After Scott had gone, Gordon disappeared up to his apartment and left John to wander the casino. His casino.
John walked the floor, contemplating his brothers. More specifically, he was thinking of his oldest and youngest brothers. And his Papa.
Scott may have been concentrating on Alan's upcoming 21st birthday, but John was concentrating on Scott's 30th. His brother was never interested in celebrating his own birthdays ever, but 30 was just as big of a milestone as 21, and John was determined to make sure that Scott had something extra special.
His brother deserved it. So, so much.
John took the pocket watch out to check the time. An heirloom that he loved, a present from his Grandmother that had once belonged to his grandfather, it was one of the reasons why he favoured waistcoats. He dipped his head to some of the patrons still on the floor. 1am and it was quietly buzzing.
As he walked he thought. About his Papa and his only oldest brother and their relationship. Scott hero-worshipped Papa. Had for a short while been completely lost when the man had first gone missing. But he had come into his own, turning the family business from a multi-million business into a billion-dollar one, and well on its' way to trillion-dollar.
Since Papa had been back Scott had dithered, a little unsure of his place in the family. He had never taken to the role of Don, not officially, but he had for six long years been the Head. Now, back to being just the heir apparent, it had taken both John and Virgil to reassure him.
He himself had no problem. He loved his Papa, sure, but he didn't worship the man. Hadn't since he had been six years old. Papa was a strict man, but he loved his children as well as he could, John had never doubted that.
Reaching his office, John sat at the desk and lost himself in a memory he hadn't thought about for years.
Scott had been seven, he had been six. They still lived in the farmhouse in Kansas, Jeff adamant he didn't want his children in danger in New York. They visited him occasionally, and he came for a couple of days every week. It wasn't an ideal arrangement but it meant that his children could grow up as children, not scared of being kidnapped or worse by the Kyrano family.
One Thursday Jeff had come home and sat with his four children. He listened attentively as they had filled him in on what had happened over the last couple of weeks. Virgil had thrust a picture under his nose. Gordon, who was still a baby, asleep in his arms.
And then Scott had told him how he wanted to fly, to be a pilot and possibly join the Air Force. Their Papa had frowned but hadn't said anything at the time. He then he listened as John explained how he wanted to go into space.
The next day when they came home from school Papa was gone. And along with him every airplane and book on flying and Scott's posters of jets and gone too. None of John's space paraphernalia was missing.
Scott hadn't spoken for a week.
Their mother had been furious, and that weekend John had heard his parents argue for the first time. That weekend Papa took Scott to New York and began grooming to take over the business. That weekend and every other weekend until he was seventeen and off to Yale.
Scott had never mentioned wanting to fly again. He had eventually learnt, but he was the eldest and had business to do, and that had become priority. Just as it should have been for a good eldest Italian son.
John had never forgotten. He had decided if his brother couldn't follow his dreams then he wouldn't either. It was a good job that John had so many options to choose from. In the end, Math had called him – along with programming and languages. He'd been a natural to take over the casino.
The first thing John had done was redecorate. Gone was the flashy vintage 2000's décor. He brought back minimalist combined with Art Deco. All in shades of blue and gold – his brother and his own favourite colours. It had been a massive boost.
Eventually John made his way upstairs to his apartment. He and Gordon had divided the top two floors between themselves, a mutually beneficial arrangement meaning both were always on hand for their respective companies.
They had planned a surprise party for Scott and had clubbed together with a genius inventor to build Scott his very own jet. It had cost a fortune, but between the four of them they had managed. Brains had promised them the fastest jet ever.
John poured himself a Scotch. Planning birthday parties was hard work when your family has everything. A race team and a supersonic jet. At least the next birthday – Virgil's – would be easy to buy for. He snorted as he remembered Gordon's birthday just gone. They'd had a model dressed as a mermaid jump out of a ridiculous cake, everything his brother loved.
Gordon loved the sea as much as John loved space. And he loved outwardly tacky displays of tat more than anything. He'd been delighted, ecstatic even. The only cloud on the day had been the absence of Lady P.
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward. Heiress and socialite. Her father and their Papa had been arranging for her and Scott to marry, the merging of two huge fortunes and powerful families. But then Papa had disappeared and Hugh Creighton-Ward had died and the pair had breathed a sigh of relief. Close friends they may have been, but both had other people in their sights.
Why on earth Lady P was interested in Gordon was totally beyond any comprehension of John's, and John was a very smart man. But it was good to see his brother happy. He'd fought back from the accident so very hard, and he deserved some happiness.
Same for Scott. John may not understand the dynamics of that kind of love but having three out of four brothers in happy relationships gave him some happiness of his own. He, of course, included Virgil in that, happily married to his Lord.
Only Alan didn't have a 'steady' girlfriend, although he did have a crush. John knew because Alan and he shared a love of space and that meant that they often talked. Maybe Gordon knew – he was Al's best friend – but he was pretty sure neither Scott or Virgil were aware. Which was a good thing, really.
Alan would get over it, John only hoped it would be sooner than later before Scott made things official on his end. As he hoped would Papa, all his plans before he left in ruins and new alliances formed in his absence.
God. He loved his family, but things could be twisted and messy. He hoped he wouldn't have to witness another.
John poured himself a scotch while he thought about his oldest and youngest brothers.
And his Papa.