Page 37 of Diary from an Inked Throne

They both nodded, and then Lynx added, “If it’s okay with the two of you.” His cheeks blushed pink, and he suddenly went awkward. “It’s just…”

Luca had less trouble articulating his words. “He feels like our baby too.”

My heart had already taken a beating today, and I wasn’t sure it could take another word like that. I leaned across the table, kissing Lynx, and then Luca, loving them both with everything I had.

Dax blinked back tears and then nodded. “This means a lot.”

“To us too,” Luca said quietly.

I couldn’t even speak as Lynx pulled off his shirt and had Dax tattoo James’s name on his biceps. When it was Luca’s turn, he did the same, but had Dax tattoo on his chest, right above the faded Guerra family crest his father and uncle had burned into him so long ago.

In two ways now, scar and tattoo, Luca and I matched.

He sat through his tattoo without complaint, and when he was done, Reaper eventually got his chance to work on Dax’s tattoo.

By the time we said goodbye to the last of our guests and went back to the Guerra mansion, we all had my baby’s name inked into our skin.

Except he was no longer just my baby.

He was all of ours.

He’d made us a family. And even when he wasn’t here, he’d always be at the heart of it.

11

LUCA

Dear Diary,

She warned me I might get squirted in the eye. I accepted the risk.

My childhood home towered over our heads. It was familiar, the same brick pillars and circular driveway and neatly tended gardens I’d seen every day for decades. And yet none of us made a move to walk inside the doors.

I may as well have been wearing concrete boots. “We should have stayed at the clubhouse.”

Nyah threaded her fingers between mine and squeezed reassuringly. “It’s not as bad as you think it is. Everyone is gone. All your father’s men…your men…are looking for James. It’s just us.”

Except it wasn’t. There were ghosts inside that house, memories I didn’t want to stir up. Cages. Nyah’s blood. The ache of a missing baby I’d never even met but was so attached to I’d tattooed his name on my skin.

I wanted to be like my sister, who had firmly told me she wasn’t ever coming back to live with me if where I lived was in the Guerra mansion. She had her own nightmares attached to this house. She’d clung to Jax, like she was scared I might force her back here. But I was in no position to make demands on her. I’d be back on the road again in days and couldn’t take her with me.

So I’d left her once again in Kara’s and Chaos’s capable hands, glad she had the family she’d always deserved. Parents who clearly loved her, if the way Kara had hugged Isabella was anything to go by. Little sisters in Jax, Hayley Jade, and Wren. Extended family in all of the Slayers and their partners and kids.

She was happy and settled, while I was anything but.

And again, I thought we should have just stayed at the clubhouse.

I wanted to burn this property to the motherfucking ground.

But Nyah tugged me toward the door. “It’s late. There’s nowhere else to go tonight. It’s here or we try sleeping in the car…”

Lynx groaned. “Please God, no. I’ve slept in the car way too many times in the last six weeks.”

Nyah frowned at him. “You have?”

I shrugged. “We go where the leads are. There’s not always a room available.”

She bit her lip. “I don’t like that.”