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Alonzo had told her Jake and his wife, Emma, would be there Also, Eli and Catarina Perez would be present She would be nant with triplets and, although it was early in the pregnancy, they were taking precautions, so everyone thought it best to meet at the Lospostos home

She glanced back at the ht of as her "boys" Ti there, but for some reason Alonzo had insisted he co, or for thathurt, but he would never admit it, at least not in front of her He'd told her to quit fussing over hinored his order and just did it anyway Tihed at him and told him he'd just have to live with it They'd called her little sister in Russian and she hugged that to her as she stood there on the wide verandah wanting to run

Alonzo bent doard her, shifting his body slightly to put hiuards "You don't have to do this, Evangeline If you're doing it foryou prefer not to"

She heard the ring of sincerity in his voice and her heart turned over Just like that her nerves settled If she could slip through the swaerous male leopard and survive, she could do this These wo the hand of friendship toward her, just as Saria had all those years ago when she was just a child She'd been equally as afraid, but she'd let Saria into her life and it had proven to be one of the best things she'd ever done She'd let Alonzo into her life, and it was the best thing she'd ever done

"I'm doin' this for me, honey," she assured

Timur snorted "She calls him honey," he whispered overly loud to Gorya

Alonzo turned and cuffed his brother hard, all in one round to repriet out of the way, but Alonzo was too fast The huge paw hit him on the side of his head Claere sheathed, but the strike was a hard blow, er back

Gorya, Sevastyan and Mitya snickered Tis under him and shook his head to clear it "Fuckin' maniac," he said

Evangeline kicked Alonzo in the shins hard just as Elijah Lospostos opened his door "I see you two are getting along," he greeted He opened the door wider and waved theaze on Mitya

The huh the door in front of his brother and Evangeline, on high alert,certain it was safe before he allowed them inside

Elijah shook his head, ignoring the fact that Ti the rooood to see you again Are you fully recovered?"

She nodded "The doctor gave his okay for me to be workin' and I've been back for the last teeks Business has doubled, so I'ot a new e I believe you recommended hi was no baker or barista He was leopard and already chafing a little at his assignment She felt a little sorry for the boy He wanted to be where the action was, not working behind a counter in a bakery

"Jere and he's had a few bad experiences He's eager to prove hiood man if he can learn patience"

"Lovely that I'ht out in spite of her determination to behave

"Who better? You learned patience as a child That trait is invaluable, especially in a shifter The wo of the house, and we'd prefer you stay there because there's ais part of our alliance It would be best, Evangeline, if you stay with my wife"

It was a subtle order So on She sent her man a look that told hie He could have just told her Her gaze fell on Mitya speculatively Why had they brought hi? She was fairly certain it had so

"I thought this was a faht in the eye If the , that meant she'd be alone with the other wives It was silly to think she had to have him with her, but on the other hand, he'd iht dessert with her

"The ," Alonzo assured "Let's introduce you I want you to meet Siena"

"She thinks she's as big as a house Catarina is a little further along than she is and she's way sot three inside of her, but she doesn't listen" Elijah shook his head in exasperation

He indicated for them to follow him down the wide hall to the opposite end of the house There were three woe rooeline recognized both Eazines She thought they were both beautiful Emma held her baby, a boy a little over a nant She looked as if she ht have sed a small beach ball Catarina barely showed

Siena sht her I didn't think you ever would and I threatened Elijah If you didn't show up today, I was going to come to your house"

Evangeline had been living for just over four weeks on the Arnotto property and already she thought of it as her home In that moment she realized the house, the entire estate, actually belonged to Siena She'd known, but she'd thought of it as her home

"I brought her," Alonzo assured, taking Evangeline's hand and walking her forward "Solnyshko eline"

It was his voice that was nearly her undoing The way he saidfor him to hear that tone To hear him say her name that way and claim her for his own

"Evangeline, Siena And that's Emma Bannaconni and Catarina Perez"

Evangeline forced a sht little knots E red and very thick She had enormous almond-shaped aquaeline because she didn't look that petite in her photographs

E her sleeping son with expert hands "So good toAlonzo's heart"

Evangeline glanced up at her e expression, but she felt him wince He didn't want anyone to know she'dnot to feel abandoned

Elijah took the two dessert carriers out of her hands and put theeline You wo ? I can serve theh the transparent plastic

"It's good to finallyElijah "Alonzo told me you were in the hospital the same time I was"

Emma nodded "Yes I had a little trouble with this one, but it all cahter and another son, but I left theht it would be nice to have a little time with friends"

"I'reed to co and wavy, falling in a waterfall of shi silk down her back She had very unusual cobalt blue eyes surrounded by long dark lashes Her full lips turned up at the corners just slightly She was very curvy and had a little pouch where her baby hid "I love to bake or cook and I'm so happy to have another person to share recipes with E recipes"

"Did you notice the absence of a na abilities?" Siena said, laughing softly "I can't cook or bake Elijah does most of it for us"

She senerous e cat-shaped brilliant green eyes with lush, thick black lashes If that wasn't enough, she had a straight nose, high cheekbones, beautiful teeth and rich dark hair, very thick

Elijah instantly was beside her, reaching down for her hand and threading his fingers through hers "I like to cook It relaxesin that chair in the kitchen talking to me while I cook That relaxes me too"

Siena laughed "He e chair he paid a fortune for It's super comfortable and is supposed to have back support and all kinds of other benefits Elijah researched for weeks and then tested it out so it would be perfect, and it is"

Evangeline found she liked Elijah Lospostos just for buying his pregnant wife a comfortable chair to sit in while he cooked That eet She also liked that he didn'tthem all how much he loved her

"I aeline is"

"Did your ?" Emma asked

Evangeline's heart accelerated She hadn't considered that the women would be curious about her and ask questions They weren't prying so et to know her She was so closed off to others that it hadn't occurred to her exactly ould transpire

Alonzo h that she could feel his body heat She shook her head, her chin going up a fraction "No, I didn't know my mother, but a friend of mine, Saria Donovan, introduced me to Pauline Lafont She owned the inn Saria has now Pauline taught me to cook and to bake I didn't talk a lot and it was soether that didn't require a lot of talkin'"