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“Care to make this interesting, Sunshine?” Graham asks, standing in front of the pool table.
I arch an eyebrow. “How?”
“A question for each ball we sink.”
“Hmm,” I say thoughtfully. “That just sounds like a ploy to find out my secrets.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun. And I promise I won’t ask anything too intrusive.”
“You’re a terrible influence, Graham.”
He smiles. “You can call me Gray.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone I like calls me Gray.”
My heart warms and I fight back a smile of my own. “Okay, Gray. You can start.”
“Solid or stripes?” he asks.
I choose stripes. He grabs the cue stick and breaks the rack. His first shot has three balls dropping into the pockets. He looks up at me with a grin.
“That’s three questions.”
“No, multiple balls count as one question,” I correct.
“Fine. Let’s see.” He pauses to think about his question. He pours some whiskey into his glass and drinks before speaking. “Who do you love the most in the world?”
“Seriously?” I ask, surprised by the question.
“Just answer, Sunshine.”
“The twins. Matthew and Maria are everything to me,” I reply honestly.
“Where are their parents?”
“That’s two questions,” I protest.
He gives me a pleading look.
“Their dad passed away. And their mom isn’t really healthy so I mostly look after them.”
Graham’s face falls. I can see him trying to work it all out. He knows my father’s dead and now the twins’ dad as well. He would be shocked to find out my mother’s gone too, and Enzo parents as well. That’s a lot of death in one family. But it’s pretty normal in my world.
“Sorry I shouldn’t have asked,” he apologizes.
“It’s okay. Let’s continue the game.”
He shoots again but is unsuccessful in sinking any of his balls. I collect the cue stick from him. Graham pours me some whiskey, which I down before taking my shot. Two of my balls enter the pockets. I smile, turning to him.
“Well done, Sunshine. What’s your question?” he prompts.
“Alexander’s your half-brother, isn’t he?”
“Ah. You want to know about my complicated family tree. I’m in high spirits, Isabella, so I really don’t want to talk about it. But you’re right. He’s my half-brother. The short story is that my father cheated on his wife, Xander’s mother, with his secretary. The secretary ended up pregnant with me.”
“Where’s your mother now?” I ask curiously.
