Page 6 of Bound By Betrayal

Fuck that.

“So what happens now?”

Eva peered out a window, assessing the property. “How do we know we’re safe here? What did Amalia say?”

“She didn’t say much, and to be honest, I’m not sure she knows,” I added, biting one of Valentina’s chubby little feet. She squealed and kicked me in the face.

“We can’t stay here if there’s a threat. Not with Vali.” Derek stood beside Eva, taking watch. “What if Ronan’s behind this? We haven’t heard shit from him in over a year. But he’s still out there…just waiting for me to take his head.”

Eva put a gentle hand on his back. “Not in front of the baby, Derek,” she said in a hushed voice.

Ronan was still very much alive and always a presence in the back of our minds. Leni and Silas had warned us of his plans. I glanced down at my niece, who was idly playing with my watch, and shuddered at the thought of her in Ronan’s custody. Over mine and Derek’s cold, dead bodies.

A knock at the door had us all on alert. Eva had motioned to open it, but Derek held her back. “Who is it?” he barked harshly, so much it startled Valentina, who was serious.

“Me, of course.” The sound of Amalia’s voice from the other side of the door sent a strange rush through my body. It had been hours since we’d last spoken but I couldn’t deny her pretty face had made a home in my thoughts, scowl and all.

“Come in,” Eva finally said.

There was a pause before the knob turned, and Amalia stepped inside. The chaos from the morning had caused her makeup to smear slightly, that much I remembered, but the woman in front of us was fresh-faced, still beautiful, only there was a striking difference from the cold and impassive features from earlier. Pink tinged the rim of her eyes, and it was evident she’d been crying.

And why the hell did that make me feel…things?

“Was the crib okay for her?” she asked, eyes on Vali with a hint of a smile.

“It’s perfect,” Eva said. “Thank you.”

Amalia turned her attention to me, and the softness in her features disappeared the moment our eyes met. “I understand it’s been a strange day—”

“That’s an interesting choice of words,” Derek interjected.

Her eyes slid to my brother and narrowed. “Oh, would you have preferred I saidfucked, gone to hell, a shitshow? Take your pick, Derek Cain. I wasn’t aware I had to spell things out for you.”

Derek eyed Vali, who looked to be enraptured by the adults in the room. He took a step toward Amalia, and she squared her shoulders and grinned.

“Enough,” I said, then handed Eva the baby, taking Amalia by the wrist, and leaving the room.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” she seethed, tearing out of my hold.

“Don’t provoke him. When it comes to his family, Derek is—”

“He’s what? Dangerous?”

“Something like that,” I said, as I folded my arms and leaned against the wall.

She snickered and closed in on me. “Is that why you dragged me out of there?”

“Why else?” Amalia inched closer, and it was like every cell in my body was on high alert to her proximity.

Two fingers of a bandaged hand traced the front of my shirt. “I already told you. I’m not helpless. And Derek and I aren’t that different.”

The pricks of something hot crawled up the back of my neck.

“It’s always Derek with you.”

She chuckled and slowly raised a hand to my face. “Are you jealous of your big brother?”

Catching her wrist, I twisted her, slamming her back against the wall and caging her in. “Never. But I won’t be toyed with.”