She’d thought I was Luc. We weren’t twins, but we looked a lot alike. Maybe I looked like a more badass version of him. Especially these days.
“Goddess.” Luc beamed as she skipped into his awaiting arms.
“God, you two need to get a portable bed,” Maurice scolded. He sat next to me at the dinner table. Gio and Dante chuckled.
Most nights, we gathered like this. We met up as family and ate dinner at Luc’s.
“We don’t need a portable bed in our own house,” Amelia snapped at him and full on kissed Luc. She didn’t care who was watching.
Maurice made a sound like he was choking. I couldn’t even make my usual snide remarks. Wasted in the mood. In fact, I almost hadn’t come tonight.
“Can I get you boys anything?” Amelia asked when she moved out of Luc’s grasp.
“We’re about done, Mrs. Boss.” Dante nodded.
The guys still called her that. They all did.
“Cool, I’m going to check on Raphael,” she said that with a little glint in her eyes. The only person that woman loved more than Luc was my little nephew, who she’d named after her father. “Is he sleeping?”
“Out cold.” Luc nodded. “Let him sleep. Go wait for me upstairs.”
Maurice rolled his eyes and stood up. “That’s our cue to leave, men. Plus, if I get back too late, Gigi will turn me into a toad.”
Luc laughed. “I’m pretty sure she won’t.”
“She will try.” Maurice frowned. He’d married the good little witch. Amelia’s best friend.
Everyone was happy. One happy family. Sure, Dante and Gio were single to some extent, but they were living exactly how they wanted to.
“I’ll make you boys roast on Sunday.” Amelia giggled and looked at me. “Claudius, should I roast you a squirrel?” It was a running joke between us, to some extent.
I smirked and gave her a pointed stare. “Yes, you do that. Put some jalapenos on its head.”
“Okay. I’ll even throw in some pink bon bons.”
To my surprise, a smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. I guess it kind of wasn’t all that surprising since my sister-in-law knew exactly what to say to crack my hard exterior when I got like this.
She waltzed over and planted a kiss on my forehead. Maybe she could see something was wrong with me too. I knew Luc could see it. Took one look at me as I walked in earlier, and that recognition formed in his eyes.
“Make you chicken.” Amelia laughed as she backed away.
“Mrs. Boss, can you make those little desserts like last week?” Gio jumped in.
“Sure, I’ll get Gigi in to help. She makes them better than me.”
She left us. Dante, Gio, and Maurice followed and closed the door behind them, leaving me with Luc.
Luc released a slow sigh. “So, I need to tell you something, but I can see something more than usual is up with you. What is it?”
I didn’t want to talk about it. “What did you have to tell me?”
Luc laughed, not the humorous kind of laughter. This was more sarcastic. “Right, how about you tell me what’s up first, and then we hear what I have to
say?”
I leaned forward onto the table. “Brother, I know you know when I’m not in the mood to talk. So, don’t push me.”
“Prick. I knowyou knowthat I’m possibly the only person you can talk to.”
