“You will be, Eaglet.” His voice is way too calm and casual for someone planning a devious punishment.
I can’t care for the moment. Lakshan is really good at massaging. He places his palm on top of mine, spinning my wrist. Loosening it. When next I open my eyes, Lakshan is gone. I fell asleep. Scrambling to sit up, my heart racing, I see that Silas is seated on one of the lounge chairs by the fireplace. Immediately, my heart rate drops to a more regular rhythm. Thank God I have a dancer’s conditioning—my heart can do these things. He’s reading the book, redressed in his black slacks, and one of his nicer shirts.
“Going somewhere?” I say, rubbing my eyes.
He looks up from the book. “If you’re all right, I was going to take Lakshan out for dinner. Julius is home.”
I glance to the clock. Shit. I’ve been out an hour and a half. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“I mean it Oliver. If you’re not, we’ll stay home. Or you two could come with us.”
I slide off the bed and glide over on my supple feet. “I mean it too. I’d like to spend time with Juli. Which part are you reading?”
“Darius and Simon’s parts. I haven’t read them. Some of it’s a nice trip down memory lane. Some is … well we made it through.”
“What are the nice parts for you?”
“Watching you grow up. Sometimes I wish I could do it all again.”
“That’s … that’s huge, Sye.”
He wrinkles his nose. “What if you didn’t call me that anymore? I know it’s a bit late, but we’re not really brothers, are we?”
I shake my head. If I ever had doubt about that, the book has already made it clear that he’s thought of me as his son since the moment he lifted me into his arms for the first time. “No, we’re not.”
“Mmmh. I won’t force you to call me Dad, but I’d … appreciate it.” He closes and sets the book aside standing with a stretch. “If you say you’re okay, I’m going totrustthat you are and get going. We have a reservation.”
“Did you just say trust?”
“Mmhmm. It’s a new word Lakshan taught me.”
“Wait, reservation? What if I had said I wasn’t okay?”
“I would have canceled.”
“You’re a good Dad. There isn’t a better one.” He crooks his half smile. “And you’re the kind of Dad who lets minor infractions—like responsibly boxing with a beloved brother—go.”
He shakes his head. “I’m the kind of Dad who is strictly obeyed, or his son won’t have a social life. Am I understood, Oliver Briar?”
Jesus. Him taking the “Dad” mantel has made him a level fifteen. I’m trying to remember if he’s ever middle-named me, but I’m coming up blank. It’s effective. “You’re understood, sir.”
“Good. I’ll see you later.” He presses a kiss on my forehead just where my hairline begins.
When he’s gone, I scoop up the book. I don’t plan on reading it—I really do need a break—but one of the corners is folded over and I can’t help investigating. It’s a section I haven’t read yet. Hmm. Should I read just a bit more? No. Julius first.
I race to our bedroom and enjoy the sounds of him I’ve grown familiar with. He’s singing in Italian. He’s fresh from the shower. “Amore,” he says.
“Missed you.”
“Not as much as I missed you, bella.” He pulls me into his arms for a long kiss. “We have the day off for your birthday tomorrow.”
“Awesome. Should we go somewhere tonight since we don’t have to be in bed early?”
“No. I’m under orders not to let you leave the house. What happened around here today?”
Right. Grounded. Part of me hoped that was a joke. Silas …Daddoesn’t joke about that stuff. “A lot. It feels like it’s been two days. I got in trouble twice. There were like, seven heart to hearts. Silas learned to trust. Darius taught me to box. And I got a Dad.”
He spins off in Italian. I catch some of, but not all of it. It’s about the boxing. He switches to English. “You are a dancer. No boxing. Aside from that I don’t want your bones broken, you can’t risk it with your career, amore. Ballet is dangerous enough. I’m going to cut Darius’s nuts off.”
