Page 114 of Inked in Devotion

I walked with Aralina to the basement door and opened it for her. She mouthed thank you before descending the steps.

Since I didn’t see Sorcha in the kitchen or the living room, I headed to the outdoor patio. I found her pruning some plants while baby Sebastian was sleeping in the carrier.

“I really should hire a nanny,” I told her. “I’m keeping you from your other duties.”

Sorcha glanced up and grinned. “No. I’m good with the little one. It’ll force Miss Lucy to face her domestic duties.” She winked at me. “Besides, seeing how well-behaved Sebastian is, it will put more desire in Kirill and Lucy to start a family.”

I bent over my boy. “He’s such a delightful baby, isn’t he?” I wondered if Kolya had been the same. I didn’t ask him at what age he lost his parents.

“I overheard Kolya tell Kirill to convert the cottage into a day care center because he planned to have more kids.” Sorcha shot me a sly side-eye.

My face grew hot. Damn Kolya. Well, I didn’t take the morning-after pill because I got my period the next day. Not that it stopped the sex. He was really serious about having another baby. I must say he had the skills. He was quick to change diapers and operated on minimal sleep. He was the first to get Sebastian when he woke up in the middle of the night.

But I was in the midst of reopening the shelter. Theo and I had a brief conversation about promoting Dora to CEO of the foundation. After what had happened to me, I expressed a deep interest in neuropsychology. I already had a degree in social services with a minor in psychology. With advance education, I would add more value to the foundation and assert more influence on The Astorian Wellness Center.

I could imagine myself giving Kolya or Kirill a therapy session as their psychiatrist.

“I need to rein in his enthusiasm.” I picked up Sebastian from the carrier. He gave a tiny coo, but didn’t wake up. He must have eaten a heavy lunch. “I’m joining the girls downstairs.”

Sorcha visibly paled. “Uh…”

“I saw Aralina in the kitchen,” I told her. “I think it’s time we got to know each other, don’t you think? She’s going to be my sister-in-law.”

Also, Kolya was fond of her.

Sorcha offered a brief nod of approval.

As I made my way back into the house with a twenty-five-pound baby sleeping against my shoulder, I searched for my initial resentment for Aralina again. She was always the porcelain doll princess who stole my dreams of a family. But coming face-to-face with the demons who hunted me in the past, I realized they were not monsters but also human.

The reality of her? She was a young woman who had lost her voice.

It made me wonder how she and Theo were getting along. My brother was too busy running an empire, but I’d seen them attend a gala together. They made a gorgeous couple, and Aralina looked older in pictures. Was she simply going to be the princess in the castle? Was Theo looking for a stepmother for Gage?

I scoffed. I had my own problems to worry about rather than stick my nose into other people’s relationships. Maybe they agreed to a marriage of convenience. I wasn’t privy to the details. Didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.

I opened the door to the basement and headed down. I hadn’t been down here since Kolya walked out on me. Conversations and hushed snickers drifted my way until I cleared the stairs to see the girls sprawled in front of the whiteboard. Letters, mailers, even packages of various sizes sat on top of a gray area rug that wasn’t there the last time I’d been here.

Bianca and Sloane glanced up and grinned at me. They were true crime aficionados, so this was right up their alley.

Bianca stood and squealed. “Oh, I should have brought Camilla.” She hustled toward me and peeked at Sebastian from my back.

“Is he awake?” I felt his head move on my shoulder.

“Yes. Look at those eyes,” she gushed. “I’ve never seen such blue before, and they’re even brighter than Mom’s and my brothers’.”

“Do you want to hold him?” I faced Bianca Rossi, surprised Sandro allowed her to frequent the bratva’s stronghold. As far as I knew, the Rossi and De Lucci Italian crime families had a lukewarm relationship with the bratva.

“I had better not.” Bianca rolled her lips and locked her arms behind her as if she needed that extra measure to keep from reaching out for Sebastian. “Otherwise I might want another one and Sandro will never let me leave the house.”

“He’s learning his tactics from the De Lucci men.” Lucy glanced up from a letter she was reading. “Look what this note says: ‘I’m disappointed you weren’t the vigilante who got rid of this world’s home wreckers. But you’re still hot.’”

Sloane gave a soundless whistle, or maybe she attempted one. “These letters are almost all the same. Here’s a recent one praising Kolya’s hot daddy vibes.”

Aralina covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling while her body shook with laughter.

Bianca sauntered to her pile and sat cross-legged. “There’s blueberry soda and other sodas in the fridge.”

“Oh, shit,” Lucy exclaimed. “I’m such a terrible hostess.”