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“What?”
“I don’t get the impression you like a lot of people, Caius.”
“Oh, I don’t. But it makes things interesting.” I hear the ding of a text message, and he reaches into his pocket to retrieve his phone. When he reads the text, his easy smile vanishes and his jaw tightens.
“Ana?” I ask just to taunt him. “Does she want you back?”
He doesn’t even look at me. Instead, he sets his sandwich down and types out a reply before tucking it back into his pocket. He slides off his stool and wipes his mouth. “I have to run,” he says with a tight smile.
“Run where?” Santos asks. We all turn to find him standing in the entrance of the kitchen. He entered so quietly none of us noticed. His hair is standing up in places like he’s been running his hands through it repeatedly, and his expression is tired. That line between his eyebrows seems to have settled in permanently.
“Hey, brother,” Caius says.
Santos walks into the room. He studies his brother, and I can’t read the expression on his face.
“Where are you running to?” Santos asks.
“Some issue with a delivery to the apartment. I guess Mom’s not home to take care of it.”
“She’s out with Cummings. Let someone else handle it. Stick around. I’ll join you.”
Caius’s phone buzzes again. He doesn’t take it out but reaches into his pocket, I assume to silence it. “Later. Come by the club. We’ll have a drink.” He glances at me then back to Santos. “Bring your wife. It’ll be an early birthday celebration. Twenty-one soon, right?”
I nod, confused he’s noted the date.
He turns back to Santos, who is standing like a statue, eyes fixed on his brother. “Everything okay?” Caius asks him. He sets a hand on his shoulder and Santos glances at it, then back at his face.
“Yeah. Fine. We’ll see you later.”
Caius nods, pats his brother’s arm, and he’s gone. Santos watches him leave and only when he hears the front door close does he turn back to Odin and me. Odin, as if taking some unspoken hint, gets up.
“I need to head out, too. Call me later,” he tells me.
“I will.” I get up to hug my brother, and he, too, leaves. Santos takes a deep breath in when it’s the two of us. “I got my phone. Thank you.” I hold up the brand new, latest model iPhone.
“Good. I’m glad it got here. You can set it up?”
“No problem. Your number was already programmed in it, so I assume you have mine.”
He nods.
“Are you okay?” I ask, going to him.
He looks distracted. That’s what it is. He’s distracted, but also sad, like he’s carrying a new weight on his shoulders.
He takes my arms, then pulls me close to hold me for a long minute. “Let’s get out of here.” He draws back to look at me, squeezing my arms gently. “Let’s just go for a little while.”
I nod because something is wrong.
He takes out his phone and types out a text. I hear the ding of a reply moments later. He leads me up the stairs to the bedroom, where we throw clothes and toiletries into a duffel. He leaves me at the front door to talk to Val for a few minutes, then he and I are outside.
“Where are we going?” I ask as he climbs into the driver’s side of the SUV and starts the engine.
“North. There’s a place I know.” He glances at me. “You’ll like it.”
“What’s going on, Santos? Why this sudden trip?”
His eyebrows furrow together, and he keeps his gaze out the front windshield. “I want to take you away, have you all to myself for a change. Can’t I do that with my wife?”
