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The thought follows me through the sliding doors and into the humid morning air. The man from the lake house is waiting beside the SUV, very obviously fidgeting and still in his staff uniform. I’m not completely sure what he does there, but when I asked him this morning to drive me here, he was organizing recently dry-cleaned laundry on a rack near an elevator. Yes, the lake house has a staff elevator, which is crazy.

The guy’s name is Jeff, and he straightens when he sees me, his expression immediately nervous.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine.”

He looks relieved, but only for half a second. There aren’t any of Art’s men with us. Just him, and he must know this is weird. Vasily definitely employs drivers and has at least one available at all times, so why would I go to Jeff?

But he didn’t dare push back when I asked him. Which makes me wonder what kind of leverage I really have here. Am I less of a prisoner than I thought I was?

Strangely, I find myself nervous as I glance around the parking lot quickly. I’m so used to Arthur or his men tailing me that not having some kind of security around makes me feel naked. I would normally find that concerning, except my brain is currently occupied with wrapping itself around the fact that I’m pregnant.

I climb into the back seat and begin sorting the problem into manageable pieces.

Doctor. Prenatal vitamins. OB appointment. Bloodwork. Ultrasound. Insurance. Work. The trial. My apartment. My parents. Emma.

Vasily.

I stop myself.

No. Not yet.

I need facts first; I need a plan. I need to decide if I even want to keep this baby, because I don’t have to. The to-do list that just rambled through my mind is only necessary if I decide to move forward with this.

I’m twenty-eight. Not too old to have a child by any means, but I always thought…what? That I’d marry someone first and then have kids?

The thought is so absurd, it’s almost embarrassing. I stare down at my hands in my lap. I haven’t had anything close to a real relationship in years. Dating isn’t a possibility, not with my schedule, and I’ve seen Vasily more consistently than I’ve seen any other man in my life only because he kidnapped me.

Except beneath all that logic, there is something else.

Something bright. Something terrifying.

Something that makes my chest feel too tight and my stomach flip for an entirely different reason.

I’m going to have a baby.

The thought should send me into a complete panic, and I’m sure it will at some point. Instead, a strange thrill moves through me, warm and electric, as the logistics melt away.

I’ve spent my entire life planning everything. School. Career. Relationships I never intended to have. Every decision was carefully calculated according to what made the most sense.

This?

This makes no sense. And for some reason, that feels good, invigorating.

I look out the window as we start to round the far corner of the lake. Now we are only minutes away from Vasily’s home.

Then I remember that my phone is being monitored.

Damn. There’s no way I can make the appointments I need to make without him knowing. If I call anyone, it’ll be reported to him immediately.

I sit up, meeting Jeff’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“I need to stop at a pharmacy.”

His nose scrunches in agony. “For what?”

“A prescription.”