64. Lars
I find Enzo in his office with a stack of reports spread across his desk and a half-finished espresso beside his hand. The estate has settled into its late-afternoon rhythm, the tension of the morning meetings long gone. He glances up when I step inside.
“You look suspiciously relaxed,” he says, closing the folder in front of him. “Did Rowan finally run out of cybersecurity catastrophes for us?”
“Not even close.” I drop into the chair across from the desk. “I’m heading out for the evening.”
That earns a suspicious glare.
“This is early for you on a Monday.”
Enzo studies me for another second before leaning back in his chair.
“All right,” he says. “Something happened. You might as well tell me what it is.”
I exhale through my nose. “Neomi and I met someone.”
He doesn’t look surprised. “Man or woman? How did you meet?”
“A man. At the Monarch.”
He gestures lightly with the espresso cup.
“That place does tend to facilitate introductions.”
I glance toward the window before looking back at him.
“His name’s Gabriel Santori.”
Enzo waits. When I don’t continue, he sighs and waves a hand toward me.
“Lars, we’re family. Stop giving me the short version and just lay it out.”
I huff out a quiet laugh. “Fair.”
So, I do.
“We met him at Monarch last week. We ended up having an interesting evening. A couple days later we had dinner together and…things clicked. Neomi likes him. I like him. We’ve seen him again since, and now we’re seeing where it goes.”
Enzo listens without interrupting, his expression thoughtful but calm.
When I finish, he nods once. “Well,” he says, “this is an interesting turn of events. And what does Gabriel Santori do for a living?”
“He trades in the markets. Stocks, short-term positions, that kind of thing.”
Enzo rolls the espresso cup slowly between his fingers while he considers that.
“A man who makes his money watching numbers move on screens,” he says. “Sounds like a boring career choice.”
“He travels a lot.”
A silence settles in the room before Enzo looks back up at me. “Is this a fling or something more serious?”
“Somewhere in between at the moment.”
“And Neomi is on the same page?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“You know,” he says after a moment, “most people ease into complicated relationship structures a little more slowly. But not you, brother, you jump right in.”
“We’ve never been like most people.”
“That’s true.” The corner of his mouth lifts, then his tone softens. “Are you happy?”
The question catches me off guard.
“Yeah,” I admit. “I am.”
Enzo leans back in his chair again, clearly satisfied with that answer.
“Good. I’ve spent a lot of years watching you punish yourself for things that were never your fault,” he continues. “Seeing you actually enjoy your life again is a nice change.”
I shrug. “Still getting used to that part.”
“Well,” he says, “keep doing it.”
He finishes the espresso and sets the cup aside.
“If Gabriel Santori is going to be around long enough, eventually he’ll need to cross paths with this family. If you’re sure about this, I’d like to meet him—sooner rather than later.”
“That can happen.”
I push the chair back and stand. But as I reach the door, Enzo speaks again.
“Lars.”
I turn.
“Just make sure you properly vet him.”
I nod once then walk out of the room.
The lights are on in the living room when I arrive home, soft music playing from the speakers, and the sight waiting for me on the couch makes something in my chest jump before I can stop it.
Neomi sits curled comfortably into the corner of the couch, one leg tucked beneath her while the other stretches across the cushions. Gabriel sits beside her, his arm draped casually along the back of the sofa while they talk quietly about something I can’t quite hear from the entryway.
For a moment I simply stand there, watching them. Witnessing their soft exchange is like a balm, lifting the stress of the day from my shoulders.
Gabriel notices me first. His head turns toward the door, and a smile appears when our eyes meet.
“Well,” he says easily, “there he is.”
Neomi twists around, brightening when she sees me.
“You’re late.”
“Five minutes,” I say, shucking off my jacket as I cross the room.
“Ten,” she corrects.
“Eight.”
“Still late.” She laughs.
I loosen my tie as I reach the couch, dropping both the jacket and the tie over the back of a chair before leaning over the cushions. Neomi tilts her face up toward me first and I press a quick kiss to her lips, lingering just long enough to hear the quiet hum of approval she makes in response.
Then I turn toward Gabriel. The kiss to his lips is softer but no less familiar, my hand briefly settling against the back of his neck before I pull away.
“Sorry,” I say, straightening. “My meeting ran long.”
Gabriel waves it off with an easy shrug. “I’ve had perfect company, no need to be sorry.”
Neomi gestures toward the couch cushions beside them.
“We’ve been plotting.”
That word alone makes me pause.
“Should I be concerned?”
She laughs. “Probably.”
I glance between the two of them suspiciously.
“Give me five minutes to change,” I say. “Then you can explain what exactly you’ve been plotting without me.”
Neomi’s grin widens immediately.
“Oh,” she says lightly. “You might want to wear a lot of layers.”
I pause at the bottom of the stairs and turn back.
“And why is that?”
Gabriel's laugh reaches me from the couch.
“Neomi has a plan,” he explains.
“Which apparently involves my wardrobe.”
“It involves cards,” Gabriel says.
I blink once.
Neomi leans forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Strip poker.”
“Gabriel, we’re in trouble, we’re the underdogs in this game. But I’ll get the cards,” I say as a chuckle breaks free.
Behind me, I hear Neomi laugh. And Gabriel’s voice follows with amusement.
“This is going to be interesting.”