Page 44 of Betrayed

I approach the door cautiously, every muscle tense. Then, a familiar voice of one of my men calls out, “Hey, Lucian. You’ve got a visitor.” The jovial tone in his voice relaxes me. “Says he’s your brother.”

I laugh a little. “We’re all brothers.” I pause for a moment before opening the door, then turn to Erin to reassure her. “It’s one of us,” I tell her. “A Bachman.”

She smiles, “Great. The more the merrier.” She hops up to put the kettle on.

She’s about to serve whoever’s on the other side of that door some of her God-awful instant coffee. And knowing my brothers, they’ll be polite enough to drink it.

If they survive a cup of that, they’ll survive anything the Hoax can throw at us.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Lucian

I open the door expecting a Bachman.

“Gregory?” My voice catches, disbelieving.

The young man on the doorstep blinks back at me, that same damn crooked smile tugging at his lips. The same crooked smile as Bayne’s, and that similarity was what made me trust Bayne when I met him.

The wind tousles his sandy hair, which is a bit longer than the last time I saw him, a year ago, when I visited him at Oxford for his graduation, curling over his ears.

He stayed in England afterward, and it never would have crossed my mind to have him come here, even though we’re finally in the same country.

His outfit suits these moors: dark gray rain pants and a lighter gray Patagonia jacket designed for the impending rain. He loves the outdoors, including camping, rock climbing, and other adventurous activities.

I sent him lots of those kinds of clothes and outdoor gear for birthdays, Christmas, and graduations.

Hell, anything I could think of to celebrate.

His eyes—those fucking eyes—are identical to mine, but better.

Gentler. Clearer. Unhardened.

Exactly how I wanted them, and for that, I let a little pride swell in my chest.

“Hi, Luce,” he says softly. “It’s been a while.”

My chest cracks open. “What the hell are you doing here?” But I don’t wait for an answer. I grab him and pull him into a hug, nearly choking the air from his lungs. His arms wrap around me just as tightly.

He’s here.

My baby brother.

And I hold him longer than he wants, trying to squirm from my arms before I’m ready to let go.

Just like he did when he was a kid, and I’d drop him off at boarding school.

After all this time, after years of working my ass off, taking risks so he didn’t have to, and keeping him out of this world?—

He’s standing in the eye of the storm.

I pull back, gripping his shoulders. “How the hell did you find me?”

“Bayne,” he says with a shrug. “Said you were alive. Said you might need family.”

I let out a low laugh, incredulous. “Bayne sent you?” I don’t know if I want to kill Bayne for bringing Gregory here or thank him.

Gregory nods. “He said something about how even lone wolves need their pack sometimes.” He shrugs again. “I booked the first flight here from Heathrow. A little tin can kinda thing they called a plane.”