His eyes watched me draw closer, his arm extending slightly so he could get it around my waist when I embraced him. His arm scooped around me and brought me in for a soft kiss, pulling me to him and almost lifting me off the ground. The look that came with it was searing, full of devotion, completely devoid of the previous anger he’d carried for months.

I’d never been loved by anyone the way he loved me.

When he released his hold, he pulled out the chair for me before he moved to the chair across from me.

I watched him go, a tremor in my throat, because I’d finally gotten back what we lost. I treasured it, and the second I asked him to release Raven, it would all be gone. No one saw the good in me the way he did. No one loved me the way he did. No one took care of me the way he did. I didn’t want to lose that.

But I had to.

We sat down and ate in silence.

Fender’s portions were always much bigger than mine, having enough food for three servings instead of just one. For him to maintain that size, he had to eat the calories to support it, and I wondered what his breakfast was like. I never saw him in the morning, so I had no glimpse into that aspect of his life.

With his eyes on me, he ate. He shoveled pieces of meat into his mouth then washed it down with water. He rarely drank scotch anymore, unless it was socially. “What is it?”

I was about to slice into my meat when I paused at the question. I stared at him for a few seconds, not understanding the question, and then continued to cut into my dinner and place a bite in my mouth.

He continued to eat, but his eyes remained fixed on me, waiting for the answer.

“Is he your younger brother or older brother?”

He slowly chewed as he listened to the question, taking his time to decide if he wanted to respond or not. “Younger.”

“You look a lot alike.” When they were in the same room, their similarities were profound. Magnus was leaner, having an athletic build of a runner or swimmer, but he still appeared strong. Fender, on the other hand, looked like a mountain.

“You and your sister look nothing alike.”

“We have the same eyes.”

“Never noticed.” He continued to eat, his mood souring slightly at the mention of Raven.

“You guys seem good again.”