Fire Escape - Book Three: Troubled Heroes Series (An Action Thriller) (10 page)

Chapter Seven

             
Michael hurried at the store, grabbing everything Eva had asked for. He didn’t want to get home with anything missing, especially since he was in no mood to get back out again. Maybe it was a good plan, pretending to forget an item to get out of the apartment and away from her germs. Grabbing a box of saltines and some soup, he went to the check-out stand and as he waited in line, gave Eva one more phone call to make sure she didn’t want something else.

             
The phone rang a few times, and she sounded distracted when she answered. “Hello?”

             
“Hey Eva, I’m about to check out. Did you want anything else before I leave the store?”

             
“Um, no. I think I’m good. I uhh, I’ll see you when you get here, okay?”

             
“Okay, be home in a few.” He slid the phone in his pocket. She was so out of it. If it was potent enough to knock her on her ass like that, he could only imagine what it would do to him.

             
He carried the bags up the stairs and juggled them as he fumbled for his key. The TV volume was low, but Eva wasn’t on the couch. She was staring vacantly out of the kitchen window, clutching a bottle of water. She was still as pale as she was that morning, but she didn’t look quite as bad. Something was on her mind, and he sat the groceries down and walked to her, pulling her in for a tight hug.

             
“How you feeling, babe?”

             
She leaned in, letting out a deep breath. “There’s something I gotta tell you.” Her hazel eyes were sharp and she wasn’t smiling.

             
“Everything okay?”

             
She shrugged and pulled his arm toward the couch. “You might want to sit down.”

             
He was suddenly feeling sick himself. They had been through some rough times, but even then, Eva always found a way to laugh through it all. Right now, she was showing no signs of a smile. What in the hell could possibly be going on? Did she cheat? He felt horrible for even conjuring up such an idea. Was her medical condition more serious than what they had thought? He clasped his hands and leaned forward, waiting as patiently as he could for her to break whatever bombshell she had to him.

             
“What I’m about to tell you changes everything. Our life together, our life as a couple, everything. Possibly even our jobs.”

             
Michael chewed on the inside of his cheek, a sarcastic laugh escaping from deep in his throat. “Well hell, if it’s that serious don’t you think you ought to go ahead and tell me, rather than making me sit here sweating bullets like I have since I walked through the door?”

             
She placed both of her hands on either side of his face. Her palms were smooth to the touch against his skin. “My nausea wasn’t a virus. Hon, I’m pregnant.”

             
Michael’s heart skipped a beat. Did she just say what he thought she said? Pregnant? Was he dreaming? No, he wasn’t dreaming. Her hands on his face, her closeness, it was all a strong reminder that he was awake and that this was truly playing out.

             
Scooting back, he looked into her eyes, a rush of various emotions flooding over him. “Pregnant?” His voice cracked as if he were a teen going through puberty again.

             
Nodding, she pulled the pregnancy test from the pocket on her sweat pants. “I took two different ones. Same result on both. Didn’t even take five minutes for it to show up.”

             
He studied the lines that were so dark that there was no way to even remotely think the test was flawed. “I...” he couldn’t find the right words.

             
She leaned her forehead against his. “Say something, Mikey.” Her whisper was almost inaudible.

             
“Truth is…” he cupped the back of her head, keeping her skin against his. “Truth is this is the best news I’ve heard in so long.” He felt warmth underneath his eyelids and a few tears fell down the bridge of his nose. “What are you thinking?”

             
Finally, he heard her beautiful laughter. Her worried brow had faded, and her grin made her already beautiful face that much more vibrant. “It’s a tad bit out of order, but when I saw those lines come up, it was amazing. I wish you could’ve been here to see, but Janet kinda forced her way in with it all.”

             
“It’s okay.” He kissed her, unable to break physical contact with her. “Out of order is fine. Since when have we ever done things how they should be?”

             
“It’s just so strange.” She wiped the moisture from her face and leaned against his shoulder. “I’m excited and terrified all at the same time.”

             
“You and me both, Eva.” He clasped his fingers within hers and they sat in silence for a few minutes, the ticking of the second hand loud as he let it all sink in. His mother would be thrilled. He wasn’t sure how her family would react, but that was a worry for another time. “I gotta admit something…”

             
She looked up at him. “Yeah?”

             
“I’m so relieved I won’t be catching a stomach virus. At least pregnancy can’t be passed on to me.”

             
Eva nudged him. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that! You ever hear about the man gaining weight with the woman? You might want to read up on it. We both should probably read up on a lot of stuff. This is gonna be a whole new world.”

             
“I’m ready for it.” He pulled her in close, still feeling like it was all a dream. He couldn’t organize his thoughts, so he closed his eyes and savored the moment. The rest of it would happen in its own time. Right now, he was going to enjoy the initial feeling of happiness they were both experiencing.

              Michael lay in bed that night, exhausted, but sleep was an unknown dimension. Eva was pressed up against him, her breathing deep as she nestled under the sheets. He was glad she was feeling a lot better than earlier in the day, but still wasn’t at one hundred percent. He had seen pregnant women and heard about the morning sickness they went through, but he never truly dealt with one directly. Eva said it all when she said their lives would change. The very news of her being pregnant had already sent him into a tailspin of so many things.

             
Her warm breath tickled his bare back, and he tried to adjust his weight to not wake her. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the few beams of light that flashed in from the street lights outside.

             
It sunk in. At that very moment, he realized the one thing that terrified him more than running in to a burning building – He was going to be a father. Bile built up in the back of his throat and he closed his eyes as it all hit him. With all of his drinking, his past, and every issue his family was going through, he had always wondered how it would be to bring a child into a mess like that.

             
Would he be a good dad? The man he needed to mimic died when he was fourteen. The memories he had of his father were good, and Michael hoped he could be half the man that he was. What if he died young and left his child fatherless like he and Casey had gone through? Would his child be screwed up and turn to alternate ways of coping? After all, addictions could stem from hereditary.

             
Heaving a deep sigh, he tried to shut his mind off. It didn’t work, and he went from worry to worry, like it was a plot of a movie developing in front of him. What was he going to do about Viper? His mom was always right. She had never steered him in the wrong direction. For some reason, he just couldn’t convince himself that either decision would be good. If he went, there was a chance he’d fall right back in the Viper trap, but if he didn’t, he’d be wondering about it.

             
And now he’d have another person to worry about with all of this. If Viper found out Eva was pregnant, it would be a whole new ball game. The thought of something happening to his child infuriated him, and he found himself getting flustered. Rolling on his side, he had to remind himself that he was crossing bridges before he got to them and that right now, everything was fine. Everything was perfect. The woman he loved was pregnant with his child, she was safe in the bed beside him, and aside from Gregg being a little strange, work was going just as he liked it.

             
It was a little after two AM and he finally gave up. A shot of whiskey would be helpful, but he brushed that away quickly. Flicking on the kitchen light, he poured himself a glass of orange juice and sat at the table. The two pregnancy tests from earlier lay on a paper towel, each one flashing the result. Give him a blazing inferno, a high rise save, a car submerged in water like his save earlier that day and he was golden. Eva being pregnant made his knees weak and his heart race.

             
“Mikey?”

             
Eva’s voice made him jump and he looked over his shoulder to her standing in the dark hallway.

             
“Hey.” He coughed to clear his raspy voice.

             
“What are you doing? It’s after two.” She sat across from him, her eyes down on the tests as well.

             
He moved his hands out and rested his chin on one. “Couldn’t sleep. Was afraid I was gonna wake you up. Guess I still did.”

             
“What’s on your mind?” She reached out and held his free hand.

             
“Nothing… everything.” He didn’t make eye contact with her. “Just wondering what kind of father I’m gonna be. Didn’t really have that figure in my life when I needed it the most, you know? And you know all my issues.”

             
Her grip tightened. “I think you’re gonna be great. You were great with Daryl’s kid after he passed away. You’re great with kids on calls.”

             
“That’s different. That’s a temporary thing. I do what I do and send them on home.” He sipped on his juice, still unable to fully look at her. “My Ma told me something the other day when I went over there. Said that parenthood doesn’t stop at eighteen. It’s a job that goes until the day you die.” Looking up, he pursed his lips. “What she said has been running through my head since the moment you told me about this little one.”

             
“She’s right, and it’s good that you realize it. I’m scared too, but we’ll be fine. That’s why we have each other.”

             
“I just hope life settles down a little bit. You can’t deny that the past few years have been… interesting, yeah?”

             
“To say the least, but we got through all of that. You better get ready, because in about eight months, you’re gonna see just how good of a father you’re gonna be. You might not see it now, but I know it for a fact.”

             
Michael couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not much of a praying man, but I hope to God the baby gets your family genes and not mine.”

             
“I wouldn’t wish too much for that. You’ve only gotten a taste of how the Crisante’s are. Now come to bed. I can’t stand cranky Mikey who got no sleep the night before.”

             
He stood up to follow her back to the bedroom, but stopped her halfway back. “There’s one more thing I gotta tell you. I’ve been thinking a lot about that damn letter I got in the mail.”

             
“Yeah?”

             
“Yeah. I think I’m gonna set up a meeting at Rikers on Friday when I’m off again. Just nip this thing in the bud and get it done. I’ve got better things to invest my energy in now.”

             
Nodding, Eva tiptoed, grazing her lips over his. “I think that’s the right choice.”

             
“Well I’m glad you think so.”

             
He fell into bed beside her, her back fitting perfectly against his stomach. Her warmth was comforting, and for the first time that night, he was able to doze, until he completely relaxed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

              Friday morning came quick, and Michael found himself standing at the security gate at the entrance of Rikers. Setting up a visit usually took more time, but with Viper’s willingness, it was pushed through fast. Having gone through an inmate visitation before, Michael knew what to expect and left all of his personal belongings with the appropriate staff, including his watch and wallet.

             
He tried not to let his nerves get the best of him. He was on the verge of throwing up all morning, and he and Eva both stood together, huddled near the toilet as if he was going through the morning sickness with her. He wasn’t sure if she was sick from that, or if she was feeding off of him and feeling just as anxious as him.