Fire & Vice: In His Sights

Chapter 9

Jane nodded absently and sat staring silently at the wall while Lucy snatched up her purse and rushed out the door. She waved at her Alexandr who fell into step behind her while she practically ran down the street to Mrs. Lin's corner store market. She completely ignored him while she snatched up a pregnancy test, some Gingerale, a can of chicken noodle soup and crackers. She dumped everything on the counter and elbowed him out of the way so she could pay.

"How are you doing today, Lucy?" Mrs. Lin asked, smiling brightly at the young woman.

Lucy beamed back and reached across the counter to squeeze the elderly woman's hand. They'd shared tea on multiple occasions in Mrs. Lin's small apartment above the store when Mr. Lin was busy minding the cash register. Lucy had grown very fond of the elderly couple and learned to love the neighborhood through their eyes. She decided if she were to live permanently in the city, she would choose this neighborhood. She knew what people thought of it; that it was run down and lurked on the edges of the crime-filled central core, but it had a vibrant, homey feel that Lucy was becoming attached to. Her diner was a few blocks away and there was a subway close by where she sometimes caught the train when she was able to convince her bodyguard that she didn't want to ride in the car.

She picked up her bag, turned on her heel and slammed into Alexandr's unmoving chest. She looked up at him, startled, and tried to step around him. "Sorry about that, excuse me, I'm in a rush!"

He grabbed her arm and tugged her until she was back in front of him. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

She c****d her head to the side, her chin resting slightly on the spongy leather of her earphone. "Um, nope, not that I can think of," she said cheerfully, shifting restlessly and looking past him, making it clear she was in a rush.

His eyes narrowed on her too-innocent expression. Of course, she knew exactly what he was getting at, he wasn't blind or stupid, but she wasn't going to help him out. "The pregnancy test," he prodded.

"Oh that," she said dismissively. "It's not for me." She darted around him, pushed out the door and rushed down the sidewalk. A quick glance back over her shoulder told her he'd stepped out of the shop behind her and was on the phone. Most likely to Vladimir Sitnikov.

Not good.

"Jane!" she yelped, throwing the door to the agency open so hard it nearly hit the wall. She was about to tell Jane she had to pee on the stick pronto and then process the results after that pronto because her husband was most likely on his way down there when she caught sight of her sister pulling a liquor bottle out of a desk drawer and unscrewing the cap.

Jane was about to tilt the bottle toward her mouth when Lucy rushed toward her, snatched the bottle in one hand and swatted her sister with the grocery bag. "Bad Jane! No drinking while pregnant!"

"Ouch!" Jane snarled, letting Lucy take the bottle and grabbing her now-bruised arm. "What the f**k was that?"

"Can of soup I think," Lucy replied and then started scolding. "You can't drink while you're pregnant, Janie! What are you thinking? Everyone knows that! You can't tell me you've never heard of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome."

"I'm not pregnant," Jane grumbled.

Lucy dumped her bag onto the desk and handed Jane the test. She pointed at the washroom and said in an imperious voice, "Go."

Jane pushed herself out of her chair with a huff and made her way toward the open door as though headed for the guillotine. Lucy slapped her ass, "Step on it, sister, I think the Boss is on his way and we need to be informed before the big man shows up."

Jane whipped around, a hand hovering over her mouth and shocked horror suffusing her pale features. "f**k no!"

"Yes," Lucy confirmed. "Alexandr saw me buy the test, knew it wasn't for me and most likely put two and two together. You know these meddlesome Russians, Vlad's probably going to barge in here any second. So, stop swearing in front of my gestating niece or nephew and go take the test."

"f**k, no," Jane mumbled again, ignoring Lucy's demand that she stop swearing. "He's already unbearably overprotective!" She threw her hands up in the air. "If I'm pregnant he's going to come down like a ton of bricks, especially when he finds out I went after a bond jumper by myself. He'll insist I quit work. Worse, he'll lock me in the mansion. No, he'll lock me in the bedroom, maybe even chain me to the bed so I can't climb out the window."

Lucy put a hand in the middle of Jane's chest and gave her a light shove toward the washroom. "Just take the test. Then we'll know if you have to worry. You helped me get out of the mansion, I'll help you break out of the bedroom if it comes down to that."

"Okay," Jane sniffled and slammed the door shut.

Two minutes later she shouted through the door. "I'm too nervous to pee!"

Lucy settled herself on the floor outside the washroom door and leaned back against it resting her head on the wood. "Think of waterfalls, like Niagara or something," she called back.

"I've never been to Niagara Falls," Jane yelled.

"Which side have you never been to?" Lucy asked, resting her arms on her upraised knees and glancing through the office toward the front door expecting the big, bad mob boss to come striding in at any moment and demand she present his wife. "The US or Canadian side?"

"What?" Jane shouted grumpily. "What the f**k difference does it make? I've never been up North at all, you freak."

Lucy snickered.

Another couple of minutes passed and then the door was jerked open so hard that Lucy went flying backwards and landed flat on her back. Jane crouched over top of her waving the pink and white stick. "I'm pregnant."

Lucy's eyes met Jane's. What she saw made her heart sing with happiness. Jane was incredibly, unbelievably ecstatically happy. She'd just been afraid to hope for those few minutes before Lucy had brought her the test.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered again, her eyes tearing up.

"You're going to be a mom," Lucy grinned.

"You're going to be an auntie," Jane yelled down at her.

Lucy reached up and yanked Jane down into her arms so hard her older sister smashed into her chest with an audible 'oomph'. This time she didn't fight Lucy's embrace though. The sisters hugged each other and laughed together until Jane finally rolled away. They lay side by side, crammed next to each other in the washroom door. Lucy reached down and gripped Jane's hand. Jane held her hand like it was a lifeline, tears trickling down her cheeks. She turned her face to her younger sister.

"Lucy, I'm pregnant," she said again, awe shining in her voice. "I didn't think it was ever going to be possible for us. And I convinced myself I was okay with it because of who he is and because I'm a tough-as-nails badass bitch."

"I know, Janie," Lucy said simply, tears strangling her voice.

"I'm so f*****g happy right now, Luce."

Lucy reached over and brushed her sister's short bangs to the side. "I'm so happy for you." She opened her mouth to say something else, but the front door swung open and Vladimir's bellowing voice shattered their moment.

"Jane Elizabeth Sitnikov!" he yelled, murder and mayhem evident in his deep, accented voice. "Where the f**k is my wife?"