Page 21 of Hot Commodity (Banks/Kincaid Family 1)

He'd been doing so well about hiding the misery too.

"Obviously, you don't remember what yesterday was," he muttered quietly, gripping the red block in his hand so hard he was surprised it didn't crumble.

The date would get him off the hook this time, but he was going to have to do better about keeping his problems concealed.

Leah glared at him, setting her hands on her hips, "Obviously, I don't."

What? He cocked her a surprised look. She seriously didn't know? It didn't seem possible. The anniversary had been glaring at him as it crept closer like a big red blinking sign. Death date approaching. Death date approaching. He didn't understand how anyone could forget.

"Mom and Dad's anniversary is coming up," Leah mused thoughtfully. "But other than that—" She stopped cold, her eyes growing wide. "Oh, Cam," she said, sympathy filling her voice.

Not wanting to deal with anything that resembled pity, he turned away. A fresh wave of grief gripped him. Yesterday had been the anniversary of Sienna's suicide. He couldn't believe he'd celebrated by going out and marrying some blonde pop tart who only wanted to crawl back to her mother after the woman had tried to whore her out to a complete stranger.

"Just don't tell Mom and Dad," he said, mortified when his voice cracked. "Please."

Leah touched his back. "I won't tell anyone. I mean, except Devin."

He turned and hauled her into a grateful hug. "Thank you." He closed his eyes as he inhaled the scent of her shampoo. He wished he could stay there a while longer, holding a concerned loved one and drifting in a fog of pleasant—

"Now, abou

t this alcohol."

Groaning, Cameron pulled away. Leah's hands tighten as if she wanted to keep him closer and protect her little brother from something that couldn't be protected.

"Bubby—" she started.

"Leah, don't. Please. I'm not…I can't...Just don't worry about it, okay. It was one insignificant relapse. Honest to God, I haven't touched the stuff since…" well, not since the last painful death date a year ago. But he wasn't going to mention that bit of news to his sister. His family assumed he'd been dry for three years now, which was true, save for those few anniversary binges.

As her son continued to play between them, Leah eyed him miserably, intensifying the despair brewing inside him. If only he could return to his happy place, the ache would go away. He wouldn't have to deal with—

"You're a recovering alcoholic, Cameron," Leah stated firmly, jerking him back to reality. "You can't afford a relapse, small or otherwise."

He sighed and pressed a hand to his skull where his hangover wasn't slacking off. It hadn't been his intent to drink at all last night. He'd been so sure he could deal with the date sober. But when the memories had crashed down around him, he'd needed to escape the pain and darkness. He'd have done anything to forget.

The funny thing was, he hadn't thought of Sienna once last night, not from the very moment he'd looked up into a pair of big blue eyes and grinned at Olivia Donovan.

"Drinking once a year on the anniversary of my wife's death should be allowed," he muttered. "Give me that much at least."

"No," Leah stated.

Shocked, Cameron lifted his face. Usually, people backed off when he mentioned Sienna. He did it seldom, but it was always a good way to get concerned loved ones off his case and nab himself some leeway. Yet Leah didn't budge.

Weird.

"It's been, what, nine years," she said. "You need to get over this."

"Ten," he gritted out. "It's been ten years."

Leah finally softened. Her face transformed as she reached for his arm. He pulled back before she could touch him.

"I'm sorry," she said. She sounded genuinely remorseful too, until she added, "But this time you're not just hurting yourself. You brought an innocent woman into it."

Innocent? In his mind's eyes, Cameron caught a flash of Olivia Donovan in her black leather bustier with her plush tits about to spill out the top, telling him he could do anything he wanted to her if only they'd marry. He almost snorted in his sister's face. Yeah, right. Real innocent.

"What're you going to do with her?" Leah asked.

Remembering exactly what he'd already done with her, Cameron refrained from snickering. He picked up one of his nephew's toys and shrugged, tossing the block between two hands. "I'm not going to do anything. She's calling her mother as we speak to come get her. I've already talked to Bos. He's going to work up the divorce or annulment papers, or whatever."

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