Page 10 of Man of Honor

The kids had a social worker and an on-site matron to keep an eye on them around the clock, but it took a team.These days, Mason mostly handled the legal headaches, dealing with court cases and custody battles that nobody else wanted to touch.Gideon served as headmaster, and Dominic…well, he had a unique set of skills.

He moved with that light, catlike step of his, eerily quiet for a guy his size.He was about my own height but slimmer, and yet he had so much presence that it made him seem a foot taller.Like always, he was dressed in black: a plain t-shirt and expensive slacks.No fuss, no statement. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his looks; he just couldn’t be bothered with fashion.He didn’t need to dress up to be the scariest thing in the room.

“Look who finally crawled back home.” His whiskey-colored eyes had a predatory gleam.“Missed a hell of a funeral, little brother.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“I hope dicking around in Vegas was worth it,” Dominic said, letting irony drip off his thick southern drawl.

I rolled my shoulders and forced myself not to snap back.“Didn’t know you’d miss me.”

Dominic didn't smile, but one eyebrow lifted like I'd said something funny.“No one missed you, Gage.”

Ouch. That stung, but I didn’t let it show.That was just Dominic’s way. Always had been.

“Nice ‘welcome home,’” I snorted.

“You expected a parade?”

“Not from you.” I felt a smirk coming on despite my better judgment.Dominic was like a cat who couldn't resist batting at any string I dangled.“What are you doing here, Dom?You don’t even live here anymore.”

He liked to stick close to his restaurant for emergencies, so he had his own apartment downtown.Sometimes, I wondered if things would have gone down differently if he'd still been living with us.He'd have killed my father without a second thought, so maybe he'd be the one in prison instead of Ben.But I doubted it. Dom was the kind of guy who knew how to hide a body.

He’d always made my skin crawl a little, but it wasn’t that I feared him.More like I knew exactly what he was capable of, and it unsettled me.There was always an unspoken threat in his eyes.Even Boone had been careful around him.The only one who never seemed to care was Gideon.

One thing was certain: Dominic wouldn’t be dumping anyone half-dead in a gator pit.He'd finish the job first.

He leaned one hip against the bannister, arms crossed, looking amused.It was the only expression that ever seemed to cross that stony face.“Mason called,” he said flatly.“He warned us you were bringing trouble with you, so I was bracing the kids for a new arrival.”

“You mean the girl?”

“That’s the one.” He jerked his head toward the north wing.“This is a good group. Soft. They’ve never had a girl with them before, but I made sure they know how to behave.”

“Thanks.” I shifted, suddenly feeling guilty for not even thinking about the practical stuff.Wyatt, Mason, and Dom were doing the heavy lifting.All I’d done was throw a few punches.Typical.

Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Leave it to you to land neck-deep in shit the second you arrive."

My spine stiffened, sending a flash of pain through my sore ribs.“I was trying to help.”

“Help?” he scoffed. “You just got home, and the sheriff is already sniffing around.He’s got deputies shaking down every bar in town for the guys you tangled with.He ain’t lookin' for the truth, little brother.Just enough leverage to twist their words into something he can use against us.Like I don’t have enough to deal with.”

“I’ll handle him,” I interrupted.

“Not yet, you won’t.” Dominic’s eyes flickered.There was no warmth in them. “You’ll sit on your hands and behave until Ben is free.That means keeping away from cops.Especially your good ol’ pal Deputy Brooks.More than half the cops in this parish are dirty, and he’s been living awfully cozy these days.”

Wyatt had plenty of irritating qualities, but corruption wasn’t one of them.He was a man of honor. He’d made that crystal clear the night I’d failed to seduce him.

I opened my mouth to object, but Dominic didn’t give me the chance.“Mason said he wouldn’t leave your side at the hospital.Think that’s a coincidence? You’re irresistible now?You used to be all over his dick, and he still didn’t want anything to do with you.”

“Jesus, you’re a real charmer,” I muttered.Heat was creeping up the back of my neck, but it sure as hell wasn’t embarrassment.Just good old-fashioned fury.

Dominic locked eyes with me, but he didn’t square up like most guys would.He just waited, cool as ice, and before I could think twice, I’d already stepped forward to do something I’d probably regret.Two fights in as many days wasn't my worst record, not by a long shot, but before my fist could land, a chill washed over me.

Dominic felt it too. His head came up like a shot, and his eyes narrowed.I followed his line of sight and there, at the top landing of the staircase, stood Gideon.

It was like staring straight at the sun.The foyer was dim, so Gideon should have faded into the shadows in his black clerical outfit, but somehow he caught every scrap of light and reflected it back at us.Looking at him almost hurt.

I took a step back, shamed for reasons I couldn’t explain, but Gideon didn’t so much as glance my way.His eyes were locked on Dominic.They stared each other down like they were having a silent conversation, and I didn’t even speak the language.All I knew was that something was seriously off between my two oldest brothers.

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