Page 36 of Daigo

"Not a chance."

By the time the credits rolled, he realized she was fast asleep. Easing back slightly, he studied her face. She had showered and changed from her work attire into something comfortable. At least, her idea of comfort. She had donned an old T-shirt of his and thick socks. The shirt almost reached her knees and clearly outlined her mound.

He felt a jolt right through his heart as he stared at it. She was carrying his babies nestled inside her womb. He couldn't quite come to grips with it yet.

This petite powerhouse of a woman had stormed into his life and into his heart. Now she meant everything to him. His world revolved around her. She was small but packed quite a punch. He had no idea how the hell he ever survived without her.

There was no pretense where she was concerned. The women he was accustomed to before he met her put on masks, never dreaming of showing their true selves. Shaking his head, he lifted her into his arms, blanket and all.

The only thing she did was wrap her arms around his neck and burrow against his chest.

When he carried her up and put her into bed, she did not even stir.

Chuckling softly, he arranged the pillows at her head and pulled the quilt over her. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek, brushing tendrils of hair that had escaped the thick pile she had placed into a bun. After making sure the fire was still burning, he left and went into his office to finish up some work.

*****

He had no idea what woke him. It felt as if he had just closed his eyes when the sound of moaning filtered through the fog of sleep. It took him another minute to realize that it was coming from her side of the bed.

His eyes popped open when she clutched his arm.

"Daigo," she whispered, fingers digging into his arm. "I'm bleeding."

"What?" Shaking his head, he sat up quickly.

"Oh God! I think I'm miscarrying."

The stark fear on her face galvanized him into immediate action. And the horror and panic came when he saw the blood between her thighs. Without a word, he reached for the phone and dialed the doctor. A glance at the clock showed that it was two in the morning, and bloody hell, it was really coming down out there.

"Yes, I'll get her there." His voice was terse. "We're leaving now." He glanced over at Shelby, alarmed at the grimace on her face. "Are you in pain?"

"Yes." She nodded, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip.

"Yes, right away." Rushing toward the closet, he selected a thick jacket and bundled her into it, before donning his.

Wrapping the blankets around her, he shoved his feet into boots and grabbed his keys. It was going to be hell driving in the thick snow, but there was nothing else to do.

Swearing beneath his breath, he rushed toward the vehicle.

"Hold on, baby. You're going to be all right."

Fervently hoping he was right, he strapped her in and slid his way around the hood to jump behind the wheel. The wipers worked furiously, but even so, he could barely see where he was going. Fortunately, the traffic on the road was minimal. Glancing over at her, he noticed the clenched fists and the effort she was making to contain the need to cry against the pain.

When the clinic came into view, he let out a sigh of relief. Dr. Middleton, bundled up against the cold, was already outside waiting with a gurney.

"Thank God!" The vehicle had barely come to a stop when he shoved the door open and came around to lift her out.

"Attend to the parking, we'll see to her," the doctor assured him.

"I'll be right there, darling." Leaning over, he kissed her. "It's going to be fine."

"I cannot lose them, Daigo." The tears she had been fighting since they started on their journey were flowing freely now.

"Dr. Middleton is going to do all she can to ensure that does not happen." Lifting his head, he gave the woman a hard stare. "I'll be there in a minute."

It took several minutes for the shaking to stop and for him to get back some of his composure. He did not want to face his wife with the terror still evident on his face.

*****