The driver’s side door swings open, and he steps out slowly, expression carved from stone, eyes locked on me. The edges of my mouth curl into a grin as I hold his stare, unwilling to be the first to look away.
“Uncle Derek. You mind grabbing these?”
The moment his eyes shift toward Remi, his shoulders loosen, and he smiles. “Of course.”
“I can help!” a boy shouts, darting out of the back seat before Derek even has a chance to shut his door.
I left for Russia before Matteo was born, which means he can’t be older than fourteen. Even if I’d never laid eyes on him before today, I’d still know who he belongs to. The Leone kid is his father’s mirror image, with his mother’s mismatched eyes. One blue and one brown.
“I’ll take that for you, Remi,” Matteo says, focused on her like she’s the only one in the driveway. When his gaze wavers and his cheeks flush, it tells me everything I need to know. The boy has a crush.
“Don’t drop anything,” she replies, barely sparing him a glance.
More kids spill out of the SUV. Derek’s twins, Madden and AJ, followed by Remi’s younger brother, Giovanni, and finally Eva.
Evangelina lets out a playful huff as she takes in the scene, greeting us with the grace of someone long used to managing chaos. A hug for Remi, a warm smile for me.
Derek takes his wife’s hand, then leans in to press a kiss to Remi’s temple, murmuring something I can’t quite catch.
Remi’s eyes narrow as she listens, flicking briefly toward me before she rolls them and shakes her head, as if brushing off whatever he said. It’s not like Derek to whisper instead of bite.
I’m almost insulted by his lack of confrontation.
“Derek,” I deadpan, extending my hand.
His eyes drop, then rise to meet mine. Not a twitch, not a blink. And if I didn’t know better, I’d swear he wasn’t even breathing.
“Is there a problem?”
My mom’s voice breaks the silence, heavy with warning. But after decades of their faux rivalry, he doesn’t even look her way. And our little stare-down holds.
“Derek?Come on,” Eva urges, tugging on his arm. Still nothing.
Interesting.
Mom steps off the porch and closes the distance. She and Derek have had their share of disagreements, but it’s never gone beyond charged banter and the occasional threat. The days ofher stepping in for me are long gone, so I shift, placing myself between them.
I flash him an amused grin and shrug, calling his bluff. He may never forgive me for being in the car that nearly killed his daughter, for the Belov blood that beats through my veins, but I wonder what he’d think of me if he knew how hard my cock was for her just minutes ago.
“Papi…”
Valentina’s voice breaks the stand-off, soft but commanding enough to pull both our heads her way.
Nineteen
MAKSIM
“I’ve got dibs on Aunt Leni.”
AJ’s voice carries from the dining room just as Valentina leans against the wall, where our parents are one sharp remark away from throwing knives—or putting holes in the drywall. For most families, that would be an exaggeration. But here, it’s a real possibility.
Still, at the end of the day, love and loyalty have always held. Derek will just have to get the fuck over himself.
“I’m not worried about him,” I say, stepping closer. “He’s always been protective of you. I get it. And indirectly or not, I did almost?—”
She lifts her hand before I can finish. “If I hear about that damn accident one more time, I’ll lose it. It happened weeks ago. I’m not dead.” Her tone is light, teasing even, but there’s tension in her eyes that tells me she means it. Valentina’s never been comfortable with vulnerability. She’s been a force her whole life.
“Message received,” I say.
