Page 50 of Kingpin's Secret Baby

My feet carry me through the burning forest, down the mountain, away from the chaos and the smoke and the future he believed we could have. Every step feels like betrayal, but I force myself to keep moving.

Somehow, I make it down the mountain. My body is screaming for rest, my lungs raw, my hands shaking as I stumble into the nearest town.

A bus stop.

I don’t even know where the bus goes.

I just know I have to get on it.

Chapter 25

Piers

My head feels like it's been split open with an axe. The first thing I notice is the throbbing pain at my temple, followed by the rough scratch of rope around my wrists. When I try to move, to assess my situation, the bindings only tighten.

I force my eyes open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. A warehouse. Industrial. Empty except for the dozen or so men scattered around, all wearing the colors of the Crowes.

And standing at the center, directly in front of me-

Is me.

I suck in a sharp breath, my heart slamming against my ribs as I stare at the man in front of me.

Not a reflection. Not a trick. A man identical to me.

Same sharp-cut jaw, same high cheekbones, same deep-set eyes. But there’s something different about him. His hair is shorter, neater. His clothes more refined, like he belongs to something bigger than just himself.

The man holds up his hands in a placating gesture as I start to struggle against my bonds. “Easy there, brother. You're safe.”

I know that voice.

“You,” I rasp, my throat raw. The thick Irish accent. My mind reels, dragging up the memory of a voice calling out from the darkness, only days ago. It's the same one from the cabin porch, trying to convince me to abandon Fantasia.

“Who the fuck are you?” I demand, even though it’s pretty obvious.

He gives me a slow, measured nod. “I’m your twin,” he says, his expression earnest. “And I'm happy to have found you, Piers.”

Blood rushes in my ears, my head pounding. “What the fuck.” My voice comes out hoarse, disbelieving. “How is this possible?”

My chest constricts and my stomach twists violently. A twin. A twin I never knew I had.

He exhales through his nose, his expression unreadable. “I found out about you only a few days ago. The name’s Desmond Crowe.”

A twin. A brother. A family I never knew existed.

Once, that might’ve meant something to me. When I was a kid staring at strangers’ faces, wondering if I belonged to one of them. When I was stuck in the system, convincing myself that somewhere out there, someone was looking for me.

I should care. I should have questions.

But I don’t.

Because none of this matters.

I know better now.

Family isn’t blood. It’s who stands by you when the world turns to ash.

And the only person who ever did that- who ever mattered- was Fantasia.

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