Page 30 of Legacy of Chaos

But wait, Rade had takencookinglessons? From one of the Grim Reaper’s daughters?

“Yes, it does,” Crux insisted. “You’ll see. If we all just try to get along—”

“No,” Stryke said roughly, his voice so clogged with emotion he barely got the word out. Seeing Crux, knowing that Chaos would have looked the same…pain shredded his insides and turned the glass of champagne into acid that threatened to come back up. “No.” He tempered his voice. “Not right now. I have a lot of work to do. I’m very busy at StryTech—”

“That’s always your excuse,” Crux blurted, a rare show of anger that put red blotches on his pale cheeks. “And it’s bullshit.”

Yeah, it was. But the truth wasn’t an option. How was he supposed to tell Crux—or anyone—that he couldn’t face the damage he’d caused? That the best way to make up for the past was through his company. He’d built StryTech to right his wrongs and help prevent other families from going through what his had.

Oh, and also to assuage his guilt.

Not that it worked. But at least it kept his mind busy instead of it spinning out of control.

“Crux, I’m sorry.”I’m so sorry I’ve been a shitty brother. “How about I send you one of our brand-new drones?”

Crux’s thin shoulders rolled in a half-hearted shrug. “Sure. That’d be okay, I guess.”

“Great.” He gestured down the hall, eager to see his brother perk up. “You should check out who just got here. I think you’re all about to get a private concert.”

“Really?” Crux craned his neck to peek behind Stryke. “Who is it?”

“Grace Obert.”

“No way!” Crux practically bounced on his toes. “I gotta go see. You’ll be here later?”

Stryke gave a noncommittal smile. “If you hurry, you can get Grace’s autograph before she starts.”

“That would be awesome!”

Crux took off like a puppy whose owner had just come home. Stryke’s knees nearly gave out. He had to get some air. Needed to get away from all the…emotion.

He started down the hallway he’d used to come in and, wouldn’t you know it, he nearly crashed into Logan, who was exiting the break room with a bowl of chips.

“Oh, hey, Stryke.” Logan gestured toward the party. “Glad you made it.”

“Sure, you are.”

Logan punched him in the shoulder hard enough to hurt. “Don’t be a dick. I just started liking you again. Well, liking you for the first time.”

“I don’t need you to like me.”

Logan cursed under his breath and inhaled deeply as if trying to keep his temper in check. “I never got a chance to properly thank you for everything you did for Cujo and Eva.” His voice was gruff with the effort it took to be nice. He reminded Stryke of a kid forced to apologize to another after a fight.

The air between them crackled as they stood there. After so many years of an antagonistic relationship with Logan, Stryke wasn’t sure how to process anything else. Especially when hewas out of his element and so off balance after seeing his parents and Crux.

Finally, he managed a shallow nod. “Happy to help. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.”

He practically ran to the exit and plowed through the door.

The air was cool and fresh, and he gulped in frantic lungfuls as he stumbled outside and braced himself on the railing that separated the patio area from the Harrowgate built into the tall stone wall.

Shit, he needed to go. He couldn’t deal with this. He could leave and then send a message that he’d had to attend to some kind of emergency. Everyone would believe that.

Yeah, that sounded like a plan.

He eyed the shimmering curtain that defined the arched entrance to the Harrowgate. It was only a few yards away. He just needed a minute for his heart to stop convulsing and his stomach to stop heaving as if he’d been running from a demon.

Which struck him as absurdly funny because hewasrunning from a demon.

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