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“Fine. But wewilltalk about this. And if Kral won’t let you leave, I’ll stake the motherfucker myself.”
“The hell you will. The man saved your life.”
“To make points with you.”
“You know what? We’ll talk about this later when your head’s clear.”
“My head’s fine,” Joey gritted.
“I’ll get you some clean clothes.”
Mila was shaking her head when she came back into the living room. I kept my eyes on my phone.
She heaved a breath. “You heard that, didn’t you?”
I moved a shoulder. “If you want to keep a conversation private around me, make sure you go into the bedroom and shut the door. Better yet, go into the bathroom and shut that door, too.”
She sighed. “I have to tell him about the blood bond, but right now I don’t think he could handle any more.” She dropped onto the couch, slid me a look. “Youaregoing to let me contact my mom and dad, aren’t you?”
I scowled. Because part of me didn’t want her to contact her parents. If I lost her now, it would gut me.
She accepted the blood bond, my darker half growled.That’s forever. Only you can break it now.
To save her brother, returned my other half.Force her to honor the bond, and you really are the monster the slayers say you are.
Mila’s face fell. “Never mind.” She jumped up again.
“No, wait.” I pulled up the Vittore’s number on my phone and handed it to her.
Because trust had to begin somewhere.
A tiny crease appeared between her eyes. She looked from the phone to me like there might be a catch.
“Go ahead.” I closed her fingers around the case. “Text your mom and dad. Just basic information, though—that Joey is with you, and you’re both safe. It’s for their safety as much as yours. And tell them Joey will be home tomorrow afternoon. I’ll send him in one of the limos.”
Her mouth quirked. “He’ll like that.” She sat back down and snuggled into me, legs folded to the side. “I do love you, Gabriel. In case you’re wondering.”
My heart punched in my chest. I’d thought she’d never say those words again—or that if she did, I’d believe her.
While I stared at her, arrested, she bent her head and tapped out a message to her parents.
21
Mila
In the time it took Joey to shower, Jessa not only produced a pair of shorts and a couple of T-shirts in his size, she prepared us each a large plate of eggs, bacon and home fries.
Gabriel had gone to his study to work, so we were alone at the dining room’s barn-sized slate table. The T-shirt hung on my brother’s too-thin frame, and under the dark scruff on my brother’s cheeks, I could see fading bruises. But it was the puncture wounds that made my stomach clench.
He’s okay.And Andre’s gone, a heap of ashes and bones.
It was still sinking in that everything really was okay. Just yesterday, I’d been trapped in a nightmare, blood-bonded to a man who didn’t trust me and sure I was going to lose either Joey or Gabriel, or both.
My brother finished his breakfast and eyed my plate. “You going to eat the rest of your bacon?”
The tears took me by surprise. How many times had Joey asked that when we were both teens?
“It’s yours—all of it.” Swiping the tears away, I handed him the plate. “I missed you, squirt.”
