Page 43 of The Broken Vows

I shake my head and throw Archer a reassuring look. The mere mention of Celeste has his guard up. “I asked Silas to keep it quiet,” I mention, referring to our Head of Security.

Dion looks skeptical. “Silas can’t be fully trusted. He works for Grandma, not us, and he always has an agenda of his own. Besides, it’s been nearly two years. She knows, she’s just ignoring your relationship in hopes it goes away.”

“It won’t.”

Luca turns to look at me, his expression conveying his concern. “Is that what this is, then?”

“Yeah,” I murmur, a hint of excitement in my voice.

Lex shakes his head and pours me a glass of whiskey. “You’re going to have to go down on your hands and knees.”

“For what?” Archer asks, his tone sharp.

Luca smiles despite the clear concern in his gaze. “For a chance to marry your sister. Long before he’ll ever ask your father for her hand, he’ll have to convince our grandmother.”

Archer tenses. “I thought you two said you’d take it slow? I don’t know about your grandmother, but for sure, the time isn’t right for my grandfather. The man disowned me because I refused to run his companyexactlythe way he wanted me to, because I wouldn’t commit to it the way he expected, wouldn’t make the sacrifices he demanded. What do you think he’ll do to Celeste if she tells him you’re not only dating, but she wants tomarryyou?”

I look down at the table. He wasn’t telling me anything I hadn’t considered a thousand times already.

“I like you, Zane,” Archer continued, “but being disowned is tough — it’s a rift between people who love each other. It’s missed birthdays, grudges, and blame thrown back and forth. It’s not something I want for my sister. Why don’t you wait a little longer? From what I understand, Grandpa has just about started to treat you civilly, and I believe your grandmother is in the same place. What happened to your plans to slowly warm them to the idea of you?”

“Wehavetaken it slow,” I tell him, my tone understanding. “Celeste and I spoke about this, and we’re both tired of waiting and having this hang over our heads. We’ve been tiptoeing around our grandparents for their benefit, but enough is enough. I want it all with her, Arch. She wouldn’t admit it, but the uncertainty is tough on her, and it’s tough on me too. I’m tired of treating the woman I love like some kind of dirty secret, when enough time has passed for us both to know this isn’t just a fling. I’m more sure than ever that she is it for me. There’s no point in waiting any longer, because that isn’t going to change. Whether it’s today or in three years, I’ll always choose her. If there are consequences tied to that, I might as well face them now.”

My brothers share a look, only to nod and straighten their shoulders. “We’ll all come with you,” Ares says.

“We love her, too,” Luca adds.

Lex smirks at me. “She’s pretty much already a sister to me, so we might as well help you formalize it.”

Dion reaches over and places his hand on my shoulder. “Not all of us will get the kind of happiness you two share, Zane. We’ll do what we can to safeguard yours.”

I inhale shakily as I take in my brothers’ unwavering support. I can’t find the right words to convey my gratitude, but I’ll repay them for this when the time is right.

ChapterThirty-Three

Zane

“Are you sure about this?” Ares asks, his expression as worried as Luca, Dion, and Lex’s. I nod, trying my best not to let their obvious concern get to me. The fact they’re here at all means they believe there’s a chance this could work, and that’s all I really need — a chance.

“Come on then,” Lex says, his arm wrapping around me. “Let’s give it our best shot.”

The air around us is charged with cautious hope and a sense of camaraderie I wouldn’t have found with anyone other than my brothers. Today, more than ever, I’m grateful to have them by my side.

Grandma looks up in surprise when we walk into her sitting room, her raised brow the only indication of any emotions she might be feeling. As always, she looks perfect in her matching black tweed skirt and jacket, her shoulder-length gray hair perfectly straight.

“Boys,” she says, her tone sharper than usual. “To what do I owe this pleasure? I was only expecting Zane.”

I step forward and take a seat on the sofa opposite her, my brothers on either side of me. “I’m sure you have a good idea of what brings me here today,” I tell her, my voice soft yet firm.

She sighs, irritation and resignation warring in her stern gaze. “Do enlighten me.”

“Celeste Harrison,” I tell her.

“No,” she instantly cuts me off, crossing her arms.

“This isn’t mere infatuation, Grandma. I’ve been dating her for nearly two years now, and I’m happier than I ever have been before. I want to marry her.”

Grandma laughs in obvious disbelief, the sound chilling. “Perhaps I am at fault here for turning a blind eye, thinking time would show you the rationale behind the advice you refuse to take from me.”

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