Page 85 of Liberated By Sin
It was in our eyes.
“That’s her favorite toy. She must like you. Children are a good judge of character.”
“She’s precious, and I’m honored,” I said, handing the girl back her bird.
“Valentina also eats Cheerios off the floor, so her taste can be questionable.”
A smile touched my lips at her quick wit and obvious dig. But I wouldn’t expect anything less from a woman like Helena.
“No! My boots!” The girl kicked her feet and protested when her aunt sat her on a bean bag and proceeded to attempt to remove her boots.
“Baby, you’re tripping. You can have them back when your papa picks you up.” There was her genuine smile, reserved for this child who truly was untouchable with someone like Helena in her corner. “I promise,” she added, kissing the tip of her nose.
But not even Helena held power over a toddler, who closed her eyes and exaggeratedly shook her head from side to side. “No, no, no.”
“I tried,” Silas explained from behind us.
“You’re such a pushover, Si.” Helena slid the boots back on Valentina, and I suppressed a laugh.
Everyone had a weakness. Helena’s was a three-foot toddler with dimples.
Silas chuckled. “You were saying?”
“I can’t help it when her Cain side takes over.”
Cain.
Cain?
My eyes snapped back to the child, taking in every little feature. She looked up at me, as if sensing my sudden intrigue and flashed a big, cheesy smile. My heart dropped.
Cain.
Derek?
Kai?
I wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t the most common of last names. And what were the odds?
“Amara?” Santino’s voice broke through my mental rambling. Turning to him, I noticed lines of concern creasing his forehead. “Are you okay,preziosa? You look like you’re about to faint.”
His arm circled my waist. Whatever breakdown was on the horizon, I needed to do it in private.
“I’m fine. I just need to use the bathroom.”
“This way.” Helena motioned toward the closest hallway, and forthe first time, her eyes held genuine concern.
Once the door closed, I leaned both hands on the vanity and dragged in two sharp breaths.
“She said Cain. It has to be one of them.” Derek or Kai had a daughter. Kai would have been my first guess, but that face—something about that face held traces of Derek.
Derek…a father?
It explained my draw to that little girl.
“My niece,” I whispered as a faint smile formed on my lips. Maybe not in blood, but we’d been as close as siblings for so long. They were my boys.
The second my eyes drifted closed, they tore back open.