Page 61 of Ruthless Vengeance
Her eyes widen, her legs kicking excitedly as she waits for me to lower my hands.
“Boo!”
Zoe squeals with laughter, her whole body wiggling with joy.
The sound spreads warmth through my chest, making me feel something I can’t quite explain.
It’s ridiculous how much this tiny human owns me.
We’re in the middle of another round when the door swings open and Andre strolls in.
When he sees me sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing peek-a-boo like a goddamn clown, he stops dead in his tracks.
“Well, well… This is a sight.” A smirk tugs at his lips.
“What is?”
Andre chuckles as he leans against the doorway.
“You, sitting on the floor, playingpeek-a-boo.”
“She loves it.” I shrug as I look at Zoe, who’s still watching me expectantly.
“I never saw this coming.” Andre crosses over to the couch and takes a seat.
Zoe waves her chubby hand back and forth at Andre, and we both laugh.
“Yeah, well. I never saw it coming either.” I pick Zoe up and settle her on my lap. “But now that she’s part of my life, I can’t imagine life without her.”
Zoe burrows against my chest, her tiny hands fisting my shirt, and it’s the easiest truth I’ve ever spoken.
Andre exhales, shaking his head as he looks at the two of us, smiling bright. “Damn. You’ve gone soft.”
I narrow my eyes at my brother. “I can still kill a man with my bare hands.”
“Sure, butafteryou change a diaper first, right?”
I grab one of Zoe’s stuffed animals and chuck it at him.
“Fuck off. You’re not much better.”
He laughs, but the sound feels forced.
I glance up at him as the amusement fades from his eyes and a deep crease forms between his eyebrows.
Soon, that crease will become a permanent feature on his face, similar to the one our father had. I guess it just comes with the territory of being head of the family.
I used to envy the fact that Andre was born first, but the older I’ve become, the more that envy has turned into relief.
Whenever I catch myself feeling weighed down, I remember it’s likely nothing compared to the weight that Andre has on his shoulders.
“Is there something you need?”
Andre dips his chin as his eyes flick to Zoe. “As much as I hate to interrupt, we’ve got some business to discuss.”
I swallow a groan as I pick Zoe up and move to take a seat on the couch beside my brother.
As much as I want to ignore my obligations and spend the rest of the day playing peek-a-boo with Zoe, I also have a responsibility to Andre.
