know is, why didn’t I know about you?"
Icki frowned and visibly cast about for words.
"Did you think I’d hate you because of father? Didn’t you know I’d have loved to know I had a brother?" She gestured irritably. "Now I know what happened to you: he got to you first. Let me guess ...
you were taken into protective custody? Either that or mother left him, then saw you settled before she died." She brushed the hair from her eyes. "All he ever told me was that she died. How did she end up with you and not me? Did he hide me from her? He certainly had the influence."
Icki grimaced. "Give a man a chance to speak, will you? Though you seem to have answered most of your own questions."
"He hid me?"
He sighed. "She tried to get you back, but the courts were too slow, and she was afraid to expose what he’d done to me. She didn’t want to ruin my future. She grieved for you, Bali. She didn’t live long," he said, his face softening with remembered sorrow. "She’d been ill for some time, and the strain weakened her."
A pang twisted Bali’s heart. She’d never known her mother. From the sounds of it, she’d ended up with the worst possible parent. Of course, how could one get much worse than Itara? "Oh." It was all she could manage.
"I wanted to tell you, but...." He shook his head. "The old man wanted someone to run his empire. You were very public about hating him. It gained you some friends and some powerful enemies, him included."
He looked at her searchingly, then glanced at Domino. "He contacted me."
She sucked in a breath. "After his supposed death?"
"Just before. He wanted to meet with me. I wasn’t polite." He was silent a moment. "I’m not sure he’s dead."
She looked at Domino. "I think the attack on us at my hotel was aimed at capturing Icki. He’s in danger.
If my father’s alive...."
Domino nodded. "Then you’re both in danger."
That wasn’t what she meant. "I’m always in danger. It comes of being that old rotter’s daughter. We need to focus on Icki."
Domino shook his head. "I’m going to talk to security. You two have a lot of talking to do."
An awkward silence descended in his absence. Icki scratched his nose. Bali shifted in her chair.
Seconds ticked by.
"You know, I had a crush on you when I was a kid," Bali said uncomfortably. "I would have really liked to know you were my brother."
He sighed. "I didn’t know how to approach you about it. You were so angry at your father, our father, that you might easily have hated me, too. Especially when you found out mother was able to save only me. I felt guilty."
"I probably would have blown a fuse ... at least at first. I would have calmed down eventually, though. I would have taken to you, Icki. As a brother, I mean." She swallowed hard. "We’ve lost a lot of time."
His dark eyes grew shiny for a moment, then he cleared his throat and leaned back on the bed. "So ask me about my life. What do you want to know? I think I already know all your secrets."
"Hardly," she said with a grin, but the smile faded. "Tell me about mother."
* * * *
Domino was waiting for her in their bed. Arms crossed behind his head, he listened to music as he watched her change into a silky nightgown. "You must have had an interesting talk."
Still humming with latent emotion, she smiled at him as she joined him under the covers. "Very. There are so many things I never knew. It’s like I had a bunch of dots scattered throughout my life and someone just went through with a big black pen and connected them. It’s a relief to know I like my brother, too. I mean, if a stranger had showed up and we’d had to reconnect.... I’m just glad it’s Icki."
He snuggled her into his arms. "So am I. Now I don’t have to worry about him running off with my woman."
Surprised, she shot up to one elbow. "Icki? You’ve got to be kidding."
One large hand hooked around the back of her head and pulled her down for a heated kiss. "You’re right. You’re too
Icki frowned and visibly cast about for words.
"Did you think I’d hate you because of father? Didn’t you know I’d have loved to know I had a brother?" She gestured irritably. "Now I know what happened to you: he got to you first. Let me guess ...
you were taken into protective custody? Either that or mother left him, then saw you settled before she died." She brushed the hair from her eyes. "All he ever told me was that she died. How did she end up with you and not me? Did he hide me from her? He certainly had the influence."
Icki grimaced. "Give a man a chance to speak, will you? Though you seem to have answered most of your own questions."
"He hid me?"
He sighed. "She tried to get you back, but the courts were too slow, and she was afraid to expose what he’d done to me. She didn’t want to ruin my future. She grieved for you, Bali. She didn’t live long," he said, his face softening with remembered sorrow. "She’d been ill for some time, and the strain weakened her."
A pang twisted Bali’s heart. She’d never known her mother. From the sounds of it, she’d ended up with the worst possible parent. Of course, how could one get much worse than Itara? "Oh." It was all she could manage.
"I wanted to tell you, but...." He shook his head. "The old man wanted someone to run his empire. You were very public about hating him. It gained you some friends and some powerful enemies, him included."
He looked at her searchingly, then glanced at Domino. "He contacted me."
She sucked in a breath. "After his supposed death?"
"Just before. He wanted to meet with me. I wasn’t polite." He was silent a moment. "I’m not sure he’s dead."
She looked at Domino. "I think the attack on us at my hotel was aimed at capturing Icki. He’s in danger.
If my father’s alive...."
Domino nodded. "Then you’re both in danger."
That wasn’t what she meant. "I’m always in danger. It comes of being that old rotter’s daughter. We need to focus on Icki."
Domino shook his head. "I’m going to talk to security. You two have a lot of talking to do."
An awkward silence descended in his absence. Icki scratched his nose. Bali shifted in her chair.
Seconds ticked by.
"You know, I had a crush on you when I was a kid," Bali said uncomfortably. "I would have really liked to know you were my brother."
He sighed. "I didn’t know how to approach you about it. You were so angry at your father, our father, that you might easily have hated me, too. Especially when you found out mother was able to save only me. I felt guilty."
"I probably would have blown a fuse ... at least at first. I would have calmed down eventually, though. I would have taken to you, Icki. As a brother, I mean." She swallowed hard. "We’ve lost a lot of time."
His dark eyes grew shiny for a moment, then he cleared his throat and leaned back on the bed. "So ask me about my life. What do you want to know? I think I already know all your secrets."
"Hardly," she said with a grin, but the smile faded. "Tell me about mother."
* * * *
Domino was waiting for her in their bed. Arms crossed behind his head, he listened to music as he watched her change into a silky nightgown. "You must have had an interesting talk."
Still humming with latent emotion, she smiled at him as she joined him under the covers. "Very. There are so many things I never knew. It’s like I had a bunch of dots scattered throughout my life and someone just went through with a big black pen and connected them. It’s a relief to know I like my brother, too. I mean, if a stranger had showed up and we’d had to reconnect.... I’m just glad it’s Icki."
He snuggled her into his arms. "So am I. Now I don’t have to worry about him running off with my woman."
Surprised, she shot up to one elbow. "Icki? You’ve got to be kidding."
One large hand hooked around the back of her head and pulled her down for a heated kiss. "You’re right. You’re too
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