Page 98 of Beyond Enemy Vows

"Long time no see, troublemaker," he says, looking down at me with his green eyes. I hug him and then turn to Keira.

"You're late," I say, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, well, someone insisted on stopping for coffee." Keira shoots a glare at her brother.

"To be fair," he says, looking at me, "the coffee maker on our plane broke, so…" He trails off and shrugs. "Anyway, you look tired."

"Gee, thanks. Always the charmer."

"Don't be an ass, Dec," Keira says, coming up to me and pulling me away from her brother. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." I lie.

"Bullshit, but I get it," she says, sitting on the couch with me.

"Okay, so I have something to tell you guys," I say, looking at both of them.

Declan drops into the armchair across from us, his long legs sprawling out. "I'm ready."

"Niko spoke to his father," I say, blurting it out. "I hadn't told you yet, but he has."

Keira sits up straighter. "And?"

"And Stavros invited us to a gala." The words rush out.

Declan raises an eyebrow. "I'm so happy for you that you got invited to a party, Cal. Congratulations."

I roll my eyes and Keira shoots her brother her famousI'll end youlook.

Keira's eyes land back on me. "What exactly is this gala?"

I take a deep breath, my heart racing. "Stavros is hosting. It's a big event, on an island in Greece. It's in one week."

Declan leans forward. "Okay… and?"

"And this is it. This is our chance." I lean forward, my voice dropping as if someone might overhear us. "It's the perfect time."

"Perfect for what?" Declan asks.

I smile. "To strike."

Keira frowns. "Okay, when you say strike, what do you mean?"

I stand and begin pacing, unable to contain the nervous energy coursing through me. The hardwood floor creaks under my feet as I move from the fireplace to the window and back.

"I've thought about this every which way," I say, the words tumbling out faster now. "From every possible angle. And there's only one solution that guarantees everyone I love stays safe."

"What?" Keira says, following me with her eyes.

I stop pacing and face them both.

"I'm going to kill Stavros."

They both stay silent and Keira's mouth falls open in shock.

Declan lets out a low whistle. "Shit, Calli. You're fucking crazy. Maybe it's pregnancy hormones clouding your judgment. I mean, that's a thing, right? You know, the baby taking things from you."

"I don't, I don't know," I say, confused. "Maybe? But no, it's not that. I'm more sure of this than I've ever been of anything before."