Page 30

“What the hell have you done?”

All heads at the table snap up. I'm momentarily stunned to see our father, Jennix Hue standing in our penthouse. He looks furious.

Res clears his throat and stands. “Father, we weren’t expecting you. Is something wrong?”

“Is something wrong?”

He huffs a disbelieving laugh and levels Res with a look. “Why did I get a call about a missing shipment? Our buyer waited at the meet point, and we tried to deliver an empty fucking load!”

Pinching his nose on a deep breath, his eyes skim the lot of us before he continues. “The back of the truck was empty. What happened?”

“Empty?”

Res questions.

“Along with the entirety of warehouse two and three. They were completely cleaned out.”

Shaide chokes on his drink, and I blanch. Warehouse three was the one I was supposed to oversee when I decided I’d take Harlyn to the candy shop and dinner instead.

No one knows I never went.

Oh my god.

“How could you let this happen Ressyn? I handed you the means to run this family and you are running my business into the ground. What's next? Another warehouse? The loss of a business that helped establish our legitimacy in this city?”

Kai abruptly stands, and his chair falls over in his wake. “Get the fuck out.”

His voice is level, low and threatening for someone facing off with Jennix Hue. My eyes double in size and I don't have to look at my brothers to know they share the same expression.

NOBODY talks to him like that.

Kai is fuming as he levels a glare at our father. He’s looking something lethal and everything about him dares the motherfucker to try him.

My heart ricochet’s in my chest out of fear for him, but a slither of pride swells somewhere next to it due to his bravery.

When my gaze fly to my father I expect to find his deadly eyes daring Kai to say something more, but I’m caught by surprise when a blank mask has replaced his previous anger.

They stare at one another while I try to concentrate on my breathing and ensure it's as soundless as possible.

My father wasn’t physically abusive, but his words cut like a blade and are enough to make any man feel lesser than. Kai always gave him shit growing up. He’d push and he’d push and I think I speak for all of us when I say I was just waiting for our father to snap on him. But this goes beyond any lines Kai would toe as a kid.

Other than Kai, the only child my father skirted around was Beige, although understandably.

When I shift my attention to Rain, his eyes are downcast and my brows furrow. Suddenly I feel like I'm missing something. I wonder not for the first time why Kai and Rain are no longer seeing eye to eye.

Without taking his eyes off Kai he growls, “Fix it”, before he storms out and I release the breath I was holding.

The second we hear the elevator descend, Res levels me with a look. “What happened with the warehouses?”

He seethes.

Rubbing a hand down my face, I attempt to gather myself before drowning in shame. “I never made it.”

His eyes flare and he takes a deep breath. I try not to fidget in my seat as everyone’s attention settles on me.

“What do you mean, you. Never. Made. It?”

He asks between clinched teeth.

Before I can open my mouth to respond, Harlyn appears from the hallway having just woke up.

A sling of curses go off in my head as he saunters over shirtless, in a pair of my sweatpants and settles into my lap. He’s apparently incapable of reading the room as he grabs a toast from my plate and takes a large bite. He’s also oblivious to every glare that settles on him as he gulps my orange juice.

Res is vibrating by the time Har refills the cup with the pitcher on the table and downs that glass too.

Once he's satisfied and pissed everyone off, he leans back into my chest with the comfort of someone who’s done this a thousand times. He places his hands one on top of the other on the table top before blessing everyone with his attention.

My pulse continues to pound, although now it's for a completely different reason. I see the accusation in their eyes as they remain shooting Harlyn murderous glares. I want nothing more than to throw him behind me and shield him from my brothers scrutiny but that would only further the allegations that go left unsaid.

He doesn’t even tense when Beige of all people breaks the silence.

“Creek was just explaining to us why he didn’t round on one of our warehouses and if I’m remembering correctly, you were supposed to be with him on that round.”

“He was”, Ressyn confirms with a sneer. “He showed up to my office covered in fucking blood and asked to be more involved. Clearly that was a mistake.”

His gaze drags up and down the both of us. The disapproval doesn’t have to be voiced; I can feel it in the air as surely as I can feel it in my tightening chest.

He showed up covered in blood? I was definitely wondering why he had been with me that day, but this is unexpected and completely him.

Forgetting that I’m under a spotlight via my older brothers, my arms snake around Har’s lean waist to pull him flush against me.

Four sets of eyes narrow at the gesture. Kai however watches silently with a look of longing in his eyes that looks too painful to pick apart and I avert my gaze.

What the hell was his deal?

Harlyn clears his throat and I tense, holding my breath.

“Yes, I went with Creek that day, but we never made it to our planned destination. Is there a problem?”

“The problem is, the warehouse you were both supposed to go to was cleaned the fuck out”, Ressyn says. I can practically see the steam wafting out of his ears as he watches Harlyn snuggle into my chest further, like a kitten. I kind of like it, but this is hardly the time.

No. It isn’t the time at all.

Jesus, what is wrong with me? I’m ass backwards for this guy. I'm fucked, to put it simply.

“Not to worry”, Har says, unfolding himself from me. I miss his warmth the moment it's gone. “We will find out who did this and kill them.”

He shrugs like this is an easy errand. Perhaps to him it is. I fathom that I still don't know the extent of his duties when he lived under lock and key.

Just as questions are about to pop off from my brothers around the table, Remi-Ressyns occasional fuck-strolls into the room.

A happy sway to his hips as he does so.

He’s on the smaller side, much like Harlyn, without all of the badassery.

Remi’s hands land on Res’s shoulders.

I hear Harlyn’s breath catch when Ressyns head tips back and Remi’s lips connect with his.

Confused, I glance at him and pause.

His body has gone rigid and every ounce of elegance he typically carries has been washed away, replaced by abject horror.

“Har, you okay?”, I ask, but the only thing that manages to do is draw attention back to him.

“Why the hell you looking at us like that?”, Res demands.

“Who the fuck is that?”, Harlyn croaks, pointing a shaky finger at Remi.

I still sit, stupidly confused by the swift change in the room.

Ressyn pull Remi to his side, with an arm around his waist as if he's presenting him for the first time. “This is Remi, my fiancé.”

He said what now?

Remi’s face lights up as he holds up his hand, displaying a gold band with a diamond in the center.

No one says anything. All of us shocked, rightfully so. Ressyn was married once-long ago to Blithe-and never in my life would I have thought that he would find that kind of love again. I guess I was wrong.

Harlyn winces. Then winces again.