“I don’t know what came over me. I’m shaking so bad. I would never kill her, you all know that, right?”

I tear myself free from Cain and hurl myself into my mom’s arms.

“Oh, God. What have I done? Dad is going to kill them all.”

“Shh. You have done nothing, honey. They did. You only stood up for yourself and for this family.” Her arms feel so comforting around me. It doesn’t matter how old you are, to be encircled in your mother’s arms is one of the best feelings in the world.

“You can’t and won’t blame yourself. That is a sign of weakness, and this family is not weak,” opines a deep, heavy voice behind me.

The authority and power of his speech has me whipping around to see a man who looks familiar. This is my mom’s brother? Manny’s dad? If I didn’t know better, I would think he and Manny were brothers, now that the two of them stand side by side.

Manny is the spitting image of Salvatore, whose large frame towers over my mother and me. His eyes and facial structure are the same as the man standing next to him. It’s crazy how two people can look so much alike.

“Hello, Calla. I’m your Uncle Salvatore,” he says, opening his arms wide for me to step into them.

I search out Cain, who is standing behind them. He gives me a gentle nod. I’m still shaking when he embraces me, placing his hands on my face and staring deep into my eyes.

“You are simply stunning. A sight for this old man’s eyes. You remind me so much of your mother. Wouldn’t you agree, Cecily?”

“Yes, she does,” she says, stepping between us. “My looks and her father’s character make a lethal combination. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, Calla. I mean it in that you’re a lot stronger than you think. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to your father and me.”

“Your eyes tell me everything you can’t say, Mom. I know you used to be a killer. You wanted to go with Dad, didn’t you?”

“Used to be, Calla. Those are the three words you need to hold on to right now. I’m right where I want to be. Do I want to rip Monty, his daughter, and Kryder’s hearts out? No, I don’t. But before I found out I was pregnant with you, I would have shoved your father aside and killed them all without even blinking. But you, my precious one... feeling you move inside of me, knowing I helped create you... I never doubted my choice in giving that up, not once. Not for you. But as for your dad, well... it’s in his blood.”

I shake my head. I don’t understand.

“If you can, then why can’t he?” I whisper so softly, I can barely hear myself.

“It doesn’t work like that for him, honey. If he could give it up for you, he would. Your uncle came here for two reasons. One, to take care of the scum who dared to try and hurt us, and two, he wants to discuss things with you. I’m putting a halt to that talk for a few weeks.”

She faces my uncle head on, her back to me now.

“She needs time with her husband, Salvatore. They both deserve it. You can discuss things with her later. I don’t ask for much, but this time I’m not asking, I’m telling. Give them this.”

“Cecily, I’m not here to pressure her. She can have all the time in the world. In fact, I demand it.” He glances at Cain. “Take her to my suite in the center for a few days. The view is impeccable.”

If I didn’t feel like a ping pong ball before, I sure as hell do now. So there’s to be no more talk of the future, at least for now? That baffles me with the way this family acts. I so want to run to that bottle of alcohol of Cain’s lying on the ground and down the whole damn thing.

“Time with Cain would be great, but really, I would love to just stay here for now,” I state, holding my head high with a confidence I’m not so sure I actually have right now. I’m pretending when deep down inside I’m fucking scared out of my goddamned mind.

“Very well. Stay here and enjoy yourselves. I will be in touch. Right now I’m taking my son with me. We have some things to discuss ourselves.” He kisses both my cheeks delicately and shakes Cain’s hand. “Cecily, you need a lift?”

She nods, indicating that she’ll be along in a minute. Salvatore places his hand on the back of Manny’s neck and the two of them begin to talk as they stride to his car.

“You call me later, sweetheart,” Mom demands.

“Of course,” I say with a heavy sigh. All I want to do is eat, climb into bed, take a long nap, and pretend this isn’t my life. That none of this is actually happening.

“Talk soon, Cain.” Mom leans up and grazes his cheek.

I nearly soar out of my skin when someone’s phone rings. Salvatore reaches into the pocket of the jacket he retrieved off the porch then holds the phone up to his ear, leaning up against his car.

“John.”

We all listen intently at the sound of my dad’s name.

“What the hell does this mean?” he growls into the phone.

Something’s not right. Is my dad hurt? What’s happening? The thought of him being hurt has my heart racing. I grip my mother’s arm for support. Everything was under control when he left.

“Fucking find her. God damn it. She’s a stupid bitch. Where the hell could she have gone?”

“Oh, no,” my mom whispers.

“Motherfucker!” Cain roars.

Salvatore hangs his head and shoves his phone back into his pocket. When he lifts his head back up, his ice-filled eyes scare me.

“They can’t find Emerald. The whore never showed up for work. You all know what this means?”

Everyone acknowledges him but me. I have no damn clue what this means.

“It means we have another goddamned snitch. Cain, it’s up to you to find out who the fuck it is and bring that motherfucker to me.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll find her,” Mom says to me comfortingly.

Knowing now everything is all right with my dad, I’m not worried at all. In fact, I’m the opposite. For the first time in my life, I see blood. Blood dripping from that bitch’s mouth as I pummel her to death.

“Salvatore,” I call out.

“Yes?”

“When they find Emerald, have them bring her to me.”

At that statement, he studies me closely. Then, without saying a word, my uncle, the leader of this family, the man I had no clue existed until a few hours ago, folds his tall frame into the passenger’s side of the car, which pulls off with my cousin at the wheel and my mother in the back. Fifteen minutes ago, no one would have been able to convince me to kill anyone. Now I’ve come to one conclusion. I truly am my parents’ daughter.

***

“You’re staying, then?”

I feel him behind me. So close, his breath caresses the back of my neck.

“Do I have a choice?”

His lips graze the hollow of my nape.

“Yes. You always have a choice.”

“Then I choose to stay. Under one condition,” I rasp, angling my neck the way he likes it.

“Anything.”

“We’re reconnecting, Cain. For now, there will be no touching and no sex. Absolutely nothing.”

He spins me around in his arms, his handsome face dropping.

“Nothing?”

“Well, you can kiss me. Hold me. Talk to me. I want to know everything about what it is you do. If I’m staying here, it’s time I learn exactly what my husband does.”

“I’ll do whatever you want me to do, as long as you’re by my side. And as long as I keep hearing you say, ‘my husband.’”

Chapter Fifteen

Cain

I’d be a bigger asshole than I already am if I didn’t say the past five days have been miraculous with all the bonding Calla and I have done.

We’ve laughed, talked until both of our jaws hurt. She hasn’t left my side once. Things around here have been relatively quiet since the news of the disloyalty of both Emerald and Monty spread like a wildfire.

Everyone is looking for her. Everyone. Yet we are all stumped as to her whereabouts. She has no connections, nothing. I’ve wracked my brain to the point of exhaustion trying to figure out who in the hell would help her. Everyone around here hates her, except for Coon Dog. Fuck, my knuckles are still raw from beating his ass trying to see if he’s the one. He stood there and took it.