Page 88 of Scandalous Kingpin
With my brothers’ help and Cobra close at my heel, I exited the vehicle and felt torturously alone despite being in this big city.
I stared at my best friend, tangled in a mess of emotions.
Wynter, Juliette, and Davina had been my family from the moment I stepped foot on the Yale campus. We'd been throughso much that letting go was proving to be more difficult than I could’ve ever anticipated.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the phone in my purse started to vibrate and I pulled it out. There were messages from Wynter, Davina, and even Aisling.
Wynter: Just checking in to see if you’re okay. I’m sorry about everything. We love you, Ivy. And miss you so goddamn much.
Davina: No matter what, we love you.
I read Aisling’s message last.
Aisling: I don’t know what happened between you and my son, but I know that you’re healing him and he loves you. Forgetting is impossible, but I’m hoping you’ll find it in your heart to forgive.
I stared at the text and bit back my tears. There was still the bitterness of betrayal, which I doubted would ever fully go away, and the echo of my own shame that I hadn’t been there for her when she discovered my athair played a part in her pain.
I was about to move when I caught a glimpse of the very same woman we ran into amid the debris of Montenegro. Louisa Volkov. She walked out of the house, guided by Kingston Ashford, known as the Ghost, one of the most dangerous men in the underworld. Correction:themost dangerous man.
My brothers tensed but didn’t move as the two of them approached us. Alexei moved like a panther behind them, but stopped next to Juliette and Dante.
I returned my eyes to my sister, studying her, yet the only Murphy genes I could see in her were her eyes. They were a beautiful golden color, speckled with hazel. Very much like myown. Her golden hair, on the other hand, definitely didn’t fit the mold. She had her mother’s hair.
She came to a stop in front of me, several inches taller than me and undoubtedly stronger. She wore white shorts and a green T-shirt with flip-flops, a stark contrast to my yellow dress that barely reached my knees.
We studied each other for several seconds before her eyes darted to my brothers.
She’s sizing us up, I realized. Our strengths. Weaknesses. Fuck, I certainly hoped I didn’t bring my brothers into a spider’s web. Kingston’s dark, blank expression was trained on us, his hand around Louisa’s tense shoulders while he appeared relaxed and stoic, offering his support and comfort.
Kind of like my brothers.
Then I saw the little girl behind Louisa, clutching her arm. It was the girl they rescued from Montenegro several months ago now, and it hit me like lightning.
Louisa was nothing like her mother.
The evidence was right in front of me. She’d taken a vulnerable girl under her wing, and by the looks of it, she’d transformed her into a swan by giving her safety and a home. Unlike Kingston, she fixed me with a half-terrified, half-feral look that told me she’d tear me to pieces–or at least try to—if I so much as hurt her guardian.
“Hi there,” I greeted her softly, extending my hand. “I’m Ivy.”
She eyed my hand and Louisa froze for a moment before giving her an encouraging nudge.
I watched with bated breath as the young girl took my hand. “Lara.”
“Nice to meet you, Lara.” I turned toward my sister. “Ah, thank you for meeting us.” I swept my tongue over my lips nervously. “I… We…”
Fuck, I had the entire speech prepared in my head on the flight over, and now it had completely vanished from my mind.
My eyes met Caelan’s for a fraction of a second and the assurance I saw in his eyes was all I needed.
I took a deep breath and said, “We learned about our connection to you and your twin only recently, and… well, you’re family.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “If you want to be, that is.”
“And the fact that I’m Sofia Volkov’s daughter doesn’t bother you?” she all but snapped at me.
Bren and Aemon growled, their upper bodies leaning forward, and I pushed them back. “Stop it, you two, or I swear to God, I’m going to?—”
“No, it doesn’t bother us,” Caelan cut me off. “None of us can choose our parents. Besides, a blind man can see you’re not your mother. Just as we are not our father.”
She didn’t show much, but something promising lit up in her eyes.
