Page 97 of Twisted Pact
“That’s why he’s been the family doctor for so long. Your stress doesn’t help anyone. Worrying about your father doesn’t make his rescue more likely; it just makes you sick.”
“I know that intellectually. But emotionally?—”
“Emotionally, you feel responsible for outcomes you can’t control. I get it. But responsibility and guilt are different things. You can feel responsible for supporting the people you love without feeling guilty about things that aren’t your fault.”
Alexei has been listening to our conversation with growing interest. Like he’s hearing strategies he’s never considered.
“Will you visit?” I ask Sasha. “When things calm down?”
“I’m already looking at flights. Someone needs to teach you proper stress management before my brother drives you insane.”
“Hey,” Alexei protests. “I’m trying to protect her.”
“Well, you’re doing a terrible job if she’s in the hospital with high blood pressure in her first trimester.”
“Point taken.”
“I’ll call tomorrow to check on you,” Sasha tells me. “In the meantime, try to sleep. Turn off your phone. Don’t think about anything except taking care of yourself and that baby.”
“I’ll try.”
“Don’t try. Do it. This family has survived for generations without your help. They’ll manage one rescue operation without you monitoring every detail.”
After the call ends, Alexei stands and walks to my bedside. He adjusts the pillow behind my head, then reaches for the water pitcher on the side table. “You need to drink something.”
“I’m not thirsty.”
“Doesn’t matter. Dehydration makes everything worse.” He fills a plastic cup and holds it out to me. When I take it, he brushes a strand of hair away from my face with gentle fingers. “Better?”
I nod, surprised by how such a simple touch can make me feel more grounded.
The conversation with Sasha has left me feeling calmer than I’ve been in weeks.
Control what you can control and let go of everything else.
Right now, the only thing I can control is whether I rest or continue to spiral into an anxious state that helps no one.
I close my eyes and try to let go of everything except the steady rhythm of my heartbeat and the knowledge that I’m growing a life that needs me to be healthy.
Everything else will have to wait.
26
Alexei
Making Mila rest is harder than planning a raid.
We’re back in the bunker, with three guards rotating shifts at the door and two more monitoring the perimeter on TV screens.
She hates every second of it.
“This is ridiculous,” she snaps from the couch, where I’ve ordered her to rest. “I’m pregnant, not dying.”
“Your blood pressure is dangerous. The doctor was clear.”
She rolls her eyes. “The doctor is overly cautious. He doesn’t want to piss off the big, bad Bratva boss.”
I cross my arms and lean against the doorframe. “He’s trying to keep you and our baby alive.”
