just worried. They’re expanding the pipeline. Maxim needs to get the defense
shield in place before Putin discovers that construction. As if that’s not pressing
enough, this is a very tight race. Maxim would like to take credit for these
accomplishments so he can win the election, but he can’t do that until the
defense shield is in place. He’s worried Putin will retaliate.”

Jase
looked up from his plate. “When’s the election?”

I
sighed. “April tenth, and Maxim and Yulia are still neck and neck.”

“That’s
only seven days away,” Brady objected.

“I
know.” I shoved my plate aside.

Kadyn
looked at my computer screen. “They’ve created a diversion. I bet they’re moving
munitions from Poland as we speak.”

Jase
stood. “When did Maxim first meet with Secretary Gates?” He strode into the
kitchen, where he piled more food onto his plate.

Kadyn
thought back. “January sixteenth.”

Brady
did the math. “That was two and a half months ago. Those launch pads may
already be in place.”

“What
about Russia’s satellites?” I persisted. Kadyn warned me that type of activity
could be detected by satellite.

Jase
shrugged. “We’re not above tampering with satellite feeds when the situation
warrants.”

I
found that oddly reassuring. “Would this situation warrant such a thing?”

“We’re
trying to prevent World War III,” Kadyn answered evenly. “When did Maxim receive
funding for his pipeline?”

“USAID
issued the check on March thirteenth.” My knee bounced nervously.

“Three
weeks ago,” Brady murmured.

“Maxim
is determined to move quickly. They don’t have far to go and the terrain is
relatively flat,” I added.

Kadyn
bit into a spring roll. “You know… he just might pull this off.”

I
wondered how it was possible to want and dread the same thing. “I’m going to hang
out at the Ukrainian Embassy on Election Day with Oni, Konstantin, and Shae.
Would you like to join me?”

“What
time?” Kadyn reached for his Sprite.

“Voting
ends at two o’clock eastern time. They should have a preliminary count by five
or six o’clock.”

Kadyn
glanced at the calendar on his phone. “Sure. I can join you.” He frowned at my
plate. “I don’t know much about pregnancy, but aren’t you supposed to eat?”

Jase
growled. “If you don’t eat, I’m shoving a feeding tube up your nose.”

I
couldn’t resist the eye roll. “Great. Now I have
three
midwives chasing
me with food.”

“I’m
drawing the line at delivering the baby,” Brady warned. “Hey, where’s the
heartbeat machine?”

Kadyn
raised a single eyebrow.

“The
Doppler is upstairs.” I cracked open my chopsticks.

Brady
rose from his chair. “Do you want to hear the baby’s heartbeat?”

“Sure,”
Kadyn agreed.

Brady
bolted up the stairs. “Hey! Can I look for the baby this time?” Thus far, I’d
been the only one rubbing the Doppler over my tummy. Apparently, that was about
to change.

Jase’s
chopsticks stopped short of his mouth.

“Don’t
worry, I’ll make sure you get a turn.” Secretly, I loved how invested they were
in this pregnancy.

*
* * * *

I
popped my head inside Shae’s office. “Maxim just called.”

Shae
smacked her head on the desk. She flopped onto her chair as she tossed a
paperclip on the desk. “Stupid paperclip.”

I
bit my lip, trying not to laugh. “They’ve been working day and night on the
pipeline. Maxim said they’re about halfway done.” I sank onto the chair across
from her desk. “The mobile launch pads and the missiles are in place. Their
missileers have been trained. They’re still building the more permanent launch
pads, but he feels they have enough coverage to insulate against an attack
while they complete the remaining work.”

Shae
shook her head in disbelief. “How did he manage to accomplish all that?”

“I
think his relationship with Prime Minister Azarov and his appointment to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs helps. They’ve moved quickly because they must.
Failure to do so could compromise their national security. There’s not a lot of
transparency there anyway. You know how it is.”

Shae
unraveled the paperclip. “Ukraine doesn’t have an EPA or special interest
groups getting in the way. They have a huge unemployment problem, so I’m sure
plenty of people were begging to work on that pipeline regardless of the hours
or other unreasonable demands.”

I
nodded. “What does Konstantin think about all this?”

“He’s
a mess,” she confessed. “He’s worried Putin will retaliate when he discovers
what they’re doing. He’s still amassing troops along the eastern border.
Everyone’s afraid Russia will invade if the election doesn’t go the right way.”

“Right
way,” I scoffed. “In other words, Putin is threatening to invade unless the
Ukrainian people vote a pro-Russian candidate into office.”

“Putin
has planted people inside Ukraine who are delivering that very message.” Shae
huffed out a breath.

My
heart sank. “Well then, things are about to turn very ugly.”

Her
brow furrowed.

I
rubbed my forehead. Sadly, that failed to drive my fears away. “Maxim was
hoping to avoid this, but he hasn’t been able to gain a respectable lead in the
polls. He’s going to announce these accomplishments today. Their security
forces are on high alert in case Putin retaliates. A number of international
organizations have arrived to observe the election. He’s hoping that will help
keep Putin in check, at least until after the election.”

Shae
dropped the mangled paperclip.

*
* * * *

“I
think you should go into hiding,” Rafael argued determinedly.

I
rolled my eyes at the phone. “I’m not going into hiding. I’m staying here so I
can finish my coursework. Graduation is only a month away.”

Silence.

I
pulled a pair of yoga pants out of the drawer and tugged them on. “Rafael?”

“Are
Brady and Jase in the room?”

I
glanced toward my bedroom door. “No.” Thank God. I was half naked after all.

“Go
get them and put me on speaker phone,” he growled.

The
hair on the back of my neck prickled. “Okay. I just… I need to finish changing.”
I wiggled into a loose fitting shirt before scurrying downstairs.

Brady
and Jase were huddled inside the kitchen. They stopped talking when I walked
into the room.

“Rafael
is on the phone.” I switched over to speaker phone.

“Jase,”
Rafael gritted. “You’re aware of Maxim’s announcement?”

His
eyes slid toward mine. “Yes. The story has yet to break in the United States,
but it’s been all over the news in Ukraine. We’re monitoring Russia’s media
outlets. Putin hasn’t responded… yet.”

“I
want the links to every news story you’ve seen. You do realize what this means?”

Brady
edged closer to me. “Yes. We’ve recruited additional men to guard the perimeter.
Ethan is gathering Intel, and he’s instituted a number of other countermeasures
to safeguard her at work and school.”