“She sent me a text. I knew who it was.”
“Anyone could have taken her phone, hacked it, could have followed her. Your cousin’s instructions were simple. She was to contact my number first.” His eyes flickered to Alexa, then back to me.
Anger flared inside me. “I’m not a prisoner here. She’s like my sister.”
“That’s not the point. You’re welcome to see and speak to whomever you want. But your safety is my priority at the moment. And blindly opening the door was foolish.”
I straightened my stance and stepped in front of him. Instantly feeling silly since I had to extend my neck to meet his cold gaze fully. He was a couple of inches taller than Derek, and that was saying something.
“I’m not helpless, Kai.”
He’d started to speak, but Lex intervened. “It’s fine, Eva. He’s right. Your safety is what’s important here, and I didn’t follow through with the plan.”
I took a moment to compose my anger, reminding myself that Kai was here when he didn’t need to be. That Derek cared about my well-being. But alarm bells still sounded off in my head. What made these two so protective, knowledgeable, and calculated about my safety?
I looped my arm through Alexa’s and pulled her into the living room.
“Okay, but hear me out. That man is sexy as fuck.”
“Lex.”
We plopped down onto the sofa. “What? Just because you’re hung up on the other Cain brother doesn’t mean you’re blind.” She craned her neck to look down the hallway, then leaned in close. “The way his voice went all low and authoritative.Damn. I wanted to get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness.”
I mushed her face away from mine, unable to stifle my laughter. “You are a lost cause.”
“But is he single?”
“You’re not! What happened to your guy from Brooklyn?”
She clucked her teeth and sat back against the cushion. “Ancient history.”
“Ancient history two days ago?”
“You know how it is. Gotta kiss a shitload of toads to find my prince.” She motioned around us with one hand. “Not everyone can be as lucky as you.”
Thoughts of Derek killed all the humor of the moment. Alexa noticed the mood shift and grabbed my hand. “Hey, you sure you’re all right?”
I forced a smile. “Physically, yes. But the last twenty-four hours have been…something.”
The doorbell chimed, and my hopes soared for a fraction of a second, but that optimism deflated just as fast. Derek wouldn’t ring his own door.
“You expecting company?” Alexa’s brow creased with concern as she got to her feet and took a protective stance in front of me. The gesture warmed my heart.
“Not that I know of.”
Kai’s voice and that of another male filtered in from the front of the home. The neutrality of their tone set our worries at ease. Lex fell back onto the couch, but I remained standing, waiting for our unexpected guest.
A tall, silver-haired man crossed into the living room. Kai, one step behind. The older male was lean, though the fabric of a tailored gray suit hugged his broad shoulders and the curvature of muscled biceps. He moved with sure steps and the swagger of a man who was used to giving orders and commanding respect. He reminded me a lot of Derek.
The moment his emerald-green eyes centered on me, his cocky, bearded grin widened.
“Evangelina Cruz!” he almost sing-songed with excitement, as if we were old friends meeting after a long stretch apart.
Not waiting for Kai’s formal introduction, he sauntered forward, taking my hand. “I’m so very pleased to meet you finally.”
Narrowing my eyes, I examined him. There was something strangely familiar about his face, but I couldn’t place it. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”
He looked back at Kai and cocked his head before returning his attention to me. “My apologies. I assumed my sons had told you about me.”
