Page 3 of Promised Vows

My brother cocked an eyebrow. “We could at least exchange pleasantries. We are family.”

Holding in a snort, I rolled my eyes. We weren’t close. Not anymore. The shift started the year before Papa retired. I’d assumed it was nerves. He was taking over the company, and it was stressful. Then Papa left for Greece without so much as a word, and my best friend—my brother—became a memory. Jason’s girlfriend didn’t even survive the promotion. After trying for months to find out what changed, I’d given up. He was cold and indifferent and if that’s how things were going to be, then fine. I’d give him the same treatment.

“Yeah, and we see each other in passing on holidays and special occasions. For the most part, we stay out of each other’s lives.” The last time we were in the same room together was Thanksgiving three years ago.

Slipping his hands from his pants pockets, he faced the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows lining his corner office.

It’d been my father’s before he’d stepped down. I didn’t visit a whole lot as a kid, mostly because our nanny didn’t venture too far from the house. When she did, we went to the park or the museum. It wasn’t until I reached an age where I could understand things that I realized why. The company my father kept weren’t the kind of people you visited during the day.

Many times, I wondered if that was why my mom split right after I was born and why she didn’t take us with her. I always thought it was my fault. She died when I was around eighteen. My brother was twelve years older than me, and I’d wondered if he resented me for it after he dropped me. Maybe her death was the last straw for him. Alive, we could still see her, but with her death, she was gone. Perhaps he couldn’t handle the idea that I’d run Mom off and he never got to see her again. Yeah, I’d been to therapy, but that feeling still reared its ugly head from time to time.

The office had changed a lot since the last time I was here. When it was my father’s, it resembled the inside of an ancient library with everything dark. Now, it was something out of a modern home design magazine. Minimalist furniture with warm, earthy tones.

Exhaling softly, I joined Jason at the window. Even as miffed as I was about being here, I could still appreciate that Chicago city view. I swept my gaze from one side to the other. We stood in silence for a moment, both seeming to enjoy watching the city from above.

“How are you, Anna?”

“I’m fine.”

“I heard you and Andrew are no longer an item.” This time he cut a glance at me.

I blinked. Andrew and I had only dated a few months, but the fact that Jason knew about him shocked me. I never had the impression my brother cared about what was happening in my life, especially since he barely spoke to me anymore.

He also didn’t ask questions without a map and an end destination, so where was this going? “What do you want, Jason?”

Turning to me, he exhaled. It was then I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He was tired. Part of me wanted to hug him and tell him that Sissy was here, and I’d take care of him. I didn’t. Wouldn’t. The last time I even attempted to do that, I left crying.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “The family business has shifted and we’re weaker than we once were.”

Our family was no longer in the skin business. Right before Jason cut ties with me, he’d started the process. Two weeks ago, with the closure of the last strip club, that era had ended. Of course, I didn’t get the information directly from Jason. I read about it on a news website. I wanted to ask why it took so long, but he’d stopped answering my questions, so I knew it was pointless to try.

“I’ve got less than an hour to get to work, so I’ll ask again, what do you want, Jason?”

“It’s not what I want, it’s what the family needs.” He caught my gaze. “We will be aligning with the Kalantzis family. To do that, there needs to be an official union. You have been promised to Ari Kalantzis. Lucas Kalantzis’s second.”

My breath caught as I stared at him. Promised? “What?” I nearly whispered. I was only vaguely aware of the Kalantzis family. As a kid, I met Thea during ballet lessons. I’d always had the impression that she hated me.

He faced the city again. “You don’t understand, and I’m sorry. I wish I could explain, but I can’t right now.”

“Can’t or won’t?” He didn’t answer, so I continued, “It’s been months since you spoke to me, Jason. You send me a text less than an hour ago, demanding that I get here as quickly as I can. Now, all of a sudden, I’m getting married? And you can’t explain?”

My brother went from looking tired to haggard. “No, I can’t.”

Staring at him, I cocked my jaw. “No.”

He turned toward me, nostrils flaring. His arms dropped to his sides as his hands fisted. “I’m doing what I have to do. It’s my job to ensure our family is safe. Marrying Ari Kalantzis does exactly that and you’re old enough to understand the situation.” Taking a breath, he turned away again. ”The decision is made, Anna. Ari will be contacting you. Figure out a date and take care of the arrangements. Hire a wedding planner if you need to, but get it done.”

I was slack-jawed and numb as I stood there. A flood of emotions overwhelmed me—grief, shock, anger, and a host of others I couldn’t form into words at the moment. “Who are you and what have you done to my brother? He wouldn’t do this to me.”

There was a pregnant pause. “That man died three years ago.” His voice was cold and lifeless. Turning back to the window, he recrossed his arms over his chest. “Like I said, Ari should be contacting you soon.”

“Will he let me continue working at my job, my modeling?” Not that I was all that keen on keeping the job. I was one heavy breather away from getting a police whistle and giving a creep hearing loss. I’d made up my mind when the next time some weirdo asked about the color of my underwear, I would tell him black like my soul and then rattle off a bunch of nonsense that sounded like I was putting a curse on him.

Shrugging, my brother’s gaze lowered to the floor. “I met him briefly, so I can’t say. He didn’t seem exactly thrilled about the arrangement either.”

The wheels in my brain began to turn. If this Ari guy didn’t want to be married either, then what were the chances I could annoy him to the point that he’d decide he wanted nothing to do with me? My odds were favorable, right? Or maybe I wouldn’t have to resort to that. Maybe I could talk to him. “Wonderful. Two strangers getting married. What joyous nuptials that will be.”

“They don’t have to be happy. Work it out with your soon-to-be husband and get me the date as soon as you have it. I’ll text you Cora’s number and she’ll send over a guest list for the invitations.”

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