Page 11 of Control

“Yeah. Claire left abruptly,” Amelia said.

“Why?” Shyam asked.

“I dunno. I found Jai in the gym with them and then she got all weird and nearly ran home.” Amelia crossed her arms over chest as she directed her attention to me.

“What did you do to the poor girl?” Shyam chuckled.

“Nothing. I swear.” I glanced at Meena, who had aborted her chocolate and was staring at us, listening in. I needed to change the topic now, before these two wrestled it out of me, and the kids heard something they shouldn’t. The last thing I needed was a five-year-old asking me what a “threesome” was.

“So, any plans tonight?” I took the seat next to my brother on the couch, resting back with my legs wide, feeling so comfortable that I could almost crash for a couch nap.

“Just dinner at home. Want to join us?” Amelia asked as she sat on the arm-rest next to her husband.

“Nah, I only came over to visit for an hour. I have some loose ends to tie up after my trip.” More like I wanted to strangle the neck of a particular Russian.

“When did you get back?” Shyam asked while with one hand he mindlessly massaged Amelia’s back.

He had never been one for public displays of affection, but since he married her, he couldn’t hold back. If my sex life hadn’t been as active as it was, I would have checked myself into rehab for “third-wheel syndrome” from how much PDA they subjected me to.

“Last week,” I said.

“And you’re just now visiting us?” Amelia was never happy with me when I didn’t check in with her. She was the matriarch of our family and conducted herself accordingly. She was the one who kept Shyam and me in check, and also the one who brought us all together.

I cocked my head to the side. “Some stuff came up.” Work. Women.Ballet teachers.My family didn’t need to know specifics.

The truth was, I’d needed some time to decompress after my trip. Leonid sent my blood pressure shooting through the roof and I didn’t want to bring that energy around my loved ones. The only person who knew anything was Zayn, and I planned to keep it that way. My brother and Amelia had been through enough with the cartel business for one lifetime, and I didn’t want them to worry for no reason.

“How did the trip go?” Shyam kept his voice low so Meena and Dylan wouldn’t overhear.

“You know. Cold. Gloomy. Same old Russia.”

He studied me, the wheels in his head turning. My brother knew me better than anyone else, and I knew that he could sense trouble was brewing. “Leonid giving you trouble?”

“Nothing like that. He just wanted to go over some new supply requirements for the next few months.” I wasn’t in the habit of lying to him, but his peace of mind was worth fibbing for.

My neck grew hot from his stare. “You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”

I stared into his eyes, unsure of what to say next. The right thing to do would be to tell him everything, but he had a family now. The stress that came with caring for three other people was enough to bear.

Before I could answer, Meena approached me. “Uncle Jai, the tea party is ready!”

Perfect timing!“Hear that, Shyam?! The tea party is ready!” I stood up and followed her to the toddler table, completely decorated with pastel teacups and plastic play food on saucers. Dylan was already waiting in one of the four chairs. “Wow! This looks so fancy.”

“Sit down,” Meena ordered, pointing at a free chair that was too small to contain my body.

I stooped down low until my ass met the seat, with my legs opened wide just to keep my balance. I was nearly in a frog squat, and I was fairly sure I surpassed the weight limit required to use one of these things.

“What type of tea are we having?” I asked as I picked up my teacup.

“Chocolate tea,” Dylan shouted, the corners of his mouth dotted with the treat he had just eaten.

I examined the cup before taking a pretend sip and saw a block of the chocolate I had given them. “Ohhh, this must be an authentic tea recipe.” Meena grinned as I brought the cup up to my lips and pretended to drink…with my pinky up, of course.

“You’re ridiculous,” Shyam snickered from the side.

“Hey, guys,” I whispered to Meena and Dylan. “I think Daddy wants an invitation to our party. He probably feels left out.”

Dylan ran over to his father and pulled him to the table. “You sit here, Daddy!” he exclaimed, pointing to the only unreserved chair.

---