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“The scowl is all Con, but the middle finger is a classic Lilith move.” I look over at Con and Lilith. “What’s her name?”
“Levi has Elle,” Con answers.
“They’re so perfect.” Ivy runs her finger down Elle’s cheek. “Look at all that hair.”
“You ready for me to put a few of these inside you?” Levi wiggles his brows suggestively. “Let’s start trying. Tonight.”
“No. We have a plan,” she pokes him in the chest, “and it doesn’t involve babies for several years.”
Levi starts to say something but is interrupted by a light knock on the door. Claire steps through a second later, and I can tell something is off. She’s got bags under her eyes. She looks thinner than the last time I saw her. An aura of sadness hangs around her.
It takes all my control not to go sweep her into my arms and demand answers as to what is troubling her right now. I watch as she walks over to hug and kiss Con on the cheek and then do the same to Lilith. I’m surprised when she stays on the other side of the room. She was so excited about the girls’ birth and finally getting to hold and love on them.
But here she is, completely avoiding them all together. She’s also avoiding my eyes. This won’t do, so I decide to force her hand.
“Want to hold one?” I offer Nora out to her.
She meets my eyes for the first time since she walked in the door, and I can see the anguish written all over them. I feel her silently begging me not to push, so I back off.
“I’m not feeling that great. I don’t want to get the babies sick, on the off chance I am,” she says while she backs off toward the opposite side of the room from the us and the babies.
“What’s wrong?” Con moves toward her.
“Nothing,” she gives him her fake smile. “Just a little headache.”
“Headaches generally aren’t contagious, Baby V.” Levi starts moving toward her, but I stop him.
“If she doesn’t want to risk it, let’s not force the issue.” My tone is sharper than it should be, but the look of relief that Claire gives me makes me know it was worth it.
Con and Levi share a long look at my interference.
“Okay-” Levi is once again interrupted by the door opening.
This time it’s Victor and Ciara coming in with a pink balloon bouquet and flowers. I watch as both Con and Claire shutter their emotions simultaneously. It’s crazy to watch them slip into their cold, cruel shells together like that. Victor gets a warm greeting from both his kids, but Ciara only receives a curt nod of acknowledgement from Con. Claire is even worse, completely ignoring her mother.
“That’s my cue to leave,” Claire says with a little wave before darting out into the hall.
“My phone is ringing,” I hand Nora over to Ivy. “I’m expecting an important call.”
I don’t wait for a response. As soon as she is in Ivy’s arms, I’m out the door, jogging down to the elevator to catch Claire. The door is just about to close when I shoot my arm into the closing gap. Her eyes widen as soon as I step onto the elevator with her.
“What’s wrong?” I ask once the doors have closed.
“Nothing is wrong,” she feigns with innocence.
“Bullshit.” I hit the emergency stop button.
“There’s an alarm attached to that button.”
“Ask me how many fucks I give?” I step toward her. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“My mother is what is wrong.” She shoots me a glare that would make any rational man back down, but I’ve lost all rationality when it comes to her. She tries to dodge around me to hit the button to make the elevator start moving again.
“Don’t. Lie. To. Me.” I push her firmly against the wall with my hand resting on her chest. Her heart is beating wildly beneath my hand, and a little gasp escapes her lips when I press my leg between hers. I bottle that sound up and drink it until I can’t move. “One last chance to tell me what’s wrong, Tsarina.”
“Or what?” She looks up at me from under her long, wispy eyelashes. “You gonna spank me, Mr. Potter?”
“It can be arranged.” My dick twitches at the thought of her pale ass covered in my red handprints. “If you think I won’t take you right back to my bedroom and punish you, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
