Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
As for Lou … well, he laughed. “Oh, that is fantastic. I adore this kid.”
He would.
Lou walked back to the crib and grinned down at her. “Such a merciless little sweetheart, aren’t you, Lilibeth? Yes, you are.” He flinched as a telepathic slap hit his cheek.
Ella wrinkled her nose. “She doesn’t like it when people do all that baby babble. Finds it condescending.” As would any advanced infant, she supposed.
Lou joined his hands, his eyes bright with sheer delight. “Please let me adopt her. I will do literally anything—”
“No,” both Ella and Viper stated.
Lou dropped his arms to his sides, his face falling. “You’re such selfish people.”
“And your time is up,” said Viper.
“Can I bring Asher with me next time I visit?”
Viper’s jaw went tight. “There won’t be a next time.”
“I told you he was bullshitting,” Jester piped up.
Lou smiled at his brother. “You’ve missed me. I see it now.” At Jester’s growl, he raised his hands. “Fine, I’ll go. I don’t believe in outstaying my welcome.” He waved at Lilibeth. “You take care, Missy. Uncle Lou will be back to see you soon.” Then he was gone.
Ella weakly shrugged. “At least he’ll stop coming several times a week.”
“Don’t be so sure he will,” mumbled Jester as he and his brothers trickled out of the nursery.
“As you’re back, I’m gonna go pee,” declared Mia, pushing out of the chair before then leaving.
Viper scooped up Lilibeth and cradled her against his chest, his palm supporting the back of her head. “You had fun kicking that idiot’s ass, didn’t you, baby girl?”
Ella felt her mouth flattened. “I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t curse around her.”
Viper gave Ella a look of amused affection. “Baby.”
Yeah, okay, it probably was unrealistic to think that a club of bikers could avoid swearing altogether, but they could at least give it a shot.
“Now that there’s only us three”—Viper’s gaze dropped to her chest—“you gonna finally show me what’s under that bandage?”
“You act like I’ve been hiding it from you for weeks.” Ella sent out a gentle wave of magick to close the door and flick the lock. “Raini only finished, like, twenty minutes ago.”
She whipped off her tee and, wincing as the tape tugged on her skin, peeled off the bandage on the swell of her breast. A tattoo of a little heart-shaped bottle filled with crimson liquid sat on a diagonal angle, a tag attached to it that read: Drink Me.
She’d had Raini do it because, as the mate of a descendant, the succubae already knew about the curse that befell fallen celestials. Any other tattooist might have asked uncomfortable questions.
“It’s fucking amazing,” he breathed.
It was. “I can hide it with glamor if I ever need to, though I don’t think anyone would see the ink and think, Ooh, Viper drinks blood. I’m not interested in risking it, though.”
“You said you were getting a magick-related tattoo.”
“So I lied because I wanted to surprise you,” Ella said with a go sue me shrug. “You marked yourself for me. No way was I not gonna do the same for you.”
“And I fucking love that you have.” He pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. “I’m also gonna take you up on that Drink Me invitation as soon as we’re alone.”
Ella smiled. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“So will I.”
Lilibeth let out what could only be described as a give me attention shriek.
Ella chuckled. “Feeling left out, huh?” She carefully took the baby from Viper and nuzzled her soft hair, loving the smell of her. “She’s perfect.”
“She is.” Viper curled his arms around them both. “Just like her mom.”
“Ooh, smooth.”
“I don’t suppose there’s a joint on the floor anywhere here, is there?” asked Lou from somewhere behind Viper, who went stiff as a board. “I think it might have fallen out of my pocket when Lilibeth whammed me.”
“Go,” Viper bit off without even looking his way.
“But I can’t find my—”
“It isn’t here, go.”
“So rude.” Lou must have gone up on his tippy toes, because his head appeared in Ella’s line of sight as he waved at the baby again. “Bye, bye, Lilibeth. I’ll see you very—ow, kid, that hurt.” Rubbing at his cheek, he disappeared once more.
Lilibeth’s small mouth hitched up, and she let out a high-pitched coo of what might have been amusement.
Viper gave her a look of approval. “Yeah, we don’t like him, do we? So if he comes back, feel free to slap him as many times as you want.”