Kian (Undercover Billionaire, #1)(2)

“No. Lily,” the woman gasped. Kian could see she was fading quickly, and she had just stated words that could literally change his life forever. This had to be a mistake. Still, he found his head swiveling for just a moment toward the small child across the room whom the staff were frantically working on.

“Pam . . .” he said on a sigh. He was desperate as he gripped her hand, her fingers slowly loosening on him. She was letting go, and he wanted to shake her.

“You and Roxie need to raise her. She’s yours now, and this baby, too, if she makes it.”

Kian opened his mouth to speak when her fingers went limp and her eyes rolled back in her head. He was in such shock, he froze for what had to be only a fraction of a second. At least the nursing staff was more alert than he was.

“We’re losing her. Asystole. Start compressions.” Kian needed to save this woman. He needed to get more answers and know if she was telling him the truth about Lily being his daughter. He couldn’t think about that, though, as he tried to save her. He had to be in doctor mode.

“We need to do a pericardiocentesis now, get me the supplies.” He began moving again, more determined than ever to save Pam, to figure out exactly what was happening. He was almost afraid to look back over at the young child he’d just been told was his.

Could it be true? Sadly, he realized, there was a possibility. He had slept with Pam, even though he should never have opened that door. But how could she have possibly hidden a child from him?

He was filled with shame when he realized how easy it would be to do just that. He hadn’t thought of her once since their night together. Instead of dwelling on that, he focused on trying to save her so she could talk to him more.

As Kian finished his procedure, he expected her to regain her heartbeat, but it was fruitless, even though the tireless staff continued the chest compressions.

“We can’t pick up the baby’s heartbeat. If we can’t save Mom, then at least let’s try to save the baby,” Nurse Ridgley said in a moment of clarity.

Kian didn’t want to admit she was right, not at all, but he knew Pamela wasn’t savable, not with her injuries. They were pumping her heart, but she was already gone. He had to shake off the almost-inconsolable grief and try to save her unborn child.

The focus in the trauma bay changed immediately as they prepped for an emergency C-section. Kian placed the scalpel to Pamela’s belly and made an incision that he could have done with his eyes closed. Intently focused, he reached in and pulled out a lifeless newborn. The background noise of the trauma bay seemed to dim to a hush. Kian placed the baby on the table and attempted futile resuscitation for what seemed like an eternity.

Pamela lay still on the stretcher, her eyes shut, and Kian cradled her three-pound infant in his arms for just a moment before laying her against Pam’s chest, both of them completely motionless.

“Please cover them,” Kian said as he turned away. Nurse Ridgley quickly did as he asked. This was the part of his job he couldn’t stand. It didn’t matter how many times he lost a patient, even if that patient hadn’t started out as his, he would always question himself, always wonder if there was more he could have done. And in this case, he had a feeling he’d be doing a lot of soul-searching, and hitting the books on any procedure that could have saved this family—his possible family. He looked over to where his only surviving patient lay still on her stretcher. The detectives had confirmed that the child’s name was indeed Lily, and said they’d called her only surviving relative—her aunt, Roxie.

In the past few minutes, he’d heard her name twice. Once from Pam’s lips and once from the detectives. It had sent a pang through him both times. Roxie. The only woman he’d ever loved. And now he’d see her again. He wasn’t ready for any of this. So, he shook his head and pushed her from his mind.

Though he wanted to run and hide, wanted to think Pamela’s last words had been delivered in a delirious uttering of nonsensical sentences, as he gazed at the young girl, he knew she was his. He just didn’t know how to process that, or how to understand what he was going to do about it. For now, though, he knew he had to help her, had to be at her side.

Finally, he moved, stepping up to the stretcher as he ran his fingers through her soft brown hair. She was still as he held in the tears desperately wanting to escape in a show of the powerful emotion he was feeling.

“Lily, I’m so sorry,” he softly whispered.

Kian was startled when her eyes flew open. She’d been given enough meds to keep her asleep for a long while, but obviously she had the endurance of her mother and aunt. Her injuries could have easily taken her life. He had always loved a fighter.

Kian reached for her small fingers, and she grasped on to him and held on tightly. Her grip made him happy. He didn’t know how to tell this child what had occurred on this horrible night. He didn’t want to be the one to utter those fateful words. Where in the hell was the social worker?

“We need to get you to your room so you’ll start feeling better,” Kian said quietly as he raised his free hand and again pushed back her delicate brown hair. She blinked at him but didn’t say anything.

Kian tried pulling his hand from Lily’s, but she let out a heartbreaking sob and held on tighter, her eyes growing wider. His heart stopped beating at the pain of that sound.

“Dr. Forbes, we need to move her now,” his favorite nurse, Stephanie, said.