Page 3 of The Death Dealer

Considering eyes studied him, taking his measure. They gave away nothing of Damian’s feelings on the matter. “Why Soleil?”

“I don’t know.”

“Figure it out.Fast.”

“I’m serious.I don’t know.Believe me, I’ve taken a lot of shit for it, too.”

“He’s telling the truth, Papa,” piped a young voice behind Trev.

“Dammit, Beastie!”

The magical slap was indicative of Damian’s anger, and Trev was slammed into the thick base of the oak tree. The rough bark scraped his forearm, but he’d be damned if he whined about it in front of them.

Sabrina ignored her father’s wrath and approached him. She was a pint-sized tornado and the feminine version of Damian, and those fathomless yet all-knowing eyes on a child seemed wrong. After a full minute of watching him, she smiled.

The eeriness of it traveled all the way to his toes.

“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Trevor,” she said cheerfully. “I?—”

“Beastie, go find your mother.”

“But he’s going to?—”

“Not another word!”Damian’s sharp command rang out like a gunshot. The wildlife of the forest behind them went silent, as did Trev. Mainly because he forgot to breathe.

Sabrina’s pink, heart-shaped lips thinned in irritation, and she glared at her dad.

What did it say about the size of the balls on a kid willing to go toe-to-toe with her unrelenting, all-powerful father? Solid brass cajones on that one, for sure.

“I’ll just be heading out now,” Trev said with a jerk of his thumb over his shoulder.

Although the Aether hadn’t bothered to look at him, his chilly address locked him in place. “You’ll go nowhere, Blane. Not until this is settled, and I’m sure my children are in no danger.”

Sabrina faced Trev with twinkling eyes and a wide smile. “That’s a good thing. You’ll get to see Aunt Soleil again.”

Soleil wasunable to keep up with her niece whenever the child decided to teleport off without warning. The Aether had appeared about thirty yards west of her greenhouse, and Sabrina was off. Frustrated beyond measure, Soleil stomped to where the girl had reappeared behind her father.

Only then did she see the man Damian was talking to.

He had sandy-brown hair and a stern countenance. His face wasn’t beautiful like Damian’s, but his visage had an arresting quality. His build was that of a professional football player, but he held himself with a comfortable grace as if he was at ease in his big frame. If he walked into a room, people were sure to do a double take.

And she knew him.

Or rather,ofhim. Soleil had been unable to stop obsessing since their first meeting.

She was out of breath by the time she arrived at Damian’s side, and it wasn’t for the singular reason that she was out of shape. Lifting pots and soil had built her stamina, but all that went by the wayside with one glimpse of Trevor. She’d arrived in time to hear the Aether’s low-voiced command and Sabrina’s cheerful response. She also witnessed Trevor Blane wince.

He wasn’t super excited to see Aunt Soleil, was he?

Keeping her expression blank and showing no outward sign of the turmoil she was experiencing, Soleil gave him a tight, dismissive smile. Next, she faced Damian. “I’m sorry. She’s quick.”

“No bother, dear Soleil. It’s not the first time. My daughter and I will have a nice, long discussion about her penchant for placing herself in risky situations without permission.”

Sabrina cast her eyes downward, focusing on the kitten she held. The girl was the picture of contrite. “Sorry, Papa.”

Soleil didn’t believe the little monster for one second, and she struggled not to laugh at the false apology. Glancing up, she caught Damian’s sardonic smile, and she snorted. Not a ladylike sound by any means, and her face burned when her brother-in-law laughed.

Mortified, she pressed her palms to her hot cheeks and avoided looking at their too-observant visitor. No one was more surprised than she was when Damian wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugged her close, and kissed her temple.

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