Meena was all ready to go, twirling around the floor to the music when I returned to her. Her brother had even joined in on the action, bending his knees and squatting to the ground in pulses to shake his butt. He was such an adorable kid.
“Let’s go, Dylan.” Amelia tugged him away to give us space. “Claire, if you need anything, just press the intercom button by the door.”
“Thanks.” I smiled before turning my attention to my eager student.
I folded at the wait with my hands on my knees to meet her at eyelevel. “Ready, Meena?”
“Let’s do it!” she cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
Class was originally scheduled to be sixty minutes long. We had made it to the forty-five-minute mark when Meena lost focus, running to the door in a fit of distraction.
“Uncle Jai!” she squealed before launching herself into the visitor’s arms. She tucked her face into the man’s body as he squeezed her into a big bear hug with his muscular arms, which were on display through the sleeves of his fitted black t-shirt. “I missed you!”
“I missed you too, sugarplum. How’s my favorite girl?” his smooth voice asked as he set her back onto her feet, tipping his chin low so his focus was solely on her.
“We’re dancing!” she said, spinning so he could witness her tutu in full force.
After giving them a moment, I approached the pair.
“I can see that” he said, his voice light with adoration. Lifting his head, his eyes locked onto mine.
Fuck. Memories came rushing back. I had seen that face in the midst of orgasm, staring at me the same way he was now.
The playful smile that he had reserved for Meena was replaced by an expression of pure intensity. Yup, he remembers me, too.
We remained that way for I don’t know how long, until Meena broke the tension.
“This is my teacher, Madame Varon. But she always says grownups can call her Claire,” she spit out, mocking my voice with the last part. Thanks for the introduction, kid.
His full lips twisted into a wicked smile. He held out his hand to me. “Nice to meet you…Claire. I’m Jai.” The way he said my name coated my ears like silky caramel—sweet and addictive.
My palms were slippery with sweat by my sides. I hesitated to take his, afraid of being scorched by his touch, or embarrassing myself with my wet hands.
I swiped my hands on my tights, resolved to maintain as much of my dignity as possible in this situation.
Lifting my chin higher, I looked him straight in the eye, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of my discomfort. Grabbing his hand, I gave it a firm shake before releasing it. “Jai,” I repeated his name curtly.
His eyes lit up with amusement as his lips twisted probably trying to bite back a laugh. I had overdone it with the firmness and had instead revealed that he had gotten under my skin.
“Isn’t she pretty, Uncle? I want to be a ballerina just like her when I grow up!” Meena chimed in.
His eyes took in my body, casting goosebumps on my exposed skin as his gaze raked his way across it. “Beautiful,” he hummed in approval.
The adjective stopped my heart for just a second. Defying my now liquid insides, I crossed my arms over my chest and fixed my face into the most uninviting expression I could manage.
“What are you doing here, Jai?” Amelia said as she entered the gym with a huge smile on her face.
He turned to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Came to see my family. Why else?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be out of town?” she asked with her hand still on his arm.
He shrugged. “Change of plans. I came back early.” His eyes flashed back to me. I hugged myself tighter as warmth flushed through me.
“Oh, I’m so rude,” Amelia said, looking between Jai and me. “Claire, this is my brother-in-law, Jai. He’s Shyam’s brother.”
“Shyam?” I asked, not placing the name.
“My husband.” Shit! That must have been why her husband looked so familiar.
“We’ve met already.” Jai smirked. Oh God, he was going to tell her about me ogling his threesome. I cringed from the humiliation.
Amelia lifted an eyebrow and studied both of us, as if sensing something was off. “Really? You know each other?” she asked motioning between us with her finger.
I blushed so hard with mortification that my cheeks were about to burst from the blood rushing into them.
He peered down at his niece. “Meena introduced us.”
Air rushed out of my nose and my shoulders relaxed in relief. Thank you, Jesus.
Amelia eyed my reaction as if she didn’t quite believe him. “Oh. I see.”
“Well, I’m going to go now,” I blurted out. “I’ll see you next week.” I needed to get the hell out of there. I hurried, grabbing my belongings, not bothering to change out of my dance shoes. I didn’t fucking care if they ripped in half from the roughness of the concrete outside at this point. I just needed to leave.
“Goodbye.” I nodded to Amelia and Meena. I stopped awkwardly when my gaze caught Jai, the enjoyment in his eyes too much to handle. Instead of speaking words, I grunted a strange response, sounding more like a creature than human. Frustrated with myself, I let out an exasperated sigh and rushed out the door. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Chapter V
Jai
“What just happened?” Amelia stared after Claire, completely bewildered.
Pressing my lips together tightly to hold back the laugh that threatened to burst out, I shrugged my shoulders, feigning ignorance. I knew exactly what had happened but wasn’t saying anything, especially when my overly observant niece was within earshot.
Turning to me, she flashed me an accusatory glare. “What did you say to her?”
Before I could say anything, Meena came to my defense. “Uncle Jai didn’t say anything, Mommy! He was so nice to Madame Varon…even called her ‘beautiful’!”
Amelia’s eyelids narrowed into tiny slits and her fists shot to her hips while she waited for my explanation.
I gathered a handful of my little alibi’s silky hair and twisted it playfully then let it go, sending her hair whooshing down her neck. “You heard her. I’m innocent!”
Meena looked up at me, beaming brightly as if we had our own club that her mother wasn’t allowed to join. Her smile always melted my heart. She and her brother were my reason for living. Our bond was fiercely loyal, and at times, I felt more like their older brother than their uncle with how protective I was over them.
Years ago, when Amelia and Shyam first told me they were expecting a baby, I’d had to fight back the tears. It hadn’t been too long before that it was just Shyam and me. After our parents passed, we had sworn off relationships and focused all our energy on Sethi Tech and our drug empire. It was surprising to me that my brother had become attached to Amelia. Don’t get me wrong, I saw the appeal. She was beautiful and smart, but I would never would have imagined that either of us would settle down with a wife, let alone start a family of our own.
It was no longer just Shyam and I. The Sethi family that once consisted of only two members was growing and I couldn’t have been happier about it. Family was everything and having the support of people who loved you unconditionally meant everything. My brother and I were closer than we had ever been when we worked together, but now my sister-in-law was more like a sister to me, and I happened to like her more than my brother. And Meena and Dylan held such a part of my heart.
“Uncle Jai, do you want to come and play tea party with me and Dylan?” Meena’s high-pitched voice tugged at my heartstrings.
I bent down to look at her at eye level, “Heck yeah! You know I love a good party!”
She jumped up and down excitedly before taking my hand and dragging me out of the gym, her mother following us close behind.
Entering the kids’ playroom, we found Shyam sitting on the couch with my nephew cuddled into his side as they looked at a dinosaur picture book together.
The image of my six-foot-four, brooding brother tucked away with a three-year-old twin version of himself, except way cuter and more innocent than my brother ever was, in a room decorated like a Crayola box was still surreal to me.
“Uncle Jai,” Dylan screamed as he flew off the couch and crashed into my leg, holding it for dear life with his chubby arms.
“Hey, buddy.” I doubled over, wrapping an arm around him and soaking in the love I felt through his tight squeeze.
He lifted his face to look up at me. “Did you bring me treats?” he asked, his voice still sounding more baby-like compared to his sister’s mature way of speaking.
I hoisted him up into my right arm, holding him high on my waist, and used my free hand to dip into my pocket. “Close your eyes.”
He scrunched his eyes shut so tightly that his entire face formed little wrinkles. I eyed Meena, who also looked anxious to receive a surprise of her own. “You, too.”
She narrowed her eyebrows, skeptical that I was about to trick her or something but eventually gave in and shut her eyes. She resembled her mother whenever she was giving me attitude.
I pulled out two long but narrow bars of chocolate, wrapped in gold foil. No matter where my business took me, I always bought some sort of treat for Meena and Dylan before returning home. It had become a tradition now, and they expected it every time.
“One. Two. Three. Open your eyes.” Both children opened them immediately and squealed with delight when they saw the shiny bars in my hand. I offered one to Dylan first, and then the other to Meena.
“Mommy! Can we eat them now?!” asked Meena excitedly.
“Only one block. I don’t want you ruining your dinner.” Meena pouted at her mother, which earned her a stern look in return. “And what do you have to say to Uncle Jai?”
“Thank you,” both children chimed in unison.
“You’re welcome, kiddos.” I gave Dylan a quick kiss on the top of his head before releasing him. He ran to the small table in the corner of the room to join his sister, who had already unwrapped her chocolate bar and set about breaking off a piece.
“Dance class over?” Shyam tossed the dinosaur book aside.
“Yeah. Claire left abruptly,” Amelia said.
“Why?” Shyam asked.
“I dunno. I found Jai in the gym with them and then she got all weird and nearly ran home.” Amelia crossed her arms over chest as she directed her attention to me.
“What did you do to the poor girl?” Shyam chuckled.
“Nothing. I swear.” I glanced at Meena, who had aborted her chocolate and was staring at us, listening in. I needed to change the topic now, before these two wrestled it out of me, and the kids heard something they shouldn’t. The last thing I needed was a five-year-old asking me what a “threesome” was.
“So, any plans tonight?” I took the seat next to my brother on the couch, resting back with my legs wide, feeling so comfortable that I could almost crash for a couch nap.
“Just dinner at home. Want to join us?” Amelia asked as she sat on the arm-rest next to her husband.
“Nah, I only came over to visit for an hour. I have some loose ends to tie up after my trip.” More like I wanted to strangle the neck of a particular Russian.
“When did you get back?” Shyam asked while with one hand he mindlessly massaged Amelia’s back.
He had never been one for public displays of affection, but since he married her, he couldn’t hold back. If my sex life hadn’t been as active as it was, I would have checked myself into rehab for “third-wheel syndrome” from how much PDA they subjected me to.
“Last week,” I said.
“And you’re just now visiting us?” Amelia was never happy with me when I didn’t check in with her. She was the matriarch of our family and conducted herself accordingly. She was the one who kept Shyam and me in check, and also the one who brought us all together.
I cocked my head to the side. “Some stuff came up.” Work. Women. Ballet teachers. My family didn’t need to know specifics.
The truth was, I’d needed some time to decompress after my trip. Leonid sent my blood pressure shooting through the roof and I didn’t want to bring that energy around my loved ones. The only person who knew anything was Zayn, and I planned to keep it that way. My brother and Amelia had been through enough with the cartel business for one lifetime, and I didn’t want them to worry for no reason.
“How did the trip go?” Shyam kept his voice low so Meena and Dylan wouldn’t overhear.
“You know. Cold. Gloomy. Same old Russia.”
He studied me, the wheels in his head turning. My brother knew me better than anyone else, and I knew that he could sense trouble was brewing. “Leonid giving you trouble?”
“Nothing like that. He just wanted to go over some new supply requirements for the next few months.” I wasn’t in the habit of lying to him, but his peace of mind was worth fibbing for.
My neck grew hot from his stare. “You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”
I stared into his eyes, unsure of what to say next. The right thing to do would be to tell him everything, but he had a family now. The stress that came with caring for three other people was enough to bear.
Before I could answer, Meena approached me. “Uncle Jai, the tea party is ready!”
Perfect timing! “Hear that, Shyam?! The tea party is ready!” I stood up and followed her to the toddler table, completely decorated with pastel teacups and plastic play food on saucers. Dylan was already waiting in one of the four chairs. “Wow! This looks so fancy.”
“Sit down,” Meena ordered, pointing at a free chair that was too small to contain my body.
I stooped down low until my ass met the seat, with my legs opened wide just to keep my balance. I was nearly in a frog squat, and I was fairly sure I surpassed the weight limit required to use one of these things.
“What type of tea are we having?” I asked as I picked up my teacup.
“Chocolate tea,” Dylan shouted, the corners of his mouth dotted with the treat he had just eaten.
I examined the cup before taking a pretend sip and saw a block of the chocolate I had given them. “Ohhh, this must be an authentic tea recipe.” Meena grinned as I brought the cup up to my lips and pretended to drink…with my pinky up, of course.
“You’re ridiculous,” Shyam snickered from the side.
“Hey, guys,” I whispered to Meena and Dylan. “I think Daddy wants an invitation to our party. He probably feels left out.”
Dylan ran over to his father and pulled him to the table. “You sit here, Daddy!” he exclaimed, pointing to the only unreserved chair.
“Yeah, join us!” I purred, teasing him.
He shook his head at me and took his seat before picking up his cup.
The tea party was in full swing as we all ate our fake food and drank our fake tea.
“Smile, boys.” We all looked up at Amelia, who had her phone aimed at us, snapping pictures.
“Remind me to get you later for this,” I growled at her.
“Oh, I’m so scared,” she mocked me and continued taking pictures.
We looked totally ridiculous. Two lethal men sitting in wee chairs, playing tea party with a couple of kids. And I wouldn’t have traded a minute of it for anything in the world.
Chapter VI
Jai
“You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep squinting like that,” I said as I strolled into Amelia’s office and dropped into the seat across from her.
Her office had changed since she had become CTO. Her taste in masculine furniture was inherent, so her space was filled with modern black chairs and glass tables with silver
frames, just like the penthouse she shared with my brother. White rugs, walls, and couch pillows lightened up the space. Her style was even more dominating than Shyam’s, which further served to suggest who the real boss of Sethi Tech was.
My brother was still CEO, but Amelia ran the company. I had filled the role of CTO from the inception of the business, but when I left to rule over our drug empire, she stepped in and turned everything around. Instead of using it as a front for criminal activities, she turned the company into an honest business. Amelia used her skills of developing tracking software to help build programs for the government to locate missing women and children. Under her leadership, the company had won numerous tech awards and she had even been featured in Forbes magazine. At thirty, she had accomplished more than most men in the field did by fifty.
A mess of red hair that she had probably been fingering all day, she looked up from her monitor with a scowl exaggerating the lines on her face to mock me.
I chuckled. “You need glasses.”
“What? No, I don’t!” she said, her tone defensive as she leaned back in her chair.
“If you were any closer to your monitor, you’d hit your head on the screen.”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
“You’re gonna need them eventually.” The amount of screen time programmers logged put a real strain on our eyes. A few years back, I had sacrificed stubbornness and got a pair exclusively for working on my computer.
“My eyes are fine. Don’t you have some drugs to deal?” she shot back, keeping her voice low since her door was still open.
“I have glasses. It definitely doesn’t mean I’m getting old.” I was in my motherfucking prime.
She stared at me flatly, as if I were full of shit. “You’re older than me. You should be wearing glasses,” she replied with a satisfied smile on her face—proud that she’d told me off.
“Whatever. Your eyes.” I shrugged. “And for the record, I’m only thirty-six.” I wasn’t old, but I would let the topic go. I was here for another reason. After a beat, I continued, “So, tell me more about that ballet teacher you hired.”
Control: Power Series #3 Page 4