Page 37 of The Killer Who Kept Me

I glanced around, and no one was with her. “Hello. What’s your name?”

“Maeve.” I estimated she was maybe three, possibly four.

I placed a hand on my chest. “My name is Em.”

“Em.” She giggled.

“Yeah, good job.”

She pointed to my hand and my ankle.

“Boo-boo?”

“Yeah, but I’ll be okay.”

And then she did the damndest thing. She gently kissed my ankle and moved over to my hand and did the same.

“Thank you. I’m feeling better already.” I wasn’t sure she understood me, but she beamed.

“Oh, there you are.” Cosmo walked in, fingers running through his hair. “Sorry, Em.”

“No, it’s fine. She’s sweet.”

“Thank you. This sweet girl is my daughter, Maeve.”

Oh, wow, Cosmo was a dad. “She’s magical too. She kissed my boo-boos better.”

Cosmo smiled and scooped his daughter up, making her erupt into a fit of giggles.

“Magic, huh?” He started tickling her, which had her snorting and cackling.

“Daddy!”

“Okay, demon, Mama is looking for you.” He put her down. “Go.” He pointed across the hall, where Dafni stood with a happy expression, waiting for her daughter.

Maeve bounced out of the room, and Cosmo sat beside me. “She’s a handful, that one.”

“She’s lovely, Cosmo.”

“Thanks, she’s my world. So is Tucker, my son, but he’s a newborn. He’s upstairs sleeping. Maybe you can meet him later.”

Cosmo stayed with me for a bit, and I did get up and walk. Paulo and Saros mostly kept me company.

At around six something, the house was full of people. A lot of laughter and I’d overheard a few stories. If I hadn’t known better, I’d think it was a regular family gathering and not the home of a mobster.

My ankle started hurting. Paulo had left to get a drink, and Saros was across the room talking to someone, so I made my way back to the sitting room. There was a wingback chair and footrest in the corner calling my name.

I sighed in relief as soon as I lifted my leg. There were a few people in the room, but no one was paying me any mind, so I rested my eyes for a second. Apparently it was for a second too long.

“You don’t belong here.”

I opened my eyes, and there was Brandi, hovering above me with an expression of pure disdain.Well, shit.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.”

~ Beyoncé

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