Chapter 29
CHARLIE
Sugar melts on my tongue, and I try not to groan at the delicious flavor.
What would a visit to New Orleans be without indulging in a box of pralines? As the sweetness of the treat fills my mouth, I chew the nutty pecans and wonder if I’ll be able to keep from eating the rest before I meet up with Luna.
I’m so involved in the food experience that I almost miss that I’m being watched.
Across the way, a guy leans back against a brick building, arms crossed over his chest, stare pointed at me. He’s either terrible at being incognito or not trying hard to remain inconspicuous.
What surprises me, more than the fact that the stranger is focused on me, is the guy’s face.
It’s familiar.
I don’t think I’ve seen him before, but I’d recognize those eyes, that nose, the cheekbones anywhere.
He looks like Luna. A lot like Luna.
Leo.
That’s my best guess, unless my wife is hiding more relatives around the city. This has to be her twin brother. And the guy seems fascinated with me.
Did she get in touch with him?
I know Luna planned to keep the inheritance payoff to herself for a stretch, but maybe she called her brother and told him she was in town. Or that we were.
As I tuck my wallet into my pocket, I ponder my next move.
I could keep on about my day and let Leo follow me until he gets bored.
Or I could introduce myself.
I’ve never been good at ignoring obvious things or acting like people don’t exist. When I step out on the sidewalk, I look both ways before jogging across the street.
“Hi. Leo, right?” I stop a few feet away, not sure how this exchange will go.
Luna’s brother keeps on a passive, mildly interested face, but from the way his eyes narrow, I can guess he didn’t expect to be approached. Or for me to know his name.
“Who’s asking?”
His defensiveness might put someone else off, but I’ve never minded being the one to lead a conversation. Maybe that’s the salesperson in me.
“I’m Charlie Keller. Saw you watching me from across the street.” No reason to dance around the truth. “Figured I’d come say hi.”
Leo laughs with a sharp, humorless bark. “Really? Thought you’d show me how big of a man you are?”
“I—” That has me rocking back on my heels.
Then I recall what I know about Luna’s past. The Lamont siblings haven’t had an easy time of it as far as I can tell.
Bet this guy is never too far from a fight.
“Yeah. You caught me, Charlie Keller. What the fuck are you gonna do about it?” He says my name with a dark twist. Like he knows something about me, and I try to remember if I have any skeletons in my closet that I should worry about.
There was that time I rolled through a Stop sign because I was late for a meeting. But Leo can’t know about that.
“Did you need to talk to me about something?” I ask.
Leo shoves off the wall, stepping closer, as if he means to intimidate me.
Unfortunately for him, I’ve got a handful of inches on him, so he can’t loom over me.
Still, I’m completely confident that Leo could beat the shit out of me if he got the urge.
I’ve never been much of a fighter. Luna could also kick my ass with ease. Paige too.
Better not start making that list because it’d go on for a while.
“I saw you with Luna,” Leo hisses. “Looking pretty cozy.”
When would he have seen us? Maybe he was watching Dash’s house. Or there were those couple of times we were around town together. Not sure what Leo means by cozy though. It’s not like we were making out in public or anything.
No matter how much I wish we were.
While I’d prefer to have some kind of good relationship with Leo, I’m not going to let him pull this keep away from my sister or get a fist in the face crap. Luna is a grown woman, fully capable of making her own decisions.
“What’s wrong with Luna and me getting cozy?”
Suddenly, I’m worried this is a race thing. I know that Luna and Leo and Dash’s mom is Taiwanese American and their dad is white. But being mixed race doesn’t mean Leo can’t still hold my darker skin against me.
He bares his teeth, growling his next words. “My sister isn’t some side piece.”
I rock back on my heels. “What?”
Leo sneers down at my hands, and I follow his focus to pick up on what’s captured his attention.
My wedding ring.
And that’s when I know Luna has told her brother absolutely nothing about what’s going on.
I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Luna is going through all this effort to save Leo, and he doesn’t even know. He should, shouldn’t he? The guy is going to need to know there will be a massive change in his life a year from now. Maybe he could start preparing for it.
Or maybe Luna already has the timing figured out, and she’s holding out so as not to give Leo false hope.
False hope about me.
Because I’m the one point this whole plan hinges on. I could leave her at any moment and send the house of cards tumbling down.
Luna trusts me enough to marry me, but not enough that she’ll tell her brother about the arrangement.
Maybe that should make me angry. But I’m just sad.
And determined.
A lot of people have let Luna down in the past, but I will not be one of them. I have the sudden urge to prove that to her, here and now.
But she’s not here, only Leo. Still, I can make a claim.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I introduced myself properly.” I hold my hand out for him to shake if he’s willing. “I’m Charlie Keller. Luna’s husband.”
His new brother-in-law, I realize.
This man and I are tied together. Same with Dash. Whether they’re thrilled by the new addition or not, I’m their brother now.
From the shocked expression on Leo’s face, I think the guy needs some time to come to terms with the fact.
“We haven’t been married long,” I assure him. “Only a few weeks.”
Leo blinks, and I catch a flash of emotion just before he shuts down his features.
Hurt.
Shit, I wasn’t trying to ruin the guy’s day.
“You’re fucking with me,” he deadpans.
“I’m not, but I understand if you don’t believe me. It was a courthouse thing. Just us and a couple of witnesses. Still, go ahead and ask Luna. She’ll back me up.” And maybe hearing that I told her brother about us will help dispel some of her remaining concern.
Leo paces a few steps away from me, ruffling his hair with angry hands. He even moves like his sister, and the déjà vu throws me.
Leo whirls to face me. “This doesn’t make sense. Luna is a loner. Always has been. She’s not the marrying type.” He stalks toward me. “There’s a reason. If you’re telling the truth, then there’s a reason she got married.” Perceptive guy. “Do you have something on her?”
Maybe I should be offended. Instead, I decide Leo’s reaction is a good sign. Obviously, he still cares about his sister in some capacity. Maybe this guy can be redeemed after all.
As long as he doesn’t turn out to be anything like his asshole father.
I hold my hands up, placating. “Your sister isn’t the type of woman to give in to threats, and I think you know that.”
I drop my hands, then reach into my box, carefully selecting a praline. With what I hope is a calming expression, I offer the sweet to my new brother-in-law. His stare flits between me and the dessert a few times before he reluctantly takes the gift.
This is how Luna and her brothers are. Wary of acts of kindness. Which leads me to believe they grew up expecting the world to deal them blows. Both metaphorically and literally.
“I married Luna because she’s fierce and funny and I want to be around her all the time.” Truth. “And she married me for her own reasons. If you want to hear them, talk to her. I doubt you’d believe me about them anyway.”
Leo gives a snort of agreement around his full mouth. After he swallows, the guy hits me with another guarded look. “You said a courthouse wedding? Not many people?”
“We didn’t invite anyone. Not Dash and Paige. Not even my parents.” I don’t mention his parents because we both know their daughter wouldn’t welcome them near any special occasion in her life.
Leo nods, and I watch as some of the hostility fades from his face. Maybe Leo wants to be more involved in his siblings’ lives than he’s willing to admit.
“You busy right now?” This is a risk, but my end goal is to earn a spot in their family. Never too early to start. “I’m on my way to meet Luna for a drink. You can hear this all from her.”
Leo shoves his hands into his pockets and stares toward the street. “Nah. Can’t. Have work tonight.”
Working after five on a weekend? I’m about to ask.
But then I realize what kind of work he means. The exact reason Luna and I got married. To free Leo of his obligation to keep up with whatever dark deeds his uncle demands.
“Too bad. We’re leaving tomorrow morning, but you should think about taking time off to visit us in Nashville.”
Leo studies me again, as if my existence confuses him.
“And you should call your sister,” I add, “so you know I’m not serving you a plate of bullshit.”
Leo blinks, and then his careless smirk falls back into place.
“Whatever.” He turns and strides away, giving off the air that he could give fuck-all about what’s happening around him.
But I know. I saw those few glimpses, but they were enough.
Leo Lamont cares about his sister.