Page 109 of Gangster's Empire: Leeza & Havel

She was quick to reassure him. “I’m okay.”

“She’s not,” Havel growled holding her arm up. “She’ll need stitches.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Shaun said, pushing past the bodyguards.

Shaun pulled Leeza into one of the empty apartments, instructing her to sit on the floor with her back against the wall. “In case you feel faint.”

“I feel fine,” Leeza argued.

“I know you’re fine,” Shaun said mildly, opening her medical kit and pulling out a small metal tray where she lined up everything she would need to suture Leeza’s arm. “But it doesn’t hurt to dress the wounds before they get infected.”

Havel paced, Leeza’s eyes on him while Shaun worked over her. She didn’t flinch as the wound was cleaned and her skin was stitched back together. A burst of pride went through him. She took every hit the world threw at her and grew stronger.

Adam had been no match for her.

Shaun wrapped a bandage around Leeza’s arm. “You’ll need to wear a sling for a few days so you don’t tear your sutures. Now, please take your shirt off. I’d like to check your ribs for bruising.”

Shaun worked over her, poking and prodding until she was satisfied that no bones had been broken during Leeza’s ordeal.

“Now, I’ll check your heart.” After listening to her chest, Shaun moved the stethoscope around to Leeza’s back. “Take a long breath in and then let it out.”

Leeza complied, sucking air in through her nose and releasing it slowly through her mouth. Shaun then ran her fingers through Leeza's hair, feeling the bumps that had formed. Her brows pulled down into a slow frown.

“What is it?” Havel demanded, stepping closer.

“She’s probably fine,” Shaun replied. “Her heart rate is higher than I like and she might have a concussion. We should get her to the hospital.”

“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” Leeza complained. “Really, I’m fine.”

Havel gently scooped her off the floor. “We’re going to the hospital.”

Leeza wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face to his chest. “I don’t suppose there’s any point in arguing?”

“Nope.”

“Will you at least let me walk?” Despite her protest, she wasn’t struggling. In fact, she was clinging to him, her arms firmly wrapped around his neck.

“Not a chance, lásko.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

“Pregnant?” Leeza touched her stomach in wonder.

“What the fuck do you mean by mital pen… what?” Havel demanded.

“Mitral stenosis.” Shaun opened a folder on the bed next to Leeza. There were images inside, but Havel couldn’t make heads or tails of them as she traced something with her fingertip. “It’s the narrowing of the mitral valve, which is the heart valve that controls the flow of blood from the heart’s left atrium to the left ventricle.”

“In layman’s,” he demanded.

Shaun closed the folder and turned on her stool, her expression serious. “Leeza has a heart condition. She’s probably had it her entire life, but it was likely minor enough to pass undetected before now.”

“How is that possible?” he growled, prompting Leeza to put a calming hand on his arm. They didn’t need Jozef busting in because Havel was shouting at his doctor wife.

“It’s very likely the stress of the past several months have put a strain on her heart.” Shaun shifted her gaze to Leeza, her expression kind. “We’ll have to take excellent care of you through your pregnancy, but with time and some medication, you’ll be fine.” Turning on the stool, Shaun fired up the computer. “I’m going to order a prescription that’ll help lower your blood pressure and then I’ll book an appointment for you with the hospital’s head of obstetrics.”

“How will her pregnancy affect her heart condition?” The fear in Havel’s voice tugged at Leeza. When they got home, she would reassure him it would be fine, that she was gloriously happy to find out she was pregnant. She was going to have a baby!

“Well, it will definitely put a strain on her heart, so we’ll have to make sure – ”

---