by Diane Lennox
He stilled as he entered the large room, taking in the sight of his maid peering into the fridge, likely planning out their meals for the day.
“Kai,” Evgeni said softly.
Kai jumped slightly then looked up at Evgeni. Mordekai Ramson, in Evgeni’s opinion, had absolutely no business being a maid, for many reasons. For one, he was an extremely good looking man. Six feet, impeccable body, warm, lightly browned skin, and honey coloured eyes that twinkled with knowledge he always kept to himself. His neatly trimmed beard and mustache as well as his shoulder length hair were both a dark silver, and Evgeni had a feeling nobody would believe that the man was already just over fifty if he ever decided to dye it back to its original chocolate brown colour. And on top of being handsome, he was incredibly clever, far too clever to be hiding away cooking and cleaning, that was for sure. Except despite not seeming the part at all, Kai never complained and never seemed less than perfectly satisfied with his job the entire thirty years he’d been working for the Desjardins family.
“Master Evgeni, good morning,” Kai said with a small bow, seeming, as always, not at all surprised to see him, ignoring his little jump from earlier of course – that was Evgeni’s fault for startling the man. “Would you like me to make you some breakfast?”
“Please,” Evgeni said with a grin and sat down at the small corner table in the kitchen, feeling far more at ease down here with Kai then he did alone in his room. “I’ve missed your cooking.”
“Just my cooking, Master Evgeni?” Kai teased as he went about preparing breakfast with practiced ease. Evgeni enjoyed watching his maid move about. He had such a graceful, controlled way about him despite being quite a large man.
Evgeni let out a pleased chuckle. “Are you expecting me to say that I’ve missed your teasing, Kai?”
“It is not my place to expect anything from you, Master Evgeni,” Kai said, glancing over his shoulder at Evgeni to give him a polite nod, though his eyes were twinkling brightly.
It was during moments like these when Evgeni suspected he probably learned half of his manipulative ways from his clever maid. Kai always seemed to know how to express what he wanted to without ever having to directly say it.
“How well you know your place,” Evgeni teased in return. “Now continue to cook while I talk at you.”
“Yes, Master Evgeni,” Kai said then turned back to the stove.
“I know you can’t express your opinion on what my little brother has been up to, at least not to anyone in this family, but I know you love him, and since I know you will never betray me, not even to my own family, I will simply reassure you that I intend to bring him back to us one way or another. This will probably cause a lot of chaos in this house though, and I want to apologize to you in advance for it. I know it will be uncomfortable for you to be caught up in a civil war, but hopefully it will not last long,” Evgeni said, feeling genuinely apologetic. Kai was probably the one man he trusted above all others. No matter what was going on in the house, no matter what he overheard or saw, he always kept it to himself with no exception. This included, on many occasions, keeping things from Shar Desjardins himself.
“Thank you for your concern, Master Evgeni,” Kai replied.
Evgeni didn’t say anything more, he didn’t need to. He said all he could say and there was nothing more that Kai could, or would, say on the matter either.
So instead of talking more he simply sat and watched Kai cook his breakfast and enjoyed the peaceful ambiance that his maid’s company provided.
“Here you are,” Kai said as he set Evgeni’s breakfast down in front of him. It was one of his favourites – a hearty toasted sandwich filled with eggs and sweet vegetables along with fruit and yogurt on the side. Then Kai brought over his favourite lemongrass tea as well, brewed to perfection as always.
Evgeni let out a happy moan as he enjoyed the first few bites of his breakfast. “You’re a god amongst men, Kai.”
Kai gave him a small, but fond smile that always seemed on the edge of a smirk. “Thank you, Master Evgeni, but I’m hardly a god, simply a man who is eager to serve.”
“Which I’ll never understand, but always be eternally grateful for,” Evgeni replied, his mood greatly improving as he ate his breakfast.
Kai just bowed in response then went about cleaning up the dishes.
Though Evgeni wanted to savour the meal and the company, he knew he didn’t have too much time to do what he needed to do before the rest of his family woke up, so he ate fairly quickly, thanked Kai once more, then went upstairs to ready himself for the day. He pulled on some dark red leggings, a long red tunic with golden and silver embroidery, and some gold and black high heeled boots that made him a towering six feet tall. After that he put on some large hooped earrings, pulled his long braided hair up into an elegant bun, added some gold and black shadow to his eyes, then decided he was ready to go.
His first mission was to speak to Rafe and pray his little brother would trust him despite their bond not being the strongest. It was something Evgeni genuinely wanted to fix now that he made the decision to return home permanently.
The walk to the Warrick household did not take long and the house itself was thankfully easy to remember despite Evgeni not seeing it for a few years. The unforgiving grey stonework made quite the impression.
He walked up the front path, rang the doorbell, then took a deep, steadying breath. He wasn’t sure how the conversation with his little brother was going to go – assuming there would even be one. Rafe could either be dead to the world right now or simply not interested in talking to him.
The door opened and though Evgeni had never seen the young man before him, he knew who he was. The shoulder length dreadlocks, copper skin, and smug looking expression was exactly how Rafe described his best friend.
“Good morning, Soren, I’m Evgeni Desjardins. I’ve come to see my little brother,” Evgeni greeted.
Soren cocked an eyebrow and looked him over, clearly distrusting. “He didn’t say he was expecting you.”
“That’s because he wasn’t. Now please tell Rafe I’m here, I’d like to speak with him as soon as possible,” Evgeni ordered. He didn’t want to get rude with Soren, especially since he was Rafe’s best friend, but he wasn’t going to let someone over ten years his junior stop him from seeing Rafe.
There was a tense moment when Evgeni wasn’t sure if Soren would argue with him or not, but eventually he opened the door and stepped aside.
“Come in, wait here,” Soren said curtly.
“Thank you,” Evgeni replied and stepped inside the house. It was about as unforgiving looking on the inside as it was on the outside.
Soren didn’t say anything in reply and simply went up the stairs to presumably get Rafe.
It took a minute, but eventually Rafe came around the corner and it took all of Evgeni’s self-control not to launch himself at his little brother and hug him close.
“It really is you,” Rafe said then made his way down the stairs to Evgeni. “When did you get here?”
“Last night,” Evgeni replied, staring way down at his little brother. Sometimes he forgot just how small Rafe was. “Would Shar Warrick mind if we borrowed his parlour to talk?”
Rafe shook his head. “I doubt it. Come in.”
Evgeni took off his boots and coat then followed Rafe up the stairs and to the first room on the left. He noticed Rafe didn’t close the door and considering whose house it was Evgeni wasn’t about to either. As much as he trusted Shar Warrick, the man still frightened him, and he didn’t want to do anything that would accidentally offend him – like trapping Rafe alone in a room with him when he was clearly under the hunter’s protection.
They took their respective seats on the two armchairs available, avoiding Shar Warrick’s throne-like chair, and turned to look at each other.
“So, I hear you’ve become friends, and possibly more, with the Beast of Ramshire,” Evgeni said, keeping his tone neutral. He didn’t want Rafe to t
hink he either approved or disapproved yet.
“I have.”
“Are you courting?” Evgeni asked next, not bothering to beat around the bush. He knew Rafe preferred talking more directly, at least with people he trusted.
“Not yet, but it’s likely we will,” Rafe replied, his tone polite and neutral as well. It wasn’t comfortable for Evgeni to talk to his brother so stiffly like this, but he couldn’t blame Rafe for being wary, not after what Yves did.
“He must be quite special. You’ve never expressed any romantic interest towards someone before.”
Rafe opened his mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it before starting again. “Where do you stand, Evgeni? I’m not particularly interested in talking to you about my relationship with Paris-khan until I know that.”
“I stand off to the side, at the moment,” Evgeni replied. “There’s a few things I need to know before I decide where I want to be.”
“Then ask.”
Evgeni smirked. “I’m not even sure where to start. It would probably be easier if you just explained the situation to me.”
“As you wish. I’m sure you already heard the rumours of what happened, much of it is probably true, so I won’t bother going into the whole story of how we met and such. The only part that really matters is that I realized, through my brief time with Paris-khan, that I enjoy his company greatly and that I seem to be consistently drawn to men similar to him.”
Evgeni cocked an eyebrow. “You consider Soren to be similar to Paris-khan?”
“I do,” Rafe said then smirked softly. “Like I said to father and grandfather, Soren and my newest friend, Pasha, would probably behave better at a dinner party, but they are all highly passionate men who don’t always care about the rules or what is proper.”
“And this is the sort of company you wish to keep?” Evgeni asked, keeping judgement out of his voice.
“It is.”
“Do you understand what that means though? Have you considered the long term repercussions of this decision?”
“I believe so.”
“I believe so isn’t good enough, Rafe. If you wish to be associated with men who are going to be looked down upon by much of society then you need to realize that it will cut off a lot of opportunities for you. This will affect your security programming consulting, for starters.”
“I don’t care about the repercussions, Geni, at least not all of them. The only one I do care about is losing my family, but if I’m going to be unable to grow as a person then I can’t stay a Desjardins. I’m already trapped in this sickly little body, I can’t be trapped in a life I resent as well,” Rafe replied and his chin started to tremble. “Please, if you don’t agree with me, then just go. I can’t handle having this argument again so soon.”
Unlike his brother and father, Rafe was no actor, and Evgeni knew those tears gathering in his little brother’s eyes were not fake, nor was his conviction. Rafe had no history at all of doing anything on a whim. Every decision he made was thought out and considered from all angles. Evgeni knew this because Rafe had talked to him when he made the decision to go to University, start his little side gig as a consultant, and even begin his friendship with Soren. Still, Evgeni had to make sure, had to ask, and now he had his answer. Rafe was very serious about this.
Evgeni sprung up out of his chair and knelt in front of Rafe’s, finally giving into the urge to hug his little brother. Gods, he was weak to those rare tears. He could count on one hand how many times he’d seen or heard Rafe cry (not including when he was horribly sick).
“If you feel this strongly, then I’ll support you, Rafe,” Evgeni said, his decision made. “I just want you to be committed to this path, because it will not be an easy one. The type of friends you make will no doubt be loyal and true, but will also bring you a lot of trouble. And they will also expect the same sort of loyalty from you. If they fall, you fall too, or else they will hunt you down and make sure you pay for your disloyalty. This is how their minds will work.”
“I know, and I adore them for it,” Rafe whispered back and clung to Evgeni, his thin arms wrapped tight around his neck and shoulders.
“If I support you in this, Rafe, I expect you not to do it half-assed. If you’re going to belong to the delinquents and still be a Desjardins, you’re going to have to be their Lord, the one they adore in return,” Evgeni said then smirked, pulling back so he could look his little brother in his beautiful, dark green eyes. “And you’ve already done well by enchanting the wildest of them all.”
Rafe let out a soft laugh and sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall. “I wouldn’t waste my time on anyone who was not worthy of the sacrifices I’m going to have to make.”
“Good,” Evgeni said, feeling very relieved to hear Rafe say those words.
“Are you really siding with me, Geni?” Rafe asked, his shining eyes blatantly showing his vulnerable feelings.
“I am,” Evgeni said, running a hand affectionately over Rafe’s cheek. “That being said, regardless of how you feel about Paris-khan, I’m going to need to get my own reassurances from him as your older brother, especially if you intend on courting him.”
Rafe let out a huff of air, a ghost of a laugh. “You’re going to give him the big brother talk?”
“Of course I am! Though only if you intend on courting him. If you’re only interested in friendship I will not interfere, I trust that you can handle yourself on that front. But I will want to meet him eventually.”
“Paris-khan does wish to court me, and I do find myself very intrigued by the idea, but right now I will probably decline his offer, just for the time being. I don’t particularly feel up to courting when I’m being torn away from my family,” Rafe said with a pitiable little smirk.
“Understandable, though I’m surprised you’re considering saying yes at all. You’ve never shown any interest in anyone before,” Evgeni said.
“I know, and my feelings towards him are still not quite what I would call romantic, but if he’s willing I’d like to explore the idea of courtship with him.”
“Then I’m going to have to have a talk with him,” Evgeni said firmly. If Rafe wanted him there was little Evgeni could do besides put the fear of the gods in Paris.
“I won’t stop you,” Rafe said softly. “In fact I appreciate that you’d step up as my brother.”
The words stung at Evgeni’s heart and he pulled away to bow his head to Rafe. “I’m sorry, Rafe, that I haven’t been here to be more of a brother to you. This will change now that I’ve decided to come home permanently.”
“Permanently?” Rafe echoed.
“Yes,” Evgeni said and looked up. “It’s time.”
Rafe grinned, a bright, pleased grin that warmed Evgeni from head to toe and filled him with courage to forge ahead with his desire to become close to his family once more.
“Then welcome home, Evgeni.”
~~~~~
Leander Kane sat clutching his phone, staring at Marius’ number waiting to be dialed as he sat alone in his bedroom. He had asked Simon to leave while he did this as it was his mission, not Simon’s, but he knew he’d need his brother as soon as he was done. Already his nerves were so bad he was starting to sweat.
“You have to do this,” Leander muttered to himself. “This is for Simon and Alexei.”
He uttered this about ten more times before he abruptly pressed the call button before he could stop himself.
“Marius speaking.”
Leander swallowed hard. Gods help him. He was so not ready for this.
“M-Marius-khan, good morning, this is Leander Kane,” Leander replied, cursing himself for stuttering. How was he supposed to get Marius to trust him to handle this problem if he appeared weak or childlike?
There was a little pause before Marius spoke again.
“Good morning, Leander, what can I do for you?”
“Um, do you have a moment to speak with me?” Leander asked in response, shivering
a little at the sound of Marius’ icy, monotone voice.
“Yes, I do.”
“Alright, um,” Leander said then clenched his eyes shut. He had to stop stuttering, damn it! “I wished to speak to you about reparations between our families. And, I, well um, I’d like to act as mediator between you and my father, if you’ll allow it. I know you probably won’t want to speak to us yet, and perhaps not for quite a while, but when you’re ready, I’d like to be the one to mediate.”
“Does your grandfather know you’re asking?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’d prefer if you addressed me as Marius-khan.”
“Yes, Marius-khan,” Leander quickly corrected, hoping he wasn’t messing up as much as it felt like he was.
“I believe it would be more proper for me to deal with Shar Kane, Leander,” Marius said, though it was hard to tell from his emotionless voice whether he was being condescending or simply matter-of-fact.
All Leander had to go on was what little he and Simon knew about the man, which was only that Alexei adored him, and that Marius was fair, but strict. Leander assumed, from this little bit of information, that Marius probably wouldn’t put up with any false fronts or bullshit. His only choice was to be completely honest and pray Marius would give him a chance.
“It would, Marius-khan, and I’ll understand if you decide to speak to him directly. The reason I wish to take charge instead is because eventually I’d like to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and become Shar of the Kane family. Though this is far from an ideal situation, I can’t deny that this incident provides a perfect opportunity to show my commitment to this path, and, to be perfectly honest, this rift affects me and my twin far more than it does my grandfather. I want to prove to you that your son is not wrong in desiring friendship and courtship with members of the Kane family. I don’t know what my father said or did to upset you, Marius-khan, and I will not make excuses for whatever it was, but I ask that you give me a chance to show you that all of us, including my father, are worthy of, if nothing else, your good esteem,” Leander said then covered his mouth to hide his deep, shuddering breath. Gods, had he said too much? Pushed too hard?