Page 110 of Safe and Sound

“Good.”

“Still liking preschool”

Her dark eyes lit up as she replied, “I have a boyfriend.”

“Excuse me?” I demanded as I glanced past her to gauge Callum’s reaction. When he didn’t go nuclear at the statement and merely smiled, I realized it must not be what I was thinking. “You have a boy that’s a friend, huh?”

“Mm, hmm. His name’s Cooper.”

Turning my lips down in a pout, I replied, “But I’m still your favorite boy, right?”

Considering Julianna had seven uncles, it was hard keeping the top spot, so I loved to tease her about who she loved the most. Furrowing her brows, she asked, “Did you bring me anything?”

“Julianna!” Caterina admonished from the doorway.

At my laugh, Julianna protested, “But Mommy Uncle Darey always gives me somethin’ when he asks if he's my favorite.”

Giving me a pointed look, Caterina said, “And he knows how much I hate that he does that.”

“What can I say? I enjoy spoiling her.” Reaching into my pocket, I took out my wallet. After whipping out a twenty, I waved it at her. “Will this do, Julesy?”

Julianna’s dark eyes lit up. With a squeal, she snatched the twenty from my hand. Grinning coyly up at me, she pronounced, “You’s still my favorite.”

“That’s my girl.”

Caterina swept her hands to her hips. “Seriously, Dare?”

“I’d say I was sorry, but you know I was lying.”

With a laugh, she replied, “Unfortunately yes.” Holding her hand out, Caterina said, “Come on, Julianna. Let’s give Da and Uncle Dare some privacy.”

After giving me a smacking kiss on the cheek, Julianna hopped down out of my arms and dutifully followed her mother.

Once we were alone, I eased down on the couch beside Callum. As he shifted the ice pack on his crotch, he grimaced. “Jaysus, you look like you’ve had a tussle with a banshee.”

“It feels that way.”

“After everything we’ve been through, what could’ve possibly shaken you up so much?”

“Do you remember Ava?”

He snorted. “The first woman since Shannon that you gave your heart to only for her to shred it to pieces because you were in the underworld?”

At the mention of that ghost of the past, I winced. “Yeah, that one.”

“Of course I remember her.”

“She came to see me today.”

With a roll of his eyes, Callum said, “Don’t tell me she’s decided after four long years that it doesn’t bother her that you’re a killer, and she wants you back?”

“Not quite.” I then proceeded to tell Callum about Ava’s ex.

His eyes darkened at the part about him putting her in the hospital, and a growl reverberated through him when I got to the part about her attempted rape. “I hope you didn’t think you needed to get my permission to take the fucker out.”

“You’re my leader and my brother. I need to know you’re okay with this considering we have no clan issue with him.”

“He hurt someone you care about. That makes it clan business.”

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