I jab her in the chest. "Don't talk to my husband like I'm not even here or incapable of making any decisions on my own."
Andre clears his throat and sets his hands on Naomi's shoulders. "Naomi, let everyone inside. You and Emilia can talk in private."
Her face reddens in anger, and her voice gets louder. "No. I want to know right now why there is a collar with your name on it and a leash around my sister's neck."
Andre loudly and forcefully says, "Naomi—"
"Josie!" Julieta pushes past Andre and looks as if she's seen a ghost.
Josie's tears fall again, and she gasps for air.
Andre pulls Naomi back into the house. "Everyone come inside. But keep it down. The girls are sleeping."
"Girls?" I ask. "Millie and Josie's daughter are here, right?"
Andre nods. "Yes."
I put my hand over my heart. "Thank God." Kalim said they were, but I needed the extra confirmation.
Naomi continues to glare at Malin. Andre holds her shoulders.
"Gustave. Bernadette. It's good to see you. Come in," Andre says.
Malin's body stiffens at the mention of Gustave's name.
We all step inside, except Josie and Julieta, who don't move. Ryker comes into the room. "Julie—" He stares at all of us. "Malin. Good to see you."
Malin nods. "You, too."
His eyes glance over me and pause at my neck and the leash. He locks eyes with Malin. "We'll talk later."
"Yes," Malin replies.
"Okay, then." Ryker pats his back and moves Julieta outside and shuts the door.
Naomi steps forward and tries to take my hand, but I snatch it away.
"Do not touch me right now."
She gapes at me. "Why? What have I done?"
"I am not a child. You have also been disrespectful to my husband."
"Ma belle—"
I spin. "No. She isn't going to do this."
"Do what?" Naomi asks.
"This. What you always do."
"I have been worried sick about you."
"And I about you."
"I see I had a good right to be when you show up on a leash!" she cries out.
I take Malin's hand and wrap the leash around it then step closer to Naomi. "Yes. And I love every moment of it."
A man who looks similar to Andre but younger comes into the room. He even sounds like him. "Why don't you ladies take it out on the deck?"
Must be Blaise.
Naomi's eyes flare with rage. She glowers at Malin. "What have you done to my sister?"
Andre spins her into him. "Naomi, deck, now. The girls are sleeping."
"Are you going to take care of him? Or should I get your gun?"
Andre's eyes widen. "You need to take a breather."
"He has a leash around my sister like she's a pet he owns. His name is on it."
"Yes, I can see. And we don't know what the situation is. You need to calm down."
"Don't you tell me to calm down," she seethes.
"Did you just threaten to shoot my husband?" I bark.
She spins, but Blaise steps between us, facing her. "You need to take this on the deck. The girls are sleeping. Zoe finally got to sleep, too."
"What's wrong with Zoe?" I ask.
"She's pregnant," Andre responds.
"She is? Whose baby is it?"
"Dirk's."
Happiness surges through me. I soften my tone. "That's great."
"Yes, but she's been having a hard time sleeping. So you two need to take your argument on the deck," Blaise says.
"Should I grab your leash first?" Naomi snottily says.
I stick my chin out and smile. "No. If you haven't noticed, it says Malin, not Naomi."
Malin groans. "Emilia."
I turn and put my hand on his chin. "I am your ma belle. Do not get distracted by this nonsense."
His gray eyes have both annoyance and amusement in them.
I kiss him. "I will be back. Find out where our bedroom is. I don't plan on spending our night seeking my sister's approval."
"What has happened to you?" Naomi asks.
"Naomi. Deck. Now," Andre orders and points.
She huffs and walks away, sliding the door open and stepping out into the night.
Malin reaches to my neck, and I spin.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking this off."
"No. It stays on."
"Ma belle, it's time to take it off."
"No. You can take it off in the bedroom."
Malin growls, "Ma belle, it's coming off."
I freeze. Malin never speaks to me like that.
He moves his hands around my neck. He calms his voice and repeats, "No more tonight." The clasp opens, and he slides it off my neck, then palms my head. "Make peace with your sister. You have spent months worried about her. She has a reason to be upset."
"She doesn't."
His lips twitch. He lightly kisses me. "She does. Go talk. Be nice to