Page 28 of Inked in Devotion

I never had that, and before my tears became a reason for something else, I pushed that thought away.

Kolya chuckled. “I’m counting four teeth.”

“The two lower ones are out. The top ones are peeking.”

He lowered Sebastian into the crook of his left arm, while he pushed the stroller with his right hand toward the play area.

Marena was sitting on the couch in the corner, typing on her phone.

Sebastian had already forgotten his father and struggled forward, reaching for the items on the play table.

“You can lower him.” The area was padded and enclosed. Kolya lowered our son, and Sebby immediately went on all fours and crawled toward the play table, where he pulled himself up to standing.

“Has he tried to walk?” Kolya asked.

“Several times, but he’s not that confident yet.”

“He’s grown since I last saw him,” he mused, a tinge of regret in his voice. Then he cleared his throat.

“He has. Even I notice it, and I see him every day. He seems to do it overnight.” I laughed lightly.

Silence. I had many questions, and I was sure he had too.

“Did you…”

“Why did you…?”

We spoke at the same time and paused at the same time. Stared at each other, and then Kolya said, “You first.”

“Why did you retract your claim as the biological father?”

Something flickered in his eyes. “It’s complicated, and unless you formally join the bratva, I can’t tell you.”

He gave a slight nod toward where Marena was sitting, and either it meant he was uncomfortable explaining it to me in front of the family liaison or he couldn’t tell me at all.

“You know Theo would never allow that.”

Kolya huffed derisively. “Why? Are you tied to him because of money? I thought you never wanted to become a King.”

“He gives me more freedom to do what I want.”

“Like the condition to marry you off to someone else?”

Sebastian’s burst of laughter interrupted our exchange. I hoisted him into a chair in front of the activity table and dropped cross-legged beside him.

“That was my idea,” I answered him.

Kolya sat cross-legged in front of me. Sebastian was between us. “You’re willing to tie yourself to someone else in exchange for what, exactly?”

“Protection for me and Sebastian.”

“I can give you that.”

But what if we need protection from you and everything you represented? I thought but didn’t say.

“I have it through Theo, and he would have given it to me even if I wasn’t willing to assume the King name.”

Kolya emitted another mocking sound that irritated the hell out of me.