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The men are dressed in suit jackets and crisp white shirts with no ties. They both have dark hair, like Marco and Derek, but Heratio has a well-shaped beard and sharp eyes. It’s surprising to me that Heratio is the youngest, he looks a bit older than Derek. Not in a bad way, but when standing next to fresh-faced Nathan the difference is stark.
Nathan is thick, like Marco, if slightly shorter, Horatio is lean and tall.
"You really brought her," Heratio says, walking to meet us. His eyes light up as he takes me in; they're pitch black, not gray like the other brothers.
"You're the one who said Derek warned you," Nathan says, elbowing Horatio in the ribs.
"Yeah, but I thought he was taking the piss."
Never one to put up with being talked about like I’m not here I thrust out my hand. "Hi! I'm Filia, nice to meet you both."
Heratio stares at my hand like it's a snake. Nathan grabs it, shaking firmly. "Hey," he says, grinning playfully. "Always good to meet a fresh face."
The youngest brother is still eyeing me. "Well, we should get your things on the ship. Derek arrived fifteen minutes ago and he's already dictating shit inside."
"How did he beat us here?" Marco gawks. "We left before him."
Nathan laughs good naturedly. "Derek is a speed demon."
"Speed demon?" I ask, but they're already strolling up the ramp, leaving us trailing behind.
The interior of the yacht is just as mesmerizing as the exterior, with a blend of classic design and modern luxury. My eye is drawn to a wooden staircase that leads downstairs. Another curves to the upper decks, around a crystal chandelier..
"Where are all the other guests?" I ask. "You said this place would be packed." I'm itching for a crowd to blend into. I don't enjoy how Heratio and Nathan keep eyeing me like I don't notice. Now that I think about it, there were barely any cars on the dock.
"They'll start arriving in three hours," Mrco says, checking his phone, frowning slightly. "The staff has been by to clean, the chef is in the kitchen prepping, but the rest of the waiters and assistants should be here in thirty."
"It feels so empty," I say softly, turning in place to take in all the details. The first level deck we entered on via the pier is open air, it circles the main walls so you can walk along the rail to view the water. Inside there are floor to ceiling windows. I doubt there's a bad view point on the whole ship.
"Marco," Heratio calls. "Come on.”
"Did Trey arrive?" he asks.
Nathan folds his big arms behind his head. "He'll be here in twenty minutes. Traffic slowed him."
"We can begin without Trey," Heratio urges. "Come on. Before Derek starts burning documents."
"This isn't that kind of meeting," Nathan insists.
"It could be,” Derek says, appearing from nowhere.. He's standing on the top step of the staircase on the upper level. His attention is locked on me. "You weren’t tossed on the side of the road. Bravo."
"Christ, go easy on her," Nathan mutters.
Marco is crushing his hands so tight his knuckles go white. "The way you talk, you'd think you don't want this meeting to remain amicable."
"I can talk to you just fine," Derek says.
"Any insult to Filia is an insult to me."
Derek leans on the railing, yawning into his hand. "She gonna sit in your lap while we run the numbers, then?"
Marco's jaw clenches––a vein in his neck twitches. I step in front of him, staring up at Derek. My tone is calm. "I'm not sure why you have it out for me, but I'm Marco's guest. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Not a damn thing." Derek stands tall, hopping down one step at a time until he's in front of me. He looms close, eyes glinting. "What's your thing?"
I tilt my head. "Huh?"
"You know. What trick do you have that gets my brother so hard he ignores the rest of the world?" He bends closer, breath hot on my cheek. "Never mind. The walls on this boat aren't that thick, I guess I'll find out whether I want to or not."
