27

The underlying threat in Nicholas' words lingered as they continued to eat in silence, Mia thankfully finishing her meal quietly. Reyna prayed silently that she had made the right choice in bringing Mia into the endless emotional battles she had been fighting with Nicholas.

What did he mean by 'until he could vanquish any threats to our family'? She knew Nicholas could be brutal, and she had seen firsthand how far he could go when he was very possessive about something - or in this case, someone. But she was not willing to find out what he meant by that.

Reyna's mind wandered to William. As much as she needed to keep her daughter as safe as possible, she couldn't deny that somehow, in the short time she had known William, she had felt a sense of security and calmness. There were feelings steadily growing, and as much as she tried not to acknowledge them, she couldn't deny their presence. Sure, he had faults which were understandable, but still, she couldn't risk doing that to Mia. He