It feels strange to be having a conversation with my brother again. To argue and beg like I did as a child. It brings an overwhelming sense of home and the brief taste makes me want more. “Thank you.”
He gives a sad smile. “All bets are off if he makes you cry, though. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” I start for the stairs, Sebastian following close behind.
I hold the door open to the hall and we walk in comfortable silence toward the voices coming from the living area. Everyone is there—Hunter and Sarah at the dining table, Cole and Keira in the kitchen cooking, Layla, Benji, the nanny, and the kids on the sofa in front of the television. It’s Luca who steals my attention, his hip cocked against the island counter, his stance casual even though I can read the tension in his eyes as he glances between me and my brother.
“It’s about time you two got up here.” Cole pulls plates from a cupboard. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
“Perfect timing.” Sebastian squeezes my shoulder and strides ahead, taking the furthest route from Luca as possible.
They eye each other, the evil stares not amounting to anything other than tension.
I guess the lack of verbal threat is a starting point.
Luca pushes from the counter, flicking me a glance as he stalks for the glass doors leading outside. I follow, my toes protesting the bitter chill while I breathe in the icy morning air.
“Morning.” I don’t stop until I’m in front of him, my bare feet brushing his boots as I lean into his chest.
“Morning, shorty.” He engulfs me in a lazy hug, the familiar scent of his aftershave soothing me.
“I gather from the damp hair and fresh clothes that you didn’t fall back asleep.”
He stares across the courtyard, the towering mansion next door looming right beside the brick fence as the neighbor’s dog continues to bark. “I got out of bed as soon as you left the room. I wanted to make sure I was close by if you needed me.”
A grateful smile curves my lips. “I always need you.”
He tightens his hold around me for a brief moment, then sighs. “Is everything okay between you and Decker?”
“It’s better than it was.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He strokes my hair. “How about the poison? Is that sinking in yet?”
“Poison?” I pull back, taking in his faint smirk.
“Has Sebastian turned you against me?” He appears calm on the surface, but I see the underlying fear in the tight set of his jaw. He’s joking on the outside. On the inside he’s worried.
“No, and he never will. You’re stuck with me.”
The smirk fades as he returns his attention to the neighboring building. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
I square my shoulders, preparing for the worst. “Is this what you wanted to tell me last night?”
He nods. “It’s not good news, Pen.”
I already gathered as much when he brought it up yesterday. I just hadn’t been willing to face it. And if the news hadn’t been about Tobias and Sebastian, that only left my sisters. “He killed one of them, didn’t he? Robert found Lilly or Nina.”
His chin hitches almost imperceptibly. It’s all the answer I need for a wave of grief to take hold. I steel myself against the onslaught, straightening my shoulders in anticipation.
“Not dead, shorty. But Nina is hurt pretty bad. She’s in hospital.”
Relief doesn’t come. It’s as if the sorrow is merely placed on the back burner, waiting for the follow-through. “Will she make it?”
“I hope so. They’re not sure at this point. The only good news is that Torian now believes you.”
Again, my relief is non-existent. I’m left to drown in guilt. I should never have let them leave Greece without me. We should’ve stayed together.
“This isn’t your fault,” he murmurs. “I should’ve made sure they were protected. And when I found out, instead of telling you, I focused on getting my rocks off.”
“No, you didn’t. I knew. I may not have had the specifics, but I knew.” I graze my fingers over his jaw. “We both needed the distraction.”
He scoffs. “That doesn’t stop me from feeling like a prick.”
The glass door slides open. The dog bursts into more aggressive barking as I glance over my shoulder to see Keira poking her head outside. “Sorry to interrupt but breakfast is ready and Cole wants us all together to talk about what’s happening.”