Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 103918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
"Lex," the man I now knew to be Vaughn said as he stepped forward.
"Vaughn," Lex said with a smile and then he was lost in Vaughn's big arms. I only half listened as the two exchanged a few words and then Vaughn was introducing Lex to his young lover, Aleks. Lex didn't hesitate to embrace the young man. Then he was back in Vaughn's arms and whatever they were saying to each other was beyond my hearing. It didn't matter because I had eyes only for Con and King. The pair looked like they were going to start throwing punches at each other at any moment. King was completely unapologetic as his brother stared him down.
I was listening enough to Lex to know when he was introducing me to Vaughn and Aleks. The tension between King and Con hung like a thick cloud in the air between us even as I made small talk with the other couple.
"Con," Lex called when there was a lull in the conversation. When Con didn't immediately respond to Lex, I found myself fisting my hands. But it wasn't my place to tell the guy to stop being a dick.
"Con," Lex repeated and then he was stepping forward. I was glad when no one tried to assist him. With the cane, he was able to make his way around without help and I knew how important that was to him. Somehow, he knew what direction to head in. Con's aggressive stance eased somewhat when Lex reached him. "You still do that thing with grinding your teeth when you’re pissed," Lex said.
I actually saw Con work his jaw as if trying to loosen it. "Why, Lex?" he asked. Some of my anger toward Con dissipated when I heard the hurt in his voice.
Lex stepped closer to his brother. "You always want to fix things for me, Con. You both do," Lex said as he nodded in King's direction. "You're the fighter, Con. Every time you step into that ring, you know there's no giving up. You fight to win."
Lex reached out his hand and Con immediately took it. "There was no winning this," Lex whispered. "It was always going to be a knockout punch. I'm still here, Con. I'm not down for the count. You guys picked me up every time I fell. This time, I needed to pick myself up." Lex looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. "I did have a little help, though."
Before Con could say anything, several sets of footsteps came our way. Another older man and a younger blond guy appeared with Gio. It was easy to identify them as Luca and Remy.
I watched as Luca went through the same stages of greeting Lex that Con had. Once the shock had worn off, the questions began.
"Gideon," Lex called to me and I immediately went to his side and took his hand. I knew what he wanted. It was easy to see how tired he was and there was no doubt that answering all the questions would be a long process.
I led Lex to the couch. Once we were seated, I kept his hand in mine as he began explaining his condition to his brothers. Not surprisingly, there was a mix of outrage and guilt when they learned that his blindness had been preventable. After that had come a new round of denials as Con in particular began asking questions about alternative and experimental treatments. It became clear to me why Lex hadn't told Con about his condition, choosing instead to confide in King. Con was like a dog with a bone and while I had no doubt that served him well in other aspects of his life, it wasn't something that would've helped Lex. From everything he’d told me, Lex had pursued those particular avenues on his own, even though he'd already known they most likely wouldn't work. It hadn’t surprised me in the least to learn that he’d wanted to spare his brothers from the helplessness of having to stand by as one experimental therapy or procedure after another failed.
It took a good hour for Lex to answer all the questions, but he remained patient and understanding as he did so. When even Con was forced to accept that nothing would change the outcome, he'd fallen silent. There was a brief, light moment when Gio and Lex talked and Lex began sharing stories about the brothers and all the trouble they’d gotten into when they'd been younger. After another hour had gone by, I knew Lex was done, so I gave his hand a squeeze and said, "I'm going to check on the girls."
Lex nodded. "Tell them we’ll be back soon."
I stepped out of the room long enough to call Emma. Satisfied that both girls were okay, I hung up the phone and prepared to return to the living room. King met me just outside the entryway.