Before Dark: Brothers after Dark Book 1 Read online

  I massage my brow. “I hope it’s nothing illegal.”

  “Since when have I played it safe? Life is too boring to stay in the comfort zone.”

  “Travis, promise me to be careful.”

  “Trust me, I am. If I weren’t careful, wouldn’t I be in prison right now?”

  “Maybe you’re just lucky.”

  He raises his glass. “Then let’s hope my lucky streak lasts for a long time.”

  The way he’s talking makes me uncomfortable. I hope he hasn’t gotten himself involved in something that could end up hurting him.

  I lean forward. “How about a clue as to what your business is about?”

  “A gentlemen club, a secret society, so to speak. It’s for gentlemen like myself.”

  “Gentlemen like you?” I try not to laugh but fail.

  “Yeah, my kind of gentlemen.” He sucks in air through his teeth. “Not everyone is welcome into the club.”

  “And where are you headquartered?” It’s my responsibility as a brother to look into this thing he’s involved in, to make sure he doesn’t end up in prison, especially since I’ll be the one bailing him out.

  “Anywhere and everywhere. The partners are from all over the world.”

  “Sounds like a huge operation.”

  “You have no idea.” The conversation stops when he orders another whiskey. I wait for the waitress to go away.

  “Does this business of yours have a name?”

  “I can’t share that with you right now. Maybe one day when you choose to become an investor.”

  “What makes you think I’ll be interested?” I prop my chin on my hand.

  “Believe me, if you’re meant to be one of us, you will have no choice but to become an investor.” He inches forward. “But I’m hoping you can help me out a little. Like I said before, it will only be a loan.”

  I set my palms down flat on the table. “How much?”

  “About a hundred grand.”

  “One hundred thousand?” I take a huge gulp of water. It’s not about the cash, but I’m wary of giving him money to fund a business I know nothing about.

  He taps his fingers on the table. “If you don’t give the money to me, I could always get it in other, less legal, ways.”

  “Are you threatening me?” My jaw grows tight. “Is that what you’re doing?”

  “No.” His shoulders sink. “Sorry if it came across that way. I’m being an ass. It’s your money and I should be respectful.” A shadow crosses his features. “But I hate it when you judge me.”

  “I’m not judging you. I’m actually trying to look out for you. Frankly, sometimes I don’t even know why.”

  His face clears. “Because I’m lovable and I have the good looks to match. You just can’t help it.”

  I want to stay furious at him, but instead I find myself chuckling. Underneath all the darkness and chaos, maybe there’s someone like me. Surely we can’t be so identical and not have anything in common whatsoever.

  “Enough about the money for now. Tell me about your fiancée.”

  Jenna is my favorite topic to talk about these days. I can’t help jumping into the story of how we met and fell in love. And then I shock myself by telling him maybe he should meet her. I had promised Jenna I would do it, but I was starting to have doubts. “How about dinner tomorrow so I can introduce the two of you?”

  I must be out of my mind for doing this. I might even regret it, but something inside me is still drawn to him.

  “How is she like? Is she pretty?”

  “Why do you care?” I narrow my eyes at him.

  He raises his hands in the air, palms facing me. “Calm down. I’m not planning on hitting on her.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” My eyes bore into his. “If you do anything stupid, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

  “You must really love this chick to want to marry her.” He observes me for a moment. “Does that mean you have stopped yearning for your childhood flame?”

  When we first met, I told him about my first love and how I didn’t think I could ever feel anything close to what I had felt then. I even went as far as telling him I never wanted to get married.

  “Look, that’s the past. There’s no point in dwelling on it. Don’t bring her up again.”

  “Loosen up, man. You take everything so seriously. Live in the flow for once. Everything you do is so planned and controlled all the time.”

  “That’s because I like order. Planning is what got me to where I am.” I pause. “How about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

  “Nothing serious.”

  “I should hope not. We wouldn’t want you getting married and then beating up your wife again.”

  “Want to know a secret?” He leans forward. “My ex-wife was not the only woman I have laid my hands on. And for your information, I only give women what they want. They ask for it. They like it even when they pretend they don’t.”

  “You know what,” I retort. “You belong in prison for saying that.”

  “You just hate it because I’m so honest. But it’s true. I had girlfriends who asked me to slap them. Pain turned them on.”

  “Okay.” I adjust the lapels of my jacket and rise. “I think I’m done with this conversation. I’ll call you about dinner tomorrow.” Right now, I’m actually regretting inviting him. Suddenly I’m not so sure I want him to be around Jenna. But I’m the kind of person who hates breaking promises.

  “What about the money?”

  I think for a moment and come to a quick decision. I have money. A hundred thousand dollars is nothing to me. And if he really is turning his life around, maybe I should give him one last chance.

  “I’ll have it wired to your account by the end of the day.”

  I leave Travis in the bar, grinning like a fool. Before I walk through the door, I hear him ask for another whiskey.

  I’m angry as I burst into my office. I lock the door to collect myself in peace. Even though he’s my brother, he has a way of saying things that rub me the wrong way.

  The phone rings when I sink into my seat. My mood lifts when Jenna’s name appears on the screen. Since we got back, she has been distant and I don’t blame her. I was kind of an ass on the plane.

  It’s just that it makes me uncomfortable to talk about my brother. But I shouldn’t have brushed her off like that. She was right that I should’ve told her about him. Why didn’t I simply apologize? Now it’s too late anyway. The only thing I can do right now is make it up to her. I’ll give her the best wedding she could ever have dreamed of. I’ll make everything perfect.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” I say. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m putting together some applications. I’m planning on sending some off today.”

  “Are you sure you want to search for a job?” I loosen my tie a little. “I mean, that’s fine with me, but why don’t you relax now and wait until the wedding is over? Then you have all the time in the world to search for something you really like.”

  “That’s what I thought at first, but I like knowing that something will be waiting for me when we come back from our honeymoon.”

  “I guess you have a point.” I spin a fountain pen on my desk.

  “All right then. Anyway, I was about to call you. I’m having dinner with my brother tomorrow and I want you to join me. Is that all right?”

  There’s a momentary silence on the other end, which she fills immediately. “Sure, I’d love to meet him.”

  She might be excited about meeting Travis, but I dread bringing them together. What I would most like to do is keep them as far away from each other as possible. But I’m doing this for Jenna, not for me or Travis. It’s also a way for me to apologize for keeping her in the dark.

  Chapter Nine

  Jenna

  When Winston picks me up from my apartment to go to dinner with his brother, the moment I slide next to him in the car, I sense a tension in the air. He seems different.

  He kis
ses me on the lips, then spends the rest of the time gazing out the window, hardly saying anything. What’s even more surprising is that during the ride, he doesn’t even pull out his cell phone to make calls or answer urgent emails as he normally does.

  What’s going on in his mind? I’ve never seen him this quiet before. Did I say or do something? Or is he nervous about introducing me to his brother?

  “Are you all right?” I ask cautiously.

  “Yeah.” He glances at me, but there’s still this faraway look in his eyes when he takes my hand and squeezes it. Then he brings it to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “I have a lot on my mind.”

  “Are you thinking about your brother?”

  “Along with many other things.” He rubs his hands down the legs of his pants. “Jenna, I should warn you. My brother is unpredictable. Don’t be surprised if he acts strange or impolite around you.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. He’s your brother. I’m honored to be meeting him.”

  “Thanks.” He places his hand on mine. “You should also know that we’re not close. We met each other for the first time three years ago.”

  My eyes widen. “You grew up apart?”

  He nods. “My mother gave him up for adoption.” His voice is so low it’s barely audible. “She never told me.”

  “Wow.” I inhale sharply. “I’m sorry you missed so many years together.” I can’t even imagine being separated from my sister, living my life without knowing she exists somewhere out there.

  “Yeah, it kind of makes our relationship strained.”

  “I...I don’t know what to say.” The pain in his eyes is so evident that my heart goes out to him. “Is that why you didn’t tell me about him?”

  “One of the reasons, yes.” His chin dips down. “I’m sorry. I should have.”

  I squeeze his hand. “You know what, you don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to. Let’s focus on tonight.” It no longer matters that he didn’t tell me about his brother earlier. I fully understand why he didn’t do it.

  His sigh of relief is audible in the small space. “I’d appreciate that.”

  During the rest of the journey as the car meanders through narrow, dark streets, we no longer speak. The only communication is that of our hands woven into each other. Winston is deep in thought again.

  We finally make it to the diner and find a seat at the back, in a corner next to a big, leafy plant and a loud jukebox. I’m surprised he chose a small diner on the outskirts of town for dinner with his brother. He normally goes for swanky restaurants where one bottle of wine can easily cost someone’s monthly rent.

  Even though he looks out of place in his custom-made suit, I feel at home here. The relaxed atmosphere reminds me of home. The cheap ceramic tiles, tables covered in plastic tablecloth, and the paper plastic flowers are familiar to me. So is the smell of grease and spices. Most of the restaurants Winston takes me to smell of candles, fresh flowers, and cleaning products. This place smells like Gayle’s Diner back home.

  We sit down and order our drinks. Water for Winston and Sprite for me. The waitress, a willowy woman with a shock of white hair, asks if we’d like to order our meals as well.

  “Later,” Winston says. “We’re waiting for someone.” His hands are clasped so tight on the table his veins pop through his skin.

  Our drinks arrive and we finish them without his brother showing up. The longer we wait, the more nervous Winston gets. Finally, he pulls out his phone and gives him a call. It goes unanswered. The moment he hangs up, the door to the diner opens and a well-built man with scuffed jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt walks up to our table.

  My heart turns over at the sight of him. With shorter hair and a suit, he would have looked just like Winston.

  They have the same hair color, the same eyes, even the same expression. The only difference is a scar on one of his brother’s eyebrows and the fact that he has a scruffy beard.

  Even though I can still see Winston is annoyed he came late, they give each other a man hug, complete with a slap on the back, then the brother turns to me. “This must be the lady who stole your heart.”

  “Jenna,” I say, my heart pulsing in my throat. Suddenly I’m nervous. There’s something about the way he looks at me that makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know what it is.

  “I have to say I’m surprised.” He shakes my hand. “You’re not at all what I expected.”

  “In what way?” Winston asks, his tone hard.

  “She’s different from what I had in mind, that’s all.” He sucks air through his teeth. “But it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Jenna. I’m Travis.” He sits down, staring at me.

  He has the kind of gaze that bores right through a person.

  “Nice to meet you too,” I say even though I’m not so sure.

  He snaps his fingers to call the waitress and orders a whiskey on the rocks.

  We all drink in silence at first, then Winston starts the conversation. Like strangers, they spend most of their time discussing the weather. It’s weird to me because I’m so close to my sister.

  “What do you do, Travis?” I ask to show interest. “Your job, I mean.”

  “I’m part owner of a business that’s not as boring as Winston’s.”

  “What makes it more interesting?” I sip on my straw, watching his face. Winston, too, looks interested to hear the answer.

  Before Travis can respond, the waitress returns and we order food. Winston and Travis both ask for steak and potato wedges. I order myself a Greek salad.

  As soon as the waitress leaves to get our food, Travis turns to me. “My business is in its early stages at the moment. There’s really not much to talk about.” He cuts into his steak. “So, Jenna, when is the big day?”

  “We haven’t decided yet,” Winston answers for me.

  Travis turns to his brother. “Am I invited?”

  “If you don’t screw up.” There’s a thread of warning underneath Winston’s voice.

  “What if I promise not to? I’d really be honored to attend your wedding. I can’t wait to watch you chain yourself to a woman. Marriage is a toxic institution. Let’s hope yours lasts.”

  Travis laughs, but Winston’s face is puce with anger, his hands clenched next to his uneaten food.

  “Don’t,” Winston warns, his eyes on fire.

  “Looks like I hit a nerve there,” Travis says. “Sorry about that. I shall say no more.” He continues to chew his food, a silent smirk on his face as he watches Winston.

  The tension between them is so thick, it makes it hard for me to enjoy my food. I’m so grateful for the rock n roll music that fills the silence between us. The atmosphere at our table is completely different from the other tables, where people are talking, laughing, and enjoying their meals.

  Pretending they’re getting along, the twins turn to the safer topic of the weather. Under the table, Winston is holding my hand a little too tight. It pains me to see siblings so distant from each other.

  After dessert is served, I excuse myself to go to the ladies’ room.

  Inside the bathroom, I close the door behind me and lean my back against it, breathing a sigh of relief. I didn’t need the bathroom. I needed to get away from all the tension. I was finding it hard to breathe. I actually feel sorry for Winston. Travis seems like a jerk.

  I pull in a breath and hold for ten seconds, then release slowly. I repeat a couple more times until my heart settles. Only then do I decide to go back to the table.

  But when I step out of the bathroom, I almost collide with Travis, who is standing by the door. That surprises me because one gets to the male toilet before reaching the ladies’.

  “Hey, I didn’t see you.” I place a hand on my chest, pretending to be calm when I’m not. He kind of creeps me out a little.

  “Life is full of surprises,” he says. “This is one of them.”

  I take a step back, because he’s too close for my liking. “What do you mean by th
at?”

  “I mean people can surprise you.” He eyes me without flinching. “For example, you and my brother...now that’s a surprise. You’re not his usual type.”

  “What is his usual type?” My voice is a bit raised.

  “Let’s see.” He places a finger on his lips. “He was more into stick thin models and actresses.”

  “Well, I guess he didn’t find what he was looking for in them.” To be honest, I feel a bit insulted. I have no idea what he’s trying to imply.

  “I guess he didn’t.” His tongue flicks his lower lip. “He chose you.”

  “I hope you don’t have a problem with that.” My eyes are hard as they meet his. Why do I get the feeling that this guy doesn’t like me?

  “No, I’m just an honest guy. I tend to say what I think.”

  “You don’t think I’m good enough for your brother?”

  “I was merely sharing my observation with you. I apologize if I have upset you in any way. It was not my intention.” He pauses. “And for your information, unlike my brother, I always appreciated a beautiful woman with some curves.”

  “I see.” I swallow hard. “I should get back to the table.” The idea of sitting down with this man again makes me feel sick to my stomach.

  “Why so soon? We just started our little chat.”

  “I should get back to Winston.”

  “Hey, Winston is a big boy. He can spend a few minutes by himself.”

  I try to push past him, but he places a hand on the wall, blocking my way. My eyes flutter with fear as I look up into his laughing eyes. “What are you doing?”

  “I only want to talk to you. No need to run.” His voice sounds like gravel to my ears.

  I step back again, distancing myself from him. The hallway is so narrow that most of his body blocks it.

  “What’s wrong, Jenna? Are you scared of me or something?”

  “A bit.” I cross my arms in front of my chest.

  “No need to be. I’m actually a nice guy. Sometimes it doesn’t seem that way, but it’s true.”