“Yeah. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal?” he asked incredulously. “If you wanna fuck him, that’s your choice. But I’m not having a meal with that asshole.”
“Joseph,” I said calmly. “I need you two to get along.”
“Why? You made it clear you aren’t gonna marry the guy. I don’t introduce you to all the women I bed.”
Too much information. “But he’s really important to me. For as long as we’re together, I need you two to get along.”
“Not gonna happen. The fucker kidnapped you.”
“And I fell in love with him, so he obviously treated me well.”
“Which makes me hate him even more. If he’d just left you alone, you’d still be in school and living a normal life. You might be dating a normal guy and having a normal relationship. That asshole took that away from you.”
“I’m here willingly.”
“But he screwed up your path. You expect me to forgive him for that?”
“I never said anything about forgiving each other. I just need you two to tolerate one another. You’re both very important to me.”
“Does Crewe know about this? Or were you gonna tell him when you pulled up to the restaurant.”
“Yes, he knows.”
“Bullshit.”
“I told him a few days ago. He’s fine with it.”
He scoffed into the phone. “You expect me to buy that?”
“Okay…he’s not thrilled about it, but he at least agreed to do it, which is a lot more than I can say for you.”
He sighed.
“Come on, Joseph. One dinner.”
“One dinner will lead to two dinners.”
“I’m not choosing sides, but what you’ve done to him is far worse than what he did to you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Joseph, you tried to steal four million dollars from him. Don’t forget why this mess happened in the first place. And then you killed his men, tried to take his partner as a prisoner, and you shot the guy. You can’t be so self-involved not to see the big picture here.”
“You know what? I think he’s a shithead. I’m not gonna change my mind.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be annoying, Joseph.”
“Too bad.”
“You’re doing this for me, not for him. Don’t forget that. And we both know you’d do anything for me. You’re the only family I’ve got in the world.” I knew that would hit him in the right spot. My brother wasn’t emotional, but that subject got him every single time.
“Ugh…”
“Is that a yes?”
“I said ugh.”
“And in Joseph’s world, what does that mean?”
He was quiet over the phone, taking his time before he answered. “Fine…I’ll go.”
“No men. No guns.”
“Be reasonable, London.”
“I mean it. No guns or men. Just the three of us.”
“How do I know he’ll keep his end of the bargain?”
“Because I’ll be with him. If you think I’d ever let him hurt you, you’re out of your mind.”
“That’s how it better be. And since Crewe is the one buying, you bet your ass I’m gonna order the most expensive thing on the goddamn menu.”
We sat in the back seat as Dunbar drove us to the restaurant. The windows were tinted black so no one could see inside, and that was the reason Crewe and I had screwed in the back seat so many times.
He was dressed in jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a brown leather jacket that made him look yummy. His shoulders looked nice, along with the rest of his body. He shaved before we left, so his jaw was clean, which was something I only saw in the morning before he left for work. He didn’t say much, annoyed about this dinner the way Joseph was.
“Any ground rules?” he finally asked.
“No guns.”
“You already said that. Anything else?”
“Like?” I wore jeans and a black leather jacket, something Crewe’s stylist in London had picked out for me. We never met in person, but she always selected clothes that perfectly fit my shape.
“Topics of conversation.”
“Just don’t be explicit about screwing me and we should be good.”
“Not something I would talk about with anyone…let alone your brother.”
“Well, you asked.” He looked out the window with his hand resting on my thigh. He didn’t seem nervous about the dinner, just annoyed. He preferred to spend his evenings alone with me in the castle, making love in the enormous bed we slept in every night and eating dinner on the balcony that overlooked the courtyard.
“Just because I didn’t bring a gun doesn’t mean I can’t kill him with my bare fists.”
I did my best not to roll my eyes at his ridiculous display of machismo. “If either of you does anything, I’ll kick both of your asses.”
He chuckled at the thought. “Sure, Lovely.”
“Hey, I have an awesome right hook.”
“You’ll have to show me sometime. I’d love to see it.”
“I need a punching bag too. Are you volunteering?”
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “I miss that…”
“Miss what?” I asked, not following his logic.
“That fiery attitude. You used to talk shit to me all the time when we first met. Now you’re just sweet and affectionate.”
“Are you saying you want me to be mean and sarcastic?”
“No,” he said with a chuckle. “Well, maybe when we’re fucking.”
“Duly noted.”
Dunbar pulled up to the curb and opened the back door so we could exit the car. Crewe took my hand and walked me inside, approaching the hostess desk in the dimly lit room. Tables were packed, but the noise level was low, everyone speaking quietly. A low-burning candle sat on each table.
Joseph already had a table against the back wall, and instead of waving us over, he just stared at us as he drank his beer.
“My brother is in the back.”
Crewe looked up and spotted him before he pulled me with him. As we approached one another, my pulse pounded in my ears. The last thing I wanted was for these two men to murder each other over dinner.
“Hey.” I wrapped my arms around my brother and hugged him.
“Hey.” He hugged me back.
Crewe took a seat, not bothering to shake Joseph’s hand.
Joseph probably wouldn’t have shaken his anyway.
I sat beside Crewe, and Joseph was careful to choose the seat directly across from me.
Super awkward.
Joseph took another drink of his beer, finishing the rest and leaving a foam moustache on his mouth.
Crewe scanned the restaurant discreetly, probably making sure Joseph didn’t have backup lurking around.
There was so much distrust and hatred I could feel it pressing into my skin. “Let’s see what the menu looks like…” I picked up the black menu and read through the selections. “The rib eye looks pretty good. What are you having, Crewe?”
“Scotch,” he replied.
I didn’t dare give him any attitude right now. “Joseph?”
“Beer,” he said. “And the lobster.”
I eyed the two men, wondering if this was a terrible idea after all. “Thanks for coming out…both of you.”
“Didn’t give me much of a choice,” Joseph said.
“Me neither,” Crewe said in agreement.
“Come on, guys,” I said. “We’re here. Let’s just make this work.”