Page 32 of A Seed Of Peril

“Oh, thank you, Lulu!” She wrapped her arms tight around me, beaming. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

I laughed, hugging her back, shaking my head, and smiling. Dominic had to agree to it now. He was out-voted. I eventually moved Katrina’s arms from around me and got up off the bed, tucking her under the covers. Sweeping her hair past her shoulder and tucking some of it behind her ear, I leaned down one more time to kiss her on her head.

“Maybe you’ll get one for your birthday,” I suggested, winking again. She smiled wide, cupping my cheeks and pulling me closer so we were nose to nose, giving me an Eskimo kiss. Those were part of our routine whenever I tucked her into bed.

“I love you, Lulu.”

I held her hands momentarily as I kissed her between her eyes, telling her, “I love you, too.” I let go of her hands, making sure she was comfortable before I stood back. “Nightlight on?” She nodded. I bent over next to the nightstand and turned on the nightlight that was plugged into the outlet. I then made my way across the room, pausing in the doorway and turning to look at her. Katrina had Mr. Cat secured in her arm. “Do you want the door open or closed tonight?”

“Closed please.”

For the most part, Katrina had her bedroom door closed for bed, but on nights when she either grieved her grandfather or missed Maria, she wanted her door left open. The sounds of the rest of us settling for bed soothed her to sleep, the reminder of our presence comforting.

“You got it,” I said, my hand on the handle. “Goodnight, Katrina. Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight, Lulu.”

I softly closed her door, heading toward Dominic’s office, where I knew he was. He’d been in there since we got home from the park.

Coming up the stairs with a glass of blood in his hand was Anthony. Barefoot in a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt stretched from wear and multiple washes, he was in for the night. He and Angelo tended to go to bed the earliest. Dino, Dominic, and I were the night owls around here.

“Turning in for the night?” I asked him, sparking conversation, knowing good and well he was.

“Yep,” he confirmed, leaving the top step. “Just had to stop in the kitchen for a refresher first. Where are you headed?” He drank a sip of blood.

I jutted my chin toward the office. “To go bug Dominic.”

Aside from telling Dominic about what happened when tucking in Katrina, I figured he could use the company.

“Tell him goodnight for me.” We then hugged, giving a quick kiss to each other’s cheeks.

“I will,” I said as I pulled away, softly smiling. “Sleep well.”

Nodding once, Anthony said, “Same to you.”

As he began walking toward his room, I resumed my walk to the office, talking over my shoulder, hand on my belly. “Depends on if he kicks the crap out of me again tonight.”

A clipped burst of laughter escaped Anthony.

Not bothering to knock, I entered Dominic’s office. He was lounging on the sofa with his legs outstretched, shirtless, a glass of Walker in his hand, the bottle resting on the coffee table. He tracked every move I made as I stepped further into the room.

Jutting my thumb toward the door, I asked, “Want me to lock it?”

He shook his head. “No. Why aren’t you on your way to bed?”

“Because I wanted to touch base with you.” I put my hands on my hips, cocking my brow. “And I could ask you the same.”

A smirk barely teased the corner of his lips as he sipped his drink. Lowering the rim of the glass away from his mouth, he asked, “What’d you want to touch base on? The park?”

Dropping my arms, I said, “You read my mind.”

I did actually want to talk to him about what happened this afternoon, to see if he figured out if there was, in fact, some random guy after us. I’d bet every dollar I had that there was.

I sat down in the armchair by his bare feet, resting my hand on my belly. Judging by our son’s activity, it’d be yet another night where sleep didn’t come easy. I sighed. Dominic looked at me quizzically.

“He’s a night owl like us.”

Lifting his chin, he drank another sip of his drink, the glass almost empty. Bringing the glass back down to his lap, Dominic said, “I spoke to Scioli and Deliso. There wasn’t anybody chasing us, so you can rest easy.”

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