Bound To The Devil

Damien’s POV

Something was off with Luca.

The moment he stepped back into the house after meeting Valarie, his usually soft, expressive face was troubled—his lips slightly downturned, brows furrowed. He didn’t say anything, just gave Damien a small, distracted kiss before excusing himself to play with Ava. That was an immediate red flag. Luca never avoided him.

Damien leaned back against his desk, jaw ticking as he watched Luca and Ava from the open doorway. They were playing a board game, Ava laughing and nudging Luca’s shoulder, but he wasn’t really paying attention. His mind was elsewhere.

That was unacceptable.

Damien was about to demand answers right then and there, but something in Luca’s expression told him he wouldn’t get them. At least, not yet.

Fine.

If Luca wouldn’t talk, Damien would get his answers from Valarie instead.

—

Valarie’s office was dimly lit when he arrived, the only source of light coming from her desk lamp. She was sitting back in her chair, swirling a glass of whiskey in her hand, her expression unreadable. But Damien wasn’t fooled. He knew sadness when he saw it.

"Should I be concerned that my lawyer is hiding things from me?" Damien said smoothly, leaning against the doorframe.

Valarie scoffed. “Should I be concerned that my little brother has a possessive stalker for a husband?”

Damien smirked. “Husband? Already promoting me?”

She rolled her eyes. “Figured I’d get used to it since you’re practically glued to him.”

Damien chuckled, striding over to her desk. “Glad you’re finally acknowledging it, sister-in-law.”

She made a face. “I take it back.”

But the ghost of amusement flickered in her golden-brown eyes, exactly what Damien intended.

Still, as much as he enjoyed getting under Valarie’s skin, he wasn’t here to play. He propped himself against her desk, arms crossed, the teasing edge in his voice gone.

“What happened?”

Valarie exhaled slowly, swirling her glass again before setting it down. “It’s not something I can discuss yet.”

Damien’s jaw tightened. “If it involves Luca, then it is my business.”

She met his gaze, sharp and assessing, as if weighing whether she should tell him. “It’s not just about Luca. It’s about all of us. And right now, I need time to figure things out.”

Damien hated that answer.

But she wasn’t lying.

So he let it slide—for now.

Instead, he picked up her glass and took a sip, ignoring her exasperated look. “Fine. But don’t think I won’t find out anyway.”

Valarie snorted. “Of course not. You’re Damien Volkov. The great possessive, obsessive, overprotective bastard.”

Damien smirked, setting the glass down. “Damn right.”

Then, his expression darkened. “Now, tell me what we know about Mikhail’s next move.”

Damien leaned back against Valarie’s desk, watching her closely as she nursed her whiskey. The tension in her shoulders, the way she hesitated before speaking—it all told him there was more going on than just Mikhail’s movements.