Page 7 of Key Change

Just like his brother and his parents. Even his sister expected him to fail. The only difference was that she’d offered a hand to keep him on the right path. If he tripped, he was sure Margot would let go and pretend he didn’t exist, her compassion only extending so far.

Anthony shook his head. “I can’t be the person I was.”

“Then you be the person you want to be,” he said, as though it were simple. He lifted an eyebrow, and his smile became infectious.

Anthony had no idea why Cillian was smiling at him like that or why he was smiling back. He had less of an idea about who he wanted to be, if he could be anyone. Until that moment, all he’d wanted was a shot at getting something close to his old life back. Now he wondered if he had a shot at kissing Cillian, and if he remembered how.

CHAPTER

FOUR

Cillian studiedAnthony for a few seconds. The lighting was softer out there, the shadows more forgiving on the angles of his face. He didn’t look like a criminal, but then he hadn’t gotten his hands dirty. There was no trail of blood and no hidden gun. Most of the people at the party would’ve forgiven that faster because they were doing much the same as Anthony, and he served as bitter reminder of what happened if they got caught. Cillian wanted to ask how he’d done it and why but bit his tongue. The reasons didn’t change the past, and no justification made it right.

But ten years seemed excessive when there were people doing deplorable things, hurting other people on a daily basis, who got a few months, or a year or two. Hayden would never serve any time, no matter how many people he blackmailed. He had too much money and too much power and knew too many secrets.

All of which brought trouble.

What kind of trouble was Anthony? The fun kind or the dangerous kind? He needed to find out. If Anthony was happy to talk about what he’d done, then he was happy to listen.

“So you know all about me now. What do you do?” Anthony watched him. Something had changed in the way he stood. It took a moment for Cillian to realize Anthony had lowered his guard. He was no longer rigid, expecting the worst, and his body angled toward him as though inviting attention. “How do you know my brother?”

Cillian winced even though he should’ve expected the question.

“That’s a rather long story. Another night?” Did he want another meeting with Anthony? If they’d met at a ball or a charity event, and Anthony hadn’t done time, he wouldn’t be hesitating. What he’d done wasn’t violent, and he was intriguing. Cillian was in no rush to end their conversation and rejoin the party, and Anthony was more relaxed outside. To find out if Anthony could help him break free of Hayden’s influence, he needed to offer something of himself… a reason for Anthony to be interested.

“I’m a concert pianist, and I teach piano.” He was lucky to have a career that he loved, even if it was pieced together from many different areas. Quitting and doing something else wasn’t an option.

What was he doing ten years ago when Anthony was getting into trouble? He’d have been twenty, at university, enjoying the buffet Sydney had to offer a twink who’d escaped the farm and small-town life and was hungry to explore everything. Most of it was a blur. He certainly didn’t remember the news stories that must have been circulating. At that time, he’d been rubbing shoulders with other arts students, not the people who’d pay to see him perform.

He’d come to Sydney because his favorite cousin lived there. Had lived there. Six months before Cillian finished high school, his uncle had killed both his sons and his wife because he was having an affair and his wife had found out and tried to leave.He’d only gotten a few more years than Anthony. Four years for each murder.

The world was messed up. “What was prison like?”

Anthony rested his forearms on the top of the fence and stared out at the pool. “Like living on someone else’s schedule. Never being able to do what I wanted when I wanted. Every choice was already made. My routine was planned. Never knowing if today was the day someone might take a disliking to my face and try to fix it.” He paused and shook his head. “I lost a chunk of my life. I’m starting over at ground level, knowing that I’m the idiot who burned it down.”

Cillian had never visited his uncle in prison. The family had gone to the funerals, and Cillian had delayed uni for a year, drowning in what ifs—what if his uncle had waited six months and killed him too? What if he left home and something happened to his siblings and parents? He’d helped on the farm and taught piano to anyone who was interested, the same as his grandmother, before realizing he couldn’t hide and that he needed to stick to the plan and get off the farm. Not that he’d hated it, but fuck, the dating opportunities had been non-existent and the town gossip brutal.

He put his hand on Anthony’s arm, needing to touch him but expecting him to flinch. He didn’t. “You aren’t starting at thebottom. You have experience.”

He gave a choked laugh. “No one wants to employ an ex-con. I can’t work with money. I’m not trustworthy, Cillian.”

“You told me the truth.” Anthony had been more truthful with him than many of the people at the party. They were all concocting stories to fluff their feathers, and no doubt plenty of them broke laws every damn day and got away with it. Bribery and blackmail had different names when they involved the rich. It was calledhelping a friend, orgetting the inside track…

Hayden had insinuated Anthony was dangerous, thus all the rumors about what he might have done. When, in truth, Hayden was the dangerous brother. He was cunning and sly and devoid of empathy. All things that made him successful and increased his power.

How many people would Hayden destroy if he went down?

It didn’t matter how many, only that his name was on the list.

Now that he had Anthony alone, he didn’t know what to ask, or how to ask. Because he didn’t want to admit what an idiot he’d been.

“I told you the truth because you asked. Plus, I figured my brother didn’t do me any favors.” Anthony nodded at the patio door.

Laughter and conversation filtered from inside. No one was looking at them, and Cillian had no desire to go in. The party was too loud compared to the peace outside.

He watched Anthony from beneath his lashes, not wanting to be caught looking. Anthony stared at the pool lost in thought. Cillian noticed an old scar on his cheek. No tattoos on his knuckles. Anthony’s hair was short and stylish. He was the kind of man who was easy to look at despite the hard edges… or because of them.

Cillian tried to ignore the heat sliding through his veins. He did not need to add to his list of mistakes. And he was sure Anthony would be one. How could he not be? Hot ex-con, and the younger brother to the man determined to make his life hell… What could possibly go wrong?

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