Page 55 of Misdeeds of a Billionaire

All of us turned to see Winston swaying on his feet. He stumbled forward.

“Your kid?” I hissed. “How would you have a kid with—” Suddenly, realization washed over me. That night in Le Bar Américain, they must have hooked up, despite whatever argument they had going when Odette and I found them at the table.

“Yes, my kid. Do you not understand English?” my brother spat as he swayed on his feet, his eyes slightly unfocused.

I gritted my teeth. I understood English just fine. I loved my brother—all my siblings—but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a small part of me that was jealous of my brother right now. Odette and I would have had a child the same age right now if the accident—

Refusing to go back to that day, I focused on my brother who still looked disoriented.

“Were you drinking back there?” I gritted.

“She hit me upside the head,” he mumbled, rubbing his forehead. It was only then that I noticed a purple bruise forming over his temple. “I wanted to talk to her about our son, but the maddening woman smashed my skull.” Jesus, if Billie was anything like Winston, we’d have a disaster on our hands. “Then she took off. Billie and her sister set off the alarm.” Then, noticing my look, Winston added, “I didn’t touch the fucking alcohol.”

I kept my expression blank, but relief slammed into me with an intensity that stole my breath. Winston had finally reached his sobriety, and it was preferable we kept it that way. Winston and I dealt with our wounds and scars differently. He numbed them—or used to—in a bottle, while I dealt with it by putting relationships and women at arm’s length. Hence the sharing of the women. It was easier to let someone else take care of the emotional part than risk them getting close to me.

All except for one. Dr. Swan slipped through my defenses effortlessly and without even trying. It was as if she was my other half and I’d been waiting for her all along. Yes, it was ironic that she wanted nothing to do with me.

“What are you talking about?” Aurora’s voice held disbelief that we all felt. “Byron’s doctor hit you?”

“No, her sister knocked me out.”

“Special Forces and a woman knocks you out,” I muttered under my breath.

Winston grinned—the smile telling me he had a plan. And not a good one. Jesus, I wanted to wipe off the shit-eating grin with disinfectant. Or better yet, wipe it off with my fists. At least it’d match that bruise on his forehead.

Sasha returned before I could follow through. “Someone exited through the emergency door, that’s what set off the alarm.”

Someone finally turned it off and the silence was almost as deafening as the sirens.

Winston flopped back onto the seat of our table. “I told you. The Swan sisters escaped that way. They took my son.”

Breathe, Byron. Keep your cool.

The restaurant was empty. Aurora and I sat back down, keeping our eyes on Winston.

“What makes you think that’s your son?” I questioned my brother. He’d never indicated he had hooked up with the Swan sister.

Sasha and Alexei sat down too, Kostya on his father’s lap. Nothing fazed my nephew. If a bomb exploded next door, Kostya would maybe glance at the damage, but wouldn’t bat an eye.

“He’s the right age and has the same colored eyes as mine. Exact same,” Winston said, waving a waiter over. “Water. And some ice, please.” The waiter was about to leave our table when my brother stopped him. “What do five-year-old boys drink and eat?”

The waiter gave him a blank look. “Umm, I don’t know. Nuggets and apple juice maybe,” he answered, his eyes tentative. “I don’t have any kids.”

“Just bring him water,” I said, dismissing the waiter. “Maybe a functioning brain too,” I added sarcastically.

Once the waiter was out of earshot, Aurora tried to bring some sanity back down to this insane family. “Winston, I don’t think you should jump to conclusions. Lots of kids have blue eyes.”

“He looks just like us in our baby pictures,” Winston claimed. Although, now that I thought about it, he wasn’t far off. And judging by the look on Aurora’s face, she thought so too.

“Did you get any information from your woman?” Sasha asked.

My teeth clenched. “No.”

“If either one of the women are involved in diamond smuggling,” Alexei stated calmly, “it’ll put them all at risk, and they won’t hesitate to kill the kid.”

Everyone’s heads turned my way.

“Byron, can’t you ask your doctor?” Aurora said softly, her hand coming to my forearm and squeezing gently.