Gage couldn’t help but glare at his brother as Reid moved around the kitchen, looking for a plate for himself. Had a fist to the face not been a clear enough message that Gage wanted to see as little of his big brother as possible? Barging in on his dinner with Addison made it seem like there had been some serious miscommunication.

But with her sitting at the table, Gage had to restrain himself. She didn’t need to be a part of their family drama any more than she already was. Surely he could make it through the rest of dinner without cursing Reid out or strangling him?

The growl in Gage’s chest said no, but he could at least try.

“Are the glasses still in the top cupboard to the left?” Reid asked.

“Middle one on the right,” Gage replied with gritted teeth.

“Ah, you’ve changed it up,” his brother remarked, setting his own place at the head of the table.

“A lot has changed since you were last here,” Gage said.

It made his blood boil that Reid sat where he did, like he was in charge, or had any claim on their childhood home. After the way Reid had abandoned them when they had needed him the most, Gage would have thought Reid would show some regret, or at least respect. But he was as arrogant as ever.

The great Reid Atherton – incapable of making mistakes.

Noticing how tightly he was clutching his knife and fork in his hands, Gage set them aside, just to be on the safe side, and focused his attention on Addison. She was pretty good at masking her discomfort, but he knew it had to be awkward to be stuck between him and Reid the way she was.

“More wine?” he offered, noting her nearly empty glass.

More alcohol always helps, right?

“Sure,” she smiled, edging her glass closer to the center of the table.

“So, are you a Chicago native?” he asked, filling it.

“Born and raised,” Addison replied.

“And you always knew you wanted to be a lawyer?”

She thought about it for a moment, tapping her nails along the stem of her wine glass. Reid was at least quiet, thankfully, filling his plate. Now that Gage was talking to Addison again, though, his brother could have vanished from the table altogether and he wouldn’t have noticed.

“I’m not one of those warriors for justice from an early age,” Addison said. “Not that I don’t care, but that kind of motivation wasn’t what pulled me in. It was the intricacies of it all, the way a simple sentence could mean whatever you made it mean, that’s what made the law my passion.”

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t get in an argument with you?” Gage joked.

“I promise not to use my powers for evil,” she laughed.

There was a sparkle in Addison’s eye as they looked at each other over the table, caught in their own private bubble. Gage couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, admiring her delicate features. Yet there was also a strength that emanated from her, evident in the set of her jaw and the way she didn’t shy away from his stare.

He had to wonder if she felt the same indescribable pull that he did. She had to, right?

“Oh, she’s tougher than she looks,” Reid chimed in with a chuckle. “I still remember the first cross I let her run. The guy was a forensic dentist, wasn’t he?” he turned to Addison. “He wasn’t sure of his own name after you were through with him.”

Irritated by the interruption, Gage took another sip of his wine before folding his hands on the table. He wasn’t about to chat it up with Reid, like the last ten years hadn’t happened. But he still wanted to know all he could about Addison. So he just waited for her to respond, or elaborate.

Addison’s shoulders stiffened as she shook her head.

“Bite-mark evidence is a joke and shouldn’t even be admissible in court,” she said sternly. “Half the time the so-called experts can’t even agree if the marks were made by teeth or not. There have been so many cases were people have been convicted thanks to bite-marks, and later exonerated by DNA. It’s a travesty, that’s what it is.”

It was clear just talking about it was getting her worked up. Gage liked seeing that fire in her. He got the feeling she cared a lot more about justice than she had let on, or even realized. Reid just chuckled.

“I’ll take any evidence that points the way I want it to point,” he said.

“You would,” Gage couldn’t help but scoff.

Reid rolled his eyes.

“It was a joke,” he replied. “Lighten up.”

Now that tipped Gage over the edge. He didn’t want to let Reid get to him, but every time he so much as opened his mouth, it tore open old wounds. Reid pushed his buttons, and there was no way of getting around that.

“Lighten up? You show up out of the blue, after you didn’t even bother to come to the funeral, and now you expect me to what, laugh at your jokes and serve you dinner?” Gage demanded, his chair scraping against the floor as he shot to his feet.

Addison was still and silent as Gage glared at Reid. The man blanched a little, the smugness gone from his face, but a stubborn set to his jaw.

“Can we not do this right…” he started.

“I don’t want to do this at all,” Gage shot back. “I said you can stay here, but don’t get in my way. In fact, the less I see you the better. We might be blood, but we’re not family. Not anymore.”

With that, he turned on his heel and stomped away, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. No one said anything or tried to follow as he made his way to the master bedroom and shut the door after him.

That was not how he had wanted dinner to go, but he had said what needed to be said. His only regret was that Addison had been there to witness it all. He would probably have to explain the animosity between Reid and him sooner or later.

But that was a task for another day.