Page 84 of The Lost Kings
“Come on, Presley. Or have you grown soft in the time we were gone? Too many nights in Italy?”
“I need a knife for it to be fair.” I tossed my book down and pulled my baggy T-shirt over my head, leaving me in my sports bra. My pajama shorts were long enough that I could move freely withoutfeeling uncomfortable, so all I had left to do to prepare was pull my hair into a ponytail and stretch.
Gio glanced at his brother briefly before tossing his knife out of the ring.
“No weapons.”
I shrugged. “Shame.”
Then I lunged forward and kneed him in the abdomen before kicking back and landing a hit to Kingston’s side. The cheering resumed as we fell into a dance where the twins would take turns delivering a hit, kick or try putting me on my back. I deflected and sank my foot into their sides more times than they probably liked, but I knew they were moving slow for me. Slower than they needed to.
“What’s wrong, afraid you’ll piss me off by beating me?” I smiled, tossing out a punch then moving my head to duck Gio’s return.
“No. Just don’t like the idea of bruising you,” Gio rasped, which told me he was starting to get tired.
I spun and focused on Kingston.
“I know you can go faster; I just watched you take down your?—”
Within a single breath, Kingston had moved and wrapped his calf around mine and yanked me to the mat. He managed to cradle my head, but his arm was locked over my collarbone, and his hips straddled mine. Our chests rose and fell in heavy thuds as we stared at one another.
His amber eyes were the same, and as he stared into mine, I knew he was thinking the same thing. I wanted to freeze the moment and force him to tell me why they’d stayed away for so long. I knew they planned to leave after their birthday, but they’d said a few months.
They never once said they’d stay gone for a year and a half.
My eyes caught on a set of text across his ribs that read, “I’ll carry the soil of your heart inside of mine, my very own jar of sunshine.”
Those words, it was worse than the hurtful things he’d said when I was sixteen. The false hope. Anger began unfurling in me as I watched his face lower to mine, and instead of allowing him anymore space, I threw my free leg up and used it to yank his torso sideways until I was free. I needed to stop this, getting close to them and feeling them touch me wasn’t a good idea. I needed to focus on Adrian.
Stepping out of the ring, I ducked to get my book and my shirt as people began making disappointed sounds and dispersing. I held the focus of both brothers as I slowly exited the gym, slinking back over to my side of the manor and as far away from them as I could possibly get.
“Adrian hasa yacht he’d like to take us all on,” I explained to my father and my uncle.
They both glanced at each other before replying to me, so I took a second to check with my mom. She gave me a warm smile and small nod, which I took as a good sign. My plan with this was to only take my dad, uncle and mom. That way, we kept the chances of anything negative happening to a minimum.
“He invited us to go out on the boat tomorrow, but I’d like to keep it small, and I don’t really think there’s any reason to involve everyone in the manor or to?—”
“Does that include me?” Carter suddenly appeared near our foyer, making her way into our living room.
“Sorry, your door was unlocked.” She popped her gum, then tossed her thick hair over her shoulder. She looked so much like my aunt Mallory sometimes, it shocked me, but her jawline was completely Uncle Decker.
Scotty’s expression was ice cold as he replied, “But not open.”
Carter ignored him and curled up on the couch. “Can I come?”
She was missing the fact that I had to even entertain this idea because of her. She’d put us at risk, and now I was the one fixing the mess, but at the same time, she was family, and her big personality filled the gaps and any awkward silences there might be.
With a resigned sigh, I said, “Fine. You can come but no one else unless your parents suddenly show up. They can come but otherwise, don’t talk about our plans outside of this room.”
My cousin placed her hand to her forehead and gave me a salute. “You got it.”
She remained in our living room, playing on her phone while we continued to talk about the details of where we’d meet Adrian and exactly how we’d eventually be welcoming him over for dinner, but we’d build up to that.
My dad wasn’t exactly happy, but he agreed to entertain this idea that I could confirm that Adrian was our ally and not double-crossing us, and that he had nothing nefarious planned. Deep down, I knew he wanted more with me, which meant he’d protect my family. At this rate with the hornets’ nest that Carter stirred, this was what we had to settle for.
A tiny ping rattled in my chest, reminding me of the sixteen-year-old girl who once swore this wasn’t the sort of future I’d settle for. I pushed the feeling down and changed into my work clothes. I had a raggedy pair of overalls I wore with a ribbed tank and my Converse platforms that kept me comfortable while working on the farmhouse.
The sun battled the lingering fog that clung to the trees lining the path between our properties. I was still mad at my dad for not joining the two properties with a bridge or a paved path. Dad owned the farmhouse, along with the two other properties nearest to us. Most of them were empty, save for security teams who remained with us long-term. But he’d promised me the farmhouse would one day be mine if I wanted it. All I had to do was restore it, and then use my own funds to buy it from him.
