Ellis shoves Gage hard in the chest. “Screw you, Oliver. I don’t care if you are G’s brother. If this is the real you, I have never known you. You don’t touch those boys. They belong to Skyla. You forfeited them the day you married Bishop.” He takes off for the dining room and it’s just the monster and me. Coop watches from the corner, his fingers curled around the champagne flute as if it could be transformed into a weapon at a moment’s notice.
“Well done,” I say, looking into those familiar cobalt eyes. “She’s almost there. You keep this up and she’ll be in my bed by midnight. Don’t worry. I’ll fill her stocking for you, Gage.”
He shoves a hand against my chest so hard it qualifies as a heart-stopper.
A dull laugh rumbles from me. “It’s nice to see it works both ways. You get a rise out of Skyla. I get a rise out of you. That tells me you still care, buddy.” I lean in and look around those blue eyes of his. “It tells me you’re still in there somewhere, lurking like a stranger in your own skin. One of these days I’m going to put the puzzle together. I’m going to figure out what makes this new version of you tick.” I shake my head at him. “Let me in, Gage. I can help you figure this out.”
“And then?” He knocks back the rest of this drink. “You going to help me win back Skyla?” He smears it with the necessary amount of sarcasm.
“No.” A slow spreading grin takes over. “I made that mistake once, and I will never go down that road again.”
Gage offers a slow blink as if accepting this on some level, as if it were the very last thing he ever wanted to hear and I’m betting it is.
“Merry Christmas, Logan. You get Skyla.”
“Merry Christmas, Gage. We both wish we still had you.”
8
Wesley
Afather—again.
The smug grin just can’t seem to leave my face. Kresley looks pissed but happy enough that I’m holding Eli. He’s her world; he’s mine, too. And as much as I wish she were nowhere near our lives, I will respect the fact Kres is his mother. As much as I’m painted as an abject monster, it is ironically through Kres in which I’ll prove them all wrong. We will be one happy family even if it kills me.
That’s why the house across the street seemed so perfect. In addition to being far more house than Laken and I can hope to utilize, there’s a small cottage tacked onto the back of the property. I didn’t dare bring it up to Laken, but should Kres ever get the boot from the Oliver house, she’s welcome to the cottage. Bonding with my son is of the utmost importance. I will never do to him what my own father has done to me. No. I will be the anti-Demetri.
“You’re staring at me.” Demetri nods with that placating smile stuck on his ridiculous face as the clank of forks hitting porcelain lights up the room. Emma has pulled out all the stops for tonight’s Christmas feast. Here we are, the entire motley lot of us gathered around the dinner table breaking bread together as if no one was wishing anyone here dead.
“You’re a good-looking guy.” A dull laugh pumps from me as I offer up my own shit-eating grin. “I’m just admiring my handsome lineage. Wondering if I’ll see your face in my new child.”
Skyla chokes a moment. “God, I hope not.” She bats her lashes toward Laken. “Don’t let Wes scare you. Since this one will actually belong to him, the odds are good he or she will look like Tobie or one of my own cherubs.”
“Skyla!” Laken laughs it off and I’m glad about it. Skyla is out of her freaking mind tonight. A loose cannon that shouldn’t be anywhere near a formal dinner party. I glance to Coop as he continues to glare my way.
“What’s the matter, Coop? Fly in your soup?” I give a sly wink. Skyla might have a thorn in her side with Chloe, but Coop is one hundred percent mine. I’m going to have one serious talk with Gage. I have no clue why Coop is here. And I’m not buying that whole poor Coop was about to curl into a corner and play with his new toys all by his lonesome. Gage is sending me a message. He’s in charge and he’s choosing to wield his prowess with me first. Wrong move, dude. Wrong freaking move.
Coop growls in lieu of a response. “Laken?” He produces a smile just for her. “I meant what I said. I’m more than happy for the two of you. My heart is settled just knowing you’re where you want to be.”
Her mouth opens as she looks to me. “Thank you,” she whispers, her cheeks piquing with color as if his kind words were nothing but coals heaped over her. Killing her with guilt. Killing her with kindness. Good strategy. It won’t work. Feast your eyes, Coop. This is the last dinner invite you get with Laken and me in the room.
Demetri raises his glass to Gage. “Son? I have a feeling your kind parents feel remiss to have not been present during the union to your beautiful new bride. I’m willing to open my home if the two of you are up for a vow renewal.” He takes a sip from his wine and it looks like blood staining his lips.
“Yes!” Chloe gasps. Her color has come back just enough to remind us she’s remotely human. After Gage threatened Skyla with the boys, I saw both her and Logan head out for a moment. Calling off that damn hex, I suppose. Too bad. I was rooting for the bird. “We’ll do New Year’s Day. My family would love to be present as well. We can invite our friends and have a reception. Only the finest food. I’m sure Lizbeth—”
“Will not be participating.” Skyla shakes her head to my brother, her face red with fury. “Gage? No.”
Gage swallows hard. His desire to please Skyla far outweighs his desire to watch her squirm at every turn. But he’s not through with her yet. This new leg of their relationship is still tender, green at the root. I give a subtle nod his way and he clears his throat.
“New Year’s Day sounds perfect,” he says while looking down at the prime rib glistening on his plate. The damn pussy hasn’t had a single bite.
Skyla lets out an exasperated sigh as Emma and Demetri lose themselves in an instant conversation, their voices pitching with excitement. Poor Barron looks on, confused as hell. His eyes are wide as he looks to Skyla, but she’s not paying him any mind. She’s too wrapped up in trying to figure out how to strangle my brother.
Skyla leans in toward Gage—both he and Chloe are just one seat away from the hurricane brewing inside of her. “How dare you take a giant shit over our lives then smear my face in it with so much hubris.”
Ellis grunts, “Tell him, Skyla.”
Giselle swats him.
