Phantom: Her Ruthless Villain (Ruthless Triad 5)

Even more surprising, Phantom’s youngest brother, Mike—the gay one—had joined Manhattan Mercy as a Neonatology fellow last summer.

“I thought so many times about just walking up and introducing myself after you and Phantom got engaged,” he told me. “But he said I wasn’t allowed to say anything to you on Thanksgiving, and I’m not a fan of fratricide.”

“Why would he...?” I started to ask.

Our conversation got cut off by his sisters-in-law’s introductions.

They were also doctors, a family physician, and a psychiatrist—both with their own private practices in mid-town.

“We met our husbands in med school,” they told me in a way that didn’t quite explain who was married to who.

Even the Japanese-American mom, Annie, who’d opened the door was technically a doctor—though her title came courtesy of a Ph.D.

“I taught economics at Queens College up until I retired last year,” she said with a laugh. “And you’re even more impressive than we thought you would be. I am never going to forgive Phantom for not bringing you home to meet us sooner. But I’m so glad you two are back together. After everything that happened in December, I didn’t think he’d ever come to his senses.”

Wait. What happened in December?

Before I could ask, one of the wives pointed out, “PTSD can present in interesting ways. I was apprehensive that Phantom wouldn’t ever be able to process his guilt and fear reaction and find his way forward in a relationship he clearly valued.”

“That is because you are too much big-brain thinking,” Phantom’s father informed his daughter-in-law. “My mother never wrong. Never!”

Then he crooked his head to look at me. “Olivia, why you have this look on your face.”

“I’m sorry, but I am so, so confused,” I answered as politely as I could, given all the questions swirling around my head.

“You all seem like very nice people—I mean, dream in-laws. It hurts my heart to meet you, actually. But…”

I let out a sad sigh. “Phantom and I are not back together. I haven’t seen him since before Christmas. I have no idea what happened in Hawaii. Your mother brought me here, but unfortunately, because of our language barrier, I didn’t understand where we were going or why.”

They all gaped at me, then turned to stare as one at Phantom’s grandma.

“Not cool, Maamaa,” the youngest brother said. “Not cool.”

What followed was a nearly incomprehensible conversation with Phantom’s defensive grandmother—even though a lot of it was in English thanks to Phantom’s brothers not slipping into Cantonese like their father.

“I don’t care if she wants to die,” the oldest brother insisted to their father at one point. “You have to talk some sense into her, Dad. She had no right to bring her here without Phantom’s consent.”

“He’s going to be so pissed when he finds out,” Phantom’s supposed twin, Ryan, said to the rest of them.

“Maybe we don’t tell him?” one of the wives suggested. “I mean, we can all keep a secret, right? I think we’re all scared enough of Phantom to do that.”

“Great idea,” Jake, the oldest brother, said, taking charge. “Give me a moment to grab our coats, and I’ll drive you home—”

He cut off when Phantom’s grandma waggled her phone and declared something that made everyone but Annie erupt.

“Why, Grandma?” Ryan demanded. “Why did you call him?”

A door slammed in the distance before Phantom’s grandmother could answer.

My heart stopped. And everyone stilled, like a pack of herbivores when they hear the rustle of a predator.

We all waited in that frozen tableau of dread and anticipation as heavy footsteps came directly toward the dining room.

So, of course, I knew who it was even before Phantom filled up the open doorway of the formal dining room and demanded, “What. The. Fuck?”

22

Everyone sat there frozen in response to Phantom’s question. Even his grandmother.

Everyone but me.

It felt surreal, like stepping out of a still life when I alone stood up to face the beast.

“Phantom,” I said softly.

He glanced at me, but his shark eyes didn’t pin me down like they used to before Christmas.

Instead, he quickly looked away and took a step back. As if I was a fire that could burn him alive.

“Why are you here?” he demanded, his voice as vicious as mine was soft.

He had questions.

Well, I had questions too.

So many questions. But only one came out. Two words: “What happened?”

He shook his head, still refusing to look at me. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“What happened?” I asked again. “Why did you do this to me? To us?”

He just kept shaking his head. “You can’t be here. Jake, take her home.”

“I was about to do that when you walked in,” Jake said, hopping up from the still life like a soldier. “Just have to grab my coat.”

But then Phantom’s grandmother also unfroze and erupted with, “Hak-kan!” followed by an angry burst of Cantonese.

“Don’t even try it, Grandma,” Phantom answered over my shoulder, cutting her off. “I’m so done with you right now. You’ll be lucky if I even talk to you before this death you’re so excited for.”