Page 33 of Luxe

Damien growls, his blue eyes darkening as he holds her tightly around the waist. He can take a joke about pretty much everything but My-Linh, and I don't blame him, considering he almost lost her once before.

My-Linh reaches down and squeezes his hand, and whispers something to him. He visibly relaxes and meets her lips in a gentle kiss before she hops off his lap. "Gotta go, boys, I just wanted to pop in and say hello. I hope that's okay!"

We all reassure her that we’d much prefer to see her than Damien and we wave as she disappears from the screen.

"You realize that any day now she's going to leave you for someone who actually deserves her?" I ask, already missing her. As much as I tease Damien about stealing her, I love My-Linh as a sister. There isn’t an ounce of romantic feelings between us, which is undoubtedly for the good if I don’t want me brother to skin me alive. She has proven time and time again that she has what it takes to love my brother the way he's needed to be loved his whole life.

I expect him to shoot back a sarcastic retort; instead he just smiles and says, "I know. But I'll enjoy every moment I have with her until then."

"And then again after you bury him alive."

We all laugh.

It's a joke but Damien is the only one of us who has ever had the kind of relationship he has with My-Linh, and if he didn't murder the person who got between them, one of us would.

"Anyway, enough of Damien and his sappy love life, what's going on with you, Kingsley?" Matthias directs at our eldest brother.

"Fuck all. I've been wading in paperwork all week. I miss the sun."

"It looks it," Matthias chuckles. "There's such a thing as spray tans, Kingsy,” Matthias says, using the nickname that makes Kingsley punch him if they’re on the same continent.

"I'd prefer to not hog the benefits I provide for my employees, Matthias," Kingsley shoots back. As the one destined to be CEO of Baxter Enterprises in a year, he's had to deal with pressures the rest of us have only heard of. From the moment he was born, he has carried all of our futures and those of thousands of our employees on his shoulders. I wonder if that's why he's the grumpiest among us, although Damien used to give him a run for his money. Apparently the grumpiness gene skips a child as well as the chatty, hyper genes.

The few times Kingsley lightens up is when we're all together in person, probably because he can make sure that we're all okay. He’s always been the one that has ridden our asses the hardest while being our most fierce protector. He folds his arms across his chest as if to say that that’s all he’s going to say right now and it doesn't take long for Matthias to jump in, talking about his new car.

"My Jag got towed," I cut in once I realize Matthias is not going to stop talking on his own.

"What? Why? What happened?" they all shout at once. They know how long I've been waiting for that model to come off the ship.

I take a moment to think about what and how much I'm going to tell them when Damien says, "Stop thinking about how much you're going to hide from us. You know we're going to find out anyway."

"Fine. I... left the car somewhere..."

Kingsley gives me a look. "Why did you leave it there?"

I shouldn’t have gone down this road. I’m either going to be yelled at or roasted, neither of which is going to help my mood. "I... was chasing... someone..."

Matthias grins proudly. I should’ve known he’d pick up right away what this is all about. "Was she worth it?"

Yes. “I didn’t say it was a woman.”

"Who was it, then?" Kingsley asks, rubbing his forehead, already tired of our weekly meeting.

I flick my eyes to Damien, then away almost immediately, but I know that it's enough for him now. He swears under his breath and rubs his forehead like Kingsley does. "You're kidding me. This again?"

"What?" Matthias shouts, jumping to his feet. He has never liked being out of the loop. "What is happening again?"

I glare at Damien, although it's my own damn fault. I should've known that he'd figure it out. He's always known me the best. "You tell them."

"Well, I don't know what's happening right now, but a little while back, baby brother lost his mind over a woman. And apparently she's back again."

"Whoooo?" Matthias yells, shaking my speakers.

Damien shrugs and says matter-of-factly, “Oh, you know, just an heiress to a certain Hong Kong fortune."

Matthias’s eyes bug out and he sinks back down into his office chair. "Duuuuuuuude."

"What?" I snap.

---