Page 27 of Players Like Us (Reunion Gap #7)

The door to Tate’s study opened and Daniel Reese entered, the scowl on his face setting the mood for his next words. “We need to talk.”

“Talk? Or do you mean I need to listen to a lecture from you?” Just because the man was married to Neal’s sister and she thought he was her world did not mean he was everyone’s world.

“Save the smartass comments. My wife asked me to talk to you, so that’s what I’m going to do. Talk to you.” He pulled out a chair, sank into it, let out a long sigh as though he’d rather be doing anything but sitting here.

“Nice clothes.” Neal took in the guy’s T-shirt and faded jeans.

“I’m guessing the T-shirt is circa 1975 and the jeans somewhere around 1977?

” He forced a smile, narrowed his gaze on the man’s fist. “Bowl turning isn’t bringing in enough money for a new pair of jeans?

” Okay, so he was being an ass, but the guy annoyed him.

“You know, if I didn’t love your sister so much, I would’ve broken your nose and been done with it.” His gaze narrowed on Neal’s face. “You’re too pretty to be taken seriously. If you had a crook or two in that nose, you might look like you’re a real person instead of a cover model for a magazine.”

“That’s the best you’ve got? Tossing back my genetics? Did you say that to my sister when you thought she was nothing more than a piece of fluff?”

“Keep talking like that and I will put a crook in that nose of yours.”

Oh, touchy subject. “I doubt my sister would approve.”

The man spat out a curse, burned him with a look.

“Meredith convinced me you’d be a good choice to keep an eye on my sister, make sure she wasn’t getting into trouble.

” The scowl said what he thought of that idea.

“I didn’t want to agree, and I knew as soon as I did that it was a mistake.

Hell, I knew you were going to drag her into trouble. ”

“You knew all of that about me?” People had been judging him for years and there’d been a time early on when he hadn’t wanted to disappoint them.

They wanted a bad guy, runaround, drinker, conniver?

Sure, he’d give it to them. And then he’d add even more flair to the scenarios, mix in exotic trips, beautiful models, adrenaline-rush nightclubs.

It didn’t take much to get the paparazzi interested in scandal, and he’d been an expert at conjuring it up, serving it to them exactly as they liked it—over-the-top, unforgettable, undeniable.

It had been a game and he’d grown bored of it early on, but he persisted because that’s what you did when you relied on other people’s opinion of you instead of trusting your own.

It had taken Dominic Lombardi, a straight-up, decent guy, to show Neal that he didn’t have to be ruled by what others said or thought of him—or what his own father believed.

He could be himself, and if he didn’t know who that was, he could figure it out, one step at a time.

If a guy like Dominic with few prospects, a mountain of debt, and no family could do it, then why couldn’t someone as protected and privileged as Neal do the same?

Just because his father had pegged him a loser who’d never amount to anything but trouble didn’t mean it was true, or if it had been, that it was Neal’s only choice.

People changed, made choices every day, and there came a time when they had to own them, live by them, embrace them.

He’d screwed up by the age of twenty-five more than most people did by age seventy-five.

But so what? So frigging what? At some point, he was going to have to learn to ignore everyone else’s comments and just 100% trust his own gut, but he wasn’t there yet.

There was still too much doubt in the way and that’s why Daniel Reese’s words bothered and annoyed him so much.

“Stay away from my sister. She doesn’t need someone like you messing with her head.”

Those blue eyes flashed, burned him with a warning.

Neal sat back in his chair, folded his arms across his chest, and assessed his brother-in-law.

“You’re very protective of your sister. I get it.

No guy wants to see his sister hurt or disappointed.

..definitely not unhappy.” He smiled, held it in place until the guy balled his right hand into a fist. “I feel the same way about Meredith. I’m watching you and right now I get the impression she’s not happy with you.

” The guy didn’t like that comment. Too bad.

“A little close to home, isn’t it? Just remember this…

Meredith and I shared nine months together long before we ever took our first breath of air.

You think you can waltz in and become the only man in her world?

” Neal laughed, let the guy see the truth.

“Guess again. I love my sister and while I might have spent a good part of my life as a screw-up, she’s still my sister.

I’m still her brother. Her twin . We love each other and I will not let anyone hurt her. ”

Daniel Reese gripped the arms of his chair, probably to keep from lunging at Neal and spat out, “That’s rich.

Ever think you’re the one who’s hurting your sister?

The no-shows, the disappearances, the promises that fall flat?

Do you ever think you’re the reason she spent so many years chasing happiness, believing she wasn’t worthy of it?

Maybe because her own brother treated her like she wasn’t? ”

Okay, one more line like that, and Neal was going to take a swing. He’d probably end up on the floor and he might get a bloody nose or a black eye, but he was not going to listen to this BS. “You don’t want me as an enemy.” He clenched his fist, stared. “I can make your life hell.”

This time the guy shot out of his chair, took a step toward him. “And I will make your life a living hell if you go near my sister again.”