The Russian's Secret Child (The Fedosov Family Series) (3 page)

The water in St. Petersburg was so bad that not even the locals drank it. Everyone drank bottled water, which thankfully, Dasha was able to obtain through the hospital for free.  She wouldn’t have survived without Dasha. She had delivered Mikhail so that Jasmine hadn’t had to worry about answering a bunch of questions at the hospital. She had obtained his vaccines, and when he had come down with an ear infection several weeks back, she had diagnosed it. Bringing home   antibiotics and pain drops for him. She was Jasmine’s very own angel and she only hoped that one day she would be able to repay her for all of her kindness.

                                                                                    *****

Misha was disappointed when the women returned from the unauthorized walk and Jasmine wasn’t with them. He didn’t press for her whereabouts, instead he called Sergei and was informed she had gone straight back to her apartment.

He read through the report about the other occupant of the apartment building, not liking the fact that the building was owned by the most notorious Bratva boss in the city.
Jasmine, what are you into girl?

Julia and Desi raved about how nice Jasmine was, and how helpful she had been. Misha listened; glad that she was getting along with the women. He wanted her to stick around long enough for him to get some answers.

“I wish I had her figure,” Desi said. “She’s got those long legs, and that hair. I wonder if she colors it, or if it’s naturally that blonde.”

Misha was only half-listening, so he answered without a second thought, “It’s entirely natural. Everywhere.”

When it grew completely silent, he looked up to see both women and his cousins staring at him openly. “What?!”

“You know Jasmine?” Julia demanded.

He looked to Dmitry for help, who just shrugged before saying, “I believe we would all like an answer to that question. You seem to have carnal knowledge of the woman. When did you meet her?”

Misha sighed, “I met her at the university eighteen months ago. She was completing her doctoral studies in Russian literature while I was here on a training mission. And both you and Alexey have met her at least once before so don’t play the innocent bystander.”

“How long?” Alexey asked.

“Three weeks.”

“And two days,” Sergei added, entering the conference room where everyone was just finishing up lunch.

Misha glared at him before adding, “Could you be any more helpful?”

“As a matter of fact, I could.  Jasmine lives on the third floor along with her neighbor, Dasha Orlov. She’s a charge nurse at
Admiralteyskie Verfi Medical Centre
.”

“What else does Jasmine do? She has to have some way to pay the rent on her apartment and purchase food.”

“That I don’t know yet. I’ve got someone in the area asking around.”

“Well, I don’t know what you did, but don’t mess with her anymore. She’s our new friend and we really like her,” Julia told him.

Misha shook his head, leaving before he divulged more information about their
new
friend than they wanted to hear. Jasmine was up to something, he just hadn’t figured out what.

                                                                                    *****

The next morning, Jasmine hurried into the DAV building, trying to calm her breathing since she had run most of the ten blocks. Mikhail had come down with another earache during the night and she had been awake since 2 a.m. when Dasha had come home.

She had offered to take care of him so that Jasmine could sleep, but her son was so unhappy, she couldn’t do it. She had left him screaming in pain fifteen minutes before and only hoped she could focus enough on the two women she was supposed to be tutoring today. She couldn’t let a little thing like lost sleep or worry over her son cause her to lose this job!

The security guy, Sergei, wasn’t at the front desk this morning, so another man hailed the elevator for her and sent her up. She took the few moments while in the elevator car to take some deep breaths, calming her racing pulse and staggered breathing.
She could do this. She had to!

Chapter 5

When the elevator door opened, she had herself mostly under control; that was until she looked up and saw Misha standing in the doorway to his office, staring at her.
Damn!

She gave him a tight smile and headed for the office where she hoped the two women were already waiting on her. Fate was on her side and she and the two women got to work.

Mrs. Rusnik had obtained two elementary primers and Jasmine started at the beginning with the women – learning the Cyrillic alphabet.  “So, let me get this straight – there are 33 characters in the Russian alphabet, but two of the characters don’t have a sound?” Julia asked.

“That’s right. Good job. How about you try…”

A tap on the door interrupted what she’d been about to say. “Excuse me,” said Mrs. Rusnik as she entered, “Miss Jasmine, you have a phone call. A lady named Dasha?”

Jasmine felt the color drain from her face and grabbed the back of the chair she was standing next to for support. “Yes, she’s my neighbor.”
Mikhail! Something must be wrong with Mikhail!

“I’m sorry, but I can’t transfer it to this office, it isn’t set up for that.”

“That’s okay. I can take it anywhere.”

“You can use the phone in the conference room. Follow me.”

Jasmine quickly followed the secretary, praying silently that nothing was seriously wrong.

“Right in here. I’ll transfer the call. When the phone beeps twice, just pick it up.”

Jasmine nodded, heading for the phone and praying silently under her breath that she could handle whatever Dasha was calling about.

The phone beeped twice and Jasmine quickly lifted the receiver, “Hello?” When no response came back she remembered that Dasha didn’t speak any English. She tried again,
“Privyet?”

Jasmine listened as Dasha answered her, explaining that Mikhail’s earache had worsened and his eardrum had become perforated and was bleeding slightly. Dasha strongly recommended he be taken to the physician. Jasmine sat down in the closest chair and started to cry.
She had been so close to getting them out of the country, and now this!

“Dasha,
nyet
…” Jasmine listened as Dasha cut her off, explaining that unless Mikhail got proper medical treatment, he could suffer permanent hearing loss in his ear.
But he’s only 10 months old! He’s just starting to try and walk and he might lose his hearing! This couldn’t be happening!

Jasmine listened some more as Dasha explained about taking him to her hospital and seeing if one of the pediatrician’s would look at him without making a paper trail. She made no promises, but said she would try.

Jasmine continued to wipe at the tears that ran down her cheeks, dripping onto the boardroom table before she could catch them. She assured Dasha that she would meet her there. The hospital was on the far side of St. Petersburg, and would take her almost forty five minutes to walk to, but maybe she could find enough energy to run that distance in half the time.

Drying her tears, she turned, intending to go tell the women she would need to cut short their lesson, but Misha was standing in the doorway. “What is wrong?” he demanded.

Jasmine looked at him and the tears started to flow faster.
If only she could tell him! He would be furious with her, but maybe he could make it so her baby wasn’t made to suffer for her actions. Could she trust him?

Misha watched Jasmine as she cried, puzzled at the strength of the emotion she was displaying. Jasmine was always in control, or had been. She looked like her world was falling apart.

Jasmine took a deep breath and decided that maybe she could fudge the truth just a bit and ask Misha for a ride to the hospital.
She didn’t have to tell him why.

“That was my neighbor. I’m sorry, but I have to go. I need to meet her at the hospital.”
Maybe he would offer to take her so she didn’t have to ask.

Misha took a step inside the room, “Is everything okay?”

Jasmine shook her head, “No. I’m sorry, but I really need to go. Could you tell Julia and Desi that I will do my best to be here tomorrow?”

Misha nodded, making no attempt to move and let her leave the room.

“Misha, I really have to go. Please?” Jasmine knew she sounded like she was begging, but her entire world was getting ready to fall apart, she’d had very little sleep, and to top it all off her baby was in danger of losing part of his hearing. “Move, damn it!”

She regretted her outburst immediately, seeing his eyes narrow at her.
Great!
“I’m sorry. That was rude, but I really need to go.” She moved to push past him, but he caught her arm, halting her progress.

It had been eighteen months since she had felt Misha’s hands upon her person, and just like that, she was transported back. Her senses narrowed, her body tightened, and her breath halted in her throat.

Shaking her head, she pulled her arm from his hold and headed for the elevators. She’d already wasted a few precious minutes and now she would
have
to run to the hospital. She took the elevator down; unable to forget the questioning look in Misha’s eyes as he watched the doors close.

Sergei was back in the foyer, but she didn’t even acknowledge his greeting. Stepping outside the building, she stretched her calves briefly, slung her purse sideways across her body, and took off in the direction of the hospital. The cold air made running more difficult, but she didn’t think about that.
A few more blocks! I can do this!

Sergei watched Jasmine’s strange actions as she exited the building, and it wasn’t until she took off running that he realized she had been stretching in preparation for a run. Picking up the phone, he called Misha, “Sir, Jasmine just left here.”

“I know. She got a phone call. Some emergency with the neighbor. She said she had to get to the hospital right away. And don’t call me sir.”

“Did she also tell you she was planning on running there?” The closest hospital to the DAV Mining office was more than 10 miles away.

“What?! Stop her!”

“I can’t she’s already gone. She took off like her life depended upon it.”

“I’m coming down, get the car, and meet me in front of the building. We’ll find her and take her to the damn hospital and then I’m going to get some answers.”
Stubborn woman! She could have asked for a ride!

Sergei called for the car to be brought around front, and it pulled up just as Misha exited the elevator. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 6

Sergei headed the car in the direction Jasmine had gone, and before long, he spotted her up ahead. She was keeping up a good pace, but even from a distance, he could see how tired she was. “There she is.”

“Pull up in front of her and stop.” Misha mentally prepared himself for the battle to come. Jasmine was going to fight his help; he just knew it. But she was going to accept it!

Sergei pulled to a stop several yards in front of her and Misha stepped out.

Jasmine saw the black car pull in front of her and stop. She slowed slightly, preparing to avoid the car and its occupants when she saw Misha step from the back of the car. She came to a halt, leaning over with her hands on her knees as she attempted to get her breath regulated.

“Jasmine, get in the car.”

“Misha… I don’t…”

Misha took a step closer to her, “Jasmine, you are in a hurry, are you not?” When she nodded, he continued, “Then I would assume you would rather argue with me while Sergei drives us to the hospital, rather than stand along the side of the road and fight it out.”

“Misha…” Jasmine knew she was beat and frankly, she was past her breaking point. There was no way she could finish the run to the hospital. Her body was completely spent. Nodding, she joined him, crawling into the backseat while he held the door for her.

She leaned her head back against the seat, closed her eyes, and tried to stem the tears that threatened to fall once more.

Misha got back into the car and Sergei pulled back into traffic. “Which hospital?”

Jasmine murmured the name of the hospital, cringing when Misha cursed softly next to her. “That’s more than fifteen miles away from the office. What were you thinking?”

Jasmine opened her eyes and took her frustrations out on him, “I was thinking that I needed to get to the hospital, and walking would take too long. Running is much faster in case you hadn’t heard.”

Misha looked at her for a moment and then burst out laughing, delighted in the reappearance of the fire that had once again circumvented her ability to control her mouth. “There it is.”

“There what is?” she asked sarcastically.

“The fire. I wondered where it had gone to. I’m glad it’s back. Now, please explain to me what is going on.”

Jasmine looked at him, the fire he was so happy to see dying a quick death. She delayed answering him until she saw the light of battle enter his eyes and knew that he
would
have his answer. “I need to see someone at the hospital. It’s urgent.”

“Who?” Misha demanded.

Jasmine couldn’t tell him the truth.
Your son! Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that little fact when we met the other day.
Jasmine shook her head, “Dasha…”

“Dasha is your neighbor, yes?”

“Yes.”
He’s been checking up on me! What else does he already know?

“Is Dasha ill?”

“Not exactly.” She was saved from having to explain further as Sergei announced their arrival at the hospital.

Jasmine didn’t wait for Misha or Sergei to open her door; she opened it herself and bolted inside. She quickly asked the charge nurse where Dasha was, and was rewarded with a smile and an explanation that the pediatrician was meeting with her now in his office at the end of the hall.

Jasmine didn’t see Misha following her, nor did she care. She almost ran down the hall, looking for the correct room number, sagging in relief when she found it and saw her son sitting quietly on Dasha’s lap as he was being examined.