Sol chuckles. “Finn never smiles, and Jinx is in his bed, so maybe that part is optional.”
Dutch visibly glowers.
I fold my arms over my chest, acting nonchalant when I’m still holding my temper back with a snapping leash.
The room goes quiet.
Shoulders slumping, Sol complains, “What’s with the mood?”
“On to a different topic.” Zane twirls his drumstick. “Finn, we need to update you. We’ve been investigating Mom to find a lead from that angle. Her receptionist keeps saying she’s away on a business trip, so we’re thinking of flying out there and looking for clues ourselves.”
“When are you leaving?” I ask.
“Not sure. Dutch?”
Dutch frowns and doesn’t say a word.
Well, screw him.
“We’re still working out the details.” Zane shakes his head. “Oh, Dad called us yesterday.”
Sol, Dutch, and Zane wait for me to react.
“I know.”
Sol looks surprised. “I thought you guys said Finn wasn’t there?”
“He wasn’t.” Zane eyes me up and down.
I tell my brothers everything, starting with Kurosaki inviting me to his acreage and ending with the tense breakfast where I ordered Jarod to pour out his wine.
“Poisoned wine?” Sol shudders. “That’s next level.”
Dutch chews the inside of his cheek. “I thought Dad was acting weird, but I didn’t know why.”
“That explains so much,” Zane mutters, his eyes glazing over.
Dutch’s hands pull into fists and his knuckles are white.
“You okay?” I ask my brother.
“He could have killed us. He could have killed all of us. We had no idea,” Dutch whispers painfully.
Silence drops on the room like a bomb in the ocean.
“Are you talking about Finn or Kurosaki?” Sol asks.
Zane curses. “What kind of stupid question is that?”
Sol throws both arms up, eyes darting away and a nervous smile on his lips. “Just clarifying.”
Dutch’s eyes lift to mine. “Finn would never hurt us. I’m not talking about him.”
The knots in my chest loosen, and I breathe out for the first time since we started this discussion.
Sensei teaching me martial arts wasn’t the only reason I kept my anger locked up. Eventually, every kid who bullied me returned to school with a black eye. Whispers raged that if Dutch and Zane found out someone was bothering me, they took care of it.
And no matter where we went or who we spoke to, they always introduced me the same way.
