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“You okay?” I run my hand up his chest. He’s been insatiable this morning. I woke with his mouth between my thighs making me come before he took me. Then he pulled me into the shower to do it all over again.
“Something is…” He trails off.
“What?” I push him for more details as I hear the side door open, knowing my brother Marco and his wife Evangeline are here distracting me. Nick brushes my hair away from my face to stare down at me.
“I love you.” I smile up at him.
“I love you, too.” He presses his mouth against mine.
“Uncle Marco!” Bianca squeals, jumping down to run over to him. “Where’s the baby?” She stops right before she gets to her aunt and uncle.
“Home sleeping.” He picks her up and kisses her cheek. I swear I get happy tears in my eyes every time I see my brother interact with my children. Our father had been a cold-hearted asshole who never showed us affection. Marco is the exact opposite.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Evangeline kisses her cheek before going over to drop a kiss on top of Nikolai’s head. “You ready?” she asks me.
“If my husband will let me go.” I try to wiggle away.
“I don’t like not knowing where you’re going.” His grip on my hip tightens.
“Marco knows, and so does the driver,” I remind him. “We won’t be long. Why don’t you and Marco fix the lights on the banister? I don’t know why they aren’t working.” I spent forever wrapping the banister with lights and garland. I noticed last night they’d stopped working.
“Already fixed.” Of course they are.
“I’m sure you two have things to keep you busy. It’s a lot of work being an underground crime boss.”
“Underground?” He smirks. True, my husband doesn’t hide who he is. He would walk in and shoot someone in a room full of people, and no one would say a word. It’s actually how we met.
“Baseless accusations. My client has a squeaky clean reputation.” Marco winks at him. I still can’t believe my little brother is a lawyer.
“The sooner I go, the sooner I can be back.” I lean up and give my husband one last kiss. He reluctantly releases his hold on me. I kiss the kids and hurry out before Nick tosses me over his shoulder and takes me upstairs.
“I’m so excited.” Evangeline all but bounces in her seat in the back of the SUV. “I’ve been wanting a kitten.”
“I can’t wait to finally get to see them.” I’ve been talking to the shelter for a few weeks about the kittens. They had three that needed homes. When they told me that, I immediately called Evangeline and asked if she wanted one too.
It doesn’t take long before we’re pulling up to the shelter. Ivan gets out of the front passenger side to escort us inside the building. The girl behind the desk’s eyes widen when she sees him.
“Go wait out front. It’s a cat shelter. You’re scaring people.”
Ivan is a big man. I wasn’t trying to draw attention to us.
“I—”
“I wasn't asking.” I cut him off before he starts to protest. He gives a nod and steps back outside.
“I kinda love when you’re bossy.” Evangeline laughs. My sister-in-law is as sweet as they come. She’s just what Marco needs. I’m honestly not sure what path he might have ended up on if she hadn’t come into his life.
“I’m Sophia. I believe you’re expecting me.” I give the girl a warm smile. We can’t be that scary. Evangeline has a light-up Christmas sweater on.
“Yes. Right this way, Mrs. DaVinci,” she rushes to say. I’m not sure if she’s jittery because of my last name or the fact that I gave a sizable donation when I told the shelter I’d be adopting the three kittens.
“Is Dr. Franscell here?” I question as she leads us down the hallway.
“Yes, he’s in with a client.” She motions to a closed door. “I’ll go get the kittens if you don’t mind waiting here.” She opens a door to one of the exam room doors.
“Bathroom?” Evangeline asks.
“There.” The woman points back the way we came. Evangeline quickly excuses herself. My eyes linger on the closed exam room door. I’d asked for no one to be here except the employees. “There was an emergency,” the girl says. I notice her scrubs don’t have a logo or name tag on them.
“Right.” I don’t move.
“Shall we?” She motions for me to step into the room.
“What’s your name?” I ask, not moving from the hallway. Evangeline has disappeared from my view. Something isn’t right.
“I, ah—” She glances nervously toward the closed door. I walk over to it and grab the handle. “What are you doing?”
I push it open and find the room empty. “Oh, he must have wrapped up. I’ll go back to his office and tell him you’re here.”
