Page 128 of A Vicious Love

“Sit,” he said gently. “Amara has been waiting to meet you since the ballet stream.”

The woman beside my place card smiled.

She had long dark hair, and a pale green dress that softened the gold at her throat.

“I have,” she said. “Mostly because Weston never stops mentioning the performance.”

Weston looked offended. “That is an exaggeration.”

“Barely.”

I sat.

Amara leaned toward me conspiratorially. “I’m married to Callum. He is the normal brother.”

A man on the other side of the table looked up from his drink.

“I’m sitting right here.”

“You’re still the normal brother,” she told him.

Callum Crow had Weston’s eyes but none of his polished charm. He looked broader, dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. Tattoos showed near one wrist. He gave me a polite nod.

“Sienna.”

“Hi.”

Beside him sat another man who looked amused by everything.

“That makes me Elias,” he said. “The interesting brother.”

“That means least supervised.” His wife, Lucille, laughed into her champagne.

Elias grinned.

Lucille wore a red silk dress and a gold chain at her throat. She reached across the table for my hand immediately.

“Ignore him,” she said. “He becomes worse when encouraged.”

Elias leaned back. “I haven’t even started.”

The conversation moved easily after that. I learned Weston had seven brothers.

“Your poor mother,” I said before I could stop myself.

Weston looked at me, delighted. “That was exactly my reaction when I became old enough to count.”

“You have seven brothers?”

“Eight sons total,” Callum corrected. “Weston is the fourth.”

“That explains a lot,” Elias said.

“What does it explain?”

“His need for attention.”

Weston lifted his glass. “Envy is unattractive on you.”