Page 62 of The Lost Kings
Icrawled into the SUV in front of Presley’s, while Gio occupied the one behind her.
My fingers tightened around the gun in my lap as I stared at Adrian Adesso standing on his balcony, behind his ten-foot-tall gate. He was surrounded by armed men, the sea at his back, and the entire village on his payroll.
Presley had no fucking clue how dangerous this place was, or how much danger she’d willingly stepped into. I had no clue why she was even with him at his home in Italy, or why he’d been in North Carolina, with her.
Seeing that text from Scotty was like someone stabbing me in the chest with a rusty blade.
Even if I didn’t bleed out, I’d be infected, and the wound would linger.
As much as it hurt to see her laying on his chest in her room—I was also angry.
So fucking angry.
The call I’d been expecting came through and I answered it on the second silent ring.
“You fucked up.”
Scotty only waited a second before he replied, “I’m aware. A year ago, we had different intel.”
“Isn’t she your little super soldier? We should have just let her stay here.”
Even saying that felt like I was pulling that rusted blade further into my chest.
Scotty let out a sigh, which meant he was exasperated with me. “I never asked you to get her. Nor did I ask Gio.”
“You sent us the picture of him in our home, withher.”
“And you took that how you wanted. Perhaps it was merely a test to see if you’d gotten over her.” Scotty’s snide reply had my fist clenching. What the fuck did he know about what we’d had with Presley?
“We came home because our intel is more up-to-date than yours. We protected her, just like you always demanded of us. Hope you’re fucking happy.”
“Happy?” His scoff was incredulous. “You bothruinedher…She’s cleaning up this family’s mess. He was a viable option for her, and until we can find another alliance for her to?—”
“What the fuck do you mean, find another?” He would not be doing this shit again.
Scotty barked out a command to someone in the background, but he came back with a simple, “She’s a weapon, Kingston. She’ll be used as such.”
I squeezed the handle of the gun in my lap so tight, I felt the indents from the grip form to my skin. “You raised us to believe she was the whole goddamn war, so why are you suddenly downplaying her to merely being a weapon?”
“Her heart. She gave it to you two, and it broke. Now, she’s frail.”
My next words were cut off as he barked out another command and then cut the line completely, leaving me staring at an empty screen.
“Fuck.” I tossed the device and watched the side mirror, seeing Presley’s car.
Henry, the man next to me, glanced in the rearview mirror as well.
“She might have a tracker.”
My fist fell under my jaw as I continued to watch the car follow us. “We’re not going anywhere that she hasn’t already invited him. Although, knowing Scotty, he’ll be scrambling to get us all out of the manor and hiding somewhere new.”
I felt Henry’s gaze on the side of my face. “That wouldn’t be necessary if you succeed in taking your father’s place.”
Henry spoke of a simmering rebellion that had been birthed in our absence from home.
A tease.
Merely an idea.
