Page 6 of Claimed By Daddy
Eavan snorts into her coffee. “Let me guess. It has something to do with why I woke up in a strange bed and you just had some secret boys’ club meeting with our family’s enemies—about me.”
Her snarky attitude quickly confirms that those pouty, pink lips come with a complementary sharp tongue. Her bratty disrespect hits a nerve, and I over-aggressively pull out the stool Cillian offered her. When she hears what we have to say, she’s going to need it.She lets out an exasperated sigh and instead of kindly insisting—as intended—I snarl, “Take the seat, princess.”
She says nothing, her eyes darting to Cillian, waiting for him to come to her defense. “Sit,” he demands, significantly softer than I did. Glaring at me, she begrudgingly climbs onto the barstool with a slight roll of her eyes. It’s subtle, but enough to cause my jaw to tick in response.
Nikolai rounds the counter and leans against the refrigerator, arms folded, saying nothing. The one corner of his mouthcurling the slightest bit when he looks at me, obviously entertained by my annoyance at our new houseguest’s defiance.
“I killed our father,” Cillian bluntly confesses, and the rosy blush washes from Eavan’s round cheeks as her face grows pale. Her lips part slightly, but she doesn’t say a word or make a sound. “He was going to arrange your marriage to Andranik Sargsyan.”
Her eyes snap up from her lap. “No… He wouldn’t?—”
“He would’ve.” Cillian reaches for one of her hands resting in her lap. “Hewas. Everything was done. The agreement had been made. Our fathers”—I glance from her to my brothers—“were going to use you as a pawn to buy into his family business. That’s themeetingI was supposed to take you to last night. The one you weren’t coming home from.”
Her hands grip the armrests of the stool so tightly that her knuckles grow white, and I can’t tell if her clenched fists are in anger or fear.
“They were going to sell you to that horrific bastard like cattle.” Cillian shakes his head and bitterness creeps into his voice. “He would’ve destroyed you, and I couldn’t let that happen. So, I stopped it… I ended it… I endedhim.”
Her lower lip trembles as her eyes dart between the three of us. With her voice barely above a whisper, she asks, “And the others?”
She’s a smart girl—knowing that both my father and Nikolai’s would’ve taken her to forge the deal after herfather’s untimely demise. When Cillian doesn’t answer right away, I step forward. “They’re gone. All of them. Including Sargsyan.”
Her eyes flick to me, wide and full of disbelief. “You’re not justworkingtogether,” she speculates slowly, pushing from her barstool. “Youaretogether… the new heads of your families.”
“We are.” Nikolai nods once, and the realization hits her. Her knees give out slightly as she stands and grips the granite countertop to keep her balance. Stepping back, she wraps her arms around herself so tightly it looks like she’s holding herself together.
“You brought me into this?” she huffs at Cillian. “You dragged me into the middle of what’s going to be a blood war and expected me to what? Say thank you?”
“Isavedyou.”
“No. I mean, maybe, but that’s not all you did.” She vehemently shakes her head. “The three of you have turned this city into a war zone.”
“Ichoseyou,” Cillian snaps. “Over him. Overthem. Overeverything. You were the only one who mattered.”
“Don’t lie to yourself, Cillian. Saving me got the three of you a fucking empire.”
Unable to stop myself, I step toward Eavan—so close that her heaving chest brushes against mine with every angered exhale. “Think whatever you want of me and Nik, princess, but know that none of us went into last night lightly. Regardlessof our reasons for doing it, all of us saved your ungrateful little ass. But Cillian… he did what he did to protectyou,” I grumble in a gravelly whisper, looming over her. She stares up at me, her defiance not wavering, and it takes every bit of restraint to maintain my dwindling composure. “Now, don’t be a fucking brat and thank your brother.”
“I’ll come with you,” I blurt, shooting up from the couch at the possibility of joining Cillian to collect some of my things from our father’s penthouse. I’ve only been locked in this apartment for a day, but even in this vast space, I’m already claustrophobic.At least with my father, I had bodyguards and could leave to shop or grab a coffee. A tiny falsehood of freedom.“I can grab my stuff quicker than you can. I know what I need and where to find it.”
From where he’s sitting on the bottom steps of the staircase, Cillian doesn’t so much as look up from lacinghis boots. “No.”
“What do you mean, no?” I sass, annoyed that he isn’t even considering my request. “You just said you’re going tomyapartment to getmythings.”
Ignoring me until he finishes tying his boot, he stands and finally meets my gaze. “I mean no, Eav. No one can know you’re with me. Not until it’s safe. You need to stay here.”
I stare at him, blinking slowly and trying to process his words. “You mean… withthem?” I ask, my voice a lot louder than the whisper I was intending. My eyes dart to Enzo and Nikolai, playing pool at the far side of the room, and from their narrowed eyes and disapproving scowls, I’m quite certain they both heard me.
Cillian blows out a heavy exhale, expelling his frustration. “I can’t exactly take them with me. I’m pretty sure it would raise some suspicions if I brought Enzo RosetiandNikolai Romanov to Father’s place to pack a suitcase.” I roll my eyes at his unnecessarily sarcastic tone. “And we aren’t at the point where we plan to let everyone know about the three of us yet.”
“Relax, princess. I don’t bite,” Enzo quips, bending over the table to line up his shot. He stares down the pool stick—his eyes focused on me instead of the cue ball at the end—as he takes his shot. “Unless you want me to.”
Shaking my head, I stare at him in disbelief.He’s absolutely incorrigible. “For fuck’s sake.” Cillian pinches the bridge of his nose and groans like he’s aged a decade in the past few hours. “Enough already.”
“I want my things, Cillian,” I push again, ignoring Enzo’s overt flirting.Again. “I want my clothes. My stuff. Mylife.”As shitty as it was, at least I could leave occasionally. At least, after I got permission with several bodyguards tailing me.“I didn’t ask to be dumped in this damn apartment under house arrest.”
“I know,” he mutters. “In time, you’ll get your life back. A better one than Father ever would’ve let you have. But we need time, and I have to know it’s safe out there for you.”
Cillian pulls on his jacket and walks toward the front door. My stomach twisting in knots, I follow him. As he swipes his phone to unlock the door, I grab his wrist and whisper, “You really trust them enough to leave me here alone?”
