Page 44 of Beautiful Trauma

Dare nodded. “Glad you decided to see things my way.”

“You’re such an egomaniac.”

With a chuckle, Dare replied, “When you’re as amazing as I am, you can’t help being one.”

“Jaysus,” Callum muttered.

Quinn jerked his chin at Eamon. “Go get more coffee.”

“Will do,” he said before turning around and heading out of the office.

I stiffened when Dare slipped his hand around my waist. When I met his gaze, he shook his head. “No one to worry about seeing you be weak in here. We’re all in this together.”

Since I was afraid speaking would betray my emotions, I bobbed my head in acknowledgement. My brothers were the only reasons why I was still standing. Somehow, they would see me through this.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: MILA

As I shoved my hand more forcefully into an oven mitt than necessary, I tried ridding myself of the constant loop of thoughts about Kellan from my mind. Almost twenty-four hours had passed since my interaction with him, but he hadn’t been out of my mind for one agonizing second.

With a frustrated grunt, I jerked open the oven door. The meaty aroma of Pelani filled my nose. After pulling the baking dish from the oven, I set it down on the counter. The meat-filled dumplings had been one of my mother's favorite dishes. She cooked them at least once a week.

Since her murder, they’d been my comfort food. After moving in with Father and Faina, we had a cook. Her Pelaniwas nothing like my mother’s, so I’d started making it like my mother had taught me.

Even now after so many years, it was my go-to comfort food. After leaving the gallery, I’d gone straight to the market down the street for the ingredients.

I’d been on autopilot all through work. I’d originally debated about calling in, but then I knew I would drive myself crazy with nothing to do all day but beat myself up over Kellan.

At the knock at my door, I peered curiously at the security camera on the counter. When Dima stared back at me, I grimaced. Besides my father, he was the last person I wanted to see today. There had been radio silence between us all day.

With a sigh, I went over and unlocked the door. “Hey,” I said.

“Hey.”

Pulling the door back, I asked, “Want to come in?”

“Thanks.”

After Dima stepped through the door, I closed and locked it back. We stood in painful silence for a moment. “Did something go wrong with the Kavanaugh intel?” I asked.

I couldn’t bring myself to say Kellan’s name, least of all in front of Dima.

He shook his head. “Everything’s fine.”

“Oh, okay,” I replied.

Dima cleared his throat. “I just wanted to come by to apologize for last night.”

Surprise flooded me. “Really?”

Nodding, he said, “I was out of line.”

“Thanks.”

“And you’re right. If the opportunity had arisen for me to fuck a target with little risk, I would’ve taken it as I’m sure Aleks and Lev would.”

“I appreciate that.”

He gave me a small smile. “It was pure torture waiting for you during that radio silence.”