cooperative.”
“So you’re going to kill me right here in the middle of a hospital?” Josef’s voice was almost resigned. “After a lifetime’s worth of friendship, that’s how you’re going to end it?”
Mikhail scoffed. “Do I look that stupid? There are too many witnesses. It will come as it did before. When you least expect it.”
“And in the meantime?”
“Stay away from my home, my family, and especially my sister. I will tell the others you are a traitor and let them make of it what they will.” The sound of footsteps suggested that Mikhail was preparing to exit.
Turning away from the door, Dani slipped back down the hallway in the direction of the nurse’s station. She didn’t want Mikhail to see her. Tears burned her eyes. How could her brother do this to his best friend?
“Oh there you are, sweetie!” The kindly nurse drew her over to the desk. “I have your results for you.”
“And?” Dani was having trouble fighting back tears already. The additional stress wasn’t making things any easier.
“It looks like you are pregnant.” The nurse patted her sympathetically on the back. “Sometimes these things are unexpected, but that hardly means they have to be unwelcome. A baby is always a blessing. Try to think about it like that. All right?”
Dani could try, but somehow she just wasn’t sure that was going to cut it right now.
* * *
Josef stared morosely at the stark white wall of his hospital room. He felt utterly and completely trapped. Exiled from his family and his social group. He was now an outsider.
“Josef?” Dani stood in the doorway, looking very uncertain.
He held out his hand to her. “Come here, sweet girl.”
She sat on the bed and then curled up beside him. He put an arm around her, ignoring the pain in his head and his shoulder. “Having you here is a comfort,” he told her. “Thank you.”
“I heard what Mikhail said.” Her voice was small. “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer, but he felt her tense up. He pushed her hair away from her face. “Until I can smooth things over with Mikhail, I will have to watch my back.”
“I could speak to Papa,” she ventured. “Mikhail still listens to him. Maybe Papa could fix this. I’ve never told him how I feel about you. Maybe if I did, Papa would let us marry.”
“I’m not sure you should risk that.” In fact, the idea damn near gave him heart failure. “If Mikhail were to hear you, he might decide you were going behind his back like he did with me.”
“That was my fault.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I asked you to talk to Papa about Igor Rusnak.”
“I would have done it anyway.” Josef sighed. Everything hurt, but he had no time to wait for his body to heal. “Your father asked me to investigate Mikhail’s motives. Mikhail was right. His father didn’t trust him, and I’m the man he went to about it.”
“Papa is right not to trust Mikhail,” she said darkly. “He’s got his own agenda and the welfare of the Mikalevich family is pretty low on the priority list.”
“Do you have any real evidence of that?” Josef wondered if they could use it to get her father to sanction Mikhail. “If your father could take Mikhail’s power and give it to you, that would change everything.”
“Make me the head of the family?” Her tone was dubious at best. “Why would anyone follow me?”
“Because you’re smart and compassionate, and you think about the welfare of the people who depend on our family.” He wished she could see herself as he did.
“I have to talk to Papa,” she whispered. “I have to make him see.”
Josef gave her a squeeze. “Wait until I get out of here.”
“No.” She pulled away, standing straight and seeming to gather herself. “There’s not enough time for that. I have to do this now.” Turning around, she marched out of his hospital room.
“Dani!” he called after her, but there was no answer.
* *
“So you’re going to kill me right here in the middle of a hospital?” Josef’s voice was almost resigned. “After a lifetime’s worth of friendship, that’s how you’re going to end it?”
Mikhail scoffed. “Do I look that stupid? There are too many witnesses. It will come as it did before. When you least expect it.”
“And in the meantime?”
“Stay away from my home, my family, and especially my sister. I will tell the others you are a traitor and let them make of it what they will.” The sound of footsteps suggested that Mikhail was preparing to exit.
Turning away from the door, Dani slipped back down the hallway in the direction of the nurse’s station. She didn’t want Mikhail to see her. Tears burned her eyes. How could her brother do this to his best friend?
“Oh there you are, sweetie!” The kindly nurse drew her over to the desk. “I have your results for you.”
“And?” Dani was having trouble fighting back tears already. The additional stress wasn’t making things any easier.
“It looks like you are pregnant.” The nurse patted her sympathetically on the back. “Sometimes these things are unexpected, but that hardly means they have to be unwelcome. A baby is always a blessing. Try to think about it like that. All right?”
Dani could try, but somehow she just wasn’t sure that was going to cut it right now.
* * *
Josef stared morosely at the stark white wall of his hospital room. He felt utterly and completely trapped. Exiled from his family and his social group. He was now an outsider.
“Josef?” Dani stood in the doorway, looking very uncertain.
He held out his hand to her. “Come here, sweet girl.”
She sat on the bed and then curled up beside him. He put an arm around her, ignoring the pain in his head and his shoulder. “Having you here is a comfort,” he told her. “Thank you.”
“I heard what Mikhail said.” Her voice was small. “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer, but he felt her tense up. He pushed her hair away from her face. “Until I can smooth things over with Mikhail, I will have to watch my back.”
“I could speak to Papa,” she ventured. “Mikhail still listens to him. Maybe Papa could fix this. I’ve never told him how I feel about you. Maybe if I did, Papa would let us marry.”
“I’m not sure you should risk that.” In fact, the idea damn near gave him heart failure. “If Mikhail were to hear you, he might decide you were going behind his back like he did with me.”
“That was my fault.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I asked you to talk to Papa about Igor Rusnak.”
“I would have done it anyway.” Josef sighed. Everything hurt, but he had no time to wait for his body to heal. “Your father asked me to investigate Mikhail’s motives. Mikhail was right. His father didn’t trust him, and I’m the man he went to about it.”
“Papa is right not to trust Mikhail,” she said darkly. “He’s got his own agenda and the welfare of the Mikalevich family is pretty low on the priority list.”
“Do you have any real evidence of that?” Josef wondered if they could use it to get her father to sanction Mikhail. “If your father could take Mikhail’s power and give it to you, that would change everything.”
“Make me the head of the family?” Her tone was dubious at best. “Why would anyone follow me?”
“Because you’re smart and compassionate, and you think about the welfare of the people who depend on our family.” He wished she could see herself as he did.
“I have to talk to Papa,” she whispered. “I have to make him see.”
Josef gave her a squeeze. “Wait until I get out of here.”
“No.” She pulled away, standing straight and seeming to gather herself. “There’s not enough time for that. I have to do this now.” Turning around, she marched out of his hospital room.
“Dani!” he called after her, but there was no answer.
* *
Similar Books
