“I am going to love you forever, Zoya.”
“Ya budu lyubit’ tebya vechno,” I say repeating his own words back to him.
Afterward, we get ready side by side and I can’t stop looking over at him and then back to my ring. It’s not about the ring though. While I love it, I think I am just in shock that he wants me forever like this.
When we get to UTGARD, I am immediately overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people in the banquet room, but soon I am put at ease. I even see my brother but he’s not paying much attention to me, which is fine with me. The red-haired girl to his right seems to have his total attention. I know that look though. Good for him. We all sit down to dinner at the biggest round table I have ever seen, and Enid is to my left while Danhy is on my right.
“Is this what I think it is?” Enid all but shouts.
“It is.”
“I’ve asked Zoya to marry me. She’s said yes.”
The congratulations are loud and all the girls wanna see the ring. For the first time, I hear that all the Jorgensen rings have special meaning to this family and when I hear about mine, I melt. It’s perfect.
After dinner, we head straight to bed where we celebrate the rest of the night.
Five Weeks Later
There is definitely something wrong with me. I can’t keep anything down and I don’t want to get out of bed. Then I realize I haven’t had my period since I met Danhy. I did have it while I was captive, which was disgusting, but I made it through. I start to get excited. Could I really be pregnant? I head for the drug store and pick up a pregnancy test. Using the restroom, I find out that it is true. Oh my God, I am going to be a mom. I am so excited. I literally can’t wait to tell Danhy our amazing news. I already know how I am going to tell him. Over an amazing dinner, but to be honest I will probably blurt it out as soon as he walks in instead. I fix my hair in the mirror and smile. I wash up and head over to the church. I have had twice weekly sessions with Bill, and they are truly helping me. My tenth session is today, and I am feeling good about it.
“Hello Zoya. Welcome. Please have a seat,” Bill says gesturing to the chair across from his desk. He’s not one of those “lay on the couch and tell me your problems” kind of counselors. He listens to me and offers me solutions. Then he told me about his grandmother’s remedy for surefire sleep. A little dram of whiskey before bed. It relaxes me enough to fall asleep and stay asleep. Though, I don’t know what I am going to do now, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
“Hey Bill. Thanks again for meeting with me so often. I think I am ready to take it down to once a week,” I say taking a seat. As soon as I sit down, something feels off. My whole body is tingling. Even my tongue feels weird, like it’s too big for my mouth.
“Zoya. Zoya. Are you okay?” Bill asks frantically. I can hear him, but I can’t speak. I am starting to freak out, but then I feel myself falling and then… that’s it.
Chapter Thirteen
Danhy
“We have all our guys on it. They will get found. In the meantime, just be diligent.” Colonel says as he checks the message from his wife.
“Anzel says, they haven’t been back to either location since we breached and Kerkin’s brother hasn’t been back to the school either,” Axel informs me.
“I know you guys are on it and for that matter so is Hagen. We just need them neutralized. I don’t want to be thinking about this forever. Anatoli also has people asking around in Russia as well.” Running my hands through my hair, I walk over to the desk and sit. We discuss a few more details and then they leave. Realizing it has been an hour or two since I have heard from Pixie, I pick up my phone about to call her when it buzzes in my hand and I note it is Bill. I feel the urgency ignite, knowing she had a meeting with him today.
“Bill. What’s wrong?”
“It’s Zoya. We are in the emergency room. She was meeting with me and then she passed out. I didn’t want to wait for the ambulance, so I brought her. Hurry, Danhy. I am worried. She hasn’t regained consciousness.” What. the. Fuck? My mind is spinning with all the possibilities of what could be wrong. Grabbing my keys, I run out the door, not bothering with locking it. My heart can’t decide between beating and stopping, acknowledging that if she doesn’t make it, I will go with her.