The Harrington Series Book#2: Naila's Misfortune

Baby by Me

"Did you love the display of brutality demonstrated by your husband?"

I am setting Bas down for a nap after we played for most of the afternoon. Stefan and I have spent a month in Tahiti. He said it is our 'honeymoon' but he is barely around. I am happy to be back with my son. The unwanted presence Merideth brought only got me to frown.

"You're not needed here."

"Be careful Mrs. Romanov. The ground you stand on is uneven. You could fall at any time. What will happen to baby Bas when you can longer protect him?"

"Please talk about my son one more time. Please." I dared her, giving her a deathly look.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes at me. "Just know Stefan doesn't trust you, not anymore."

"What did you do?" I asked, unable to shake the feeling that she knows something I don't.

"I planted a few seeds of doubt here and there. I got him paranoid and too bad Ivan was collateral damage."

"What did you do?" I asked again remembering how Stefan had put a bullet in his older brother's head. I still get endless nightmares. He haunts me in my dreams asking me why I let him die. He asks me why I did not leave town. He calls me Mina because that is the girl he remembers and not Naila who married Stefan.

"I wanted you to see the error of your ways. Harris asked me to tell you the deal is off. When we take Stefan down, you're going down too. Who is on the winning team now? Oh wait! Me!" She batted her eye lashes at me.

"Don't be too excited. The dust hasn't settled just yet."

We chose not to say anything more to each other.

I am not going to let her ruin my time with Bas. Stefan however isn't as friendly, at least not anymore. We don't talk or laugh anymore. He is mad at me for a reason I can blame Merideth for. But what did she tell him? Or maybe taking his brother's life is taking a toll on him.

"Can we talk?" I asked once I ran into him in the hallway. He stopped walking and gave me a harsh gaze. "Fine. I will talk either way. Have I done something to offend you?"

I have done a lot to offend the man. I have lied, led him on and lied a whole lot more. If Merideth told him about the ploy to trap him then I am as good as dead. He did tell me once that he will never kill me but he would make me beg for death.

"What about?"

"Us. What's going on? You are distant and cold."

"I don't have time to talk about this."

"Please, tell me."

A sigh of frustration escaped him. He ran his hand through his blond curly hair. Without a word, he left me standing there. The only thing that worries me about Stefan being unstable is Bas getting caught in between. I can handle myself but my son is too young for that. So instead of worrying any further I went back to my room. In the privacy of my bathroom, I opened the drawer where I stashed a phone. I stole it from one of Stefan's guards back in Tahiti. He had dozed off at his post and I helped myself. I learned how to steal from Tony. He is good at it. He can make away with anything and he wouldn't get caught.

I opened all the taps in the bathroom and dialled the number.

Wayne used to say that you should never take a knife to a gun fight. If I am asking for help, it has to be from someone who knows how to swim with sharks.

"It's Nick, leave a message."

Tears pooled at my eyes over the sound of his voice. I haven't heard it in a long time.