Chapter 3
COLE
I look at my watch again.
Forty-five minutes my father has been waiting for me.
This is not going to go well.
I enter my dad’s office without knocking. My father doesn’t even look up. My brother, Bennett, smirks, no doubt enjoying the fact that my dad is most likely pissed.
My father finishes typing something into his phone and sets it down before looking at me. “I’m so glad we could take you away from whatever you thought was more important than your family business.”
I open my mouth to explain, but I know my dad will just view it as an excuse. “I’m sorry.”
He glares at me and then glances at my clothes. He stands up and comes around his desk and stops in front of me. He wipes his hand across the front of my jacket. “What the fuck is that, Cole?” He inspects his hand. “Is that dog hair?”
I look down, and of course my black jacket is covered in Leo’s white fur. “Uh, cat hair actually.”
He shakes his head. “I would ask, but I don’t want to know.” He sits on the edge of his desk. “Now can we get started? I’ve had to shift meetings around because of your tardiness.”
I sit down in the chair next to Bennett as an answer.
My dad looks between my brother and me. I know this meeting is important. Robert Kingston doesn’t call family meetings for no reason. Normally, I would be nervous, but all I feel right now is impatience because the sooner this is over, the quicker I can get back to Luna.
My father cracks his knuckles, and it vibrates loudly in the room. “The Sterlings bought property on the east side.” He juts a finger to his chest. “In our territory.”
I sit up a little straighter and glance worriedly at my brother. The Sterlings are our biggest rivals. They are like us in a lot of ways, but they do things we would never dream of doing. And the fact that they think they can buy property in our territory is unheard of. It doesn’t make sense.
Bennett, on the other hand, doesn’t look fazed. “The Sterlings didn’t buy property on the east side. Audrey Sterling did.”
My father slams his hand on the desk beside him. “Audrey Sterling is a Sterling, dammit.”
Bennet surprises me by standing up. “She has nothing to do with her family. She’s trying to get out. She—”
My father cuts him off and looks at Bennett curiously. “How do you know all this? How do you—”
Bennett cuts him off, and my eyebrows skyrocket.
No one cuts off Robert Kingston. As I wait for my dad to lose it on my brother, Bennett continues.
“Because I know Audrey. Dad, you’ve told us to keep an eye on our enemy, and that’s what I’m doing.
I knew that Audrey bought the house on the east side, but after I looked into it, I knew it wouldn’t affect us in any way. ”
My father steps toward Bennett. “Then tell me why Victor Sterling was seen at the location two nights ago.”
All the color drains from Bennett’s face. “Fuck,” he grunts as he pushes his hand through his hair.
Our father nods. “Right. Fuck. They are coming into our house and not even knocking. This is what happens when we appear weak.”
Finally, I can’t sit anymore. I shoot to my feet. “How do we appear weak? This is Audrey, and like Bennett said, she has nothing to do with her family. Maybe she’s coming here because she knows we’re not weak and that we’ll protect her.”
My father doesn’t like to be challenged. Calmly, he walks around his desk and sits back down. He’s almost too calm, and it’s making me nervous. Bennett moves closer to his desk. “Let me look into this. I’ll figure out what’s happening and why Audrey moved into our sector.”
My father juts his chin. “If they are bringing drugs into our territory—”
Bennett cuts him off again. “I’ll find out. I promise.”
Antsy now, I shift from one foot to another because I’m waiting for what comes next.
My dad is not going to let this go. The Kingstons are not on the right side of the law by any means.
We never have been. But two things my father doesn’t condone are hurting women and dealing drugs.
He won’t allow either of those things in what is considered Kingston territory.
My father stands back up and points to the chairs. “Both of you sit down.”
Bennett and I look at each other. Fuck. This is not good.
We both sit down, and even though I try to relax into my seat, I hold myself tensely, trying to prepare for whatever is about to come out of my father’s mouth.
“The Kingstons are weak… The Sterlings no longer see the strength in us. When they look at us, they see men without wives. They look at you without any heirs. What is going to come of the Kingston name? Does it end with you two?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer. He raises his hand in the air. “I expect you both to be married within the next six months.”
I shoot to my feet. “But Dad, you can’t make us get married.”
It was the wrong thing to say. My father comes around his desk and stops in front of me. He has never hit me, but I’m wondering if this will be the first time. “We are a family without wives. We don’t have any stability, and without stability, we invite our enemies to challenge us.”
I shake my head. “Dad, we’re not losing control. Our business is strong.”
Bennett finally chimes in, but his question floors me. “We can marry anyone?”
I give him a traitorous look. He surely doesn’t believe this nonsense. No one can force us to marry, not even the mafia king of the South. Times are different now.
Our father levels Bennett with a look. “Yes, I’m not telling you who to love. I’m telling you that if you want our name to continue to be feared, respected, and untouchable, then you both will marry… soon.”
A thought seeps into my mind. “You’re not honestly thinking of marrying someone else… what about Mom?”
My father glares at me. “What’s wrong with you, son? I’m bringing your mom home.”
Bennett shakes his head. “She’s not going to like that, and she’s not going to come willingly.”
My father stomps his foot. “Her place is by my side. She won’t stand by and watch this family, our name, fall apart. She’ll come.”
My father walks back around his desk and sits down. “We’re done here. I expect to hear progress reports.” He looks at Bennett. “And I want to know what Audrey Sterling is up to.”
My brother and I walk out of Dad’s office. We don’t say a word as we go through the house and step outside where no one can be listening in. As soon as we get to our cars and I see Stone standing there waiting, I gesture to Bennett. “Want to go for a walk?”
He nods and follows me down the path. Neither one of us says anything as we walk. It’s like we’re both trying to process what just happened. We stop at the pond on the back of the property, and I turn to my older brother. “Well… what are we going to do?”
Bennett looks up to the big house and then back at me. “We get married. He’s right, ya know. We need wives… we need heirs.”
I shake my head. “This seems like a business arrangement more than anything else. What about love?”
He shrugs. “He said we can marry who we choose. I don’t see the problem here, Cole.”
I blurt out a laugh. “You don’t see the problem? Really? I thought you would have a big problem with this. You think you and Knox will be able to share women if you’re married?”
He tenses and looks out at the pond. He shoves a hand through his hair and blows out a breath. “Look, Cole, I don’t know what this is going to look like, but I agree with Dad. It’s time for us to settle down. You’re thirty. I’m thirty-five, and do we really want the Kingston name to end with us?”
Stunned, all I can do is shake my head.
Bennett continues. “Look, when Mom left, it changed how people perceived us.”
I glare at my older brother. “Don’t put that on Mom. Do you blame her for wanting out? How many times did she have to sit in this house, by herself, and wonder what was going to happen to Dad or the two of us?”
Bennett rolls his eyes. “I’m not blaming Mom. I’m just saying that it’s time for us to step into what’s next. Right now our family consists of Dad, me, and you.”
“Mom is still a part of this family.”
Bennett impatiently blurts out, “Of course she is, but we need her here. We need to build our family, bigger and stronger. We don’t have the edge we once did, and maybe Dad is right. I mean, he usually is.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m warning Mom. I’m telling her that Dad is coming for her.”
Bennett nods in approval. “Good. She needs to know, and I hope she doesn’t make it easy on him.”
“What about you? You have someone in mind?”
There’s a spark in his eyes that says yes, but he shrugs his shoulders. “I dunno. I’ll figure it out.” He looks at me. “What about you? Anyone in mind?”
Instantly, my thoughts go to Luna. I don’t know anything about her.
Hell, I met her just today. But there’s no denying the fact that I want her.
Hell, I don’t just want her. I’m intrigued by her.
She went toe to toe with a man twice her size for some animals.
She’s a hard worker, obviously. And fuck, she’s so beautiful. “Maybe.”
We start walking back to our cars. “Maybe, huh? Do I know her?” Bennett asks.
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so.” I change the subject. “You need help looking into the Audrey thing?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll take care of it.”
I nod as we get to the front of the house. “All right, see you soon, brother.”
As soon as I get into the car, Stone asks, “Where to?”
“The bank and then Old Town Diner.”
He glances at me in the mirror, and I ignore him as I pick up my phone and text my mom. “Can you meet me at Old Town Diner?”
It’s a few minutes before I get a message back. “I can be there in two hours.”
“Sounds good,” I reply.
I pocket my phone, lean my head back, and close my eyes. Instantly, Luna in her black leggings and T-shirt comes to mind. There’s no question about it. Soon, she’s going to be Mrs. Cole Kingston, and somehow I’m going to have to convince her of it.