Graham
C opper liquid swirls in the Waterford tumbler, ice tinkling against the crystal walls as the bartender sets the single malt in front of me. Lifting it off the cocktail napkin, I bring it to my lips as I turn and lean against the solid oak bar.
The doors to the ballroom opened fifteen minutes ago. People are slowly trickling in, taking seats at tables with white cloths and black linens or standing around the bar ordering drinks. Most, however, are still walking the red carpet after traveling from New York to the New Jersey resort.
Normally, I’m out there. It’s good PR to be seen. But for tonight, I opted out. I won’t do anything to push Casey beyond her limits. The lights, cameras, and questions would’ve overwhelmed her, and she had enough of that with Krista. And doing it without her wasn’t an option for me.
She will get there. This event is a tremendous step for her—us on its own.
“Looking sharp,” I turn to Henry as he waves the bartender down.
“I know.” Modesty isn’t my strong suit. I know I look good. Why deny it? But once Casey is on my arm, I doubt a single person will look at me. I lift my Scotch to my lips, savoring the robust dark chocolate notes as it rolls over my palette. Fuck, I love good Scotch. “You clean up well.” He wears a classic cut tuxedo—black pants, white shirt, white jacket with black satin trim, a black bow tie, and a black pocket square. “Very James Bond.” I grin over my glass.
“Fuck you.” He takes his glass of water from the counter, then flicks the golden yellow brocade pocket square on my chest. “Thought this was black and white.”
“I don’t like being told what to do,” I smirk.
He moves his fingers to the sunflower-shaped lapel pin. “Yeah, you’ve made that abundantly clear.” He removes his hand and sips his water. “You’re lucky I like you, even if you’re a bastard.” I shrug, truly not caring if he likes me or not, but I know it’s important to Casey. A low buzzing sounds, and he pulls his phone from his pocket. “Your girl is coming down.”
Like thunder, my heart crashes against my ribs.
My palms begin to sweat.
What the fuck?
I think I’m actually nervous.
I’ve never been nervous a day in my life, and I have no reason to be now. But this knot in my stomach and slight shake in my hands is a dead giveaway.
“For some reason, Trouble has decided they are making a grand entrance from the stairs.”
I nod and follow, unable to form a coherent thought. When we reach the staircase, the words out of his mouth sound like threats of war and destruction. I follow his line of sight, then put my glass to my lips to hide my laugh as Ashleigh descends the stairs in a dress that leaves little to the imagination with her dark hair pulled into a mass of curls on top of her head, and a white mask over her dark eyes.
She smirks at Henry who looks absolutely livid, then turns toward me. Her gaze appraises me, then she nods her approval. “You knew she would hate everything, didn’t you?”
“Does she seem the black-and-white type to you?” Ashleigh shakes her head with a smile. “She conforms out of fear of rejections, but she’s been forced to bend for too long.”
“OMG.” She waves her hand in front of her face. “That’s so sweet.” She elbows Henry in the ribs. “Why aren’t you that sweet?”
“Because you spend all your fucking time doing shit like this.” He waves his hands over her body. “And don’t think your little distraction will work. You are in so much trouble.” His eyes rake her from hair to hem as he drags his hand over his mouth. “So much fucking trouble.”
Ashleigh smirks and turns to me. “I know you think you’re prepared, but you’re not. You better set that drink down Mr. Billionaire, because you’ll need to hold on to something when you see her.”
I hand my drink off to a server who passes by with a shrug, but as soon as my attention returns to the stairs, my hand shoots out, grabbing the rail. I can’t hear anything beyond the roar of blood in my ears. My mouth goes slack.
I knew she would be stunning. She can wear a paper sack and be the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. But I didn’t expect my heart to stop.
The red dress dances around her hips like a ring of fire while the yellow flowers dance in her flames. I expected to see her long blond hair in her usual bun, so I don’t even try to stop the wide smile that stretches across my face at the thick, bold, intricate braid with smaller braids woven in.
Her navy eyes lined with lots of black liner and shadows meet mine behind the ornate gold and red feathered Venetian mask, sparkling as a shy smile pulls at her plump deep red lips.
Impatience wins as my feet pull me forward, meeting her on the fourth step. “Sunflower, you just stole my heart, breath, and words. You’re not just stunning, your beauty is unmatched.” Her pretty cheeks flush, pink peeking through her expertly applied makeup while she tucks her bottom lip between her teeth. I tug it free then offer my arm, escorting her the rest of the way down. “I have something for you.” I reach into my jacket, grabbing the box.
I turn it toward her, lifting the navy blue lid before she can see the iconic Harry Winston monogram. A hushed breath escapes her as her eyes bounce between the jewelry sitting on the velvet cushion and me. “, I-I…”
“Do not say you can’t accept it. You can and you will.”
She runs her fingers over the necklace as she nods, then whispers, “Thank you.”
Looking at Henry and Ashleigh, I ask them to hold the box as I lift the twenty-five-carat diamond necklace from the box. I help her with the matching bracelet and earrings, then tuck the box back into my pocket. There is a ring, too, but that will be my secret for a while.
“She will pass out if she finds out how much all that costs,” Henry chuckles under his breath.
“No reason for her to,” I murmur back as she and Ashleigh admire the pieces. “It’s just money. She’s worth more than all the diamonds in the world.”
“Good answer, but you forget who her best friend is.” He turns away from me and goes to Casey. “You’re beautiful, kid, but you don’t look like a kid tonight.” He kisses her on the cheek, then takes Ashleigh’s hand and goes to the ballroom.
We follow behind, finding many more have arrived. Her hand trembles in the crook of my arm. I place mine over it. “Why are you shaking?”
“Because of us. This is the first time we’ve… It’s like a big coming out thing.”
“That’s what the mask is for, remember?”
“Yes.” Her fingers twitch beneath mine. “But they’ll guess.”
Instead of leading her to the table, I take her to the dance floor. The small orchestra plays the instrumental version of Downtown by Majical Cloudz as I grip her waist. “Forget them,” I tell her. “It’s only you and me.” I spin her out, and when she spins back, I hold her close, cupping her face, ensuring her eyes stay on me.
I hum to the song as we move across the floor in our little bubble. One song bleeds into another. Soon, just as I knew she would, she loses herself to the music and me. Everyone around us disappears, and it’s only the two of us.
“How do you always know what I need before I do?” She asks as she rests her chin on my shoulder with a soft, contented sigh.
My chest bounces with quiet laughter. “How can I not? It’s a byproduct of obsession. I was obsessed with you before I knew I was obsessed, and you, pretty girl, are a creature of habit.” I dip my head, brushing my lips over her temple before dropping to her ear. “It was this or take you somewhere and fuck you until you forgot you were nervous. I thought this was the more appropriate choice for now.”
She shudders against me, then leans back with a coy expression. From beneath her lashes, she looks at me while her tongue darts between her lips. “But we can do that later, though. Right?”
“Mmm. My insatiable little sunflower. Do you think I’ll make it all night without tasting you or sinking my cock into this tight little body?”
She trembles again as those pretty eyes turn hazy with lust. “Soon, baby, but first, let’s get through this.”
We take a few minutes to weave through the crowd, especially when people keep stopping me, making me wish I’d worn a mask too, but we finally get there. Liam sits next to Lily, Henry next to Ashleigh, and Jagger sits with some girl I’ve never seen before. The table next to us holds three of five Sons of Sin members and their wives along with a guy I’ve only seen in a couple of pictures when I was doing my digging and another guy I don’t recognize.
I nod to them as I pull out Casey’s chair. “I’m going to the bar. Do you want something?” She looks at the water glass and champagne flute on the table.
“Anything but that,” she says with a scrunched nose.
“Pink and fruity. Got it.” I kiss the top of her head, ignoring Liam’s glare.
I get stopped by more men on the way. The effort it takes not to roll my eyes as they not so subtly pass me business cards is exhausting. Envy I’m unaccustomed to rolls through me as I realize Masters has as much money, if not more than I do. It’s debatable, but it’s possible. He doesn’t have to deal with this bullshit because while I was rubbing elbows, he made certain everyone saw him as a fuck up.
It feels like hours have passed by the time I make it to the bar. In reality, it’s been minutes. I wave a finger at the bartender.
Liam is standing behind me when I turn with folded arms and a set jaw. I lean back against the bar, resting my elbows against the top as I pop a brow. “Spit it out, Liam.”
“I don’t like you.”
“Likewise,” I grin. “But I bet my distaste has existed longer than yours. However, I also recognize it’s illogical.
He looks stunned when I say that. “What reason could you have for disliking me?”
“You first.” The bartender sets the drinks beside me. I take one and offer him the other, knowing he was behind me the entire time. “Though, I already know. And I get it. She’s your only child. I was in a position to take advantage of her, but I didn’t.” I nod toward her. “She kissed me when she was sixteen, and I won’t lie. It turned me inside out, and my reaction was horrible because of it. She fucked me up so badly I avoided her for a long time.”
“And you couldn’t keep doing that?”
“I thought I could. I fucking tried. Then one night, after I saw some punk with his grubby hands all over her, I knew I couldn’t. The thought of anyone else having her made me sick.”
He chokes on the bourbon I ordered him. Fire lights in his eyes, anger tightening his jaw. “The fuck?”
“Don’t worry. I handled it. And I left again because I knew she wasn’t ready for me. I’m not sure I was ready for her either.”
“But she is now?” I can see the struggling war in his eyes. He still sees her as his little girl but knows she’s not.
“Honestly? No. But she needs me. Whether you or anyone else likes it, she’s got me. You made her mine ten years ago. Don’t get mad because I’m collecting.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I did. Or wanted.” He blows out a breath. “Let me amend my statement. I don’t want to like you, but I can’t deny you make her happy. After her accident, I blamed you. Not for what happened, but for the shell she crawled into for the last four years.”
The dagger digs deep. Not curling from the pain is difficult. It’s the one thing I take full responsibility for. “You’re right. That is my fault.”
“Maybe, but it’s why I don’t hate you after all. When you returned, I was terrified it would kill Casey. I shouldn’t have told her to stay away from you.” His head falls back for a moment. I can see how hard this conversation is for him. I have to respect that he confronted me at all. “I can admit I was wrong, and right now it’s fucking hard because she is my little girl. I look at you and see a grown man, but when I look at her, I see the little girl who begged me to sing her to sleep. Who cried so hard when I had to leave her it ripped my heart out of my chest. I left it with her for a long damn time. But I was wrong. You’re good for her.” He blows out a breath and tosses back his bourbon. “So, what’s your problem with me?”
“Krista.” One word—a single name sums it up. “You should’ve taken Casey from her when she was a baby. I know that means she probably wouldn’t be with me now, but I would’ve found her eventually. And if I didn’t, at least she wouldn’t have suffered the hell she did.”
“Hindsight is a motherfucker.”
I nod in agreement, lifting my eyes just as Henry appears with the two guys from Masters’ table behind him. He slaps Liam and I on the shoulder. “Are we friends now?”
“Not quite,” Liam mutters.
“Let’s just say we’ve reached a mutual understanding.” I spot Jagger heading for the back patio and nod at both of them after ensuring Casey is talking contentedly with her friends. “If you gentlemen will excuse me.”
“Actually, I—we need to talk to you,” Henry tells me, earning a suspicious glare from Liam.
I look toward the door and back at him. “Can you give me a few minutes?”
When he nods, I walk through the ballroom toward the doors. It isn’t the time or place, but it’s time for little brother to talk.