Singe (Men of Inked Heatwave #8) - Chelle Bliss Page 0,71
skimming the document before reading the words to her.
Mother: Alena Costas
Location: Chicago, IL
Alena Costas married David Howell twenty years ago and has resided in the Chicago area since birth. She’s a nurse at Rush Memorial, working in the ICU for the last ten years. Alena and David have no children together, and there’s only one birth on record for Alena. She gave birth to a female child by the name of Karisa Delizonas.
I peer up to find Arlo barely breathing and clutching her chest.
“My name’s Karisa?”
“That’s what she put on your birth certificate, baby.”
“Is there more?”
I squeeze her hand and continue.
Father: Adrian Delizonas
Location: Chicago, IL
Adrian Delizonas has been married to Karen Black for the last seventeen years. They live near Greektown and run a successful restaurant that has been passed down in the family for the last fifty years. Adrian and Karen have two children, both under the age of ten.
It’s unclear the relationship Adrian and Alena had in their youth, but both were under the age of eighteen when Arlo was born.
When contacted, the adoption agency in Chicago provided a note left in the file, stating both the mother and father had contacted the agency, trying to find any information they could about the baby they gave up almost three decades ago.
The agency had very little information to give the birth parents due to the adoption and later death of baby Karisa’s parents. They did leave a letter sent by the birth parents inside the file in case Karisa ever contacted the agency. Letter is enclosed.
Arlo’s fingers are wrapped around my hand so tightly, my fingertips are tingling. “You okay?” I ask her.
“I don’t know what I am.”
“Do you want to read the letter?”
She stares at me with those striking green eyes. I see so much fear mingled with curiosity behind them. If I were in the same situation, I don’t know what I’d do.
“I don’t know,” she whispers as I hold the envelope with the name Karisa written on the outside in the most beautiful cursive. She moves closer, placing her head against my shoulder, and stares at the envelope. “What if they never want to see me?”
“But what if they do?” I tell her, kissing the top of her dark-brown hair.
She sucks in a deep breath before relaxing. “I don’t know if I’m ready for more.”
My phone vibrates on the armrest next to me.
“Answer it,” she says as she takes the few sheets of paper from my hands.
I glance at the screen, letting Arlo read the file for herself.
Gigi: Mello, you ever going to fess up about what really happened with my sisters yesterday?
Me: I don’t know what you mean.
Pike: Wrong move, brother.
Gigi: They didn’t sleep over at your place for no reason. I’m not stupid. My parents may believe their bullshit, but I don’t.
Me: They were fine. They were responsible.
Gigi: Meaning they were white-girl wasted?
Me: No. They were not.
Gigi: One of them was.
Me: I’ll talk to you about it next time I see you.
Gigi: I expect answers, but they’re not talking.
Me: Some things are better left unsaid, Gigi.
Gigi: Not in my world.
Pike: That shit’s the truth.
Mammoth:
Gigi: Shut it.
Jett: Pike doesn’t want to get laid for a long, long time.
Nick: Cold, brother. Ice fucking cold.
Gigi: I’m done with y’all.
Tamara: Sit on his face and suffocate him to death.
Pike: Is that supposed to be punishment?
Arlo takes my phone, placing the papers on the couch next to her, and scrolls through the messages after I start laughing. “I love your family,” she says with a sigh.
“Why? They’re messed up. Can’t you see that?”
“That’s what makes them so great. You have a group chat. Do you know how amazingly lucky you are to have that?”
“Do you know how hard it is to get any sleep with them chattering all hours of the day and night?”
“I’d give up some sleep to have a tribe.”
I bend my head, placing my face in her neck. “My tribe is your tribe now, sugar.”
“I’ll know I’ve made it once I’m in the chat.”
“I’ll add you now.”
“No,” she says immediately. “I don’t want a pity add.”
“What the hell is a pity add?” I ask her, confused.
“I want to be added because people want me there, not because my big mouth said something.”
“They want you.”
“No, they don’t.”
“The girls will want you. They’re outnumbered right now.”
“Does everyone keep gender score in your family?”
“Basically,” I murmur against her skin. “And I’m the only one not married in this chat. They took pity on me and allowed me in