It's still early; the private members' lounge isn't busy yet. I sit at my usual table, alternatively balling my fists and unrolling them. I gave Brash the night off; the new guy I interviewed this morning is working his shift in readiness for taking over for him next week. He's doing okay, so far; he'll do. Won't be like having Brash here, but I've got to keep my nephew out of danger.

As for Eva, she's in the periphery of my vision, serving the customers in her area. She's avoiding eye contact with me.

No surprise there.

I stare down at my hands, trying to control the storm of emotions swirling in the pit of my stomach. As soon as Brash returned from tailing her, he told me what happened in the Mall on Saturday. I'd fumed, almost literally as heat had bubbled in my blood. And I'd carried on fuming all through yesterday. Of all the secrets she could have been keeping, her having a baby was the most unexpected.

A baby boy!

Adrenaline is still coursing through my body; I'm completely thrown.

Whose is he?

Is the father still in the picture?

Eventually, Eva goes out to the back to load up the glass washer.

I rise from my chair and follow, closing the door so we're alone.

She spins around, visibly on the defensive, her eyes spitting sparks. "How dare you have Brash tail me?!"

I lean against the doorjamb and pierce her with my gaze. "Aren't you forgetting something?" my voice growls.

She stares at me defiantly.

I glare back at her. "I bought you, Eva. You're mine. And I protect what's mine."

Her toe taps on the floor. "My private life is my own."

"No, it isn't. Not when it affects me. You having a baby affects me. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Didn't think it was any of your business," she glances down, a curtain of glossy dark hair falling forward and hiding her face.

I take a step toward her to brush it back.

She lets out a gasp and flinches.

"Don't hide the truth from me, Kiska. I need you to be honest."

She looks up at me now, her amber irises highlighted by the whites of her eyes.

Why is she so fucking scared?

She opens her mouth, but before she can say anything, the ringtone on her cell chimes. Releasing a breath, she picks up. "Hey, Mama."

Her eyes widen even more. "Oh, my God!" Her voice sounds panicked. "I'll come home right away."

Fingers shaking, she pockets the phone. "Kir is sick. I need to go to him."

"I'll take you," the words are out of my mouth before I can even think about them.

She holds up her hands, about to protest.

"No argument. It’ll be faster in my car. We can continue this discussion later." I pause. "Do you have insurance?"

She shakes her head, her face pale.

"I'll call my doctor." I shove my hand into my pants for my phone. "I'll ask him to meet us at the hospital."

Eva runs to change while I order my Porsche to be sent up from the garage. Within minutes, we're speeding toward her building. "Your son will be okay. Kids get sick all the time."

"Mama said he's burning up with fever." Beads of sweat have broken out on Eva's brow. "He's gone all floppy and listless." She turns to me, her lips trembling. "And he's just had a convulsion."

Shit!

I step on the gas; the cops be damned... many of them are on my payroll anyway.

Soon we arrive at the Petrenko building and Eva runs ahead of me toward an entrance at the side. We race up a flight of stairs. The front door of the apartment is already open, Eva's father standing just inside. "Spasibo," he thanks me. "My grandson needs help."

Mrs. Petrenko rushes up to us, the child in her arms. Eva takes him from her; he's only wearing a diaper, to cool him down her mom explains, and he appears to be half asleep. "Call us as soon as you can," she pleads. "We'll wait up to hear."

"Of course," I respond. "All will be well."

A hope I hold onto all the way to the hospital, Eva rocking her sleepy baby and soothing him as she rides next to me. The little boy wakes up fully as we approach the ramp and emits a howl of distress.

"Shush," Eva kisses his flushed cheek. "Mama's here."

I park outside the ER and shove a couple of twenties at a porter, asking him to keep an eye on my car.

Dr. Hughes, my gray-haired physician, is waiting for us. "How long has Kir been febrile?" he asks Eva.

"Only an hour or so." I get the impression she's having trouble remembering how to breathe. "He was fine when I left for work."

I thank Dr. Hughes for giving up his time. "I'll be responsible for the bill," I add.

"Are you the father?" he glances at me, then at Eva.

I follow his gaze, catching the startled expression on her face. She blinks rapidly, obviously at a loss for words.

I tell Dr. Hughes that Eva works for me, that I'm simply helping her. I stare at Kir.

Christ!

He looks so like Daniel's youngest son at his age; they could be brothers.

Or cousins...

Wham, the realization hits me.

Could Kir be mine?

I remember that time I fucked Eva after finding her snooping in my office. Remember the damn condom splitting. Remember giving her money for the morning after pill. What the hell happened and why would she keep my son from me?

As soon as we're alone, I'll fucking find out...

Dr. Hughes asks her about Kir's medical history. Apparently, the kid has never been sick apart from the occasional cold. The convulsion he had before we came for him was his first. The doctor feels Kir's forehead then gently inserts a thermometer under his arm, all the while talking quietly to him.

Kir glances up at him with big blue eyes.

My eyes.

My gaze ping-pongs from Eva to the boy, and I rub a hand through my hair.

I need to talk to her, but now is not the time.

After taking out his stethoscope, the doctor listens to Kir's heart and takes his pulse. "How long was he fitting?" he asks Eva.

"Mom said only about a minute." She presses her elbows into her sides.

"What happened exactly?"

"His body went stiff, then his face, arms and legs started twitching." Eva's breath catches on a sob. "His eyes rolled back in his head..."

"Did he lose consciousness?"

She shakes her head. "No. Thank God, no."

Dr. Hughes removes the thermometer and reads it. "Kir's temperature is 104. That's why he convulsed. I'd like to keep him in hospital overnight. We'll take bloods and a urine sample, run some tests." He slips off his gloves, washes his hands, then carefully opens the baby's mouth and inserts a newly gloved finger. "His back molars are coming in, which could have affected his immune system. The stress associated with teething will have made him vulnerable to picking up an infection."

"You think it's serious?" Eva asks, and the worry in her voice cuts me to the core.

He smiles at her reassuringly. "I expect by tomorrow he'll be right back to his usual self. Keeping him under observation is just a precaution. Febrile convulsions are not uncommon in children of his age."

She nods. "Thank you, doctor."

Her gaze meets mine.

The nerves and fear are still there.

Fuck, how I want to take her in my arms.

But at the same time, I also want to bend her over my knee and spank her sassy little ass for keeping my beautiful boy from me.