Page 48 of Betrayed
I glance at him, awkward for half a beat. He’s seated stiffly in the chair Lucian usually occupies, his mug cradled like it might do more than warm his hands.
“I’m sorry about the coffee,” I offer.
He takes a slow sip, hiding a wince in his politeness. “It’s… ambitious. Might be better served with a knife and a fork.”
I laugh. “That’s generous. I found it in a drawer next to a broken mousetrap and some emergency flares.”
“Well then, I’m honored.” He raises the mug like it’s a toast. “To surviving mystery brews.”
I sit across from him, holding my own mug. My curiosity is intense. Not just about him, but about them—the brothers, Lucian’s parents, and everything there is to know about him.
“So,” I say, “Lucian never told me he had a brother.”
“And he hasn’t told me about anything real, surface stuff only,” Gregory replies dryly. “He hasn’t told me much in the last decade.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Because he didn’t want me in this world.” He leans back, his gaze drifting to the low-beamed ceiling. “He always shielded me. After our parents died… he made it his mission to keep me safe. Sent me to the best schools. Paid tuition with blood money I didn’t ask questions about.”
I blink. “How did your parents?—?”
“Car crash,” he says. “Drunk driver. We were just kids. He was sixteen. I was six.”
“I’m sorry.” I think of my mum. “The pain doesn’t go away. Does it?”
“It was so long ago. I don’t remember them well, but I feel their absence. You know?”
“I do.” My chest tightens. “But you were much younger. That’s a lot to go through.”
He nods. “Lucian became everything after that. My brother. My father. My bodyguard. He was just a kid himself, and he was out there hustling jobs on the side. Then he met Carlos.”
The name drops like a rock between us.
I attempt to lighten the mood. “Carlos is the one who introduced Lucian to a life of crime?”
Gregory pauses. “He knew Carlos was bad, but Luce took the risk anyway. For me.”
Of course, Lucian gave up everything for Gregory. That’s who he is.“I’m sure he’d do anything for you.” I smile. “Even rob a few banks if he had to.”
“Sometimes I think, with both our parents dying at once, I have to wonder if our family was already tied in. Car crash seems alittle suspicious, especially when I haven’t seen their ‘lost’ death certificates.”
He takes another sip of coffee, more relaxed with me now. “When he met the Bachmans, he finally let me visit. I like them. The ties they held. The way they formed a kind of found family.”
“They are like family. Tighter than family. And a little bit intimidating,” I admit.
Silence settles between us again, but not heavy this time—more like… mutual understanding.
I lean forward, warming my hands on my cup. “Then Bayne called, right?”
“Then Bayne called,” Gregory agrees. “Told me Lucian was in the same country as me. Said he might need backup. That I was family, and family should show up.”
I smile a little. “Bayne’s right.”
Gregory watches me for a beat. “Now that I’m here though… I don’t think I’m the only reason he’s still fighting.”
My cheeks warm under his knowing look.
“You,” he says gently. “You changed something in him.”
