Madison's Life Lessons (18 page)

Hoping her tea would calm her rioting stomach, she sipped on the hot liquid and clenched her teeth when Elias taste-tested the spaghetti simmering on the stove. Dear God, the man made himself at home. His gumption aggravated her.

The bread was ready to pop into the oven and she’d boil noodles when Micah arrived home from work. She prayed that would be soon so she wouldn’t have to entertain his insufferable brother for long.

Elias pinched her chin and tilted her head back. She hadn’t realized he’d moved away from the stove until he touched her. Just about to take his head off for manhandling her, he said, “Something wrong? You look a little fatigued.”

“I’m fine.” She jerked her chin from his hold.

“What goody-two-shoes functions have you been up to this week?”

“They’re called fundraisers and they’re for good causes.”

“Riiight. Thanks for reminding me.” He winked at her and strode to the refrigerator to help himself to a bottle of beer. “What ‘fundraisers’ have you devoted all your time to this week instead of giving Micah your attention?”

“Micah encourages my community involvement.” She sounded defensive and that annoyed her. She answered to no one but Micah. And damn sure not to Elias.

He laughed a dark, abrasive sound. She stared at him, knowing him too well. He wasn’t finished taunting her. “I’m sure he’d encourage you to suck his cock more.” Her jaw dropped. “Not that you’d care though, huh, princess?”

“You’re disgusting!” Her teeth snapped together with an audible click. For a moment, she contemplated dashing her scalding tea in his face. Her hands trembled as she set her cup on the island countertop.

Elias watched her as he took several swigs of the beer. “Disgusting?” Madison refused to look at him, but he leaned across the island to her right, crowding her space. “You should try it, princess. You might discover it’s fun being wicked. Or…maybe you need someone other than my dear brother to initiate you in the oral exploit.”

“Shut up,” she whispered.

“I’d sacrifice myself.”

She wrenched her head to glare at him. “You’re sick! I’m your brother’s wife and—”

“I’d peel your clothes off slowly; caress your body with my hands and tongue. I bet you’d like for me to pinch and lick your nipples—”

Madison swung her arm to slap him. He caught her wrist just before her palm cracked against his cheek. A twisted grin contorted his devilishly good-looking features and she knew—
knew
—he’d provoked her on purpose. “Did that make you wet, princess?”

“You’re a bastard!” She jerked her arm. He held tight.

“Technically speaking, no.” He pressed a moist kiss to the back of her hand and released her.

Madison childishly wiped his kiss off on her slacks.

“Torturing my wife again, brother?” Micah slipped into the kitchen on silent tread.

“Nope.” As Elias drained his beer, he strode to the table and pulled out a chair. “Just teasing her.” He sat in the chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. He smirked at her and she predicted he dared her to tattle on him to Micah.

Madison thought all sorts of vile things she would enjoy doing to him. Maybe not all that vile, but they were the worst she could come up with.

“You’re flush,” Micah said, brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek, drawing her attention off his deplorable brother.

“I might have gone a little too far with her.” Elias surprised her by admitting that.

“You’ll behave yourself in the future with her, Elias.” She caught Elias’s nod from the corner of her eye. Micah kissed her and whispered against her ear. “Tonight.”

The solitary word would’ve buckled her knees had she been standing. “I’m exhausted, Micah, and I don’t feel well.” She kept her voice low so it would not carry to Elias.

“You’ve used that excuse four nights in a row.” He met her eyes. “You’ve never been sick a day in your life.” How’d he know that? “I’m not gullible enough to believe the same pretext repeatedly.”

Madison ran her fingertips against her left temple. “I’m not lying, Micah. I might avoid the bedroom on occasion, but I’ve never lied to you.”

“Tonight.” He chucked her chin and faced his brother before she could respond.

Maybe she’d find a way to endure it. She wouldn’t eat. If she ate, she’d definitely lose her stomach.

Micah crossed the room to join his brother at the table. Standing slowly, her belly pitched with the violence of a rollercoaster out of control. Or as if two dragons battled it out inside her. Elias criticized her community functions, but she’d participated seldom in them this week. Today, she’d gotten little accomplished and spent most of it reclining on the sofa staring at the walls or deep asleep in bed.

“You sure you’re okay, Madison?” She ignored Elias’s question. “She looks a touch pale, Micah.”

The world rotated and she crashed with it.

***

Micah peered at Madison when Elias asked his question. Her face had gone white, even her lips had lost their color. He jumped to his feet as she went down. Elias was closer and managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Micah ran around the table and snatched her out of his brother’s arms.

Micah adjusted her in his arms, worried over her lack of alertness. He’d brushed her off when she’d been telling him the truth. What type of husband did that? Easy answer. The type that grew desperate for the affection of his wife. “Her keys will be in her purse on the table beside the garage door. You drive us to the emergency room.”

“Are you sure that’s a wise idea, Micah? There’s no telling what her blood work will show.”

“She’s vulnerable to human problems until...”
Fuck
! What a nightmare situation. But his brother spoke true. They had no idea what her DNA would reveal. “We’ll deal with the ramifications afterward if required.” They needed to determine what was wrong with her first. He strode out of the kitchen toward the door that led to the garage, hoping something minor plagued her rather than something major. “You can make a call on the way to get the help we need to head off any problems.”

“Good idea.” Elias dumped the contents of Madison’s purse on the floor. That would piss her off if she knew. “That was faster than digging around in this sack she calls a handbag.” He explained as he snatched up the keys off the Italian tile. “After you,” he said as he twisted the handle and jerked the door open.

The lights on the Land Rover flashed, indicating Elias had hit the button to unlock the vehicle. Somehow he managed to get himself and Madison into the backseat without releasing her. Micah cradled her against his chest and buried his face against her neck. Her scent grounded him, erasing some of his fear. He would not lose her. Resisting the rash urge to pray to the Father that ignored his pleas, he whispered against her ear. “I love you, kitten. Love you so fucking much.” The garage door squeaked and clanged as it elevated. “My life was an agony of lonely years before you entered my world and gave me a new reason to exist. I survive on your smiles, soft skin, and your very breath. You are my world, Madison.” Elias slowly backed out of the garage. Micah lifted his head long enough to snarl, “Speed, goddamnit!”

Roughly two hours later he waited for the results while Madison remained unconscious. The medical personnel had hooked an I.V. to her, feeding her liquids. He comprehended it was standard procedure, but that contraption piercing his woman’s hand taunted his failure to protect her. It was an attack from those who were against him. Logically, it had to be an assault. Otherwise, it made no sense when she’d never been sick a day in her life.

A knock sounded at the door moments before the emergency room doctors entered the room. “Mr. Dominus, I’m the physician treating your wife. Doctor Joella Janicke.” She shot a quick glance in the other doctor’s direction and executed a negligible head shake. Micah understood. The other professional wasn’t one of theirs. “This is Doctor Andrea Ferenc. She specializes in blood disorders.”

“Get to the point.” Micah rose from his chair beside Madison and leaned his hip against the bed. He picked up her hand, finding a fraction of solace in touching her. “What’s wrong with Madison?”

Dr. Janicke reviewed Madison’s chart. “Congratulations, Mr. Dominus, your wife is pregnant.” Micah knew his features slipped with his surprise when Dr. Janicke smiled. Dr. Ferenc remained expressionless. “She’s also dehydrated and anemic. I suspect she’s not been eating, or she’s throwing anything she eats back up, because she has all the markers of malnourishment.”

Pregnant? He fingered his hair off his forehead. He’d never suspected pregnancy because…well, because he had no experience with expecting mothers. The purity of his joy throbbed in his temples.

Micah jerked the covers aside and pushed his hand under her shirt, so he could place his palm on her stomach. Over their child. “My kitten’s going to be a momma.”

Elias laid his hand over Micah’s. His focus shifted off Madison to his brother. “I’m going to be an uncle again.” Elias smiled and he returned it. “Congratulations, brother.”

“We’ll need to keep her until she shows signs of improvement.” Micah whipped his head about to glare at the doctor. Elias shifted toward the end of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. Madison would be unable to receive what she needed in the hospital. As if Dr. Janicke read his thoughts, she explained, “It’s standard procedure, for the health and safety of her and the baby.”

“There’s an oddity with her blood.” Dr. Andrea Ferenc spoke tight-lipped. “That’s why I’m here. I’ll need to run more tests to rule out any other complicating factors.”

“No.” Micah recognized the darkness in his tone. For Dr. Ferenc to pursue this route, she invited terrible trouble. He would allow no one to jeopardize his wife or his unborn child. Not even the good intentions of a physician. Further testing would do just that.

“Mr. Dominus, refusing additional analysis could be endangering not only your wife, but your unborn child.”

All Micah could perceive was a very real threat to his wife in the guise of medical intervention. Struggling to maintain his composure, he snarled, “Do not harass me on this, woman!”

Dr. Ferenc squealed and took several steps backward as if Satan himself stood before her. Maybe he hadn’t been successful in maintaining his composure.

“I’ll take care of it,” Elias said as he studied the dark haired hematologist.

Good.

“You’ll have all the privacy you need in the room, Mr. Dominus.” Dr. Janicke placed Madison’s chart on the table and tapped it, drawing Micah’s attention. “If you need anything, depress the nurse button or call my personal cell number, which is written on the chart.”

There was something else in that chart the doctor wanted him to see. “Thanks.”

The medical personnel exited—Dr. Ferenc bolted from the room. Elias tossed him a grin and prowled after them. His brother would enjoy the cat and mouse game he would instigate with Dr. Andrea Ferenc.

Micah picked up the chart and scanned through it. High levels of sulfur in her blood. Iron at dangerously low levels. Off the chart levels of calcite, silicate, mica, lapis lazuli, and hauyne. All minerals no human should have in their blood system. Suspicion barreled through his nervous system and a tinge of blue shaded his skin before he reined his emotions under control. Minerals not standard to a human beings genetic makeup…but what markers did they point to?

Lynx
...the word flitted through his head, but he dismissed the idea. She’d displayed no tendencies to that end.

He flipped the page. Nine weeks pregnant. His heart fluttered rapidly at the thought and he bit the inside of his cheek to stifle the shout of elation that barraged the back of his throat. They’d talked of having children and while they shunned contraceptives, he hadn’t expected a baby to happen this soon. Overjoyed by the outcome, he wanted to squeeze her and thank her for this wonderful gift of a child.

Final notation by the physician, “Mother and child appear healthy, however, the mother requires specific needs the medical profession cannot provide her.”

Micah smiled. That notation was obviously intended for him and would be redacted before hitting the computers. Or maybe he’d make sure the chart mysteriously disappeared.

Madison moaned and shifted. He dropped the chart and dashed to her side. “Kitten?” Her lids fluttered open, before focusing confused blue eyes on him. “How are you feeling?”

An adorable frown creased her forehead. “Where am I?”

“Hospital. You collapsed.”

She lifted her hand and brought it to her forehead. A small flinch when she realized the plastic tubing of the I.V. was attached to her hand. “I want this off. It burns.” Her voice shook and Micah ran his knuckles along her cheek.

“The doctors would be very sore with me if I removed it.”

Baby blues shifted back to him. “What’s wrong with me?”

“You’re pregnant, kitten.”