Page 57 of King of Greed

“I’m staying on top of things while I’m here,” he said, confirming my belief.

“Right.”

We ate in silence for a while. It was a tentative quiet, the type that sprouted from uncertainty rather than discomfort. How did you act during a first date with someone you’d been married to for ten years?

Talking about the weather was too mundane; talking about anything else was too dangerous. Every time I opened my mouth to make conversation, something about the topic reminded me ofus.

Hiking trails in Florianópolis reminded me of the time we’d hiked in upstate New York.

The latest action blockbuster reminded me of our popcornfueledFast and Furiousmarathons during the early days of our relationship.

My mother’s Instagram stories from her honeymoon in Fiji reminded me ofourhoneymoon in Jamaica. We couldn’t afford anything fancy back then, so we’d rented a cozy, semi-rundown cottage by the ocean and spent the week swimming, eating, and having sex. It’d been one of the best weeks of my life.

Aching nostalgia threaded its way through my heartstrings. I’d told Dominic there was no use living in the past, but I’d give anything to turn back time so I could savor our happy days second by second.

That was the irony of life. People always reminisced about the good old days, but we never appreciated livinginthose days until they were gone.

“I ran into my brother recently,” Dominic said, his voice quiet.

My head jerked up at his abrupt and unexpected shift in tone. He’d had many foster siblings growing up, but there was only one he’d ever referred to as his brother.

“Roman?”

Dominic rarely talked about his family. I knew his father was dead, his mother had abandoned him when he was a baby, and he’d hated every foster home he’d been placed in. He’d mentioned he and Roman had been close before the latter went to juvie for arson, but that was about it.

“Yes. I ran into him at the bar after you left the bathroom…” My cheeks heated at the reminder of what we’d done in said bathroom. “And he was at the Le Boudoir opening.”

My heart stuttered beneath the blow of surprise. I’d been acquainted with pretty much everyone at Le Boudoir. The only person I hadn’t recognized was…

An image of cold green eyes and pale skin surfaced in my mind’s eye.

“The man who bumped into me.” Realization chilled my skin. I’d pushed him out of my mind, but few people disconcerted me as quickly and thoroughly as he had. “Thatwas Roman?”

Based on Dominic’s previous descriptions, I’d pictured a lanky boy with a buzz cut and sullen expression, not someone who looked like they moonlighted as a killer. Then again, he hadn’t seen his brother since they were teenagers. Of course Roman was different now.

Dominic gave a curt nod. He gave me a quick rundown of their interactions since they had run into each other, which wasn’t much. “I haven’t seen or heard from him since the dinner. I have someone tracking him down, but there’s been nothing yet.”

“Maybe he finished his work in the city and left,” I suggested.

“He hasn’t left the city,” Dominic said flatly. “If he had, he wouldn’t be this hard to track.”

True. If someone with Dominic’s money and resources couldn’t find him…A niggle of unease wormed through my stomach. “He wouldn’t hurt you though, would he? You two were close.”

“Werebeing the operative word. I don’t think he ever forgave me for not being his alibi when he was arrested.” A shadow crossed Dominic’s face. “I looked for him a few times over the years, but he was a ghost. I thought he’d died.”

I picked up on the tiniest kernel of guilt in his tone.

Dominic didn’t have many close friends, but he was loyal to those who were loyal back. He’d mentioned once that Roman had taken the rap for him multiple times when they were young. One time, Dominic had stolen cash from his foster mother for a bus ticket to a nearby college tour. Roman had covered for him and said he’d taken the money for a date. In retaliation, their foster mom had hit him with a belt so hard he hadn’t been able to sleep on his back for days.

Dominic never said it, but I knew he harbored regrets over how things with Roman had ended.

“Do you want a relationship with him again?” I asked gently. “It’s been a long time since you were brothers. You’re not the same people anymore.”

“I don’t trust him.” He evaded a direct answer. “I want to know what the hell he’s doing in New York and what he’s been up to since he got out of juvie. That’s all.”

I had a feeling Dominic wasn’t telling me everything. He had a lot of unresolved issues with his brother, but even if we had still been married, it wasn’t my place to help him heal that part of his past. Some journeys were meant to be taken alone.

A loud peal of laughter drifted up from another balcony and dispelled the brooding aftermath of Dominic’s statement.

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