Free The Betrayal of Renegade X (Renegade X, Book 3) by Chelsea M. Campbell

over.
    “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m getting at.”
    I gasp. “Is it that he’s a hero ?”
    “When I said not to upset your brother, I assumed you wouldn’t also be trying to upset me .”
    She should really know me better than that by now. “Is there something upsetting about having hero genes? I didn’t think it would be a problem, since I’m half hero, and having me, your firstborn son, at your wedding doesn’t bother you, does it? There’s nothing inherently offensive about me existing, is there? Or is it that your guests think I might be sleeping with him? Because we all know how offensive a villain sleeping with a hero would be.”
    Her face and part of her neck turn an angry red. “I told you not to cause a scene.”
    “How am I causing a scene? You’re the one who came over here to harass me about my date. I was minding my own business. It’s not my fault if you invited a bunch of narrow-minded people who have a problem with non-traditional couples.”
    There’s a high-pitched squeal, and then a screech of “Moooommmmmyyyy!” Xavier comes running over, looking like he’s about to cry from being away from her for more than two seconds. His hair—which is the same bright red as hers—has been gelled down so much, it looks like plastic doll hair. He grabs her arm, more like a toddler would than an eight-year-old, at least until he spots me. Then he launches himself toward me, throwing his arms around my waist and practically knocking me over. “Damien!”
    I don’t hug him back. I know this is where I’m supposed to, because he’s a little kid and he’s my brother, and if it was Alex or Jess glomping onto me right now, I wouldn’t even have to think about it. But it’s Xavier, my replacement, and it’s kind of all I can do not to push him away.
    Zach reappears next to me, giving me a curious look as he watches me standing there awkwardly. “This is your brother?”
    Xavier steps back, leaving a smear of snot on my jacket, and scowls at Zach. “Who’s this?” He has a screechy, demanding voice that reminds me of nails on a chalkboard.
    Zach smiles and waves at Xavier. “Hi, I’m Zach. Damien’s friend.”
    Xavier ignores him and says, “Mom, tell him to stop looking at me.”
    “Xavier, sweetie,” Mom says—and I feel a twinge of jealousy when she calls him that—“that’s not how we talk to our friends, remember?”
    “But he’s not my friend. And you told me Damien wasn’t going to be here!”
    I raise an accusing eyebrow at her. I guess she figured it would be too hard to keep Xavier from seeking me out if he knew I was here.
    “Well, that’s... he surprised me,” Mom says, putting a hand on Xavier’s shoulder and drawing him closer to her. “I didn’t know.”
    Xavier wipes his nose on the back of his hand. “He was supposed to be my best man.”
    “Ring bearers don’t have best mans, sweetie.”
    He looks at her like she’s insane. “I could have had one, if I wanted. It’s my wedding, too.” Then he turns to me and says, “Grandpa was looking for you. So was Grandma, but Mommy said you weren’t here.”
    A cold, sick feeling spreads through my stomach when he talks about my grandparents. Our grandparents. I’ve talked to them on the phone a couple times over the past few months, but I haven’t seen them in person in about a year. And it’s bad enough that Mom lied to Xavier about me not being here, but to them, too? I glare at her. “Wow, I guess I really should have RSVP’d, huh?”
    “I’m staying at their house tonight,” Xavier says. “Maybe you could stay over, too. I’m Grandma’s favorite person in the whole world, so she’ll make cookies whenever I tell her to.”
    “Great.” I’ve been their grandson for almost seventeen years, but I haven’t even seen them since last Christmas. And now Xavier’s staying over at their house and is my grandma’s favorite person. Right.
    He picks up on my sarcasm and tilts his head