Page 29 of Iron Crown

“Of course, you know my father-in-law,” Dairo said to me a little too loudly. “Jericho Vasiliev. Dad, have you met Kira?”

Jericho bristled, and almost growled as he stared at Dairo. I couldn’t help but smile a little, looking at Eoghan, who was acting like this was a totally normal occurrence.

“We met yesterday,” I told Dairo, just to cut the awkwardness when Jericho ignored him.

“Well, that’s fine then,” Dairo said, as he bounced the child in his arms.

“Am I invisible?” Blink said, as we passed him, heading towards whatever we were heading towards. “Am I speaking, but somehow, unheard? Did someone press my mute button?”

“This passive-aggressive guest is Andres Lutkus,” Jericho said, with an almost bored expression. “Friend of the family.”

Eoghan acknowledged him, and my heart leapt to my throat. I had often envisioned bringing my two lives together, but never quite like this.

“So are the children going to participate in the war planning? Really, Jericho, are you going to let them in on battle plans now? Have you no sense of security—”

I couldn’t help myself. “The oldest one is two. The youngest is still in utero. Do you think any of them will be giving awaysensitive Mafia secrets?” Then I cooed at baby Jericho, “Will you be giving awaysecwetwarpwansto your Tickle Me Elmo?”

Blink lifted a single brow, repressing a gentle smile, before he coughed it away..

“Good lord, no,” Dairo said, pulling baby Jericho away from me. “We absolutely forbid toys that make noise. Anything that comes with batteries goes straight into the trash.”

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. I could relate entirely too well to that. Toys that made noise were obviously the invention of Satan himself.

“They shit themselves, don’t they? That seems counterproductive to any serious discussion.” Blink wrinkled his nose, sniffing, as if one of the kids had already pooped.

Or maybe one of the adults?

“Are you volunteering to change diapers?” I asked, repressing a smile.

“Absolutely not!”

“I take it you know each other,” Eoghan said, in a deceptively calm and quiet voice. But I knew better. I could feel the undercurrent of jealousy in his voice.

If he was jealous, then he still loved me. It was a ridiculous, but reassuring thought.

I almost wanted to slap myself. I had fallen into such ease, knowing that everyone here was Paradigm, or at leastadjacentto it. And I still wanted to talk to Blink.

“Of course!” Blink said, surprised he was going to just let it all out at once— “I used to purchase paintings at Gallery Four.”

Then again, was Dairo also Paradigm? Was his wife? Why were they in on all of this planning? Or was it only the Mafia connection tying everyone together? No, that couldn’t be. Not if Blink was here.

But if he was here, what was he pretending to be? Mafia? Or something else? Shit…

Double doors opened to a room with a high ceiling. Wide and tall windows lined a single wall, with embroidered heavy drapes. The place was positively Baroque.

Intricate plaster and crown molding decorated the domed ceiling overhead, and Gothic-style furniture lined the walls. This place was a time capsule. I lingered at the door as others walked past. Dairo and Rose went to sit beside two highchairs, only to have Jericho shoo them away, grabbing one of the highchairs and placing it by the head of the table.

“I’m surprised to see you here, Mr. Lutkus,” I said, referring to him by the name he would have used at Gallery Four. Namely, his own name, which was rather prestigious among some circles. “How do you know the Vasilievs?”

Blink’s steps stuttered for just a moment before he casually said, “Through a shared dislike of the Durantes, of course.”

Of course…He always said that so damn haughtily. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“And also the Morellis,” he added.Giorgio Morelli, specifically.

I felt Eoghan tense beside me.

I didn’t say anything more, too scared that I’d say the wrong thing and piss off everyone. I could accidentally break up the alliance if something was interpreted the wrong way.

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