Keeping Eve’s hand in his, he crouched down. “I wasn’t hurt, and I don’t want you letting that fertile imagination go. I’d be very annoyed if my nephew were born with worry lines. Where’s Marissa?”

“Napping.”

He rubbed a thumb under her eyes. “You should do the same.”

Annoyance replaced the strain, as he’d hoped. “Now you sound like Alex.”

“God forbid. Where is he, anyway?”

“Meetings.” She nervously traced her fingers over the papers. “Most of the day. Everything’s been switched to his offices here because of—because security prefers it.”

“Then you should relax.” He covered her hand with his. “You should know by now the Bissets are indestructible. At the least you should be grateful he’s tied up for a while, otherwise he’d be in here hovering over you.”

She managed to smile. “You do have a point.”

Rising, he grinned down at Gabriella. “I suppose we can trust you to keep her in line—though you’re not looking your best, either.”

“Chivalry is never dead with you around.”

“What are brothers for?” He wanted to gather them both close and tell them that nothing and no one would ever hurt them again. Instead, he gave his sister’s hair a tug. “Now I’ll let you two get back to what I’m sure is fascinating work.” He’d gotten no farther than the head of the stairs when Gabriella caught up with him. “Ben.”

He turned, and though he was ready with a smile, her expression stopped it.

Gabriella looked back over her shoulder to be certain they were far enough away from Eve’s office, then laid a hand over his on the banister. “Reeve tells me little about certain matters.” A trace of temper came into her eyes, then was dismissed. “That’s something I have to live with. But particularly since I once lost everything, I have very good instincts when it comes to my family.”

“I know you’re worried,” he began. “All of us are.”

“It’s more than that, though everything comes back to Deboque and his obsession with destroying us. I still have dreams, even after all these years.” She could remember a cabin, and the dark, and the fear.

“Brie.” He laid a hand on her cheek. “Nothing like that is ever going to happen again.”

She closed her fingers lightly over his wrist. “And I remember seeing you shot and bleeding on the terrace floor. I remember sitting in the hospital while Eve hung between life and death. Deboque.” Her face was very pale, but there was strength in it and in the hand that lay on his. “It’s all been Deboque. And he isn’t finished.”

“He will be.” Something dangerous came into his voice, into his eyes. “That I promise you.”

“I want you to be careful, Bennett.”