12
Nyx
A little pasteight in the evening, I approached the foyer overlooking the ballroom in my parents’ Hamptons house, or the more appropriate word for it was “mega-mansion.”
It was all things grand, with large columns and opulence, something one would see in the magazines to showcase the super affluent and elite of New York.
The fact Papa hated the place always made me laugh. He thought it was over-the-top pretentious and a waste of money. From the moment he’d inherited it from my Pappous Steven, he’d threatened to bulldoze the place to the ground and build a bird sanctuary.
It really wasn’t as bad as Papa believed. From the pictures I’d seen, it was more on the gaudy, too-much-gold, and showy side. Thankfully, Mama had convinced him to keep it and just renovate the place, and now the family house, as I liked to call it, was grand but also welcoming and nothing like the monstrosity of before.
Okay, the main part of the house was comforting.
However, this room, I thought, moving closer to the ballroom, was another story.
From my spot, no one could see me, giving me the few extra minutes I needed to put my game face on.
The house was beautiful with its elegant chandelier and ivory drapes accenting the floor-to-ceiling windows. The snow drifting down in soft flutters around the shadows of the trees gave a soft and soothing vibe, meant to invite all the guests in for the celebration ahead.
However, we all knew this was a performance. The Drakos and Mykos history was turbulent at best and volatile at worst.
The current fakery taking place on the floor below sat on par with award-winning acting performances. If only I wasn’t the one poised as the sacrificial offering for this Greek feast, I would have sat in my corner and laughed my ass off at the ridiculousness of it all.
“It’s going to be okay, squirt,” my brother Evan soothed as he approached and set a hand on my back. “Remember, this is all pretend.”
“Pretend,” I parroted. “And when it ends, I’m the one who’ll have the ruined reputation. Don’t they always blame the girl for a broken engagement?”
“Since when did you start caring about what anyone thought? Besides, can it get any worse than the Mykos Hellion?”
I cocked my head to the side, pursing my lips. “Keeping it real, as always.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“So, what’s the order of things tonight?”
“If you’d arrived yesterday as I suggested, you’d know.”
He knew very well if it were any other family visit, I’d have arrived early and spent every waking moment with him or one of my other brothers. Evan and I were the closest in age, only two and a half years apart, and he was the one brother who understood me the best.
“What can I say, I’m a rebel. I don’t follow instructions well.”
Plus, with so many of our uncles, aunts, and cousins under one roof, the last thing I wanted to do was spend a single second more than I needed to with them and their demands I follow through with this wedding.
“Isn’t that the truth.” He studied me. “Something’s different about you.”
“Umm. Besides the fact I’m engaged to a guy I don’t plan to marry?”
“Yes.” He paused and then leaned close to my ear and whispered, “If you found someone, keep it under wraps. Don’t let anyone find out about it. Not even Tyler, and especially not Drakos.”
Of all my brothers, Evan picked up on things like crazy. Maybe it was because he was the enforcer for the family, and it was his job to watch out for things.
“Are you saying it wouldn’t bother you?”
“Why the hell would it? This whole situation is bullshit. I don’t even like Drakos, and it isn’t fair to him, either. His uncle is a dick.”
I tucked my arm into his and pressed myself to his side. “Did I tell you that you’re my favorite brother?”
“Yeah, that will last all of five seconds and then you’ll jump ship as soon as Tyler hands you a knife.”