Page 1 of The Lost Kings
Kyle
13 YEARS AGO
Presley’s lashes fluttered against her freckled face while she clung to her stuffed animal. She slept in complete peace as if she hadn’t snuck out of her bed yet again. I’d smile at her determination if it weren’t for this new feeling cracking my chest open. Seeing her between the twins, in what she had called “her favorite place in the whole world.” Perhaps it was because she’d just turned five, or maybe it was the argument I got into with Juan, the twin’s father, but I finally had a name for that new feeling.
Fear.
“It’s normal, Kyle.” My wife’s soft voice brushed against my ear as she stood on her toes to reach me. The twins’ dinosaur lamp was on in the corner, providing plenty of light to see the boys’ faces while they slept in the large king-sized bed that they shared. Juan had said they weren’t ready to sleep apart yet, but I had a suspicion it had more to do with the girl who lived across the mansion who always found a way to sneak into their room.
I leaned over them and gently tugged down the blanket that covered Presley’s face. Her hair was dark like her mother’s, her lashes were long and she had the same freckle on her cheek that Rylie had.The boys took after Juan with the same inky hair and long lashes, with the same warm brown skin. They all looked so tranquil, and yet that fear came back in full force.
My voice was nearly as soft as Rylie’s as I muttered in response, “She’s getting too old.”
Kingston and Gio certainly were. They would be seven in less than six months.
Rylie sighed while squeezing my arm. “They’re best friends. She feels safe with them.”
That word “safe” felt like a sucker punch because my daughter often felt afraid. From what my wife and I gathered, it had to do with how frequently we moved around and that she didn’t have roots. Seemed she made her own between the twins.
Presley’s nose twitched, but she was tucked under Kingston’s chin, so it made his lashes flutter. Gio was behind her, wrapped in his own tattered blanket, while a piece of Presley’s braid was looped around his finger.
“They’re too old to be sleeping in the same bed.” Not to mention spending every waking hour together. The three were completely inseparable, and while it was cute when they were little, it was starting to make my stomach bind into an invisible knot. I was about to pull my daughter into my arms when a familiar voice stopped me from the doorway.
“Never thought I’d see The Joker panicked over something so innocent.”
My wife released a small chuckle while shaking her head. “You two have fun, I’m going to bed.”
“Night, little one,” Juan said warmly toward Rylie while she exited the room.
The nickname he’d given my wife years ago steadied me, reminding me how much history I had with this man. He may be the twins’ father, and responsible for these two little boys who couldn’t seem to stay away from my little girl, but he was also my friend.
Juan pushed off the doorframe and walked over to where I stood, staring at our kids.
“You’re overreacting.”
I glanced up, seeing Juan’s messy hair crowding his forehead. He wore black sweats and a white T-shirt with no socks. He had likely been sleeping or at least trying to. Lately, things had been so stressful for all of us that it was difficult to find any rest.
“My gut tells me I’m not.”
“They’re children. Practically siblings, let them support one another. They need it now more than ever.”
I was reminded of our argument from earlier. We would need to run again, but Juan wanted to remain in North Carolina. He had his wife, Taylor, and their three kids to think of. Their daughter Alex, and then the twins Gio and Kingston…even Juan’s mother and stepfather had started tagging along wherever we would go. I understood their need for stability, but we both still had enemies which required us to remain hidden.
I had them from my connection to the mafia…and he had them because of his role in leading El Peligro, a gang that originated from the cartel.
We’d both attempted to leave our lives spent killing and defending our names when we became family men, but we were fools. Our enemies were determined to never let us forget and refused to let us move beyond it without paying for every single thing we did.
“I can’t fix this, Juan. I tried. Fuck, you know how often I have tried to untangle this fucking mess. No matter what I do, how many enemies I defeat, it’s like a new family pops up with its sights set on murdering everyone I’ve ever known.”
Our friendship had started by accident when a deal had gone bad and instead of killing each other, we killed the other men in the room and became allies. That was almost ten years ago, and while we’d been running ever since, we hadn’t gained any space from ourproblems. They only grew, and in turn, we did too…we became closer as a family, traveling together and watching one another’s backs.
Juan continued to stare down at our kids before giving me his thoughts.
“Perhaps we need to unify our families then. If it’s getting this bad, use El Peligro, just as an extra layer of protection.”
A sour feeling overrode that fear working through me.
He’d managed to take the gang his father had led, and with his wife, Taylor, they’d turned the entire thing into a charity. El Peligro didn’t strike fear into people’s hearts anymore; it gave them hope. I hated the idea of taking what he’d changed for the betterment of the community and turning it into something lethal again. El Peligro was dismantled from the top down and reconstructed to be a tool for the powerless. They were getting insulin to people who didn’t have insurance. Homes for those who couldn’t afford rent. Clothes and school supplies for low-income families, and funding for the local schools.
