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Leo whirls to face me. “This doesn’t make sense. Luna is a loner. Always has been. She’s not the marrying type.” He stalks toward me. “There’s a reason. If you’re telling the truth, then there’s a reason she got married.” Perceptive guy. “Do you have something on her?”
Maybe I should be offended. Instead, I decide Leo’s reaction is a good sign. Obviously, he still cares about his sister in some capacity. Maybe this guy can be redeemed after all.
As long as he doesn’t turn out to be anything like his asshole father.
I hold my hands up, placating. “Your sister isn’t the type of woman to give into threats, and I think you know that.” I drop my hands then reach into my box, carefully selecting a praline. With what I hope is a calming expression, I offer the sweet to my new brother-in-law. His stare flits between me and the dessert a few times before he reluctantly takes the gift.
This is how Luna and her brothers are. Wary of acts of kindness. Which leads me to believe they grew up expecting the world to deal them blows. Both metaphorically and literally.
“I married Luna because she’s fierce and funny, and I want to be around her all the time.” Truth. “And she married me for her own reasons. If you want to hear them, talk to her. I doubt you’d believe me about them anyway.”
Leo gives a snort of agreement around his full mouth. After he swallows, the guy hits me with another guarded look. “You said a courthouse wedding? Not many people?”
“We didn’t invite anyone. Not Dash and Paige. Not even my parents.” I don’t mention his parents because we both know their daughter wouldn’t welcome them near any special occasion in her life.
Leo nods, and I watch as some of the hostility fades from his face. Maybe Leo wants to be more involved in his siblings’ lives than he’s willing to admit.
“You busy right now?” This is a risk, but my end goal is to earn a spot in their family. Never too early to start. “I’m on my way to meet Luna for a drink. You can hear this all from her.”
Leo shoves his hands into his pockets and stares toward the street. “Nah. Can’t. Have work tonight.”
Working after five on a weekend?I’m about to ask.
But then I realize what kind of work he means. The exact reason Luna and I got married. To free Leo of his obligation to keep up with whatever dark deeds his uncle demands.
“Too bad. We’re leaving tomorrow morning, but you should think about taking time off to visit us in Nashville.”
Leo studies me again as if my existence confuses him.
“And you should call your sister,” I add. “So you know I’m not serving you a plate of bullshit.”
Leo blinks, then his careless smirk falls back into place.
“Whatever.” He turns and strides away, giving off the air that he could give fuck all what’s happening around him.
But I know. I saw those few glimpses, but they were enough.
Leo Lamont cares about his sister.
ChapterTwenty-Five
CHARLIE
When leaving the bathroom for the middle of the night pee, I never expected to run into my wife. Literally.
“Oof.” Luna’s puff of surprised breath presses against my bare chest, and I shiver at the intimacy of the heat. She shifts back, her movements controlled now despite the unplanned collision.
“Sorry,” I whisper, shifting out of the way to clear a path to the bathroom.
But Luna doesn’t step through the doorway, and in the soft glow of the nightlight illuminating the hallway, I realize that she’s dressed as if to go out. Boots, jeans, long-sleeved shirt.
All black.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“Go back to bed, Charlie.” From Luna’s stern tone I know that’s exactly what I won’t be doing. If I’m remembering my bleary glance at the clock correctly, it’s just about 3 a.m. Not the time to be going out and doing anything, even in a lively city like New Orleans. Especially because we plan to leave first thing in the morning.
“Where are you going?” I shift my body to the side just as she tries to slide past me.
