I took a moment to calm myself down, steeling my nerves so I wouldn't utterly terrify Winter. Charlotte merely shrugged, affecting a nonchalant air. "Well, it can't be easy for her," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "I mean, her hair, her skin...she's so...different. I can only imagine how she'll act when she gets older." Her words hung in the air like a poisonous cloud, their toxin spreading through my veins.
"I want you to repeat that," I growled, my voice venomous. By this point, the boys had wisely whisked Winter away to another room, sparing her from witnessing the impending storm.
Davian's mother attempted to placate me, to quiet me down, but I wasn't having it. Charlotte smirked, seeming to think she'd gotten under my skin. "All I said was you guys adopted an orphan—"
But she never finished the sentence. My body moved of its own accord, driven by a primal fury. I don't even know how I traversed the distance between us so quickly, my smile stretching from ear to ear as I rounded the table. I seized a handful of Charlotte's hair, yanking her from her chair with enough force to elicit a scream that hushed the entire restaurant.
My fingers closed around the switchblade concealed in my thigh as I loomed over her, clutching her hair like a tether. "Let me make myself very clear," I hissed, my lips inches from her ear. "You will never mock or speak ill of my child again. Because if I discover you have, I will personally ensure you never see the light of day again. And there's nothing you or your treacherous husband can do about it. Am I clear?" Her terrified muttering barely qualified as an affirmative, but I accepted it.
I released her, and she scurried to Miro, who positioned himself protectively in front of her, as if he thought himself capable of defending against me. "And by the way, Miro," I called out to them, "you'd best keep your lap dog on a tighter leash. She could get herself killed running her mouth about the wrong kid one day." With that parting shot, I strode back to where Davian waited.
"Amore, you know how I get when you go off half-cocked like that!" I heard him chide from behind me as he wrapped his arms around me, his body heat and scent washing over me, his hardening length digging into my back. A spark of desire kindled despite the adrenaline still coursing through me.
"Not now," I promised, pressing my hips back into him, "but we'll reassess that when we get home." My gaze slid sideways, meeting his, watching as his eyes darkened in anticipation.
The rest of dinner passed in a blur, the tension between us and the other table palpable. But I didn't care. My sole focus was on Winter, ensuring she remained oblivious to the earlier confrontation. The boys seem to have done a great job keeping winter occupied during the earlier incident.
As soon as was politely possible, we made our excuses. I could feel Charlotte's eyes boring into my back as we departed, but we all know she won't move on since ewe all know she's only for running her mouth.
My attention remained fixed on the little girl who was being tossed up and down in the sky by her oldest brother as she let out squeals that made everyone pleased to know she was happy.
The drive home was quiet, Davian reaching over to interlace our fingers as he drove. I leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Thank you," I murmured, "for having my back in there." He squeezed my hand, his gaze flicking to mine. "Always, amore. They mess with our kid, they mess with us."
I nodded in wholehearted agreement. Because at the end of the day, that's what it boiled down to. Family wasn't merely blood—it was the people you'd kill for.
After making it back home, winter wanted to stay with Sylas for the night so I made sure to give her a kiss and giving him her emergency cart just in case of an accident at night.
After everyone was turned away for the night. I walking into me and Davian's room. Filling me inside, shutting the door. "You want anything to drink." Davian asked as he waked over to the mini bar that we in the corner of our room. "No, I wanna take a shower, after what happened today just set a fire in me." I said as I walk into the bathroom to do my nightly routine.
I emerged from the bathroom in a towel, finding Davian leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "Feel better?" he asked, "kinda." I added.
He chuckled, pushing off from the wall. His hands slid beneath the towel, palming my ass. "How about we find another outlet for that aggression?" My gaze snapped to his, heat flaring through me.
"Depends on what you have in mind," I drawled, already knowing I'd agree to anything. He just smirked, fingers digging into my skin as he yanked me flush against him. "You'll find out."
