Belly of the Beast

Chapter 43

It took a little inventiveness on Amelia's part to convince my parents that the fire was intentional. According to her story, she was deathly afraid of spiders, and when she saw one crawling on the cracker box, the first thing she thought of was to burn the thing alive.

Although my mom couldn't shake the eerie feeling that she had seen fire shooting from my hands, she finally let it go when everyone told her how crazy that sounded. Besides, she and Dad were preoccupied with doting on their first grandbaby.

"Henry is a wonderful name. And strong too," Mom said. "Henry Valentino sounds like someone you'd listen to."

"I'm sure he'll take after his father." Dad smiled at Vincent as he raised his glass of scotch. "How's business been? I'm sure it's difficult finding time for family."

"I've been delegating a lot more, lately." Vincent looked nonplussed by my dad's intrusive questioning, which was something I'd learned to manage with my parents long ago.

"Okay, Julie. It's my turn." Sylvie tapped my mom on the shoulder as she held out her arms, and Mom handed Henry over. "Oh, what a little prince you are," she cooed as she tickled him under the chin. "He's got his dad's bone structure. His jaw looks like it was chiseled from marble. Are you going to be stubborn like your daddy?"

Vincent had been lost in a parental fog ever since Henry was born, and he didn't seem to mind being called stubborn. When he caught me staring at him, he offered an easy smile. "I hope she's right," he said.

After visitation time was over, my parents excused themselves to their hotel where they planned to rest before taking in dinner and a show. Ellis, whose wit equaled any Valentino, was invited into Vincent's office for more drinks and probably more business talk, while Sylvie joined me in the bedroom while I fed my son.

"So, you and Ellis are still deliriously happy, I take it?"

Sylvie smiled as she reclined on the pillow beside me, snapping her cinnamon gum. "Yes, ma'am. I think he might be one."

"Really? Have you had the talk?"

"No, but he's a little gun shy. He's been burned before."

"Well, you've never been one for tradition. Why don't you bring it up?"

"I've considered it, but I don't want to steal his thunder. It's not a good idea to mess with a guy's manhood. It all goes downhill from there."

"I see what you mean. So, the sex is still great?"

"Sure is. And he doesn't mind making a mess." Sylvie grinned, and her eyes shifted to the door as she checked for bodies. "We aren't using birth control, so he's made this game out of finding different places to come. My boobs are his favorite. They were Colin's favorite too."

I had to chuckle. Sylvie was never one to hold back information, no matter how sensitive. "And neither of you are worried about the possibility of pregnancy? Withdrawal isn't foolproof."

Sylvie gave me an eye roll. "Save the lecture, please. If it happens, it happens. Hell, I would have been fine if it had happened with Colin. But, I guess, that ship was never meant to sail."

She released a long sigh before snapping her gum again, and I gave her a scrutinizing look. "You're still not over Colin, are you?"

Sylvie failed to meet my gaze, and I got my answer. "Maybe not. But don't you dare tell anyone. Not even Vincent. Colin is happy with his gollum girl, and I have no intention of messing that up for him. He deserves to be happy."

My thoughts immediately went to Colin, who I knew was still trying to find his happiness, but I stuffed those concerns and reassured my friend. "Tell me the truth, Sylvie. Can you see yourself spending the rest of your life with Ellis and raising kids with him?"