Diamond Kisses - Page 205

But…the moment I’d been hugged and welcomed, I’d never once felt like an outsider. I’d feared they’d judge me for knocking up their daughter without a visible ring on her finger. Yet they merely booked in a Vedic astrologer to make predictions for our child and arranged for special mantras to be said while Ily was pregnant.

“You know two of them came, don’t you?” Q pointed at a dark-haired guy and a slender woman, standing slightly removed from the chaos of colour that was Ily’s extended family. The jingle of bangles and glitter of rhinestone-covered saris ensured my brother’s estate resembled the set of a Bollywood movie.

I’d been born into a world with no faith or culture.

I’d had nothing and no one and let fear and despair twist my view. But thanks to Ily’s daily routine of meditation and yoga that I’d adopted, I’d learned that life wasn’t out to destroy me. I wasn’t evil—despite the things I did to the rapists and traffickers we hunted. Every experience, good and bad, was only there to teach and guide and grow.

My love of reading had naturally gravitated toward texts that her father recommended, feeling more awake in this life, more aware, and more grateful than I ever thought possible.

No matter that I spent days hunting, baiting, and killing, I didn’t bring home those memories. I didn’t let hate shadow my happiness. And I never let any monster—including my own—trespass on my peace.

Never again would I ever think ending my life was the answer.

Never again would I be so ungrateful not to appreciate every fucking moment that I got to spend on this planet, in this body, with these people.

Christ, I’m lucky.

Abandoning my laptop, already knowing the words I’d say to Ily in my heart, I joined my brother by the window. I found the two people he stared at. Relations of ours even though we’d never met. “And how do you feel about that? Any second thoughts?”

He sniffed and rubbed his temples. “This is on you. You’re the one who tracked them down and gave away most of your money. They might be monsters.”

“Your money. Not my money. And we’re monsters. Yet…we’re tame enough. I’m sure our half-siblings will be too.”

“Speak for yourself.”

I studied him as he stopped massaging his temples and dropped his hands.

After the year and a half of living here, I’d noticed Q had a similar sensitive system as I did. Only he got migraines instead of nausea. I hadn’t thrown up in a long time. The barometer of right and wrong no longer needed to keep me leashed, yet Q suffered quite regularly.

“Another headache?”

He scowled. “Too many people, that’s all.”

“You sound like Krish.”

“He has it right about people being too noisy.” He huffed and waved off my concern. “I’m fine. Drop it.” Keeping his eyes on the festival below, he stiffened as he noticed Tess mingling. He always did that. Whenever he’d see her, he’d freeze as if still unsure how he had her in his life.

He claimed I was a hopeless romantic.

But so was he. A closet romantic whose love language was tearing out the hearts of bastards.

Balling his hands, he murmured, “You know…the day I proposed to Tess, I branded her.”

“I’m aware. I’ve seen the Q stamped into her chest when we all went swimming together.”

“And I’ve seen the H scribed into Ily’s leg.”

We shared a look.

We smiled.

“Did you see the little wedding present Ben sent you in our joint email?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No?” Scooping my phone from my pocket, I logged in. “What is it?” Last week, Ben and Stew had returned to Joyero to see what could be salvaged of Victor’s island. Despite the explosions and fires, the stone citadel had survived—minus a few pieces. We were in discussions about possibly using it as another base for this secret enterprise of ours.

Q chuckled under his breath as I found the video and opened it. “Don’t, whatever you do, play that at the reception.”

Shooting him a look, I pressed play on the attachment.