Page 1 of Objection

Kaos (Chaos)

The silence in the room had a thick tension. So thick it felt suffocating. So thick it felt as if Kaos moved, it would wrap around him and steady his movements . . . like concrete. As convinced as Kaos was that he was doing the right thing, the confused, disappointed, and sad looks on the faces of his family members had him questioning his decision briefly. Then, his eyes landed on Parker, who was there because her husband had been killed and she had to take his place, and Kaos was reminded of why he had to leave.

The Montgomery Mafia was at the height of its notoriety when Parker’s husband, Holt, was murdered—by his brother. Unfortunately, betrayal meant banishment or death. Worse, death at the hands of a family member. For Kaos, watching his cousin kill his own brother was the final straw. Ironically, Kaos deciding to leave was in itself considered betrayal, positioning him to have the same fate.

Kaos had grown up learning the ways of the mafia. He’d been prepared to take over for his father, who served as underbossfor his older brother, Alpha. Never completely content with that path for his life, Kaos went to school and gained his law degree to ensure he always had a second option.

Alegitoption.

His father boasted of Kaos’s accomplishments in pride, making it clear Kaos was a carefully placed chess piece. With his job, he’d be able to help them if they were ever arrested and charged for a crime. For a while, Kaos agreed, because it meant he could practice law freely. That changed when Holt was murdered and Kaos was asked to take his place.

His father, Adam, made it clear to Kaos what he was risking if he left, and how grim the options were. How severe the consequences were. How some people in their family, and the mafia, would look at his choice to leave as betrayal. None of that mattered to Kaos. He’d seen far too much bloodshed and death and wanted to spend the rest of his days in peace.

The first sound to cut through the thickness of the silence was the creaking of Alpha’s chair. After he signed a piece of paper that his brother, Adam, passed him, he stood and made his way around the table toward his nephew. Kaos had been raised and trained to fear no man . . . not even his uncle . . . who was known in the underworld of Rose Valley Hills and Memphis to end a person’s life for even the slightest annoyance or inconvenience—blood or not.

Alpha gripped Kaos’s shoulder tightly, giving it a squeeze. “When you were born, your mother named you Kaos because of how rough her pregnancy was. She said she was sure you’d come out the womb wreaking all kinds of havoc.”

They smiled, and though Kaos kept his gaze on his uncle, he saw his father smile too out of the corner of his eye.

“You put in a lot of work as a young hoodlum, and I’ll always appreciate the time you put in,” Alpha continued. “I understand your desire to go legit and practice law full time. Iwill honor that request. Usually, anyone wanting to leave would be banished or killed.” Alpha looked back at his brother, who nodded his agreement. “Because of the loyalty you’ve shown and your willingness to defend any members of the Montgomery Mafia legally, you may remain in Rose Valley Hills, and no one will come after your soul.”

Kaos’s eyes closed, and he inhaled a deep breath before swallowing hard. Though he knew there was a chance Adam would be able to convince his brother to keep Kaos alive, he also knew there was a chance not even his father would be able to save him. If that was the case, Kaos was willing to accept his fate. He’d never been a man to back down from anything or do anything he didn’t want to do, and that wouldn’t start now. Even if he had to leave Rose Valley Hills and never see or speak to his family again, he’d accept that punishment to live his life for himself.

“Thank you.” Kaos’s crisp, deep voice seemed to pierce his uncle’s heart. His face twisted and eyes watered, as if it hit him in that moment that Kaos was really leaving. Without saying a word, Alpha pulled Kaos into his embrace. His hand went to the back of Kaos’s neck, holding him close.

“Do good,” Alpha whispered in his ear before releasing him, and that command almost meant more to Kaos than his freedom.

The meeting ended, and Kaos left with his father. Neither of them spoke until they made it to Adam’s town car. Adam looked over at his son with a smile and pride in his eyes.

“I felt like I couldn’t breathe the whole time we were in there,” Adam confessed, running a thick handkerchief over his sweat-covered forehead.

“Why the fear?” Kaos wondered.

“It wasn’t fear,” Adam corrected. “It was sadness.”

“Sadness?” Kaos repeated in disbelief. “Why?”

“I was sure my brother would demand your blood, and if he did, I’d have to kill him. Which meant his men would kill me. I’m not ready to leave my wife yet.”

Kaos smiled, but he knew his father’s words were the truth. Brother or not, Adam had always been his son’s protector. He’d already made it clear no one would come against his son and not face consequences for it . . . regardless of who they were.

“If anyone sent a bullet your way in that room and left my mama here alone, I’d fight God to come back to Earth and punish them all for it.”

“I know, Son,” Adam admitted, lightly tapping Kaos’s shoulder with the palm of his hand. “It seems it’s over now. Your work in the streets at least. I hope you know Alpha is going to take full advantage of your law degree. Get ready for things to get reckless around here now that he knows he has you. He will test you and your loyalty to make sure letting you stay here, alive, was the right choice.” Kaos nodded his agreement. “Your cousin just lost his life because of his betrayal. People are going to see your life and presence here as an unfair display of favoritism. They will come after you, Son. And when they do…” Adam cupped the back of Kaos’s neck, forcing him to look into his father’s eyes. “I don’t care who it is and how legit you are . . . you lay them the fuckdown.”

Serenity

Sniffling, Serenity wiped her leaking eyes. She pulled in a deep breath. The last time she hid herself in the bathroom to cry, it was because her boyfriend of two years had cheated on her and gotten another woman pregnant. The current moment was a happier occasion. She should have been smiling and releasing happy tears. Unfortunately, the weight of leaving her family was a bittersweet one. One that had sadness and anxiety filling her temporarily.

Not only was she leaving the safety and security of her family, but she was also leaving her small town home of Jasper Lane. Going to a big city was a huge feat on its own, but going, finding her dream job, and settling into the new way of life was altogether different.

Regardless of how much Serenity told herself she was making the right choice, small pieces of doubt caused by comfort and familiarity made her question herself. But this was right. This was the first step for her to regain control of her life, andSerenity wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world—not even the comfort of her old life and home.

After wiping her eyes again, she splashed water on her face and pulled in several deep breaths. Once composed, Serenity made her way out of the bathroom. Her family was just as she’d left them. Her mom, Yolanda, was keeping busy fretting over things that were already clean in the kitchen. Her father, Walter, was stubbornly sitting in his favorite recliner with a frown on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. Her sister, Taylor, was in her own world with her head buried in her phone. The rest of her family and friends were scattered around the house for her going away party.

“I’m so proud of you,” her grandmother said, wrapping Serenity up in a side hug. If no one else was, Serenity could count on her mother’s mother to be proud of and happy for her. It was because of Diana that Serenity even had the courage to leave their small town. She’d fallen into a depressed rut and wanted more for her life. More than Jasper Lane could offer. While her mother suggested she pick up a new hobby, her father offered her more hours at their family restaurant. It was her grandmother who coached her through her thoughts and feelings until Serenity realized for herself what she wanted, and to her father’s displeasure, that was leaving Jasper Lane.

“Thank you, Granny. Your son-in-law has been ignoring me all day. I don’t think he feels the same.”

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