Page 126 of His Two Hidden Masks

James sighed again. “You know, you could have come to me.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t realize how fucking serious you were.”

“You mean when I told you that I had grown a conscience and decided that this was one family that our business was not going to destroy?” Dylan snorted. “I told you, brother. You didn’t want to hear it.”

The brothers were still fighting, but the aggressive energy between them diffused into something closer to sibling rivalry.I wondered what it was like for the two of them to live in each other’s shadows.

“You can tell yourself that if I’d told you to stand down again yesterday, it would have made a difference,” Dylan said. “But that would be a lie, and you know it.”

“Well, we’ll never know now, will we?”

“It’s just money, brother.”

“Just money,” James said. “I have been running this business since I was twenty-one years old. You have fucked around. You never wanted to be a part of it. I saved your ass, again and again.”

“You have,” Dylan said.

“You could have given me the respect of a heads-up, man,” James shook his head and nodded, as if shaking away an idea, “and now the two of you are married. You are really married.”

“Yes, we are,” Dylan said.

“And Strand is done? You’re going to tour as you?”

“I don’t know,” Dylan said. “I have my music, and if I’m not me when I play it, I don’t want it anymore.”

“And you are happy?” James asked, looking straight at Dylan.

“Yes,” Dylan said. “You have no idea.”

James nodded, pleased with this answer. “So, it’s done. You are married, and you have the votes,” he said. “It’s dead in the water, and you know what, if you had come to me, it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“I know,” Dylan said, smiling at his brother.

“All right.” James gave me a smile that actually looked genuine. “Congratulations to you both.”

“Thank you,” I said, squeezing Dylan’s hand. “I understand the complexity of being in business with your family.”

James checked his phone. “Right, well, I’m leaving town today, brother. I assume you can find your way home?”

Dylan nodded.

James inhaled and turned to me. “And Bella, I apologize that you had to be a witness to our disagreement. You are family, and as your brother- in-law, I ask you to please accept my apology. I’ll be sending you a gift -- to where?” He looked at Dylan. “Where are you two living?”

“Um,” I said, realizing I had no clue either. There were so many things to discuss.

“We don’t know yet,” Dylan said.

“All right. Keep me posted. And best wishes to you both,” James said. His shoes clicked down the marble staircase as he left.

“Is he always…”

“A prick?” Dylan shrugged.

“Do you two always work things out like this?”

“Like what?” he said.

My eyes widened.

“Oh, that was downright civilized,” he said, smiling. “When it comes down to it, it’s just business. James is like a jaguar. He gets a target, hunts, pounces. I guarantee he was messaging his assistant, checking on one of the many leads he has for other acquisitions.”

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