I rolled my eyes. “Oh, I’m the one with love issues? Says the man who goes through women like you’ve heard they’re about to become extinct or something.”

Xander grinned. “I do love women. But we weren’t talking about me. Besides, I’ve turned over a new leaf. Women are to be treated with respect. We were talking about you and some woman getting under your skin. It’s a good look for you.”

“Wow, Xan, I had no idea you were such a romantic.” I eyed him again. “Shit, you’re not sleeping with another one of your students, are you?”

Xander’s eyes bugged. “No! Hell no. I learned my lesson the first time.”

I laughed. “You know they have those rules for a reason.”

“I said I’m not fucking sleeping with her.”

“Her… so there’s a her?”

Xander cursed. “No. I have a student. She’s promising, that’s it.”

“And you want to sleep with her.”

“No. Damn it. I want to teach her.”

I had to laugh. “Exactly what do you want to teach her, Xan?”

“Shut up, baby brother.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Xander was quiet for several moments before he quietly said, “The old man called me. Or rather had Mum call me.”

“Fucking fantastic. Whose side are you on, Xander?”

“Yours. Always yours.”

I glared at him. “Then why are you pushing his agenda?”

“I’m not. I swear. I personally think you should tell the geezer to fuck off like I did. I just worry he’ll pull the trigger on his threat.”

“Well, he’s welcome to. Very soon, I won’t need his money.”

“It’s more than money you’re walking away from, Alexi. It’s not always easy to do. I wouldn’t think any less of you if you took his deal.”

Blood boiled under my skin. “After everything that happened, you think I’d take the easy way out? I don’t want anything from him.”

“And everything comes back to that.”

I ground my teeth. “Of course it comes back to that. We were kids, Xan. He was supposed to love us, and instead he treated us like we’d tarnished his good name.”

“Never said he wasn’t a prick.”

“Well, I want nothing from that prick. I knew that night he didn’t give a shit about us.”

Xander nodded. “Also true. That night changed everything, but we survived.”

Had we? I didn’t feel like I’d survived. I felt like a storm-battered buoy most of the time. “It was a hell of a price to pay.”

Xander nodded slowly. “Just as long as you understand what that will mean for you.”

“Yeah, it will mean my freedom.”

11

Lex…