Page 155 of The Devil's Heir

It turned out that Jarek was right. Carmen had been using traces of arsenic to poison him. After rushing Jarek's bloodwork, Dr. Owens started him on chelation therapy. He inserted an IV with medication to help remove the metals in his blood from the arsenic.

Jarek ate a hearty breakfast this morning, and we showered together to ensure he was strong enough, or so he said. I knew better, but I wasn't going to argue with him. Last night was the best night of sleep I've had in a long time. Sleeping beside Jarek had put my mind at ease once again. I've always felt protected with him, and even after everything that has happened, I still feel that way.

When I call out, Jarek comes out of his office. He's still slower than usual but already looks much better than when we arrived yesterday evening.

He takes my hand, and we go to the door together. I won't let him walk all the way to the car. We stand together as we watch Jackson climb out of the back seat, smiling and waving at us. He reaches back into the car and pulls out Keirnan's car seat.

Jarek squeezes my hand, but he stumbles when he tries to step forward. This is likely due to his emotional state, not his physical state. I wrap my arms around his waist to help him stand steadier when Jackson stops in front of us and turns the baby carrier around.

"Your son, Sir." Jackson smiles proudly.

Keirnan is sound asleep, snuggled under his thin blanket. His full head of dark hair lays nice and smooth on top of his head, and his dark lashes flutter while he sleeps.

"He's so—tiny," Jarek breathes softly.

I scoff. "He didn't feel so tiny coming out."

Jarek chokes on a sob, and I tighten my arms around him.

"I wish I could have been there."

"You will be there for the next one…" I reassure him.

Jarek snaps his head to me, looking surprised.

"You…will have another baby of mine?"

"Why not?" I snicker, then ask, "Do you plan on getting rid of me?"

Darkness clouds his eyes as he fixes them on me, "Do you want me to punish that ass in front of everyone here?"

I smirk, but his words cause a slight ache between my legs. Ignoring his question, I then turn us, saying, "Come on. Let's go inside so you can hold your son."

Jarek leans into my ear. "Don't think I'm going to forget that you blatantly ignored my question, pauper."

"I wouldn't dream of it…" I give him a sexy little smirk and a wink as we sit on the couch. Then, in a low, seductive voice, I add, "I'm counting down the days until you're strong enough to punish me for being such a naughty girl."

Jarek gawks at my playful banter as Jackson sets the carrier on the floor before me. I pretend to ignore him as I busy myself with lifting our son from his seat. Once he recovers from the shock, I set Keirnan in Jarek's arms. I sit back and let myself take in the sight of father and son for the first time.

This is what's been missing—Keirnan's family as a whole. I guess you can say I've fully forgiven the devil for his past transgressions. I'm not sure if I would have, had I not been given his life story last night as we lay in bed. Jarek finally opened up to me and told me about his life after his parents died.

Knowing that his life was just as fucked up as mine, if not more, it was easy to forgive his bullying. He didn't know how to show his love, and after knowing Carmen, I understand why he didn't want to bring attention to me where his family was concerned. Carmen never would have accepted me.

None of that matters now. What truly matters is moving forward and striving to be better than those who came before us—even if we are headof the Mafia. In the end, the good we do in life has the power to balance the inevitable bad that comes with it. One can only hope, anyway.

SIXTY-NINE

Jarek

It's been a long recovery. A month of lounging around the house, only able to conduct business through video calls, is not something I will ever get used to, nor do I want to. The only positive is spending quality time with Liliana and Keirnan.

I've never considered myself a family man, just a man who needed to produce an heir or two to pass on the family name. However, looking at my son, I want to be a part of his life. I want to see all his firsts and be there to help him through life.

I can't help that he's been born into the Mafia family, but I can try and show him the right way to do things. That's where Liliana comes in. She makes everything better, and although I can't be entirely good, she helps me see things from a different perspective.

I'm the head of the Falcon crime family, and she's now a part of it. As soon as I make Liliana my wife, she will stand as my equal. After spending this past month with her, I have no doubt that she'll turn down my proposal when the time comes.

Today was my first day back in the office, and although it was boring, it was good to get back into the swing of things. What feels even better is that I'm headed to The Reformatory to finally take care of Dog, Carmen's favorite guard. He and the other goon have been hanging out and taking up space in my cells, and it's time to evict the bastards.