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Stone’s brows arched, but he made my drink without comment. “And you, Aiden?”
“I’m not picky.”
“Then you can have what I’m having.” Stone poured two glasses of Scotch and handed one to Aiden.
Aiden took a tentative sip, then a longer one. “That’s the good stuff.”
I could read my little brother pretty well, and he was terrified, but that didn’t stop him from keeping a smile on his face.
We all knew how to act in our family.
Stone swung his hand out toward Aiden. Aiden stiffened, his eyes going wide; his fear was palpable. I leapt forward, but Stone just clapped his shoulder.
“Welcome to the family, Aiden.” Stone said gruffly. “Karissa is right. You’re going to need that drink.”
He poured himself another Scotch as he turned away from us, and carried the cut-crystal bottle with him as he headed toward the dining room table.
Aiden and I exchanged wide-eyed looks. Aiden was obviously looking to me for answers. Did that mean he was safe? That Stone didn’t suspect him?
But I didn’t understand Stone. No one did—including Stone.
I half shrugged and held my cup toward my brother. The two of us clinked glasses, then each took a sip, though I noticed Aiden barely drank. He felt the need to stay sharp around the King siblings.
“Dinner,” Karissa called.
I took Dylan to wash our hands, so we were a little later reaching the table, and there were only two empty chairs. Dylan ran to sit beside Cole—I understood the impulse—which left me sitting at the end of the table between Stone and Aiden, with Rose across the table. Shaw pouted at me, playing up his annoyance at sitting on the opposite side of Rose.
Rose’s eyes darted toward him nervously. Who could be afraid of Shaw?
I glanced at Stone, only to lock eyes with him. He was watching me, and I had a feeling he had a read on all of us at the table. My chin lifted. It had been bad enough knowing that Stone would judge me.
I didn't know if I could bear to have him judge my brother and sister.
Stone leaned toward Rose. "I heard you just got your driver's license."
Rose's lips parted and stayed that way for a long second before she managed to answer. "Oh. Yes."
"You should give Shaw some tips." Stone nodded at Shaw. "He's pretty bad."
Shaw scoffed. "I'm not the one who has to drive an armored vehicle because he's always running over curbs."
That wasn't why Stone drove an armored vehicle and we all knew it, but it still eased the tension.
"I think Shaw's a great driver." Saying anything else seemed disloyal when Shaw had driven us out of that hell.
Thinking of that chaos made me think of Liam.
I glanced down the table. Karissa hadn't even bothered to set a place for him. My heart lurched at the thought of how Liam must be suffering, and I resolved to find him tonight.
I had so many people to take care of right now that it felt as if I were being slowly torn apart.
Stone said, "Well, you have terrible taste, Amelia."
"That's why she likes you," Shaw said without missing a beat.
I almost choked on my rum and Coke. I felt a lot of things for Stone--including raw desire--but I wasn't surelikemade the list at the moment.
"I’m not sure you know the meaning of the wordlike.”Stone sounded amused, which calmed the initial terror that had knotted in my gut when Stone started to speak. It wasn’t terror of Stone.
