Page 105 of Inked in Devotion

I would admit that leaning thing was hot as hell. Even I was steaming all over it.

Me

I don’t know whether to laugh or be appalled.

Enjoy your 15 minutes. You’re the internet’s most envied woman.

Or hated. Also, I don’t know what to think with the kids caught up in this.

Or what Theo would think. He kept Gage out of the limelight.

Ivy

Don’t worry. Trevor’s been alerted, and he’s taking down inappropriate captioned content where Sam’s and Sebastian’s faces weren’t blurred. Sam loves being in the videos for the café’s Pixygram, so that girl is a pro.

Kolya returned. A scowl on his face.

“Are you annoyed because you went viral?” I still didn’t know whether to laugh or worry.

His scowl deepened. “Who told you?”

“Ivy. It’s all over Pixygram. You’re winning Daddy of the Year.”

“Fuck me,” he muttered as he lowered himself onto the chair. “I’m sorry, Chloshka.” A contrite expression lined his face.

I reached across the high chair and squeezed his hand. “I guess we make interesting online fodder. I’m sorry if our situation only dug up your wrongful charge as a serial killer.” The public was contrary in some ways. When Kolya was arrested, I was aghast at how there was a group on the internet who were titillated because of his looks. While I was feeling sick to my stomach that my baby daddy might be the next Ted Bundy, there were women who wanted to be impregnated by him.

“So, did you have fan mail when you were inside?” When Kolya had been absolved of the crime, his “hotness level” skyrocketed. Public outrage over a wrongfully imprisoned man was a powerful force to be reckoned with. Politically, it helped the bratva defeat the previous DA. Unfortunately, it was detrimental to Kolya’s job.

Kolya glared at me. “Yes.”

The answer brooked no further discussion, but I was too curious not to follow up with, “And now?”

He glanced around. “Where’s that beer?” Then he cast me a fleeting glance. “Do we have to talk about this?”

“About your fame?”

“Infamy, you mean,” he grunted. “Look, I’m baffled. I just want to do my god—” He flattened his mouth when Sebastian peeked at him with inquisitive eyes. “To do my job. And it has been a pain since I’m easily recognized.”

I imagined he couldn’t approach his targets anymore unless he was in meticulous disguise.

The waitress swung by and delivered our drinks and appetizers. Sebastian immediately reached for a cheesy fry. I picked one up and blew on it. “Is there any other job in the organization that you can do?”

“Kirill wants me to resurrect the branch…recently vacated by my cousin Grigori.”

I glanced around. A burger joint wasn’t exactly the right place to discuss bratva politics.

“But you don’t want to?”

“I’m considering it. I’ll be able to delegate my work. Lead instead of doing the gritty work.”

“Are you doing it because of Sebastian?”

His intense gaze made it impossible to hold it. The same burning in his eyes, like he wanted to devour me while setting my body ablaze with dirty thoughts of writhing bodies. I noticed it at the boxing gym. Kolya was unusually intense—well, territorial.

“Yes, but that depends on how well I run it. It’ll free up more time I can spend with you and Sebastian.” He puffed a laugh. “But if I screw up, then the opposite may happen.”

“I don’t want you to take a position because of us.”