Laird's Choice, Remmy Duchene [superbooks4u .txt] 📗

why. The silence around them was needed.

"I could say I was sorry," Xavier finally said. "But I'm sure you don't want me to lie to you. I kept you alive and that was the most important thing to me then. When your name came up I think I aged ten years just staring at the warrant. Then I saw murder and if things weren't so serious I would have burst out laughing. I found it funny they wanted you for murder because I knew better."

"Still, they convicted me."

"Yes. They did. I was at that trial every chance I got and I just didn't see how. Your lawyer should have asked for a change of location. There was no way you would get a fair trial in that town and I knew it. By the time Winston took your case it was too late for everything." Xavier ran a hand over his face.

"None of this is your fault you know," Race implored. "You did your job and it was up to them to look and make sure justice was done. I didn't make it any easier on myself by running."

"You were a scared kid then."

"I was twenty-five!"

"Still. Twenty-five doesn't mean anything when you're still living at home. You were just in limbo then."

Xavier chuckled. "The truth is, if things work between you and Laird we'll be family and we'll be closer now than we've ever been. If you still have an issue with happened back then please speak now."

"I do have issues with what happened back then…

but they aren't with you. I was angry at you for a while then but it didn't last. The only thing I want to focus on now is being with Laird and making sure Savaro and Rajan see that I want to be here."

"Can I give you some friendly advice about the Anatolis brothers and their father George?"

Race shifted to fold a leg against the bed with the other hanging off so he could pay close attention. "Yeah, sure."

"When it comes to family, they are easy," Xavier said. "You love their brother. You honor him. You treat him with respect, and they'll be happy."

"Loving Laird isn't hard."

"Neither is loving Rajan. The three of them are close—always have been and always will be. Sometimes they argue and you think you should hurry in there before they kill each other. But it would never come to that—

why? Because the bond they have between them is stronger than all of that nonsense. You couldn't have closer brothers if they had the same blood."

Race listened, nodding. Though Xavier hadn't said all that much, he'd given Race plenty to think about. The first was he had to relax and let life happened. That was easier said than done. Laird deserved a man who could lift his head up and spend time with his family without feeling

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like a wilting flower. But as he rose from where he was sitting to dab a little of Laird's aftershave to his neck, he couldn't come up with any ideas to make it easier.

"And don't go into your head so much," Xavier advised. "When you're ready, come down. We tend to have these dinners and they are a fun way to get to know each other. Remember, love conquers all with this family."

"Thanks, X."

When he did make his way downstairs, dinner was

cooking and they were all sitting around chatting and drinking beer. He walked into the room, sat down beside Laird, and Rajan handed him a cold bottle.

"Thanks."

"We thought you fell in," Savaro said with a laugh.

"No one takes that long a shower."

"It wasn't a long shower really," Race replied, lifting his bottle to his lips. "X and I had some stuff to talk about."

"Everything all right?" Rajan questioned.

Xavier nodded. "Everything's fine."

"I'm going to see if Jamal needs any help," Savaro told the group.

"Sure… help," Laird chuckled.

"We all know the brand of help he gives," Xavier said raising his bottle.

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They burst out laughing. Even Race couldn't help

himself. He hid his mirth behind the bottle. Laird leant in and kissed his forehead and in that moment, everyone in the room disappeared. He turned his head, smiling at Laird while wondering how he'd ended up so happy. His palms suddenly grew sweaty and his knees shook. Whenever he was this happy, laughing, smiling, feeling loved—

something always happened to ruin it. He was finally settled into being with his family when his brother was killed. Then everything went downhill from there.

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Chapter Eleven

Throughout dinner, Laird kept his eyes on his man.

His heart soared each time Race got in on the

conversations, the jokes, the laughter. His body trembled whenever the cowboy's eyes locked onto him. A few times he'd reached under the table, caressing Race's thigh and smiling.

He couldn't seem to stop smiling.

As the evening passed, their conversations kept

changing. But Laird didn't mind. He had all but one of the men he cared most about in his life with him. Their father was in the Bahamas with his new wife so he couldn't attend their weekly dinner.

"We do this once a week," Savaro was explaining to Race by the time Laird pulled his head from his thoughts.

"This week it's at Laird's. Next Friday I think it's at my place."

"Really? You never miss a week?"

"Sometimes one of us has to miss it," Rajan added.

"Either I'm in India or somewhere shooting or Xavier is on a bust or Jamal is at an away game or Savaro is catching a cold from his son. But we always try to make time for each other."

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"It's important to us," Laird said, "that we have time with each other. We don't