A Forever Love(59)

Anthony pulled at the edge of his suit coat. “We’re talking about the heir to a billion-dollar fortune, Justin. This isn’t just some random hookup the tart had, but she’s now managed to wedge her trash and illegitimate child into our lives.”

As children, the Travati brothers had fought. Tussled and tumbled. They’d broken skin and even given bruises. Justin had given as good as he’d gotten, but at some uncertain moment near adulthood, the physical punches of sibling rivalry had stopped. The physical altercations at least, aside from a jovial pound on the arm, ended. They no longer fought or pummeled or bruised each other. But at this moment, with Anthony standing across the room and his mouth spewing forth insults with regards to Max and Aubrey, the people who were now Justin’s family, Justin pulled on every bit of patience and calm to hold himself back from lunging across the end table and beating the living hell out his arrogant asshole of a younger brother.

“Anthony,” Justin said evenly with a hard edge to his voice, “I will only ever say this once to you. If you ever make a disparaging remark about Max or his mother to me or to anyone else and I find out, I will make certain that you eat through a straw for the next six months.”

“Threats?” Anthony pressed his hand to his hip. “You’re making physical threats now, to your brother? The person you know is related to you?”

Devon’s head jerked toward his older brother.

Leo leaned forward and placed his palms together. “Anthony, Justin is right. He determines the satisfaction with regards to proof of paternity, and if he says Max is his son and our nephew, then he is. This is not ours to question. Wouldn’t you expect the same sort of respect?”

“All I know,” Devon said, “is I’m happy to not be the youngest Travati anymore. Don’t have to deal with all the crap of being the youngest for the rest of my life.” Devon lifted a strawberry from the fruit tray before him and smiled. “Got somebody to show the ropes to now.”

Justin turned to his younger brother. “I’m not sure rope-showing would be appropriate for this trip.”

“What? He’s coming here? You’re going to let people meet your bastard son?” Anthony asked.

“What did you just say?” Justin walked toward his brother and halted.

They stood toe to toe. Anthony was still a quarter inch shorter, even in those two-thousand-dollar Italian handmade shoes.

“Perhaps you didn’t hear me, little brother. One more disparaging word, and we’ll be calling an ambulance to get you out of my office. Are we clear?”

Anthony’s nostrils flared, and his lips peeled back into a snarl. Leo jumped up from the couch with Devon just behind.

“Hey, guys?” Devon said and stepped beside Anthony while Leo stood near the center of this soon-to-be dogfight.

“Oh, we’re clear,” Anthony said. “And you know exactly what I think of this woman and your son.” He turned on his heel and exited the office, throwing one look over his shoulder at his three brothers, a pitying look as though to say, what fools could you all possibly be?

The tension in the room eased. “Let it go, Justin. He’s dealing with some serious stuff right now. He isn’t himself.”

Justin didn’t care what the hell Anthony was dealing with as long as his brother understood that he couldn’t make negative remarks about Justin’s family. Family? That’s what Aubrey and Max were to him now. He considered them family.

“I’m happy for you, brother,” Leo said and slapped his hand against Justin’s arm. “When do they arrive? Can’t wait to get to meet my nephew.”

“Yeah, man. Didn’t think you’d ever get to have a kid, and now? Wow. This is good news, the best news I’ve heard in weeks.” Devon threw his arms around Justin and gave him a big hug. Their baby brother had always been a hugger. While the other three Travatis were more prone to distant signs of affection, Devon was one to throw his arms around someone and give them a big hug.

“Mom and Dad would be so happy, man,” Devon said into his brother’s ear. He pulled back, and a giant smile took over his face. “Max, huh? Just like Dad?” Devon nodded and glanced from Justin to Leo. “So when the hell do we get to meet this guy?





Chapter 20




“Mom, this place is huge!”

Aubrey didn’t know what she’d expected, but she hadn’t expected this monstrous penthouse with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan. Of course she’d worked in finance, and of course Aubrey understood wealth and the immense fortunes that a tiny number of people in the world had accumulated. Yes, she knew in theory that such wealth existed, but to see the evidence of it, the manifestation of that kind of money, to be in the center of a home that represented all those dollars made by one person, was nearly overwhelming.