Page 107 of Thorns of Blood

It was only when she threw herself through the air that I finally fell to my knees, enveloping her in my arms.

“You’re here,” she murmured against my chest, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Are you really here?”

“I missed you, my little Mara,” I croaked, squeezing her hard to my chest and peppering kisses on the crown of her head. I dragged in a deep breath, fighting back tears.“My treasure.”

I leaned back just enough to take a good look at her. Amara’s cheeks were fuller, rosier, with a vibrant glow to her skin—so different from the pallid, fragile face I remembered.

The lump in my throat suffocated, happiness and sadness battling inside me.

“You are so beautiful,” I said, my voice cracking and tears spilling down my cheeks. “So healthy. And… I’m so happy.”

Her small fingers reached up and she brushed the wetness away. “You’re sad.”

The lump in my throat grew. Each beat of my heart was a reminder of what I’d lost. First Amara. Now Giovanni. Maybe it was my destiny to lose everyone. Maybe I deserved it, my sins demanding repayment.

“No, I’m happy,” I rasped. “So happy that I get to see you.”Even if it’s for the last time.

A shadow fell over us, and I wasn’t surprised to find Killian and Emory hovering, cautious expressions on their faces.

“You have some nerve coming here after the stunt you pulled in Venezuela,” Killian said, throwing me a glare.

So I had Emory kidnapped. It was for Amara’s good. Why was everybody hell-bent on punishing me for it?

“Well, if it makes you feel better,” I remarked as I straightened to my full height, lifting Amara so I could keep her in my arms a bit longer, “I was kidnapped too. So I already got my karma.”

“That’s not the same,” he growled.

“Killian,” Emory warned in a tone that clearly stated she didn’t want any trouble. “We agreed.”

“It’s okay,” I assured Emory. From the slight narrowing of Killian’s eyes, I could tell he wasn’t exactly thrilled with whatever they’d agreed on, which made me curious. Not that they’d tell me if I asked.“I knew what I could be walking into, so go ahead and dish it all out.”

Killian flashed me a savage grin. “I’m all for it.”

“No, you’re not,” Emory cut in, then met my gaze. “Although you did manage to make quite a mess, Liana.”

I looked at Amara, her rosy cheeks and shining blue eyes locked on me, and I just couldn’t find it in my heart to regret it. Maybe I lost her for good. Maybe I would meet my death today, but she—the little girl who breathed life into me when I needed it the most—would live.

I returned my focus to Emory and smiled with regret. “Sadly, I would probably do it all again, because little Mara is healthy.”

“You could have reached out, you know,” Emory scolded.

I shrugged. “Trust isn’t a luxury I can afford.”

“You cost me my lawyer… my friend. Thanks to your shenanigans, Bogdan Dragovic has her in his clutches.”

I let out a sardonic breath. “I guess the Serbian don just couldn’t resist a little vengeance, could he?”

“That’s not funny,” Killian gritted.

“I wasn’t laughing,” I pointed out sharply. “But if you’re unable to make headway with retrieving her back from Bogdan, I can have my man look into it. There are several off-grid locations that Bogdan owns all over the globe. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he took her to one of those.”

Emory’s eyes flashed with hope while her expression remained reserved. “If something happened to her?—”

“Yeah, yeah… you’ll kill me. Get in line,” I muttered, lowering my eyes to Amara. Gosh, it was as if she grew a foot since I last saw her. How many things would I miss in her life? Everything? Key milestones?

“Let’s go inside, Mother Liana.” Amara was the one to interrupt the tense moment. “I want you to meet all my uncles and aunts. There are lots of them. Is that okay, Mamma?”

Mamma.