Chapter 7 Kingston #2
Anger spurred me into action. I began gathering all the images and putting them back into the cardboard box.
“No shit, he’s been keeping tabs on us. Gio and I told you that he and his little demon godchildren are hell bent on destroying us.
All of us. He has an especially dark interest in ruining Kyle. But no one fucking listened to us.”
Dad’s jaw flexed while he helped put all the pictures away. The second the box was back together, he walked over to the fireplace and pulled the zippo lighter out from his pocket, then lit the box on fire.
Peering over his shoulder, he warned both Gio and me, “I don’t want your mother to know how badly her privacy was invaded. She had no idea…and this would frankly scare her. This is why I just want to fucking get out of here. Get you kids and just leave.”
Something tugged at my gut, worry or concern. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed strange that I hadn’t seen Alex in as long as I had.
“Dad, where is Alex?”
His somber gaze traveled from us back to the fire before he jumped up and ran out the office door.
He tore down the hall in a light jog while calling for our big sister. The way his voice pitched with fear had my own stomach tensing and flipping. Gio had his phone up to his ear, likely calling her. I decided to help Dad look by running out of the wing and checking all the other family wings.
Aunt Mallory and Uncle Decker hadn’t been back in months, and this time, Carter had decided to join them.
She was here four months ago when Dad’s sister had come, but after that she decided to stay with her parents.
Deep down, I knew it had something to do with what Gio and I had done and how unhinged we’d become after Presley left.
Still, I rummaged through their family wing, consisting of three massive suites, the kitchen, bathrooms, and then I took the door that would lead up to the fourth floor.
Taking each narrow step one at a time, my stomach tensed for an entirely different reason.
Seeing the space in the daylight did nothing to dim the memory of what I’d experienced in the room all those months ago.
There was still a blanket on the floor from when we’d slept there. No one had been up here since that night.
I glanced at the chaise lounge in the corner and swallowed past the thick lump in my throat. We’d taken her virginity here and given her ours. We’d ruined her here.
There was nothing left in the room, and yet I lingered, even knowing our sister might be missing. I stayed rooted in that spot, staring down at the blanket on the floor, feeling fresh tears gather along my lashes.
What the fuck was wrong with me? Why was I so petty that I ruined the best part of my life?
“Kingston?” someone yelled from below. It shook me loose of my dark thoughts and had me leaving the room and the memories behind.
I sat next to Gio as our father paced in front of us. Our mother was on the couch across from us, her face was tear-stained and utterly broken.
“She sometimes just goes on trips…she’s an adult, there’s no reason for her to be beholden to us about everything,” Dad justified with a broken voice.
He was wasting his breath. Didn’t fucking matter, all that did was that she was gone.
“Juan,” Mom warned. Our father snapped his head over, and the two spoke silently before a rugged sigh sailed past Dad’s lips.
“Not to break up the party, but what is the matter?” Scotty suddenly appeared inside our doorway. His shoulder was set against the frame, nonchalant, and as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
My jaw clenched as I glared at the man who had fucked up so much of this for us that I very seriously wanted to kill him. It was Dad who spoke up and explained what was going on.
“Alex is missing.”
Our mom’s expression was too open, too easily broken, for how she looked at Scotty for help.
Like this madman would ever assist us in any way.
Scotty glanced down at his nails and then rubbed them against his coat. “Oh, that. I know where she is.”
Mom stepped closer, her eyes watering.
“Be careful, Scotty,” Dad warned, while slowly sliding a blade into his palm.
Presley’s uncle searched the room and then snapped his fingers. Reaper, Max, and Rue all appeared from the darkened hallway, a low rumble rolling through the group of dogs as Scotty whispered something in German, which had the dogs’ ears lying flat.
Fucker.
“We outnumber you, Scotty. You’d risk the lives of your pets?” I asked, gripping my own knife.
“I trained them to protect me, so yes, I’m ready to risk that.”
“Please.” Mom walked directly in front of Scotty’s line of sight. “What do you know?”
Scotty searched the room before his jaw seemed to tense, and then his gaze dropped to the floor.
“Alexandria approached me about a week ago and asked what I thought of her going to help Presley. She just wanted to be an extra set of eyes and ears, keep Presley safe if she could. Presley had used a code word indicating that there might because to be on alert, so when Alexandria asked, I said yes.”
Dad’s eyes were huge as he stepped forward. “So you’re telling me that you sent my daughter to Italy?”
Scotty’s dark brows caved inward as he searched our faces. “She’ll be with Presley at Adrian’s residence. If Presley is there, then your daughter will be safe.”
I caught Mom glancing at Dad, and silent tears trailed down her face.
“Except it isn’t safe.”
Scotty tried to gauge what was going on from our reactions. By the way his dogs whined and shifted, I’d say he seemed unsettled. “Why?”
Dad swallowed thickly before his voice cracked. “Because Markos is alive and from what the boys just showed me, he’s been watching Alex just like he used to watch Taylor.”
I wish I hadn’t been there to see my mother’s face fill with horror at that news. I wish I hadn’t been there to see the way her eyes rounded or the way her hand fell to her stomach as a small sound of shock slipped past her mouth.
“So, he’s in Italy.” Scotty’s eyes flicked to mine, and I knew right then that he realized he was wrong. That he and Presley had fucked up in a major way. That he sent his precious Lánya right into the arms of a monster.
“I missed the connection,” Scotty admitted, lowering his chin to his chest.
Gio snapped at him angrily, “You didn’t trust us. Now we’re all fucked.”
Scotty pulled out his phone and made a call, but whoever it was he’d called didn’t answer. Somewhere, deep down, I knew it was Presley, and even further down, I worried she’d be hurt or worse. My only hope was that Alex being there did, in fact, help her in some way.