Page 132 of Sinful Scars

Dimitri looks around. “Can we wet this kid’s head already? I’m parched.”

“Dimitri,” Zara scolds. “Today is not about you.”

Dimitri looks at me with a sheepish expression, and I laugh again.

“You can open the champagne, Dimitri, it’s fine.”

He grins at me, which only makes Zara scowl more.

I love that the entire family is here to meet our son, including the kids. Though for the time being, they’ve been put up in the hospital daycare while the adults all enjoy a glass of champagne to toast to the newest member of the family.

While Dimitri is busy spilling champagne all over the hospital floor, Lucia hands me back my son before perching beside me on the bed.

“I thought I had two more weeks to mentally prepare for all of this.” I look down at the sleeping baby in my arms.

Lucia shakes her head as she glances sidelong at Mikhail, “In case you haven’t noticed, Koslovs don’t like to be told what to do. Vivi was just like this too!”

“Oh, I’m aware.” I chuckle.

“He looks like them.”

I gently stroke the head of dark hair and smile.

“He really does.”

Lucia gets to her feet. “Seriously, Dimitri, let me open the damn champagne.”

She helps Dimitri open the second bottle.

Lev is unusually quiet in the chair beside the bed, so I reach for his hand and give it a squeeze. He’s still not used to being around so many people, but I appreciate how hard he’s been trying over the last few months.

I smile at him. “Come and sit by us.”

He offers me a small smile as he slides onto the bed and pulls me against his side.

With Nina’s help, we got him set up with a new therapist as well as a neurologist to try and help him work through his trauma and blackouts.

After a few scans, it was concluded that Lev’s blackouts are actually seizures as a result of lasting brain damage caused by Igor.

While they can’t be cured, Lev has been able to manage them by taking medication and reducing stress, which I know has been a huge weight off his shoulders.

The last few months have been a learning curve for everyone. He’s spent the majority of his life isolated and alone, so to suddenly be welcomed into such a big family was a bit of a shock. But everyone has been really supportive in giving us space when we need it as well as reaching out too.

Even Alexei.

While I would love to bring Lev over to Alexei’s house for family dinner every month, I know it’s a lot for him. He’s always been an outsider, and I think it will take a long time for him to feel anything other than that.

So, for now, we’ve been spending a lot of time with Nina and Anton.

Nina has been incredibly helpful in preparing me for life with a new baby, and Lev and Anton have bonded over their mutual love for business. He’s taken Lev down toEspionageon many occasions, just the two of them, and whenever Lev comes home, he always has such a lightness to him that I’m still getting used to seeing.

I don’t ask too many questions about what they talkabout, but I make sure Anton knows how much I appreciate him spending time with Lev.

“Right, does everyone have a glass?” Dimitri calls out over all the chatter.

Zara hands me a glass, and I eagerly take it. I’ve not had a sip of alcohol in almost nine months and after the last twenty-four hours, I think I deserve a tiny sip or two.

Dimitri holds up his glass. “Everyone, raise your glasses to?—”

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