15. Brax
15
brAX
“This is my little brother, Mason,” I tell Iris as Mason stands in front of us, staring at her like he’s in a trance.
“Hi,” Iris says, giving him a smile.
“Hi,” Mason says back, still staring.
“You okay?” I ask him because it’s not like my little brother to be so limited in his ability to communicate. He’s also never this quiet.
He nods slowly. “She’s just so…”
Iris gazes at me, worry etched all over her face. I shrug back because I’m at a complete loss as to where he’s going, but it sure as hell better not be anywhere bad. If he hurts her feelings, I’ll choke him out in front of the entire family.
“So what?” I ask, curling the fingers on my right hand into a fist.
“Pretty,” he whispers .
My shoulders relax. “You’re an idiot,” I mutter.
“You’re sweet,” Iris says, eating up the compliment.
“Not really,” Mason tells her as his lips finally curve upward. “If you ever dump this idiot, I’m single. I’ll be a way better boyfriend than he ever could be.”
Iris giggles at his stupidity.
“You’re testing my patience tonight,” I warn him, but in reality, it’s not just tonight. He’s tested my patience since the day he was born, and I figure he will until my cold body is placed six feet under.
Mason playfully smacks my shoulder. “Keepin’ you on your toes, big bro.”
“What’s going on?” Tate asks as she glances between Mason and me.
“Your brother’s being a moron,” I tell her.
“You or him?” she asks, earning a glare from me.
“Iris,” Tate says, taking Iris by the arm. “I want to introduce you to the girls.”
Iris looks at me, and I give her a chin lift. “Do whatever, sweetheart. Everyone’s excited to meet you.”
“Yeah,” Mason mumbles. “I know I was, and man, it was worth the wait.” He coughs as I turn my hardened stare at him.
“Lulu and Zoey have been dying to talk to you. You’re quite the topic of conversation tonight,” Tate tells her as they walk away .
Iris glances over her shoulder to find my eyes, and I smile, wanting her to know she’s safe with the other girls. No one in my family is mean, and every single person gets overly excited when there’s a new face in the crowd.
“Hey, dipshit. Stop looking at her like that. She’s too old for you, and she’s mine.”
“She’s yours?” my brother asks with raised eyebrows.
“Yes,” I snarl.
He tilts his head, those damn bushy black eyebrows still raised. “Interesting.”
“What the hell is interesting?”
“Never heard you say that about anyone before. I think Tate was right.”
“You two gossip like two little old ladies.”
“And you’ve never brought anyone to family dinner. Tate didn’t have to say anything to me about Iris to know what’s up.”
When I swing my gaze in Iris’s direction, I see the girls are in a huddle, deep in conversation. “What do you think they’re talking about?” I ask my brother, forgetting he’s a dumbass when it comes to women.
“You.”
Damn. I think he’s right for once. When all eyes in the group shift to me, there’s no mistaking who the target of their discussion is. Iris gives me a wink from across the room, settling what little bit of anxiety was starting to rise deep inside me .
“See,” Mason says, slapping me on the shoulder, “told you.”
Dad’s not far away from them, and when my eyes lock with his, I know I’m in for a very long conversation. He crosses the room in a few large strides like a man determined.
My dad is a calm guy. He had been through more than most people by the time he hit forty, and somehow, he kept his shit together and came out the other side stronger. But every once in a while, that sleek exterior slips when things start to go sideways.
“Braxton,” he says as he stops in front of me.
The dreaded full first name.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Mason peels away from us without saying a word, leaving me to deal with Dad on my own.
Jerk.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, trying to keep the mood light, because I know he wants to go dark.
Dad scrubs his palm against the beard he’s been growing for the last few months at Tilly’s request. She says she’s in her beard era…whatever that means. “When were you going to tell me about Malakai?”
“Well…” I start to say, stalling for time because I haven’t thought much about what I’m going to tell him about the situation.
I thought my grandfather would keep his mouth shut about the meeting, but I was delusional to think he wouldn’t sing like a canary .
There are no secrets, dummy.
“I had to hear about everything from my mom,” he explains before rubbing the bridge of his nose like he’s fighting off a headache.
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
It’s my go-to phrase when I’ve withheld information before. It worked like a charm when I was younger, but the older I get, the less it works on him. But that doesn’t mean I don’t do the old Hail Mary and sling it out there like there’s a shot it’ll satisfy him.
“Worry?” he chuckles, but the sound is far from happy. “More like terrified. It’s freaking Malakai.”
“It’s all over, Dad.”
He raises an eyebrow as he stares at me, all hint of his sardonic laughter gone. “It’s over?”
I nod. “Gramps sorted it.”
He squeezes his eyes shut and sighs. “What was the price?”
“No price. Just a misunderstanding,” I tell him.
Dad places his hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly as he pins me with his gaze. “There’s always a price, son.”
I wonder what goes through his head sometimes. He seems like an optimist, but the man has a wicked pessimistic streak in him, especially when it comes to things I’ve done.
“The situation has nothing to do with us. She wasn’t even on his radar. ”
“Is that what Malakai said?”
“Yes.”
“The man wouldn’t know the truth if it hit him square in the face. Watch your back, and if you see anything suspicious, you call me, not the old man.”
“Okay,” I say, drawing out the word.
“Grow eyes in the back of your head.”
“Got it.”
“Do you?” he asks, stepping a foot closer and glancing around to see who’s watching us or listening.
“I know Malakai. Not like your grandfather, but I know him well enough to understand nothing is ever over with him, especially when a large amount of money is involved.”
“Why does it look like you’re discussing his bad report card?” Ma asks, saving me from the conversation.
“It’s just Dad being Dad,” I tell her as he drops his arm from my shoulder.
His facial expression morphs within a second before he turns his gaze on her. “We’re good, love. Just talking about man things.”
Ma rolls her eyes. “You’re a bad liar, Angelo.”
He snakes an arm around her waist and pulls her into his side, nuzzling her neck. “We were talking about his new girlfriend.”
“I love her,” Ma says as Dad peppers her neck with kisses.
He isn’t lying but it wasn’t a sweet conversation like his tone alluded to. I rarely witness Dad lying to her, but when he does, if I didn’t know him better, I wouldn’t be able to tell. I’m not sure if that’s concerning or the man’s a genius.
“She’s great, baby,” Ma says to me as she pushes against my father’s chest, trying to find a little space.
“I think so too, Ma.” I smile at her, hoping someday I’ll have the type of relationship with someone that they have…minus the half-truths, of course.
“The girls really like her too,” she adds.
The girl huddle hasn’t broken up. They are still deep in conversation, but the laughter coming from their circle fills the room, almost drowning out the chatter of everyone else.
Lulu waves her hand, catching my eye. “I’m being summoned,” I tell them, happy to be called away from the big talk with my dad.
“Go. Have fun,” Ma says.
“Remember what I said,” Dad reminds me like I’ve somehow forgotten his words of warning in the last thirty seconds.
“I won’t forget,” I tell him with a tight smile before I dip away from them and stalk toward the table with my sister, my cousins, and my girl.
Lulu pulls out the empty chair next to her when I’m a few feet away. I slide into the seat, giving Iris a small kiss on the cheek, earning myself a smile. When I turn toward my cousin, she’s staring at me with a goofy grin. “Thanks,” I tell her.
“That looked tense, cuz. Uncle Ang can be a bit…”
“Much,” I tell her with a laugh. “He was being that.”
“Everything okay?” she asks, searching my face for some clue.
“Perfect,” I reply before turning back toward Iris. “Everything okay over here?”
“I love them,” she says, looking every bit happy and relaxed around my cousins and sister. “They’re so fun.”
“That’s one way of describing them,” I mumble.
“Lulu wants to come help me organize my art studio.”
“Don’t do it,” I warn Iris as I take her hand in mine. “The girl likes to organize way too much.”
“Well, I hate it, so she’ll be doing me a favor.”
“You’ll never be able to find your things again.”
Iris laughs, looking like she’s always been here. She’s comfortable around my family, and nothing in the world could make me happier. My family has always been one of the most important things in my life, and I can’t imagine being with someone who doesn’t love them as much as I do.
“The girls are taking me out one night this week,” she says.
“Drinking? ”
She nods. “Them, not me.”
“Sure,” I tease. “They’re not going to let you remain sober while they get wasted.”
“Well, I’ll just have to stay at your place that night so I don’t wander the streets of Chicago half naked and end up behind bars.”
“I don’t mind sleepwalking Iris.”
“You don’t mind her? She’s still me, you know.”
“She’s much more handsy.”
Iris leans forward, bringing her lips close to mine. “If you’re good, maybe I’ll get handsy later.”
“Sweetheart, I’m always good.” I smirk, giving her hand a squeeze.
She sucks in a deep breath as her eyes search mine. “I’m hoping you are because I’ve never wanted you as much as I do now.”
“Who is this bold woman?”
She smiles. “Your family is rubbing off on me.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”
“It is,” she says before she licks her lips, causing my stomach to flutter in anticipation.
“Earth to Iris and Brax,” Zoey says, snapping her fingers and killing any spark that was zipping around us in the air.
“It’s gross but kind of nice to see him like this,” Lulu says as Iris pulls back, settling into her chair and facing the group.
As if on cue, Wylder, Mason, and Nino grab chairs and wade into the conversation .
“What’d we miss?” Nino asks.
There isn’t a single one of us who’s like the others, besides looks. The Italian runs deep in this family in appearance and attitude, but we all have a quirk or two that makes us unique.
Lulu has her need for organization. She doesn’t know how to relax unless she’s tied down and forced to sit still. She’s wound so tight sometimes, I worry she’s going to spiral herself right off the edge of mental sanity.
Zoey is a free spirit and flits through life like she doesn’t have a care in the world. Two sisters could not be more opposite. Sometimes it’s hard for me to come to grips that they grew up in the same household. Zoey didn’t get the obsessively clean gene that Lulu got from somewhere…probably her father. There’s no denying they’re sisters, but they have different biological fathers, and that’s where the recipe must’ve swapped a few ingredients.
Nino is an only child, and he acts like it sometimes too. We’ve made it our mission as his cousins to keep him grounded in reality. Not everyone is going to service his every whim to make him happy like his parents have done his entire life. He’s spoiled but not bratty. Any bit of that part of him was beaten out of him as a little kid by our own hands.
Amelia is also an only child, but Uncle Vinnie and Aunt B made sure she didn’t turn into a nightmare. She has Aunt B’s sweetness, but she’s still young, and that could change as the world makes her more jaded. She has a dream of becoming an author like her mother, already working on her third novel, which is impressive for someone barely into her twenties.
My brother Mason is hoping to join my sister’s business at Inked. He has dreams of becoming a world-renowned tattoo artist like our cousins in Florida, but I think he’s doing it to get women and for the fame, not the love of the art. He’s a good guy, although he’s led about by his dick at this point in his life. He’s a bit too cocky and sometimes he can get on my nerves, but he’s solid and good straight down to his core.
My sister Tate is a mouthy little thing. She beat my ass more times than I can count growing up and is probably the reason why I’m not a hellion as an adult. We’ve been through a lot of shit together, losing our biological mother when we were little. Tate somehow made me her responsibility even though Dad married Tilly before I really have many memories. She’s a great pseudo stepmom to Wylder’s two girls and is going to be an amazing mother to her own once she finally pops the news to the entire family about her little bun in the oven.
“So, Wylder and I have an announcement,” Tate says to the table, clearing her throat like she does when she’s nervous.
Thank God. She’s finally going to tell people so I don’t have to keep this secret. I complain about the family being gossips, but I’m one too. We don’t have secrets, and no one judges anyone for the boneheaded shit we all do. We learn from one another’s mistakes…for the most part.
All eyes at the table turn toward her and Wylder, and all talking dies.
Tate glances at Wylder and smiles. “You tell them.”
Wylder shakes his head, sliding his arm around Tate’s back. “No, baby. This is your family—you tell them.”
I brace myself for the screams of joy that are going to shoot around this table, liable to make my ears ring like a sudden explosion too close to my head.
“Okay. Okay.” She takes a deep breath and holds out her hand. “We’re getting married.”
My eyebrows shoot up on their own. That wasn’t what I was expecting to come out of her mouth. They call each other husband and wife, and I’ve fallen into that too. I think of them as married because they act like they are, and they are for all intents and purposes.
“Oh my God, when?” Lulu asks, clapping her hands like it’s the most exciting news she’s ever heard.
My eyes find Wylder, and he gives me a smile. We both know what’s up. He’s knocked her up, and now he wants to marry her before the baby arrives. It’s not like they have to hide their sex life from the family. We all know they’re doing it .
“Congrats, sis,” I say to her, giving her a lift of my chin.
“Thanks,” she says.
“When? When? When?” Lulu asks again. “We need to start planning.”
“A few weeks.”
Lulu’s eyes grow as big as saucers. “A few weeks?” She sounds personally insulted by such a short timeline. “How?”
“We’ll do it here at the bar. Just a small family affair.” Any longer than a few weeks and she might be showing.
“We have so much to do,” Lulu says, panic filling her eyes.
“We?” Zoey says, rolling her eyes at her sister. “It’s Tate’s wedding.”
“But…” Lulu’s shoulders drop, and all excitement vanishes.
“You can plan everything,” Tate says to Lulu. “I have all the faith in the world you’ll make it the best wedding ever at the Hook & Hustle.”
“Wow. That’s so exciting,” Iris says at my side, her thumb grazing the pad near the bottom of my thumb.
Lulu lunges forward, throwing her arms around Tate’s shoulders. “I love you, cousin. I’ll make it better than you can ever imagine.”
Tate stares at me across the table as she hugs Lulu back, knowing I know there’s more to the story than just a wedding .
“You’re officially going to be family,” Nino says to Wylder. “About damn time.”
“I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me I’m one of you,” Wylder says to him.
“Do Mom and Dad know?” Mason asks Tate.
“Wylder talked to Dad before he asked.”
“So they know know?” I ask her.
“They know we’re getting married,” she says, her voice lingering on the last word.
Got it. They don’t know everything.
Lulu looks at me and then at Tate. “ Know know what?”
“About the wedding,” Tate lies.
Lulu stares at her, trying to read into the conversation. “You’re not telling me something.”
“You know everything,” Tate tells her. “Is two weeks enough time?”
Lulu clutches her chest and gasps. “Two weeks is cutting it close, but…” And just like that, the secret Tate’s keeping that Lulu almost figured out is forgotten.
Grandma, Aunt B, Aunt Daphne, Mom, and Aunt Delilah come out of the kitchen, carrying extremely large bowls of everything they’ve spent hours whipping up.
“Dinner’s ready,” Gram announces to everyone as she does every week when we have the same meal at the same time. “I made eggplant parm as an extra treat this week.” She winks at Iris when she says that .
“She must love you,” Zoey says to Iris. “She doesn’t make it very often because it’s time-consuming. She’s trying to keep you around.”
“I don’t plan on going anywhere,” Iris says.
I give her hand a squeeze, because the last thing I want is for her to vanish. Nothing in my life has felt so right and natural. Being with Iris is easy—although the hiccup with Malakai and Lucas wasn’t ideal or, hell, normal.
“I think Tate and Wylder want to make an announcement first,” Ma says as they set the bowls down on the bar top so we can all grab what we want. There are too many people for it to be a sit-down dinner where we’re served. No one has the time or energy with a group this big. It’s a buffet of absolute deliciousness.
Grandma gasps. “Is she finally pregnant?”
“No, Ma,” Mom says to Gram, and I almost feel guilty when my gram’s face falls.
“Damn,” she mutters.
“Tate.” Ma motions for Tate to stand as soon as her hands are empty.
Wylder’s first to climb to his feet before he helps Tate to stand at his side.
“We’re getting married in two weeks,” Tate says as soon as she’s standing next to him.
The room erupts into joyful chatter and congratulations. I’m happy for my sister. She’s the happiest I’ve seen her in our entire lives. She deserves all the good things that are coming her way.
And with all eyes on her and the upcoming wedding, it takes some of the heat off me. No one’s going to be paying attention to every little movement between Iris and me. Instead of being under a microscope, we’ll fade into the background and get more privacy than I ever could’ve imagined possible.
“I’m starving,” Iris says, eyeing the plate of eggplant parm.
“Me too, but I’m saving room for dessert.” I stare at her profile, knowing exactly what I’m having.
She turns her dark-eyed gaze to me. “What is it?”
“You.”