the
word. Instead Dennis focused a steady glance at Reno. DJ followed his eyes to
him. Reno could feel his heart do flips as his stomach cringed, threatening to
release his lunch. Reno watched DJ, his trembling hands gripping the arms of
the chair for dear life. He expected DJ to be angry, he was ready to bear the
brunt of the anger, but nothing came.
“Reno is my brother,” DJ said as he
nodded his head as if trying to convince himself. “Where is the girl? I mean
his…my sister?”
Reno cleared his throat, but even
then his voice was just a struggled whisper. “She disappeared when she was two.
She is the same age as you.”
“Two weeks?” Reno saw the calmness
slip off DJ. “I thought you said this was before you and mom got serious.”
“I’d rather not divulge what
happened at the time you were conceived. Your mother’s pregnancy and your
grandfather pressuring me is what led me to leave Kono and our children and marry your mother.”
“So what you are saying is that I
robbed Reno of a father. That’s not my fault.”
“Nobody blames you.” Reno stepped
in. “Dennis did what he did. There is no use trying to make sense of what he
did. I doubt he can reconcile it himself. His actions have given me a brother
and another sister and I can’t fault him for that. I suppose I could thank him,
especially since Rhyne has disappeared.”
Reno watched as DJ stared into
space in silence. It seemed like his mind was trying to make the ends of the
puzzle meet but kept on missing. “Are you trying to find her?”
“Yes.”
DJ was silent again before he said.
“I suppose as per grandfather’s will Reno is going to take over the empire. I
bet the old goat is rolling in his grave.”
“That doesn’t bother you?” Reno was
expecting DJ’s calm façade to crack. He’d thought DJ losing his birthright
would do that, but he didn’t seem to care.
“I don’t want the old goat’s
company. I guess it’s a good thing our father couldn’t keep it in his pants.”
DJ let out a short sardonic laugh. “I guess I’m the one who ruined your life
and not the other way around.”
“You didn’t run my life,” Reno
assured him.
“How did you grow up?” When Reno
didn’t answer DJ went on. “I knew it. I guess Daniela got her wish. She wanted
you for a big brother.”
“I couldn’t replace you in her
life.”
“No, but that doesn’t mean I can’t
relinquish that responsibility to you. You are the first born after all.” DJ
gifted Reno with a smile that he was all too happy to accept. “But what about Lisette?”
“Her father thought it would be
best that we didn’t see each other until this was resolved.”
“She’s going to have all your
heads. I’m not the one you should be worried about.” DJ smiled, trying to cover
up the turmoil of emotions brewing deep within him.
Reno felt the tension seep out of
his body. If he had known DJ would be this agreeable to having an older brother
he would have told him the first time they met. He had a brother now.
“I don’t think you should tell
Daniela just yet. She won’t understand.”
“We agree on that,” Dennis piped
in.
Reno couldn’t remember feeling this
nervous. “If you want to hang out sometime—”
“Sure, I’ll call you. I guess I
should leave now.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Dennis
said.
“Actually I do. I might not be
angry with Reno, because none of this is his fault. But you are to blame, and I
am definitely angry at you.”
“He takes after his mother,” Dennis
said once DJ had left. “Silent anger—he’s not going to forgive me any time
soon.”
“That makes two of us.”
* * * *
Reno turned over in bed. He covered
his head with his pillow, willing the ringing of his phone to stop invading his
dreams. He had finally managed to get the picture of Lisette’s smiling face in
his dreams. When the insistent ringing wouldn’t stop, he answered the phone.
The sound of DJ’s slurred tone had
word. Instead Dennis focused a steady glance at Reno. DJ followed his eyes to
him. Reno could feel his heart do flips as his stomach cringed, threatening to
release his lunch. Reno watched DJ, his trembling hands gripping the arms of
the chair for dear life. He expected DJ to be angry, he was ready to bear the
brunt of the anger, but nothing came.
“Reno is my brother,” DJ said as he
nodded his head as if trying to convince himself. “Where is the girl? I mean
his…my sister?”
Reno cleared his throat, but even
then his voice was just a struggled whisper. “She disappeared when she was two.
She is the same age as you.”
“Two weeks?” Reno saw the calmness
slip off DJ. “I thought you said this was before you and mom got serious.”
“I’d rather not divulge what
happened at the time you were conceived. Your mother’s pregnancy and your
grandfather pressuring me is what led me to leave Kono and our children and marry your mother.”
“So what you are saying is that I
robbed Reno of a father. That’s not my fault.”
“Nobody blames you.” Reno stepped
in. “Dennis did what he did. There is no use trying to make sense of what he
did. I doubt he can reconcile it himself. His actions have given me a brother
and another sister and I can’t fault him for that. I suppose I could thank him,
especially since Rhyne has disappeared.”
Reno watched as DJ stared into
space in silence. It seemed like his mind was trying to make the ends of the
puzzle meet but kept on missing. “Are you trying to find her?”
“Yes.”
DJ was silent again before he said.
“I suppose as per grandfather’s will Reno is going to take over the empire. I
bet the old goat is rolling in his grave.”
“That doesn’t bother you?” Reno was
expecting DJ’s calm façade to crack. He’d thought DJ losing his birthright
would do that, but he didn’t seem to care.
“I don’t want the old goat’s
company. I guess it’s a good thing our father couldn’t keep it in his pants.”
DJ let out a short sardonic laugh. “I guess I’m the one who ruined your life
and not the other way around.”
“You didn’t run my life,” Reno
assured him.
“How did you grow up?” When Reno
didn’t answer DJ went on. “I knew it. I guess Daniela got her wish. She wanted
you for a big brother.”
“I couldn’t replace you in her
life.”
“No, but that doesn’t mean I can’t
relinquish that responsibility to you. You are the first born after all.” DJ
gifted Reno with a smile that he was all too happy to accept. “But what about Lisette?”
“Her father thought it would be
best that we didn’t see each other until this was resolved.”
“She’s going to have all your
heads. I’m not the one you should be worried about.” DJ smiled, trying to cover
up the turmoil of emotions brewing deep within him.
Reno felt the tension seep out of
his body. If he had known DJ would be this agreeable to having an older brother
he would have told him the first time they met. He had a brother now.
“I don’t think you should tell
Daniela just yet. She won’t understand.”
“We agree on that,” Dennis piped
in.
Reno couldn’t remember feeling this
nervous. “If you want to hang out sometime—”
“Sure, I’ll call you. I guess I
should leave now.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Dennis
said.
“Actually I do. I might not be
angry with Reno, because none of this is his fault. But you are to blame, and I
am definitely angry at you.”
“He takes after his mother,” Dennis
said once DJ had left. “Silent anger—he’s not going to forgive me any time
soon.”
“That makes two of us.”
* * * *
Reno turned over in bed. He covered
his head with his pillow, willing the ringing of his phone to stop invading his
dreams. He had finally managed to get the picture of Lisette’s smiling face in
his dreams. When the insistent ringing wouldn’t stop, he answered the phone.
The sound of DJ’s slurred tone had
Similar Books
