Page 60 of Cruel Knots

“You’re distracted,” says a soft voice from the doorway.

Looking up, I see Lilja, my baby sister. She’s still in her PJs and her long, pink-streaked hair is pulled up in a top bun.

“Where’s everyone else?” she asks, striding into the room.

“They’ve gone out to take care of some business.”

She frowns. “Why don’t you ever include me in these missions?” she demands, banging her hands on my table. “I’m just as capable as Leo and Mik! You didn’t even bother to tell me Lucia was here already!”

“You shouldn’t have been nosy,” I say. “This is our fight, Lilja. We’re family but you shouldn’t have to shoulder the weight of our pasts. The Baldwins are our enemy. Not yours. Just mind your own business.”

“You’re all my brothers!” she shouts, her dark eyes spitting fire. “It’s my business if someone wants to hurt you. It’s my right to avenge you. I could’ve killed the bastard and his sister if you’d given me their info.”

Our parents put her through the same strenuous training as us since she was a child but they’d done so in a bid to protect her when we weren’t around. Lilja is strong and can take care of herself in a fight but that doesn’t mean we’ll risk her safety.

“I’m sick of this patriarchal bullshit,” she hisses. “I can fight too. I’m just as good as you guys.”

But unlike us, your heart is whole, I think quietly.

“You’re such dicks!” she bellows, picking up the stuff on my table and throwing them around. “Why won’t you tell me anything? I have a right to protect my brothers too.”

She’s throwing a tantrum, intent on riling me up but all I feel is warmth swelling inside me. Lilja is one of the very few women in the world who doesn’t cringe at the sight of me. She’s just as precious to me as my brothers. I know she’ll give up her life to protect me.

And that’s something I can never allow, I decide, steeling my heart.

Callum Baldwin will be looking for my weaknesses. Strong and capable as she is, Lilja is our weakness.

“I was looking at the catalog for those Harleys you wanted,” I say, hoping to distract her.

“What’re you talking about?”

“That Harley you wanted for your last birthday,” I say calmly. “It’s your reward for fighting against those puppies this morning.”

“I know what you’re doing,” she says with a sudden grin. “You’re trying to change the subject. I’ll take the bike but I’ll keep coming back to this, Damien.”

Walking around the desk, she comes to stand directly in front of me. “Since you’re being so sweet, I guess I’ll let you in on a secret.”

My brows arch. “A secret?”

“I may or may not have forgotten to lock the door to Lucia’s room.” A mischievous, almost demonic grin comes onto her lips.

Shit, I curse internally. I love my sister but she can be such a pest.

Shooting to my feet, I stride past her. Her chuckles follow me as I step out of the room.

Without wasting a moment, I run toward the southern section of the mansion where Lucia is being kept. I take the stairs two at a time to reach the third-floor landing.

The door to Lucia’s room is wide open. A quick look around the small space is enough for me to know she’s gone.

Rage courses through me at the sight of the empty room. How dare she try to escape from me?

I took on a greater risk and brought danger to my family by refusing to let Callum take her away. Didn’t Lucia guess it already? Her life belongs to me now.

How dare she run after taking so much from me?

I walk out into the hallway and make my way toward the area dedicated to surveillance feeds. Every inch of the grounds as well as non-personal space in the manor is heavily monitored. Even if Lucia can make her way out of the building, she’ll never escape my territory. She can run but she won’t be able to hide.

Perhaps, it’s a good chance to teach her a lesson, I decide, entering the surveillance room. More than a dozen wide-screen LCDs are lit up with CCTV footage. Five guys sit on chairs, keeping their gazes on the entrance points of the manor’s grounds.

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