Page 87 of The Lost Kings
“Boys…how nice of you to join us.”
Boys? Fucker was one year older than us, if that.
Gio grinned and walked through his security team like he owned the boat.
“How incredibly kind of you to invite Presley’s family.”
Presley’s face remained pleasant as if this was all a happy encounter, but I saw the way her left eyebrow twitched and raised as if it were her only way to scream that we weren’t supposed to be there.
Scotty made room for us on the leather seats in the center, while Kyle merely glared, but with his sunglasses on, I couldn’t make out his narrowed eyes or his pissed-off expression. I knew him well enough to know he was angry though.
Yet not a single soul here would say anything because our family could never afford to look weak in front of one as prominent or as dangerous as Adrian’s. Gio and I knew this, and we exploited it.
“Such a warm day for March,” I mused, settling into the plush leather.
The security team worked to bring a few trays of food on, along with prepping the boat for pushing away from the dock. One of his men sat behind the steering wheel, wearing cotton pants with a silencer parked at his hip.
“This is my father, Kyle, and my mother, Rylie,” Presley introduced her parents, and it rubbed me wrong that she didn’t use their typical fake names, that he was safe enough to at least share that. Adrian shook their hands and smiled warmly.
“And of course, you know my uncle,” Presley introduced Scotty.
Presley moved over to her cousin, Carter, making small talk with Adrian when the boat started moving and the three of them made their way over to where the rest of the family was seated. The warm spring air blew through my hair as I watched Presley place her hand inside of Adrian’s. My heart twisted in my chest, but I remembered my brother’s words and tamped down any reaction.
“Mr. and Mrs. James, I just wanted to thank you for accepting today’s invitation and allowing me the opportunity to meet you. Carter, Scotty, same with you. I know you each hold such a significant place in Presley’s life, and I wanted to finally meet the people responsible for raising her.”
A muscle in Gio’s jaw feathered as Presley’s gaze landed on us as heavy as one of those weighted blankets we once tried using to build a fort. We were maybe six and seven, with no clue as to why that shit was so heavy. Convinced Pres that it had come from space.
The memory had me smiling, which had Presley tilting her head.
“We’re happy this worked out; we’ve heard so much about you throughout the year and Presley is gone so often visiting you. It only made sense that we finally made this happen.” Kyle smiled brightly at the mafia don.
Rylie gave him a fake smile while pushing her shades back into her hair. “Yes, although I’m curious how much Presley has told you about us. I’m worried you might have something built up in your mind.”
Adrian’s face flushed the smallest bit before taking a seat in one of the leather chairs. The boat was hitting some choppy waters, but we could barely feel a thing. The wind tossed Adrian’s hair back as Presley passed him to sit next to Carter, but he tugged her wrist and pulled her into his lap.
“Presley has told me that you’re all very close. Rylie, she talks about how protective and funny you are. She’s very grateful she has you. Scotty, she mentioned similar sentiments of you, that you’re tough but fair and would do anything for the people you love. Carter,she's even told me about your parents, and how fond she is of your father, Decker, and mother, Mallory.”
Rylie’s countenance shifted the smallest bit with something that seemed like surprise. I was shocked too…she’d told him a lot. More than I expected of her with all her training.
Adrian’s finger skimmed Presley’s tanned thigh, and I nearly bit my tongue clean in half.
“What has she said about us?” I asked, giving the couple a beaming smile.
Adrian gave us more of a smirk than a real smile as he cleared his throat. “Brothers, I think…best way to describe it, although she mentioned you had a falling out of sorts, right? Which was why I was so surprised to see you arriving today.”
I opened my mouth, but it was Scotty who spoke up, surprising me.
“Can’t really have a falling out with family, not when they’re the closest people in your life. Gio and Kingston are just as much as family as I am or even her parents. Something you should know about her is they come as a package deal.”
Presley laughed good-naturedly, which had everyone else joining in, but I knew what Scotty was trying to warn. Her family would always be present, and taking her away from us wouldn’t end well for him.
“Should we swim?” Presley suggested, popping up out of his lap.
Carter jumped up, setting her drink down. Apparently, someone on the boat was making cocktails and she’d found one.
“Yes!”
Music played softly soit wasn’t obnoxious but still loud enough that it muffled conversations. Scotty remained on the boat, with a hat on his balding head and a whiskey in his glass. Rylie and Kyle were in the water, swimming, looking as in love and annoying as my parentsalways did. Carter was on board, flirting with one of Adrian’s security team, and Presley was laughing…a fucking lot.
