“The prodigal brother returns.”

My lips twitched into a smile. “Hey.”

Sebastian stepped back and led me into his and Penny’s private quarters. I’d been in there a couple of times before, but somehow, coming back now, it felt different. The massive five thousand square foot apartment in the palace had been his original quarters. His mother, the Queen Mother, had insisted that she remain in the primary quarters. From what I understood, it was over fourteen thousand square feet spread out over two floors on the south end of the palace. “I see you guys didn’t change anything.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “You’ve only been gone a few months. What? You expected me to lock Penny up already?”

I chuckled to myself. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“Well, let’s just give her time to get adjusted. I’m sure Penny would bolt if she knew I was trying to lock her up.”

I frowned. “Trouble in paradise?”

He shook his head then he shrugged. “No, not really. I think she’s having a hard time adjusting. You know, before she didn’t want to be a Royal Guard. But now that she can’t be, it’s all she wants. So we’re having a little negotiation.”

“Oh, this again. Should have known. You know how independent she is.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it. You know she’s been sneaking off to see the traitor, right?”

My brows snapped down. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

Sebastian ran his hands through his hair. “Okay, she’s not exactly sneaking. I haven’t forbidden it. And she’s within her legal right to do so as long as he agrees to see her willingly without council. She’s been questioning him.”

“Fuck me, Penny.” I groaned.

“Tell me about it.” He shook his head. “It’s infuriating. She’s doing it above board, but she won’t talk to me about it. And she just takes off and does it. She’s the bloody queen. I don’t want to forbid her, but fuck. She’s the most infuriating woman I’ve ever met.”

I chuckled. “I feel like you knew this about her when you married her though.”

“Yeah, I guess I did. And not one guard came to rat her out. Not that what she’s doing is against the rules exactly, but you’d think someone over there would be like ‘Hey, do you know what your wife is up to?’”

“Aren’t they supposed to be your people?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know if that matters. They are by proxy. They protect me as their sovereign, right? But they protect her as their friend. And you know, even if she wasn’t the best Royal Guard before, she was one of theirs. Now, she’s suddenly taking being a guard seriously. If ever I can’t find her, it’s a pretty safe bet she’s in there with the intelligence guys, heads shoved together, trying to figure something out.”

“Well, all of this affects her too. It’s her life, isn’t it?”

My brother shrugged. “Yeah, I know it is. I just… Anyway, we’re not going to discuss my wife right now. We’re going to talk about my stubborn brother.”

I groaned. “You know, let’s stick to the wife thing. I can offer relationship advice all day. I mean, I wouldn’t suggest you take it, because clearly, I suck at that. But, I suggest you need to make Penny happy, because happy wife means happy life.”

“You’re giving out marriage advice? God help us all. When was the last time you were in a relationship? Speaking of relationships, how is Bryna?”

Considering where I’d spent the whole night, I felt my ears turning hot and suddenly, found myself embarrassed for the second time that day. “I woke up this morning, and she was gone again. So, that tells me maybe she’s not turning around just yet.”

Sebastian shook his head and then led the way to the kitchen. “Oh? Give her time. I mean, that’s what I told her about you, right?”

In the kitchen, he offered me a cup of coffee. I declined. “Jinx already made me one.”

He frowned. “Jinx?”

“Bryna’s roommate.”

He chuckled. “Oh, Jinx. She’s fun. Paid her a visit recently. I think Penny has been trying to befriend them.”

“You know that almost terrifies me more than anything. Last thing I need in life is Penny teaching Bryna how to make me crazy.”

My brother whacked me on the arm. “You do realize that poor girl came all the way to Italy just to get you, right? On my behest, she got on a plane to see if she could bring you home. That’s not a girl who doesn’t care.”

“I know. I fucked up.”

“With her? Probably. With me? No. I get why you did it. Why you felt like you had to. But like I told you in Italy, you are my brother. I feel it. I took one look at you, and I knew it. So, if you need some time to get there, to figure it out for yourself, to feel like the islands are part of you, then I get it. We all get to the end of our journey when it’s time, right?”

“Now you’re a philosopher?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes. It’s easy to philosophize for someone else.” He took a sip of his coffee and then leveled his gaze on me. “Are you here for good? Or are you planning on running again?”

I shook my head. “I’m done running. Honestly, I’m just tired. Besides, I saw something that made me realize I need to be here. Or at the very least, I need to be near where Bryna is.”

Sebastian frowned. “What?”

I pulled out my phone and showed him the photo that Weller had texted me.

“That’s my stepdad. Tony Angelo. He’s here on the island.”

“Fuck.”

“My sentiments exactly. Thanks to me, he’s wanted by Interpol. I took care of that. But getting him in the net is going to be tricky.”

He gave me a nod and a broad grin spread over his face. “Well, good thing we’re reunited then. Because together, I’m pretty sure we’ll be unstoppable.”

“Did you do it?”

I barged into my father’s office and bypassed his poor secretary, Lynette. Lynette was accustomed to suffering my outbursts. She’d had to deal with several of them over the years, usually when my father did something insane.

Dad looked up, startled, eyes wide, and he waved her off. When the door closed behind her, he said, “Bryna, nice to see you. It would be better if you’d called first though.”

“What? So you could have advanced warning and get your story straight?”

“What in the world do you think I’ve done now?”

“Besides what you’re trying to do to Lucas? You know he’s not a thief. Okay, maybe he was, but he’s not anymore. You know he’s innocent. And you’re trying to make it look like he’s not just so he’ll stay away from me. What is wrong with you?”

He shook his head and sat down. “Does this visit have a point?”

I inhaled deeply and tried to calm myself. “Yes. Why did you put the money back?”

He frowned. “You’ll have to elaborate.”

“The money in my account. Why did you put it back? And why did you give me more than you took? I don’t understand what’s going on. I need you to be clear and honest with me. For once, just be direct.”

“Well then, for once, I have no idea what you’re on about. Money or no money. Honestly, the things that you’ve occupied your mind with. If you would only put your mind toward real things that you could do, I’d be amazed at what you could accomplish.”

“Dad, really. I just want to stop fighting with you. I’m tired. I’m sure you don’t want to keep doing this. You and Mom have to stop trying to control everything. I’m just so exhausted by it all.”

“And I’m telling you the truth. I honestly don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

I frowned. “You didn’t put the money back? The money you stole from me?”

He narrowed his gaze. “’Stole’ is such a harsh word.”

“You know what I mean. The money you took out of my account reappeared at my new bank. You didn’t have anything to do with that?”

“No. You can ask your mother, but I didn’t put the money back. After all, you haven’t complied with what I asked.”

“You didn’t put the money back?” So, I’d been running around assuming it was my parents. If it wasn’t them, then who was it?

“If you don’t mind, if we’re done here…”

“Dad why does it have to be like this? We don’t have to be enemies. We don’t have to fight.”

“You’re right. We don’t. All you have to do is move back home and stop this nonsense.”

“Why can’t you just let me be who I’m going to be? Why does it have to be all or nothing? What’s more, why does it have to be all about you? Don’t you care that I’m happy, that I’m safe? Don’t you care?”

“I do. I just happen to know what’s best for you. Sooner or later, you’ll know it too.”

“Are you sure you know what’s best for me? Because maybe, if you’d been paying attention, you would realize that Lucas actually makes me happy. And considering you’re my father, I would think that’s what you’d want. But since it’s all about you… I don’t think I’ll hold my breath anymore that you’re going to say that.” And then I turned and walked out.