Chapter 2: Weird Reaction

At the sound of Devon’s voice, and his arrogant demand, Joe stiffens, his eyes snaps up to meet the slightly shorter man’s eyes. Devon flinches at the fury he glimpsed in the dark chocolate eyes staring down at him.

The taller man looks intimidating and scary with his angry face. Who is he? Devon’s curiosity burns hard. He has all but forgotten his phone call. 

More than half of him fumes with jealousy that the woman he just discarded has someone as capable as the man before him. The man screams rich and bourgie. 

Where did his poor wife meet such a fine man? 

Feeling a bit insecure, Devon straightens his height, looking to add a few inches so as not to be at a disadvantage with the other man. “Who are you?” He says, with a bit of authority, even though he feels slightly nervous. 

Kathleen pulls back from her brother’s embrace even though she is not ready to leave it. She turns to face her husband. 

Ex-husband, her mind quickly corrects, causing her heart to clench in pain. She stares at him coldly. “Who he is is none of your business.” 

Devon bristles, goes to argue to demand answers, but Kathleen has walked away, ready to end the night and find some rest. She feels drained mentally and emotionally. 

Devon looks in her direction to find her heading for the inside of the car, which didn’t please him. How dare the brunette walk away from him when they are still talking. He goes to follow, but Joe steps into his path, blocking it. 

Devon stops abruptly before he runs into the taller man. 

Joe peer down at Devon like he is the worst creature on earth. His sculpted features filled with disdain. He can’t believe that his sister gave this sorry excuse of a man her love, and the imbecile had the audacity not to appreciate it. 

He knows about his bad treatment of his sister. Him and his family, and Joe is aching to teach him a lesson. Because of his respect for his sister he restrains himself. 

He leans down and whispers. “Your relationship ends here. If you go near her again, I will end you.” 

Devon flinches at Joe’s threat, his eyes flying up to meet his eyes. He sees the seriousness of the other man’s words in his eyes. The stared at him coldly, with a fury that makes him nervous. 

Not sure of who the man is and if he can take him, Devon retreats. 

“Good dog,” Joe says insultingly and walks away. 

He enters the car and drives away, leaving Devon breathing fire. 

“Baby!” His mistress tries to get his attention, but Devon angrily ends the call, and then calls his mother, looking to vent. 

“Mum! She is cheating on me!” He whines into the phone. 

“Who?!” His mother replies, confused. 

“Kathleen of course, who else,” Devon hisses, irritated that his mother is not keeping up. 

“I thought you have divorced her?” The woman on  the other side queries, sounding confused. When her son told her about divorcing his wife, she said good radiance. Ever since her son brought the brunette home, she has been nothing but trouble. All she does is sit at home and eat her son’s money. 

“But Mum!”

The woman snaps back into the conversation at her son’s whiny tone. “Look, Devon, I am glad that she devil is out of your life. Forget about her and concentrate on Lily. You know I like Lily.” 

Her son’s first love is a lovely woman. Beautiful, and sweet. Unlike the beggar he married. 

Not getting the support he needs from his Mum, Devon ends the call, and walks back into the house sulking. 

“Is dad at home?” Kathleen turns to speak to Joe. They have been riding in silence since they left her husband’s home. Not tensed silence, but not comfortable either. 

Joe nods, but keeps his attention ahead. 

“Does he know I am coming home?” Kathleen looks down to her laps. Five years ago when she made the decision to marry Devon, her father warned her she was making a mistake, that Devon is not to be trusted, but Kathleen was in love and not willing to listen. 

She is not looking forward to the I told you so from her father.

“Yes,” Joe answers, keeping his response short, though not intentional. 

Kathleen looks at him, her brow furrowed. “Are you mad at me?” Her brother is not the talking type, but tonight is being more taciturn than usual, and his one-word response is making her agitated. She knows is been five years, but they have always shared a closeness that she doesn’t believe the years would have destroyed. 

Joe looks at her, his gaze piercing. Why would you think that? He questions, his expression not giving away his thoughts, which irritates Kathleen. She hates not knowing what her brother is thinking. 

“You are just giving me one-word answers,” she frowns, with a pout. 

Joe smiles, finding her reaction cute. How he has missed seeing that. He keeps his thoughts to himself, but explains to his sister that he is not mad. 

“I am not mad. Just answering the question as you asked. Ask me something that requires more words to answer and I will answer with more words.” 

Kathleen brings her gaze back to her brother. Taking his side features, and being reminded how handsome her brother is, her heart skips a little as she is thinks how much she has missed her older brother. How she has missed his strong embrace, his reassuring presence. His unshakable belief in her that she can do anything she wants to do. 

When she brought up her marriage to Devon, he supported her despite his reservation because that is what she wanted. 

They haven’t spoken in years because Kathleen feared Devon discovering her secret. Not that it matters anymore. 

Her expression clouds with sadness which she pushes back. How have you been? She asks softly. 

“Fine,” Joe answers, turning into their family Estate. 

Kathleen glares at her brother, and when Joe’s feels her glare he smiles and turns to her. “Welcome home,” he says, his features softening. 

Kathleen nods, but looks apprehensive, which Joe sees. “What is it?” He asks, his voice soft and gentle. 

“Dad.” Was all the brunette needed to say for her brother to understand her thoughts. “He loves you,” he reassures her, reaching to touch her gently. 

As his broad hand covers her slender, feminine ones, something happens, that shocks Kathleen. She feels a thrill shoot up her hand. Her eyes flies to Joe to see if he felt it, but she meets a perfectly calm expression, watching her inquisitively. 

“What is it?” 

Kathleen moves her hand from Joe’s while shaking her head muttering “nothing,” her expression flustered. She has never felt something like this before. Not when it came to her brother. 

What is going on? Has her divorce driven her insane that she now feels attracted to her brother? 

Kathleen shrugs off the weirdness of the situation, putting it off her mind, as she gets out of the car. 

“Where is dad?” She asks Joe as they walk into the Estate. 

Standing in their grand lobby, Joe answers her. “In his study.”

The servants all came out to welcome her, which Kathleen accepts graciously, before heading up the spiral staircase towards her father’s study.