Page 47 of Sebastian's Secret
“You know Balthazar has a fetish about the sunrise.” Draco chuckled darkly from the nearby kitchen counter. “He has to indulge it every day.”
“Thank you, Draco.” Balthazar clapped his hands together, dismissing their brother’s taunt. “It’s not my fault that none of you get up early enough to enjoy it.”
Sebastian smiled at Balthazar’s comeback. He’d been so enraptured with Rebecca, that he’d forgotten how much he reveled in their angsty interactions.
“So, what’s the big convention about?” Cole’s question brought them back to the present as he closed the doors behind him. “I don’t know about you gents, but I’ve been up all night and need to crash.”
Sebastian glanced at Cole thoughtfully. If he was tired, it didn’t show, but then Sebastian supposed that was the prerogative of youth. Ten years younger than him, Cole was still a young man, whereas Sebastian was staring down the barrel of thirty-five.
“Monroe called me yesterday.”
Every sinew in Sebastian’s body stiffened at Balthazar’s opening remark. Monroe? His heart beat faster, his mind racing to catch up. Could Balthazar be talking about the same Monroe family?
Fuck.
Why hadn’t Sebastian put two and two together? He’d known the name was strangely familiar to him when Rebecca had mentioned it, but he hadn’t joined the dots until that moment. The pit of Sebastian’s stomach lurched as the reality unfolded before him. The Monroe that Balthazar was talking about was the son of the corrupt local business mogul. Abruptly, it all made sense as everything Rebecca had inferred fell into place. The mogul was her asshole father, which meant that the man his older brother was referring to must be her brother. Sinking into an empty recliner, Balthazar met his eyes as if he already knew Sebastian’s secret, but that was impossible. No one else knew his lover’s identity.
“Again?” Cole’s droll tone snapped Sebastian back to the present, but it couldn’t quell his pounding pulse. Rebecca was part of that Monroe family, the one that Balthazar had always objected to, and the one that—according to their shared family messages that he’d only had the chance to scan—was now hounding them to purchase the financial arm of their late-father’s business.
“Again,” Balthazar nodded. “He wants an answer today and I think you know my view, but...” He paused, glancing at each of his brothers in turn. “This is a family business and I want everyone’s opinion.”
Tension filled the air and Sebastian wondered if everyone else could sense it. They must do. They must know that I’m falling for Monroe’s sister. But that was stupid. Only paranoia. They didn’t know and it was imperative that for the time being at least, it remained that way.
Sebastian needed time to think, to work out how he could balance his blossoming romance with his sibling’s burgeoning disdain for Rebecca’s family. After all, he didn’t entirely blame Balthazar’s suspicion. Only an hour before, Sebastian’s fury had flared at the same Monroe men. He had to find a path between the anger and judgment.
“I think we should meet him.” Sebastian hoped his shrug was nonchalant, but somehow, he doubted it “What do we have to lose?”
If Sebastian could just persuade Balthazar to meet with Rebecca’s brother, it might buy him some time and perhaps Balthazar would discover something likeable, a lubricant that might ease his disclosure when the time came. It had to be worth a try.
“And when you say we should meet him, brother dear, what you really mean is that I should.” Balthazar’s eyebrow arched as his stare landed over his brothers.
“Right.” Cole grinned. “You are, as you always tell us, the oldest. You should handle it.”
“Don’t I always handle it?” Balthazar’s reply was almost a sigh.
“Exactly.” Draco was never one to miss an opportunity to kick someone when he was down. “You’re trained for the role.”
“And what are you trained for, Draco?” Balthazar’s tone was clipped, but Draco’s chuckle assured Sebastian that he either hadn’t noticed, or, more likely, just didn’t care what his brothers thought.
“Does being devilishly handsome and charismatic count?” Draco’s laughter filled the salon.
“No.” Sebastian answered emphatically at the exact same moment that Cole and Balthazar agreed. Sure, he loved Draco, but increasingly, the third of the four brothers’ ego was ballooning out of control. It was only a matter of time before Draco landed himself in serious trouble and then it would be down to him, Balthazar and Cole to pull him out.
“Let’s cut to the chase.” Demonstrating his maturity once again, it was Cole who drew them back to the point of order—Monroe. “He wants us to sell him Drakon Finance?”
“Hmmm.” Balthazar’s tone remained unimpressed. “Pretty much, yes. He wants a majority share.”
“And you’re not convinced?” Sebastian leaned forward, knowing that whatever came next was critical. If things were going to get serious between him and Rebecca, and every fiber of him craved that outcome, then he had to understand what Balthazar’s reservations about the Monroes were. What secret dirt did he have on the family? What latent resentments did he harbor?
“Why?” Sebastian pressed. “It’s not that any of us have a particular interest in the sector. Finance was Dad’s thing. We could split the cash and move on.”
A strained silence swelled as Balthazar considered his reply.
“Well,” Balthazar began. “For one, it’s hugely successful. More than any other division of the business. We’ve boomed since 2008 and are well positioned to weather any incoming inclement conditions. Why surrender that?”
Balthazar’s brow rose, his gaze daring Sebastian to defy him. Of course, Sebastian had no intention of countering his older brother. He only wanted to better comprehend Balthazar’s objections.
“And secondly?” Cole prompted.