Page 155 of Seeking Shadows

"I don’t like you."

"That’s ridiculous. I’m adorable."

Pietro just snorts.

"You literally tried to kill me in my own home."

"It wasn’t personal!"

Laura slams the book shut.

"You tried to kill him twice."

“And both times it was because he was getting in the way of something. You guys are so emotional,” Seth says, biting into a green apple, and I laugh.

Zane looks at Seth like he's a waste of energy, then goes back to drawing. He’s probably thinking Seth tried to do the same to him, but he’s not close enough to Pietro to say it out loud.

“Are you just gonna stay quiet over there? No ‘happy birthday’ for me?” Seth says to Zane, his posture sinister and intimidating.

“Happy birthday,” Zane says without even looking up from his drawing, and I laugh.

“Fucker.”

I roll my eyes, laughing. That’s it. That’s the chaos I love.

“Thanks for the cake, Laura.”

She hesitates for a second before walking over and giving me a quick hug, as if she didn’t want to admit she liked it.

“Don’t get used to it.”

In the middle of the chaos, I don’t even realize Pietro has left the room until he reappears, carrying Edo and Eleonora in his arms as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Seth’s eyes widen as soon as he sees Eleonora, and he smiles broadly.

“Hey, babydoll!” Seth’s voice takes on a softness I’ve never heard before. Not even with me.

Eleonora, who was comfortably resting in Pietro’s lap, immediately stretches her little arms toward Seth, wiggling her fingers excitedly. Pietro lets out a long, tired sigh, as if he’d been expecting this, but makes no move to hand her over.

“Seriously?” Pietro grumbles, looking at his daughter. “You don’t even hesitate?”

Eleonora completely ignores her father and keeps reaching for Seth, making an insistent sound that, in her language, probably means,Give him to me now, father.

“You shouldn’t be so excited to see him, Tesoro,” Pietro mutters, but finally hands her over to Seth when she starts showing signs of crying. I suspect Pietro would rather have a knife stuck in his chest than see her cry.

As soon as Seth picks her up, Eleonora snuggles against him, resting her little head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. Seth, of course, grins like an idiot.

“You love me more, don’t you, babydoll? Of course you do. I’m your favorite uncle.”

Pietro crosses his arms and stares at Seth as if he’s calculating the best way to assassinate him without leaving a trace.

“If you encourage this treason, I’ll break your legs.”

Seth laughs, rocking Eleonora lightly in his arms.

“Pietro, Pietro… you need to relax, man. Look at that little face, how could I not want to spend time with her?”

He kisses Eleonora’s forehead exaggeratedly, making a loud kiss noise just to tease Pietro. Eleonora giggles against his shoulder.

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