Page 20 of Claimed By Daddy
Cillian doesn’t look convinced. His face is tight, and his eyes are bloodshot, like he hasn’t slept in days. “I need to wake Eavan. This concerns her, too.”
“I’ve got it.” Heading back into the hallway, I bang on his bedroom door—knowing it’s empty—and raise my voiceenough to carry to my room. “Save some water for the rest of us, princess.” My words are laced with faux annoyance. “Your brother is back and waiting for you downstairs.”
Watching me from the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed, he sarcastically mutters, “Glad to see the two of you got along while I was gone.”If only you knew, brother…
I follow him into the kitchen, where Nikolai is already nursing a cup of coffee like it’s the only thing keeping him from committing homicide. Automatically, I grab two mugs from the cabinet filling both of them. I am about to grab the cream and sugar before I realize my mistake. “You wanted one, right?” I offer the cup I poured for Eavan to Cillian. He nods, and I slide it across the island to him.
“We haven’t heard from either of you in days.” I prop my elbows on the edge of the counter and sip my coffee. “Are either of you going to fill me in on what the hell happened?”
Nikolai doesn’t look up. “It’s probably best if we wait for Eavan.”That doesn’t make me feel any better.
“Wait for me for what?” she asks, walking toward the kitchen. Her hair is dripping wet, and she’s wearing a short T-shirt dress—and I exhale a sigh of relief as she slips seamlessly into the conversation.
Cillian pulls her into a hug, squeezing her tighter than I’ve ever seen him hold anyone. “I’m sorry I had to leave,” he apologizes. “Did Enzo treat you okay?”
She answers without hesitation, “He was exhausting to be around, but he took good care of me.” I shake my head,fighting against the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.Exhausting… That’s one way to put it.
She takes the farthest barstool from me, like she knows being close to me would make it impossible to hide our secret. She’s right. I wouldn’t be able to keep from touching her. It’s already hard enough to keep my eyes off her.
“How was your trip?” she questions, folding her arms.
I echo her, my voice sharper. “Yeah. Howwasyour trip? What the hell happened?”
Cillian leans against the counter, jaw clenched. He glances at Nikolai for a moment before speaking. “Everything seemed fine when we first got there,” he shares. “We were straight with them—told them we’re not looking to get into the trafficking game with them. They acted like they understood.”
“But?” I ask.
“But they aren’t nearly as understanding about Eavan.”
My gut twists. I already know what he’s about to say. “What do you mean,not understanding about Eavan?”
Cillian’s jaw clenches so tightly that I’m surprised he doesn’t chip a tooth.
“Davit Sargsyan has a twenty-year-old son,” Nikolai answers for Cillian. “They still want the merger between our four families. Which means they still want?—”
“Me…” Eavan finishes his sentence, her voice barely audible. Her eyes flick to mine, wide and full of fear.
Iwant to go to her. Pull her into my arms and tell her it’ll never happen. Swear to her that I’ll burn the world down before I let anyone lay a hand on her. But I can’t. Not with her brother standing three feet away from us. “No,” I roughly blurt, unable to stop the word from spilling from my mouth.
Cillian’s eyes snap toward me. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, it’s not happening. We’re not selling her off like she’s a fucking chess piece,” I snarl, my blood beginning to boil. “They only want her to force our…yourhand in taking on our fathers’ promises.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Cillian snaps. “You think I didn’t want to put a bullet between that bastard’s eyes when he demanded her like she was an object?” Cillian drags a hand down his face. “We’re not agreeing to shit. But we need a plan.”
“No plan that involves her,” I huff. Eavan sits quietly, her eyes staring at the floor like she’s trying not to unravel.
“Agreed.” Nikolai’s response is quiet but firm. “We just have to figure out how to walk away without starting a war.”
If a war is what it takes to protect her. A war is what these fucking assholes are going to get.
I lean back in my seat, willing her to look at me. Just once. I need to let her know she’s not alone. That no matter what happens, I’ve got her.She’s mine, and I will protect her.She lifts her eyes, and the second those emerald orbs meet mine, I’m gutted. She is terrified, but trying desperately to hold herself together in front of them.
I can’t touch her. Can’t comfort her. Can’t do a damn thing to ease the fear coursing through her veins. But I feel it all the same, in my gut and my chest, with my nails digging into the palms of my tightly bound fists.
I take a slow sip of my coffee, willing myself to stay composed. To think. Because if I let rage speak for me, I’ll say something I can’t take back.
Nikolai paces, rubbing the back of his neck.There’s more… And it’s worse.Nikolai never fucking paces. “We need to make sure she’s not alone. Not ever without someone close by,” he says, mostly to Cillian, though his eyes flick toward me, too. “They didn’t say it, but the implication was clear. If we don’t cooperate, they will act without our permission.”
