And suddenly, like a light bulb going on, Connor knew why his brother was here. The rage fled, though the anger remained. He let his face blank.
“I’d have to sell up,” he said faintly. Seeing Aydin jerk.
“I’ll help you. You’re my brother when all’s said and done.”
“He gets half,” Connor pointed at Aydin, shooting him a look and thankful when Aydin held his silence.
“Half? Well, that’s okay, I guess.”
Shakily Connor approached the table. He didn’t have to fake the tremble as he started picking up the pictures, he was so mad. He studied each one and stacked them in order before slipping them back into the wallet and handing them to Aydin.
Liam who had been looking around the room, saw the handover and frowned. “Why are you smiling?”
“They’re nice pictures,” Connor told him.
“What now?”
Connor leaned against the fridge next to Aydin. “Do you know who that man was?”
“No. Do you?”
“Nope. Never seen him before. You?” he asked Aydin, who shook his head looking wary.
“But I can guess,” Connor continued. “At a guess, I would say it was Stefano.” He heard Aydin make a ‘ahh’ sound. “Probably paying an unexpected trip to New York, like you.”
“Who the hell is Stefano?”
“Luc’s brother.”
“That blonde dude?”
“Step-brother. They’re very close.”
“Excuse me. He kissed him on the lips. What kind of fucked up shit is that?”
Connor pushed off the fridge. The angrier Liam became, the calmer he felt. “They were laughing. Messing around. And they’re Italian. Italian men are tactile. They don’t have the same hang ups some other people do.”
“So true,” Aydin breathed in a deliberately dreamy tone.
“Shut the fuck up, you pervert. Why are you even here?”
Aydin made his lip wobble and faked rubbed his eyes, before straightening and spitting out, “Because I love and care about Con, which is more than you have ever done.”
“You don’t know shit about shit.”
“Actually I do.”
“Fucking shirt-lifter.”
“Oh sweet Jesus, are you like a hundred years old. I haven’t heard that in years.”
“You-”
“SHUT UP!” Connor roared, and both men fell silent.
Connor pointed a finger at his brother. “You have half an hour to get your stuff together. I want you out. Go home. You’re not going to get what you want from me.”
“Mom’s sick, we need.”
“Nothing. From. Me.”
“The medical bills. You owe us. You owe her.”
“The only thing he owes that woman is a good bitch slap.”
“Aydin!”
“You shut your fucking mouth, or I’ll shut it.”
“Bring it on, tosser. Try me,” Aydin moved forward, arms wide in invitation.
“AYDIN!” Connor stepped forward and blocked him.
Liam looked equally angry and confused, but that was probably due to Aydin’s accent getting thicker and thicker. Connor doubted he was entirely sure what was being said.
He turned and faced his brother. “Aydin and I sank everything into this place after I got conned. There’s no money. It’ll be decades before selling would anywhere near cover the debts. So even if I wanted to help, I couldn’t.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“If you had bothered to do any research before you came. Even a quick Google, you would have found the story. Some local busybody broke the story a year ago. If I cared enough I’d get you proof, but I don’t care enough. Aydin’s right. I don’t owe you jack.”
Liam stared at him for a moment. Searching his face, then Aydin’s. “Fuck this,” he complained and headed for the stairs.
“Watch him, Con. He’s probably got sticky fingers, and not the fun kind.”
Liam paused on the stairs, but then continued up.
Connor gave Aydin a half amused half, exasperated glance as he passed, and pointed towards the bar.
Not that surprised when Aydin ignored him and followed.
It only took Liam twenty minutes to chuck his stuff in his bag. Sending dark glances at both of them, before he crashed back down the stairs. The spare room was a mess, after only two days.
He yanked the door open, then paused. “You disgust me.”
“Okay,” Connor replied neutrally.
“Fuck you both,” Liam spat.
Connor whipped his hand over Aydin’s mouth so the, “Urghh. No thank you,” was muffled.
“Safe trip,” was all he said, wincing as the door slammed.
He let out a breath and looked at Aydin. Aydin blinked back, his eyes wide over Connor’s hand. Then they narrowed in consideration.
“Don’t even think about it,” Connor warned. Lowering his hand as Aydin giggled.
“Jesus. Money. He wanted money.”
Aydin pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry, Con. Family sucks sometimes.”
Connor pulled back and shook his head. “Not my real family,” he said giving Aydin’s arm a squeeze.
“Con, I hate to say this, but I think we had better change the locks.”
Connor dragged a hand through his hair. “Damn, you’re right. Can you sort it?”
“No problem. Do you know where Luc is?”
“Frank has him.”
Aydin paused, phone in hand. “How do you know?”
“I called and ask him to grab him in passing. If Frank had missed him, he’d have let me know. He’ll be at Engagement. What?” he frowned at Aydin’s grin.
“Do you think he rugby tackled him, or used a Luc sized butterfly net?” he asked, while doing a crazy impression of Luc bewildered after running into a huge net.
Connor laughed, “You idiot.”
Aydin laughed, but then gave Connor a little nudge. “We’re fine here. Go get Luc.”
(Now)
Connor walked across the room. Giving Frank a grateful smile and stopping in front of Luc who had slipped from his stool and was watching with wide eyes.
He didn’t touch, just stopped an arm’s distance away.
“Luc. Did you run because you thought I was going to hurt you?”
Luc’s eyes widened further. “No. No, of course not. I.”
“That’s all I need,” Connor pulled him close and held on. Relieved when Luc’s arms came around his waist and held tight. “That’s all I needed,” he repeated.
“I’m sorry,” Luc mumbled against his chest. “Your brother hates me.”
“Hates me too, and he’s gone so don’t worry about it.”
Luc pulled back. “Con, those pictures. That’s Stefano.”
“I thought it probably was.”
“I wouldn’t. Wait. What?”
“From how excited you were when you came in, and based on what you told me about Stefano, I figured he’s come for a visit?”
“Yea, a few days.”
“Will I get to meet him?”
Luc’s smile was the sweetest thing Connor had ever seen. “Yes, of course.”
“Good. But Luc, promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Please don’t run from me like that again,” Connor grunted as Luc’s threw himself back into a hug. “It scared me.”
“I won’t. I panicked, I’m sorry.”
“Here,” Frank handed over a glass of cider, knowing Connor was partial. “Forgive me for butting in, but it sounds like your brother has been busy spreading the hate the past couple of days. I think Luc just reached his limit.”
Connor held Luc against his side as he took a grateful drink. He hadn’t realized how dry his throat was.
“Yea, he and Aydin just got into it. If he’s been throwing around that kind of homophobic shit, I’m surprised I didn’t find body parts in the dumpster.”
Luc sniggered and slipped his Pepsi. “We were tempted.”
“And Dave?”
“Yea, Dave got it too.”
“Why didn’t anyone TELL me?”
“He was being nice to you, we thought if he was there to make amends.”
“He wasn’t. Just wanted money.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Con.”
Connor shook his head. “It’s done,” he said, pressing his cheek to Luc’s hair and just breathing him in.