“You say that like we are a bunch of heathens,” the man in question pointed out shrewdly as he stood from the couch. The smile he offered Micah was all teeth, and he was reminded vaguely of a shark. “I’m not sure what my nephew has told you about us,” – Micah didn’t think he imagined the peculiar look the man shot Damon at that – “but I assure you, that that couldn’t be further from the truth.” He took Micah’s hand before he could think to offer it. “I’m Marco, Damon’s uncle. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Micah.” Micah blinked in surprise when Marco actually brought his hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “I think I speak for all of us when I say I look forward to getting to know you. Damon’s quite picky, and I aspire to unearth what makes you so special.” Marco squeezed his hand once, so tightly it was almost painful, before letting go.

It was a greeting, thinly-veiled insult, and warning, all in one.

Micah didn’t know how to react to it.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to, because the only other unnamed man in the room, a clean-cut looking fellow with slicked back brown hair and green eyes, stood to introduce himself next. “Hello, Micah,” he said, offering his hand to shake, like an actual normal person, “I’m Jason Vitali. It’s great to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Micah said, quickly taking his hand.

Jason turned and gestured behind himself. “And this, of course, is my stunning wife, Caprice.”

Caprice, Damon’s oldest sister, was the only blonde in the room – well, besides Micah. Her pixie cut accentuated her high cheek bones, and her blue eyes were a shade lighter than Damon’s. She was wearing a beautiful floral dress with a cinched waist. An impeccable leg peeked out from the high-waisted slit from where she sat, cross-legged, on the couch.

She offered no greeting to Micah and remained sitting, merely eyeing him critically from behind a large glass of wine.

“Uh, hello, Caprice. You look lovely. Damon’s told me a lot about you.” That was a stretch, but he had told Micah some things about her, at least: that she was smart and had an eye for fashion, but that she could also come across as cold, and she had only gotten frostier over the years as she and her husband continuously tried and failed to have a baby.

Caprice took a long, slow sip of her wine, and for a second, Micah didn’t think she would respond, but then…

“That’s funny, considering I’ve only just heard about you last week.”

Ouch.

“Oh, um-”

Thankfully, Micah was saved from having to come up with a response by the last woman in the room coming to his rescue. She sprang up from her seat and thrust her hand forward. “Hi, I’m Sophie.”