Page 51
I grimaced as I watched the three former roommates gathered around the table by the window. Of course they’d chosen the prime spot to ensure everyone inside and outside of the restaurant would notice them.
It was safe to assume they were always like that: pampered, entitled, and selfish. Their daddies’ money had cushioned their every mistake and bought them the illusion that they were important. They mistook being catered to for being powerful, but if you took away their family money and connections, they were nobodies.
I couldn’t imagine any of them surviving what Sienna endured five years ago.
Yes, Sienna had her stepfather’s wealth to lean into, but she also had her independence—and not to mention her stubbornness too. It was probably what kept her going after her traumatic experience.
“I got your wedding invite,” Kyran remarked casually, his gaze still zeroed in on the restaurant across the street. “You’re kind of rushing it, don’t you think?”
“Hmm.”
Truth was that I would have married Sienna first thing this morning, but it was important to do it the right way. Okay, maybe the right way wasn’t the right phrase. But I wanted to do it with her family around, so I’d wait a few days, and then we’d tie the knot.
The buzz of the city was all around us.
Buses passed, the loud honks startling passersby. A baseball game. The constant sound of an HVAC unit whirring. The smell of hot dogs drifting from a nearby food truck.
The mist the rain left behind had turned Manhattan into a canvas of black and gray, the colors in such stark contrast to the vivid greens of Ireland I’d left five hours ago.
“She can’t be pregnant already,” Kyran continued pensively when I remained quiet.
“Hmm.”
“For fuck’s sake, you’re starting to sound like the Witcher.”
I shot him an annoyed look. “Can we just be quiet for once and wait till these bitches leave so we can corner them?”
He scoffed. “It’s boring, and I need a challenge.”
I rolled my eyes. “You can go find one. I can handle this on my own.”
“I think not, brother. We’ll do this together as we’ve done everything else in life.” He slapped my back and grinned before asking, “Will you share her?”
There was no need to ask who he meant.
“No, Sienna is off-limits.” My jaw clenched and I gritted, “If you ask again, you’ll end up in the hospital.”
“Ahhh, we don’t want that. It would make me miss the wedding,” he joked. “Besides, I’ve always known sharing Sienna was off the table. Even when you complained about her stalking you and stealing kisses from you… As if that little thing could steal anything from you.”
God, did Kyran always talk so much? I just wanted him to be quiet, but he continued talking.
“You wanted her from the moment you spotted her, and I knew you’d end up with her.”
“Did you now?”
“Yes.”
“There is one thing I don’t get, though,” he said. I didn’t ask what, because I knew he’d tell me whether I wanted to know or not. “Why did she disappear?”
My shoulders tensed, but I kept my face an expressionless mask. “Was she scared those kidnappers would come back for her?”
“Maybe.”
He tilted his head and watched me. Some twins were as different as two humans could be. That wasn’t the case with my brother. The two of us often felt and thought the same, and at this very moment, that was a curse.
“Did you tell her you came for her?” I let out a heavy breath, annoyed that I had to listen to my brother’s chatter instead of Sienna’s silence. “In the jungle.”
I stiffened.
