Page 32 of Vegas Baby

I dip my chin. “I have a friend still, at the club where we met. She called me. She told me that when he returned, Andrei’s father was waiting. He lost everything because of what Andrei did. Andrei knew he could never return, not because he was a criminal — really, he’d been one all along, so that was nothing new — but because of what his father would do to him for getting caught. And he wasn’t wrong to fear it. It wasn’t quick or pretty, from what she told me.” I feel a tear slip over my cheek as I look up into Sebastian’s dark, troubled eyes. “Am I wrong to be glad for it?”

He reaches up and runs his thumb over my cheek, wiping the tear away. “No. But … what about you? Does his father —”

I shake my head adamantly. “No. She said he’d assumed Andrei had killed me too before he’d left Russia. That he never even thought to ask after me. Though from the sound of it he didn’t give Andrei much time to talk about anything.” I shrug and sniff deeply.

“I’m so sorry, Kira,” he murmurs.

My brows bunch together. “For what? I’m safe. I have a beautiful baby girl. A roof over my head. There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.”

“Speaking of the roof over your head … this is your room?” Sebastian asks, looking around at the obvious signs that both Nadia and I occupy the space.

I huff a laugh. “Yes. My room. Michael and I … it’s not like that,” I assure him.

He raises an eyebrow. “That’s good to know.” He shifts uncomfortably. “So, did you want to watch one of those movies or something? You know … as friends.”

I chuckle and go to respond when Nadia starts to fuss and her head turns into my bosom, rooting for my nipple through my shirt. I rock and shush her. “Let me feed her here first, then I’d love to join you in the living room for a movie.”

He nods and rises. And watching him go, I have hope that maybe we can be friends … and then maybe see where things go from there.

22

SEBASTIAN

“Maria, please. You owe me.”

My youngest older sister puts her hands on her hips and gives me a look.

“You’re so not over this woman.”

“It’s not about that. I just want to help her, and you know how hard it is to find a good daycare. And you’re the best,” I reply, buttering her up more than a little bit.

She rolls her eyes but smiles. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, hermanito. Fine. But I don’t owe you for the truck repair.”

“But that’s two thousand dollars!” I say in shock.

She tilts her head and cocks an eyebrow. “I’ll give her three months for that, Sebastian. That’s a steep discount. But I want to meet her and the baby first.” She pauses and narrows her eyes at me. “You’re thinking about trying to get her back, aren’t you.”

I let out a deep sigh. “Honestly? I’m not ruling it out, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this.”

Maria pats me on the chest. “And yet you’re still doing the hero thing, as always. Don’t stop following your heart, hermanito.”

I grimace. “Easy for you to say. But it didn’t work out so well for me last time.”

Maria smirks at me as she pulls a toy mallet out of a toddler’s hand as he runs by. “One of these times it will. But only if you keep trying.”

* * *

Once I get home, I text Kira to make plans for tomorrow, even though I only left her a few hours ago. I don’t know whether to be surprised or not when she agrees. Either way, I borrowed an infant car seat from Maria just in case Kira doesn’t have one handy. Kira’s on a timeline, and I want to help her with this. Fuck all if I know why; it’s sure as hell not my problem. And yet, here I am.

* * *

“You … want me to meet your sister?” Kira asks with wide eyes.

I realize immediately what the proposition must have sounded like to her. “She runs a daycare,” I explain quickly. “And since you need one for Nadia like …”

“Next week,” Kira supplies quietly, then sighs, rubbing the hand that’s not holding Nadia over her face. “But even home daycares are asking more than I can afford right now, Sebastian.”

“Well, first maybe just check it out. And then we’ll worry about how you’ll manage until you’re back on your feet, financially speaking anyway,” I offer.

---