Page 115 of Inked in Devotion

“Oh, no worries, I just came down to check on you guys.” I shuffled to the couch area, laid out a polyester baby blanket, and lowered Sebastian onto it. He started fussing, but he quieted down when I gave him a bottle. “So, Tuesdays, huh? That’s your serial killer club?”

“We have one more member,” Sloane said. “Harriet. She’s my eighty-year-old friend and lives in Delphine assisted living, but boy, is her mind sharp.”

“I bet true crime discussions help.”

“You betcha.” Sloane nodded to Aralina. “Aralina is an honorary member and is here to help because it’s Kolya.”

Aralina signed to Lucy, making her laugh.

Lucy translated for me. “Gives her ammunition to make fun of him.” Then Lucy signed back.

Aralina glanced at me.

“I told her to…get to know each other while you both are here. The wedding is in two weeks,” Lucy said.

Aralina signed to Lucy, who responded with narrowed eyes. “Stop sassing me, lady. And yes, it’s my decree as a pakhan’s wife.” She winked at me before adding, “Food and drinks.” She pointed to a side buffet.

“Wow, looks like fun afternoons,” I said.

“You should join us,” Bianca piped in.

“You know, Theo and I talked about my plans for pursuing a neuropsychology degree.”

Sloane perked up from her stack of mail. “O.M.G.” Her mouth fell open. “That would be amazing. We’ll have our own behavioral analyst.”

I shook my head. “That’s wishful thinking for now. Sebastian comes first.”

“Aralina said you could psychoanalyze the shit out of Kirill and Kolya just to irritate them,” Lucy said.

Kirill’s sister sat in the armchair next to where Sebastian and I were lounging on the couch.

“Here I thought you were the sweet one.”

She typed on her phone, “Underestimate me at your own peril.”

I raised a brow. “Is that right? So is all this sweetness a front?”

“Believe it!” Lucy called from the whiteboard area. “I told Kirill that his sister has a little devil inside her.”

“Does Theo know this?” I teased.

Aralina shrugged. “He doesn’t spend enough time with me to find out.”

“Ooh, is that your complaint as fiancée?”

She shrugged again. “He’s busy.”

“I’m ill-equipped to give advice.”

She seemed to type a short story in her next message. Being mute must be frustrating for her.

“I’m not asking for one. I’ll figure Theo out. You hardly know him either. And Lucy had a rocky start with Kirill. Besides, I don’t want her telling my brother, who is still constantly asking me if I want to call it off.”

“So no one is blackmailing you?” My voice lowered.

Aralina was shocked and made an emphatic “No” gesture with her hands.

“It’s just that you were with Jeremiah.”