Family Secrets and Sibling Ties

"Ms. Devereaux."

"Cress…" I corrected, and Miles nodded. His cocky grin had me adding, "And if you add Miss to that, I'm going to punch you too, but a lot harder because I know you can take it."

He chuckled lightly before stepping around me to open my door. After I slid onto the leather seat, he stepped back, moving the door as if he were about to close it but pausing.

"You did hit him like a girl. You could have done better."

He shut me in and rounded the rear of the vehicle until he reached the front driver's door and got comfortable behind the steering wheel.

"He's strong as a dancer, but you're strong as a protector. I didn't want to bruise my partner. He's responsible for lifting me several times a day. Not smart if he's injured."

Miles chuckled again. "True. Because there would be consequences for dropping you."

His eyes met mine in the rearview.

"Which leads me to, why are you here?"

He glanced at me again, offering a pointed look. The one who said I'd have to find out when we reached my family's estate My brother didn't give details in most situations, like the present. Christian likely would have only told Miles to come and get me. That was all.

"Is it my father?" I still decided to try.

"No, your father is the same as always. Nothing new to report." I relaxed a little.

"Does he have company or..."

"Cress…" Miles warned, and I narrowed my eyes at him when he lifted to the rearview again, issuing a warning of my own.

"He had company a few days ago. From what I can tell, his request for you has something to do with that."

"Who?" I felt my anxieties building again. My family was involved in so many things that there was never a warning if and when my brother was dancing on the dark side. I chose to keep myself disconnected, but the stigma would forever be attached to my name. I was a Devereaux.

"You know I can't tell you, Cress. Christian will tell you what you need to know."

"What does he want me to know?" I huffed.

Miles didn't disagree. "You can't have it both ways. If you choose to stay out of the family business, then Christian will filter the information he gives you. It's for the best."

"It is." I still had a bad feeling in my gut. I wasn't going to like whatever my brother had to tell me, whether it was a need to know or what he wanted me to know. Christian sending for me wasn't something I looked forward to.

Forty minutes later, Miles extended a hand to help me out of the SUV. My body felt weighted from the long drive. The exertion I placed on my body had caught up with me, and my stomach had begun to knot with a need for nourishment. I wasn't one of those dancers who starved myself, which allowed me to keep my natural curves. Although I was long and lean with somewhat of a dancer's body, I didn't have the physique of a twelve-year-old little boy. I loved my shape and refused to starve myself into the industry standards of what a dancer should be. My five-foot-nine height was already enough of a contradiction, so I'd decided early in my teen years of training to be who God created me to be. I made it work, even if most in the dance world weren't too thrilled about it.

"Are you coming in?"

"No, I'll be waiting to take you home."

"You don't know how long I'll be here."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

It didn't. My brother paid his people to do their jobs. If driving me was assigned to Miles for the day, he would wait as long as necessary. He could also come in; he usually did, but not today, which made me nervous about being summoned.

I was already wanting to be anywhere but here. My ties to the family were something I couldn't change, but my association with them based on the time I offered was an entirely different story.

"Cress…"

My eyes trekked up the center of the massive staircase and landed on my brother Christian. He stood looking at every bit of our father, dressed in a black suit. No tie, but the black shirt beneath the tailored threads of his jacket gave him the dark professional look that our father demanded of his son.

"I'm here; what do you want?"