Page 73 of Venom Island

CAJA

A Little Over Three Years Later

“What didI tell you about climbing on the counter?” I say, hands on my hips as I stare down a feisty little Omega pup.

A pup that yips indignantly in response.

“Listen to your mother, little hellion,” Enrique murmurs as he enters the kitchen.

Hel—our little hellion—leaps off the counter in response and runs up to put her paws all over Enrique before shifting back into human form.

“Daddy! Daddy!” she chants, making me blow out a breath.

Of course you act like a little angel now,I think, scowling at her.

But one tilt of those little lips has me resigning my anger inside. Because damn it, she really is adorable.

Enrique picks her up to swing her around, his dark eyes grinning with pride. “Hey, niña,” he says, his combined use of languages causing our little monster to start babbling Spanish right back at him.

None of it makes sense yet.

Not really.

However, a few key words stand out, most of them involvingmamaandreglas. Mom and rules. Sounds about right.

Sighing, I go back to cleaning up while Enrique tells Hel that there’s someone he wants her to meet. I stiffen when I realize who that someone is.

Joseph.

I can smell him now that I’m not consumed with the bleach in my hands.

My gaze goes to Enrique, and there’s a question lingering in his depths.Do you trust me?he seems to be asking.

Trusting him has never been an issue.

But Joseph… Joseph is an unknown.

Enrique has worked hard with him over the better part of the last three years, only allowing me to visit a handful of times on recent occasions.

And none of those occasions were favorable.

Joseph was never mean or cruel, just disinterested. Like he wanted nothing to do with me. He wouldn’t even look at me.

But if Enrique thinks this is the next best step, then I trust his judgment. Because I know what this means to him. And I know how important Hel is in his life. He would never endanger her or me.

So I nod.

He gives me a small smile and cocks his head toward the living area.

Swallowing, I follow him and stand by the couches. They’re framed by windows that overlook the waterfalls behind our building—one Enrique chose for us when Xavier gave us the option of where to live on Venom Island.

While we’ve been here for over three years, sometimes it still feels new.

Now is one of those times.

Maybe because I’m constantly afraid this little bubble of utopia Enrique and I have built together is always at risk of being popped.

But as his brother enters our home, I feel my shoulders relax. Because he’s…smiling.