At his words, he felt her relax. When she felt liquid dropping onto her face, she put her hand to his head. He was bleeding badly. Come on, let’s get out of here, she said. You need help.
He bent down and picked up the torch. He shone it around trying to get an idea of what had taken place. He saw a wooden chair with just three legs, and when he shone the torch at the ceiling, he noticed the cable from the light had been ripped out. There was a groove of broken plaster in the ceiling where someone had yanked the cable from the light fitting all the way to the wall. On further inspection, he saw someone had made a noose out of it with a winding mechanism. Gruesome, he thought.
The doctor told Dima that a blow to the head of that intensity warranted a night of observation in hospital. Dima reluctantly agreed. When they wheeled him out of the treatment room towards a free bed, Tyra stood up walked with them. Once he was in bed, she looked at him. He had a deep gash in his head and a terrifying bruise on his arm.
Jesus, I'm so sorry for that, she said. That looks really painful.
Don't worry, I deserved it, after what I wanted to do. I was being foolish, it was the most stupid plans I've ever thought of.
Yes it was, and it will take a long time before I can trust you again. She scowled.
Are you willing to try? If you want me to beg, I will. Tyra, when you were mad at me, and you left me and wouldn't answer my calls, I realized I can't live without you.
I'm carrying your child.
He looked at her stunned.
Here is what we'll do. She decided to say something, realizing he was temporarily speechless. I love you as well. When I was in that cellar, I too realized I didn't want to be without you. But I am as mad as hell with you. Madder than I have ever been with anyone. She reached out and took his hand, minding not to dislodge the drip. However, I don't want to miss the chance of a happy life with you. I will have our baby, and you and I will be together. But if I hear anymore BS about stealing things, I'll kick you out, forever. Agreed?
He nodded, still speechless. He gestured to her to come closer. When she did, he whispered. Thank you.
Bradley was in the middle of breakfast when the phone rang. Thank God, Tyra. I was so worried about you. How are you? What happened to you? Are you joking?
When he closed his cell phone, he was fully aware of what had taken place. He knew that someone had wanted to steal the Hope Diamond and that Tyra had been kidnapped. He also knew that she'd said nothing and been very brave. He didn't know that the father of her baby had in fact intended to steal the diamond. Tyra was willing to keep that from him. All Radley had to know was that a very savage man had intended to steal it, and he was now no longer able.
Eliana, get in here, he shouted at the top of his voice.
Radley, how dare you shout at me like that, she exclaimed as she appeared from the kitchen.
'I'll shout at you how I like. I've had a belly full of you. It's my business. My family founded it and I run it. My name is above the door, and the tax man calls me when he wants something, not you. Eliana stood open mouthed and wide eyed as his verbal attack continued. We both decided to give it to Tyra. She's a good girl, but you pompously decided to take it all way from her, just because she made a mistake. You're a prude, and you always have been..
But.....but, Eliana floundered.
No buts, I'm leaving the store to her, and you will have to get used to the idea.
Five years later Radley and Eliana went on a world cruise, and Tyra took her position as manager. She felt comfortable in her role. Radley checked in with her every day from wherever he was in the world. Before he'd gone, he had asked a computer geek how he could connect to the stores accounting system from afar. That's my girl he would say every time he logged in and looked at the profits.
Tyra only had one problem. The glass cabinets in the store. They were awfully susceptible to sticky, little fingers. Jimmy was still a baby, but Dima Junior and Alicia weren't, and when their father took them to see mummy at work, he loved showing them all the priceless things money could buy.
Dima got the Hope Diamond for his thirty-second birthday. The woman in the picture framing store wondered why Tyra wanted such a beautiful frame for a simple photocopy of a downloaded internet picture.
****
THE END
The Russian’s Secret Love Child – Nicki’s Story
A BWWM Russian Pregnancy Romance
The plane from Moscow to JFK was three hours late due to heavy snow in Russia. Nicki had tried to call Nathan from Moscow but hadn't managed to get hold of him. She just hoped he'd waited for her. If not, she'd have to get a taxi, and she only had a purse full of worthless rubels.
When she'd cleared US customs and reclaimed her bag, she walked out into the arrivals lounge. There were a lot of people waiting to pick up family and friends. She couldn't see Nathan. Whenever he'd picked her up at the airport before, he'd stood where he could see her. Today he wasn't in the usual place. She walked to the left, put her heavy bag on the floor and reached inside her jacket for her cellphone. She let it ring a few times. No reply. Darn it, not only would she have to get a taxi but she also would miss the opportunity to talk to him.