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Lucian looked at him with an arched eyebrow. “Of course I miss having you around. You’re my family.” He said it as though it were the simplest thing in the whole world.
Sebastian tilted his head toward a quieter corner of the restaurant, away from the buzz of food and conversation and music. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Lucian studied him. “Is everything okay?” he asked in a lowered voice, his eyes glittering intently.
Sebastian nodded. “Yeah. Just…some things I don’t want to put in my speech. But I still want you to hear them.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow and then nodded. “Okay.”
They moved into the corner and sat down at an unoccupied booth. Lucian looked around, his shoulders stiff with tension until his gaze landed on Olivia, who was wearing a champagne-colored dress that showed off her tiny waist and long legs. She was talking animatedly with Kayla and Lauren, while Willa held and bounced little Cora.
“Maybe I’m the one who should be asking you if everything’s okay,” said Sebastian cautiously. Lucian blinked and then turned his attention to his brother.
“It’s nothing.” But he turned and made eye contact with a giant of a man standing near the entrance. He was so big Sebastian could practically hear the seams of his suit straining to keep his muscular bulk contained. His dark curls fell around his face, his expression grim. He met Lucian’s gaze and nodded, then spoke into his wrist.
“Doesn’t look like nothing.”
“Just some trouble with the local Triad. Nothing we can’t handle.”
Sebastian frowned. “I thought you worked with these organized crime guys,” he said in a low voice.
Lucian chuckled and took a sip of the scotch a server had just set down in front of him. “Not anymore.” He sighed and shook his head. “This weekend isn’t the time to get into all of that. What did you want to talk to me about? Do you need help?”
A part of Sebastian cringed at Lucian’s question and assumption that Sebastian had fucked up again. Not that he could blame him. He’d lost count of how many times Lucian had bailed him out, which was what he wanted to talk to him about now, the night before his wedding.
Sebastian sighed, suddenly struggling to find the words. Emotion clogged his throat and he took a sip of his sparkling water. “I just wanted to say thank you. For everything you’ve done for me. I don’t even know how many times you bailed me out or made sure I was safe when I was hellbent on destruction.” He met Lucian’s eyes. “You were the father I never had, and I’m alive and healthy today because of you. I owe you my happiness, my health, my life. I owe you everything. You’re my brother, but you’re so much more than that. And I just wanted you to know that I’ll always be grateful to you for everything you did for me. Always.”
Lucian smiled tightly at him, his eyes bright. “I love you, Bastian, and I’ll always look out for you. Nothing will ever change that.”
Sebastian blinked rapidly, his eyes stinging. “Anyway. I just needed you to know.”
Lucian nodded slowly. “I do.” Then he sat back, sipped his drink, and surveyed the party happening around them, letting the warmth of the moment hang in the air between them. Theo and Lauren were dancing to the upbeat Hall and Oates song playing, Kayla and Willa were cooing over Cora, and Olivia was chatting with her father. “So. When are you asking her?”
“What?”
Lucian turned and looked at him. “When are you asking Kayla to marry you, Bastian? It’s been two years.”
“Oh,” said Sebastian, letting out a little chuckle. “Uh, this weekend, actually.”
Lucian’s face lit up, and he clapped Sebastian on the back. “Good. It’s about time.”
“I know. I was…waiting.”
“For?”
“I just needed to make sure that I could keep it together. That I’m not going to let her down or put her in danger ever again because of my fuck ups.”
“And you’re sure now?”
He nodded, thinking about the ring in his pocket. “I am. And I think she’s getting impatient,” he added with a soft laugh.
“Kayla Bristowe is a patient woman. She’d have to be to be with you,” he added with a smirk, and Sebastian shot him a look of mock hurt.
“I know. But even Kayla has her limits.”
“You know, you could ask her tonight. There’s a rooftop terrace we’re not using tonight for…security reasons. I thought it would be better to have the party inside. But you’re welcome to use it, if you want.”
Sebastian nodded, a thrill shooting through him. “It’s safe?”
