First Born

2. The Brothers

2. The Brothers

Lucas
I didn't really care about the reason my brother came home. I'm just happy he's home. Things would have probably been different if I'd had my older brother around while growing up. Everyone in the family thinks I'm a mama's boy. They're not entirely wrong but they're not right either. I enjoyed be a fashion designer. I liked making the De Luca brand. My mother worked hard to get the company where it is today and I want to make her proud by doing my best. Everyone knows that Talon was the chosen one. He is super smart and good at just about anything he does. And his personality is mixture of both our mother and father. I can understand why Nikolai feels threatened by him. But he shouldn't be. We each had our own place in the family and the family businesses. No one is out to steal anything from anyone.

Speaking of Talon, he came marching in.

"Don't you know of a thing called knocking?"

"You're my brother. I didn't think I needed to."

He had a point. I smiled.

"How have you been, Lucas?

"Same as always. I should be asking you that."

"Same as usual," he responded.

"I see you went and got yourself a wife."

"I did."

"Do you love her?"

He laughed.

"That's a no then. Why did you marry her?"

"It's complicated."

I raised my eyebrow at him.

"How so?"

He sighed.

"She needs my protection."

"And marrying her was the only way to do that?"

"Sì."

I sighed. "Then you're fucked."

"Why do you say that?"

"Kara isn't gonna stand for this."

"Who?"

"Your betrothed. Kara Bianchi."

"You've met her?"

"All of us have."

He looked confused.

"She works for us. Well let me not say for. She works with us. She's the head of our public relations department. You'd like her. She's sort of like Nonna."

My brother frowned.

"She's like how Nonna was when she first met Nonno."

"So she's a handful. That's what you're saying."

"Pretty much. She can be scary at times too. She's not going to like this at all. My advice would be to divorce that woman quickly."

"Nahia. Her name is Nahia."

"Yeah. Whatever. Divorce her or get the marriage annulled. That's quicker. You're not sleeping with her anyway."

"How did you come by that?"

"You just said you married her to protect her."

"That doesn't mean I'm not sleeping with her. I could be. She's my wife after all."

"You could be but you're not. And even if you were you wouldn't want to after you meet Kara. Even I want to sleep with her."

My brother raised his eyebrow at me.