Page 19 of By His Vow

Finally, he rips his gaze from his screen and his eyes narrow as he watches me drop into the chair opposite him.

“What the fuck happened to your face?”

“Minor misunderstanding,” I mutter. “It’s nothing,” I lie. In all honesty, it hurts like a bitch, but like fuck am I telling my younger brother that.

“Right. How did the reading go?” he asks, aware of where Dad and I have been this afternoon.

“Yeah,” I say, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees. “It was good. Positive.”

He frowns.

“What the fuck is positive in a will reading?” He grunts, pushing his keyboard back as he becomes fully invested in this conversation.

“Expansion is on the horizon, little brother,” I tease.

“What does that mean? What was in Jonathan’s will?”

Pushing from the chair, I walk over to his bar and grab two glasses. After pouring us a measure of scotch each, I lower his to his desk and throw mine back.

“You might want to drink that,” I say, placing my empty glass on the desk as the alcohol burns down my throat.

He does as I say before I ask, “Do you want to be my best man?”

He rears back, his eyes so wide I half expect them to pop out and bounce over his desk.

“Your what?” he blurts.

“My best man,” I confirm, walking back to his bar and bringing the bottle over to refill our glasses.

“Fuck off. You’re joking. There’s no way on Earth you’re getting married.”

I smirk, pushing his scotch closer.

“I am. Soon, in fact.”

“To who?”

My smirk grows, excitement tingling through my veins as I think about what’s to come.

“Tatum Warner.”

Kian’s mouth opens and closes like a goldfish before he finally settles on, “I guess that explains your ugly face. Didn’t think she had it in her.”

He grins at me as he sits back in his chair and takes a sip of his scotch.

“She doesn’t. Not yet at least.” I wink.

“You’re fucking serious, aren’t you?”

“Deadly. Jonathan’s will states that the two of us are to be joined in holy matrimony.”

“Why?”

“Why the fuck not?” I shoot straight back.

“Because she fucking hates you. Because she drives you to the brink of insanity. Because?—”

“It finally joins the Callahans and the Warners together.”