My Father defended her, without really knowing what she means to us, he support Per, when Cassandra attacked her... he smiled at her.

I shook my head and groaned, running my hands through my hair. I needed to speak with him, to find out what he thought, both him and mum.

Out of all of us, my relationship with my parents was not the closest, there was no absence of love, but of their time and attention, they had each other and whilst I was a product of that and I knew they loved me, it was not the same as the love they had for each other.

That love had my parents travelling together for my fathers business and social lives, I was there and they gave me everything they wanted but I had always felt on the outskirts of their relationship.

I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror on the wall opposite me, I could see the frown on my face and knew that would have to go before I rejoined Per or she would worry.

At the thought of the girl who had us all focused on her, my face changed, I felt slightly out of my body as my mind split watching me think of Per and my response to even just a thought, It looked familiar and I gasped when it hit me. It was the way my father looked when he was with my mother.

I allowed the thoughts of Per to run rampant through my mind and knew if this was how my father thought of my mother, I understood, for the first time I really understood.

He was in his study alone but a phone pressed to his ear and his computer on in front of him when I found him and he waved me in a seat. I listened as he wrapped up his conversation.

"Son, you okay?" he asked focussing on me.

"I get it now, you and mum, I get it" I mumbled out before I could think and tensed wondering how he would take my words but he just laughed.

"Good"

"How did you know, with mum, how did you know?"

He leaned back and smiled again "It was instant, as soon as I knew her... well I knew her, it was as if she had been with me forever, I didn't give her a chance to do anything else, I claimed your mother, chased off any threat, even if she didn't realise it was there and in return she loved me.

Is this how you feel about Per?"

"Yes, but its complicated"

"Because you all want her?" he asks and I nod, from what had happened already I knew all our parents were aware of our feelings but not what they thought about it.

"You boys are as close as brothers, do you think Per would come between you all?" He challenges.

"No, I get the feeling she would sacrifice herself to not hurt us, and we have discussed it, we are all open to sharing, we mentioned to her we all want her and she is open to exploring what that means" I pause and look at him, "We would have been more discrete but we realised you all know she not just my girlfriend, Do you mind?"

He looked at me "Would it stop you?"

"No" my reply was instant. "She's it for me, for us, we have only just found her though and don't want to scare her away by rushing anything, we would if we could though, all of us are sure" I tell him and he smiles.

"Then nothing else matter. Son, the world is a changing place, a decade ago I might have been more worried but I know now this sort of relationship can work, we do business with people in similar lifestyles. My only advice would be to make sure you all communicate, with her and with each other, be ready for the challenges you face and trust each other to have your backs"

"Dad..." I feel the emotion overwhelm me and he laughs again.

"Where is your girl?" he changes the subject and I grin.

"On the beach with Ivo, he needed to take a walk to stop him murdering Cassandra" I tell him.

"Ah yes, the Simpson girl was jealous. You boys will face a lot of that, and she will be a target as well, her own family will ensure that" he says and I hiss.

"Her family have caused her enough problems" I ran my hands through my hair, wondering what I should tell him. In case we needed his backing.

"I guessed as much" he said surprising me and I watched as he pulled a report folder out of his desk drawer.

"I did a quick search on her when you called me, the only flag was from her previous school, I dug a little deeper and managed to get a better understanding of what happened"

I waited for him to continue.

"Quite frankly her parents are going to be a risk, to all of you, I cannot see them accepting what you all want, not without a fight" he holds his hand up to stop me as I go to argue. "They will not get the chance to challenge any of you, I understand you are claiming Rupert as her boyfriend with her parents, that is a sensible move, the potential links between Brietmeyer and Brooke-Bennett businesses will keep them in check" he pauses, "For now"

"And then?"

"We will always be there to support you, whatever you need"

"Dad... Thank you"

"Now get out of here, find your girl, relax and enjoy getting to know each other" he laughs getting up and coming round to give me a hug.

"Where is everyone?" I ask realising how quiet the house sounds.

"They've gone into town, they will be back for dinner, but until then I think you'll be safe"

I head back for the pool house, seeing Topper sat talking to Cosmo and Cassian by the pool, and I grin knowing one day they will really be his brothers, not just honorary ones.

"How did it go with your dad?" Ru asks from the bar, pouring me a cold drink and kicking out a chair. I tell him what we discussed and he nodded, "I got the same from my mum, they all support us, they're okay with Per but her parents are a negative" he recounts.

"We can deal with them when we need to, she's legally an adult, at worst they will disown her and if that happens we will look after her ourselves, she doesn't need them, not now" I promise him.

"And Cassandra?" he asks.

"We won't need to do anything about her, I have no doubt that Ivo's brother will have that in hand, I know they only put up with her for Alexi" but after her outburst earlier that leeway would be ending I thought to myself.

"They've been a while" he mentions looking at the clock and I take a good look at him, was he jealous, worried, what was he feeling.

"You okay?"

"I will be, its just a bit of a shock, the acceptance, Per's agreement to try and am I bad for hoping the Ivo's making the best of his time with her, I want to take everything at a hundred miles an hour, I want her married, with us, nothing able to take her away from us. It crazy and I'd never have believed a week ago I could want anything like this, without any warning she is all I can think of" He tells me, pouring another drink.

"And if Ivo has... done anything, what then?"

"I think it will make me believe she means what she says, she's willing to try... I know you, you are my brothers in my heart and with you I am happy to share, anything , everything. I just worry that she has been hurt by Vaughn, by her family and that will scare her away from me, from us"

"And if she's not ready, wants to take things slow, can you walk away?" I ask curiously, noting his fear is of her leaving, of walking away.

"I'd wait for her, till she was ready, we are young, still in school but I wait, I'd wait for her" he replies and I clap him on his back.

"It will work out Ru, trust me, I feel it in my gut, we just have to go at her pace" I tell him with a smile. "Now, come and help me put the bags in the right rooms before she returns, Her bags in the master, you and I can have one room and Topper and Ivo the other". I give him and shove and he laughs as we rush use the stairs, with him trying to push me back.