Page 66 of Crimson Fate
“He didn’t know they needed him to stay before you arrived?” I press, uncomfortable with the change in plans. My hand tightens around the phone, knuckles blanching. The cool leather of my chair under my fingers grounds me as an unwelcome surge of protectiveness rushes through my veins.
Before Amelia answers, there’s a creak—a sign that I’m no longer alone. The door opens slowly, and Eva enters the room, her eyes wide with curiosity and concern. “Is that Amelia?” she whispers.
I nod.
“He didn’t know much before we came here except that he was summoned. You know how this family stuff is. When you are told to go somewhere, you don’t ask a lot of questions. You just go,” she explains. As annoyed as I am by her words, I can’t say expectations were any different in our family.
I take a deep breath, trying to remain composed as I process Amelia’s words. Complications, surgeries, extended stays. Frustration surges through me, but I quickly push it down. “I see,” I reply calmly, not wanting to let my unease show. “Well, make sure to take care of yourself while you’re there and check in with me as regularly as you can.”
Amelia’s voice softens on the other end of the line. “Vincent, I promise you, I’ll be fine. Alexei and his family have been wonderful to me. Besides, it’s an opportunity to experience something very different from what we grew up with.”
Eva watches me, her intuition as sharp as ever. She can obviously sense my apprehension in the conversation.
“Hey, Sis, I gotta go, okay?” I state, knowing the longer I stay on the phone, the more likely it is I will reveal my concerns.
“Oh yeah, of course. I just wanted to check in. Be sure you say hi to Eva.”
“I will.”
“I love you,” Amelia adds, and I reply in kind before ending the call.
“Amelia says hi,” I say, looking up at Eva.
“Is everything okay with her?” she asks, touching my arm.
I cover her hand with mine. I shrug. “She says they are.”
“You don’t believe her?”
I hesitate for a moment, my mind swirling with conflicting emotions. “I don’t know,” I admit finally. “I’m sure everything is fine. Having her so far away doesn’t sit right with me, and now everything happening with Anthony... I wish I didn’t have to worry about her on top of it.”
Eva’s brows furrow as she attempts to reassure me. “You have always been overprotective; I’m sure she’s fine. Did you tell her about Anthony?”
“No, and I’m not going to. She doesn’t need to know everything. Not when she can’t do anything about it.” My words come out terse, clipped by my own frustration. “Anthony’s situation... it’s volatile. Telling her while she’s half a world away would only put her on edge.”
Eva nods, understanding my reasoning. “I guess you’re right,” she says softly. “But don’t forget that Amelia is strong.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm the frustration. Eva’s words bring a flicker of comfort.
“I know.” I sigh. “But it’s not just Amelia who’s fucking with my head.”
She steps forward, her hand finding mine, her fingers warm and reassuring. “Vincent, look at me,” she insists, her tone soft yet unwavering. “I choose this. I choose you. Every bit of it. And that means if you need to talk to me about it, I’m here for that.”
“I know you are,” I confirm as I stand, wrap my arms around her curvy frame, and press my lips firmly against her forehead.
Eva tilts her head back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Hey, Vincent,” she singsongs, her voice laced with a playful tone, “want to hear an icebreaker?”
I can’t help but smile at her attempt to lighten the mood. “Sure.”
“Fat penguin!” Eva bursts into laughter, her joy infectious.
I chuckle with her. “You know you’re adorable, right?”
She grins and bites at her bottom lip as she shrugs. “Maybe.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Saturday.” I tap my fingers on the polished surface of the desk. “It needs to be perfect.”