Chase You To The Sun by Jocelyn Han Page A

dad, though,” he pointed out with a dark chuckle. “He expects unwavering loyalty, and he doesn’t shy away from using violence to keep us in check.”
    “He broke my nose once,” Shou commented nonchalantly.
    “Why?” Lana asked, horrified.
    “I talk too much,” the youngest brother shrugged. “And sometimes, I talk too much in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
    A shiver ran down her spine. “Why are you still here if he did that to you?”
    Shou grinned. “He warned me and I didn’t listen. It could have been worse.”
    “Yeah, he could have snapped your wrist,” Hikaru smiled good-humoredly. “Like he did to John last year when he tried to pocket some of Bruce’s revenue for himself.”
    Lana stepped back, a strangled sound escaping her throat. No wonder John had been terrified when Bruce had warned him off. “Oh my God,” she shuddered. “I’m never going to address Bruce again. Ever. I won’t even breathe in his presence.”
    Shou glared at his brother. “Don’t scare her like that, onii-san .” Turning to Lana, he continued: “He might be mean to you, but that’s because you remind him too much of himself at that age.”
    “H-how so?”
    “You know. Elite and clueless about the world outside.”
    “Again with the talking,” Hikaru mumbled between clenched teeth. “If Bruce wants to share anything with Lana, he’ll talk to her. That’s not your responsibility.”
    “I want to know about my mom,” Lana said softly. “Can you tell me what happened between her and Bruce?”
    Shou exhaled. “My brother’s right. I’m done talking. Ask Bruce about your mother. He’ll be willing to share the story with you, if you keep an open mind.”
    These men really expected her to go talk to Bruce, a man in the habit of beating up his own employees? Lana bit her lip. It seemed there was no way around it – she wasn’t done talking to the menacing pirate yet. Not if she really wanted to know about what happened five years ago.
    “Okay. I’ll ask him,” she said, peeking out into the living room. “Right now. Before I lose my nerve.”
    “ Banzai ,” Hikaru told her with a wink.
    When Lana stepped out of the kitchen and looked around, she didn’t see Bruce anywhere, though. Wandering around the first floor, she bumped into Chester. He was just exiting the study, the room Bruce also used for his communications with the outside world. “Hey,” she greeted him. “You know where Bruce is?”
    “He left with John one hour ago,” Chester replied. “They won’t be back any time soon.”
    “Oh.” She felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. She’d have a much easier time relaxing around the house now that Bruce wasn’t here to watch her like a hawk, but that conversation about her mother would have to wait. “Well, do you mind if I go read a book in the woods? You can accompany me if you like.”
    He smiled, shaking his head. “I don’t have time for that, but feel free to go outside without me.”
    “But – won’t Bruce get upset if he hears about it?” Lana hesitated.
    Chester waved her objection away. “I’ll deal with him if he gives you a hard time. As a former teacher of language and poetry, I can’t encourage people enough to spend time reading books.”
    “You must have taught him about Walt Whitman’s poetry,” she guessed.
    “That was me, yes. It wasn’t part of the curriculum his parents told me to stick to, but I like Whitman, and I’ve always been kind of a rebel.” He winked.
    “So Bruce really was Elite once,” Lana mused. “When did he fall out with his family?”
    “He was twenty-two,” Chester replied. “And falling out is kind of an understatement.”
    “What happened?” she asked softly. “Can’t you tell me?”
    “No. It’s rather personal.”
    “Fine.” Lana tried to shrug off Chester’s reluctance to share things about Bruce’s life with her. Frankly, it shouldn’t interest her, and yet it somehow did. She still