Belly of the Beast

Chapter 5

I spent Sunday confined to my private hospital room while Vincent communicated with his friends overseas from a small workstation he'd set up next to my bed. The plan was for Scooby to pick us up in his jet and fly us home, but that wouldn't happen until six, so I was forced to relax all day under my husband's unflinching eye.

Sylvie called to break up the monotony, and we talked for an hour. She was more excited about the baby news than I thought she'd be since motherhood was sure to curtail our Friday night escapades. But Adele and William Lassiter were expecting their bundle any day, and Sylvie was still buzzing from baby shower fever. Apparently, she was determined to be the favorite fake aunt to our gollum prodigy. She even convinced me to start swimming with her at the Y, although Vincent nixed that in favor of an exclusive private pool he and his family were long-standing members of.

By the time I was climbing out of the Valentino's Escalade, I couldn't wait for the comforts of home, even if that meant the inevitable bombardment of family eager to hear the story of my life-threatening fever and subsequent pregnancy news. Griffin started her inquiries as soon as Vincent gave the okay for visitors.

"Did you black-out? Colin said you blacked-out," she asked.

"Yep, I blacked-out. My fever reached one hundred and five in the span of an hour."

"Wow. It was like you caught fire."

"Pretty much."

Griffin blinked her big eyes liked an inquisitive owl as she absorbed the story, and Wren took advantage of her stupor to add her thoughts. "I don't want you to worry about the baby, Reese. Gollums were bred to tolerate extreme physical trauma. It's in our DNA."

"Do you think the doctors are right about my wound being the cause of the fever? Even they didn't seem too sure about it."

"I think we'd be negligent if we didn't suspect something else triggered it. And I'm not ruling out your pregnant state or your demon nature. Both could have contributed to your severe reaction."

"How long will you have to rest?" Griffin asked. "We leave for London Friday."

"We leave for Verona Friday," Vincent corrected her. "And don't worry. You're getting your haunted birthday tour."

"And I start my new job tomorrow. I have to be ready for that," I said as I took a pull off my water bottle.

"No, you don't," he said. "A hospital stay excuses you."

"I can't miss my first day. And, more importantly, I don't want to miss it. I've already made them wait for my wedding and my honeymoon."

"A hospital stay trumps all that," he said more forcefully as he pinned me with his boss man stare.

"I have to agree with Vincent," said Wren. "You're responsible for two now."

"When is the baby due?" Griffin chimed in. "You have to subtract one month for gollum babies, remember. Have you thrown up, yet? Mom threw up a lot with me."

As Griffin rifled me with questions, her mom, Amelia, let her daughter carry on. Amelia seemed anxious to hear the details too, smiling wistfully, which was not her norm. I couldn't help thinking Amelia might be envious of my pregnancy. She and her mate, Jonathan, had not been blessed with more children after Griffin, and although Amelia claimed she was eager to get back onto the battlefield, both she and Jonathan had mentioned wanting more kids.

"I haven't thrown up, and the doctor didn't say anything about a due date. But she did say the baby was mature for its gestational age. I just hope that doesn't mean I'll be giving birth to a ten-pound giant." I glanced at Vincent, who was perched like a statue on the armrest of the couch. "How big were you at birth, Vincent?"