The jet squealed through the air as it careened toward the earth, altitudes decompressing the cabin with every inch of descent. When the wheels finally skidded along the tarmac, Lucian undid his seatbelt.
“Look, Isadora, I’m landing. I’ll call you once I check in at the hotel.”
“Lucian, don’t you dare hang up on me,” his older sister snapped, using her most stern voice. “What’s going on with you? You haven’t been to Paris in years and all of a sudden you announce you’re taking a holiday to go visit Daddy of all people.”
He stuffed his papers into the briefcase sitting beside him at the table. “I’m not visiting Christos and Tibet. I simply needed to get away and decided Europe was the place to go.”
“Away from what?”
“All of it.”
Isadora was silent for a beat. “Luche, are you okay? Jamie told us you and Evelyn had a disagreement and the two of you were taking some time apart.”
He paused. Fucking Shamus. “When did you talk to Jamie?”
“He, uh, he came by last night. He’s been visiting a lot lately.”
Lucian scowled. “What the hell for?”
His sister drew in an audible breath. “Okay, listen, don’t freak out. She’s twenty-three years old—”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Toni? What the hell happened to that ass wipe she was dating?”
“Oh, come on, Lucian. You knew that was never going to go anywhere. You should be relieved. Could you imagine if she would have married him and we had to put up with him all the time? At least we know Jamie—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, no one is getting married.”
“Calm down.” She growled. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. We all knew this would eventually happen. The two of them have been dancing around each other for years now. She’s not a kid anymore, Luche.”
“Why didn’t Shamus tell me? He should have fucking asked.”
She snorted. “Because you ask? Come on, get real. Besides, he wanted to tell you this week, that’s why he popped into your office, but he said you already had enough on your plate with Evelyn. What’s going on with you two, by the way?”
The captain opened the door to the cockpit and nodded, informing Lucian it was safe to exit. He adjusted his phone between his ear and his shoulder and stood, looking around for anything he might have left behind.
“Don’t change the subject, Isadora. How long’s this been going on with the two of them?”
“Only a few weeks.” She lowered her voice. “Lucian, I don’t even think they’ve slept together yet.”
“Good God, I don’t want to hear about that!”
“What? It isn’t like I’m telling you they’re going at it like rabbits. I thought that might be a relief.”
“Fuck.” The idea of Shamus and his sister was one he had tried to avoid for years. Isadora was right. It was only a matter of time.
Toni and Jamie had been doing that bullshit playground flirting ritual since they were young. The only difference was he and Jamie were a lot older than Toni. However, Toni—the little brat—took great pleasure in pointing out that she and Evelyn were the same age. “Fuck.”
“Stop saying that,” Isadora scolded.
“Well, what the hell am I supposed to say? My best friend wants to screw my baby sister.”
“Damn it, Lucian! She isn’t a baby.”
“I should have known this was coming. Now that I think about it, Shamus has been breaking my balls about her being an adult now, more so than usual. He could’ve just come out and told me what his intentions were like a man, so I could’ve punched him in the face and moved on, but no. He had to be a tissue about it and let my older sister tell me.”
“I don’t think he wanted anyone else to tell you. They’re probably going to be mad I blabbed.”
“Well, they can get over it. And while they’re at it they can get over any ideas they have of this continuing. Toni’s too young for him.”
“Okay, Grandpa. Listen, you go check into your hotel and call me when you get settled. I’ll be sure to inform the two lovebirds of your disapproval while you’re away. I’m sure it will put a halt to all their intentions. You are the center of the universe after all.”
“I’m the patriarch while Dad’s—”
“Well, I’m the matriarch and older than you by quite a few years, so I’m overruling you. Besides, I think it’s sweet.”
“Oh, spare me.”
“Oops, here they come now. I gotta run, Luche, we’re going shopping. Au revoir!”
“Isa—” The phone went dead. He stood at the bottom of the steps and went into his contacts. He pulled up Jamie’s number and texted:
Prepare for an ass whooping when I get home. MY SISTER? Really??
A second later his phone vibrated. He looked at the screen.
Sorry. I tried to warn you.
I’ll start hitting the gym again to prepare, because I’m not walking away.