Chapter 12 Gio
Gio
Kingston didn’t know I had started sneaking up here at night.
Honestly, I didn’t know if he’d even care that I was…he said this was supposed to be for me and Elvis, once she returned. I went along with my brother’s bullshit ideas and justifications for pouring all his time and energy into this house, but I didn’t buy it.
I didn’t think he’d be able to walk away from Presley or this house once she came back.
It was just a matter of time before all this blew up again, and if Adrian was still in the picture, then we didn’t stand a chance.
She’s already chosen him. If she somehow came home with our sister, and decided to stay, then I’d let her have this house without the expectation of staying in it with her.
Presley deserved to be free of us once and for all, and while Kingston was trying to be noble, it was a wasted effort.
I toyed with the teal hair tie that was still around my wrist and looked out the window, seeing little to no stars.
There were too many clouds that had begun moving in; we were supposed to get more rain, and based off what I overheard, it was going to mess all of Kingston’s shit up because he had painters coming to finalize the outside color.
I didn’t personally think that Presley would give a flying fuck that Kingston had fixed up the house for her.
The second she arrived home, she’d still be pissed at us.
It would take a lot of coaxing and convincing to bring her out of her rage bubble.
She was hurt, and the only way to undo that would be with slow and measured actions, like with a wounded animal.
You couldn’t show up with a house for said creature and expect they’d accept the shelter.
My phone vibrated on the window seat next to me with a text. I picked it up and saw a text from Presley. Which meant she’d unblocked me. Hope filled my lungs like fresh oxygen at what this could mean, and what I’d say to her, but then I began reading.
Presley: You’re a son of a bitch for saying that.
What was she talking about? I held my phone as my brows caved in, curious and confused, until another text came in.
Kingston: For speaking the truth? You’re upset that you didn’t listen to me and then got fucked over? If that makes me a son of a bitch, then fine.
Presley: We used to be friends. Do you even remember that?
She’d managed to unblock both of us, but had somehow selected an old group chat thread to text Kingston in. Did she even mean to unblock me?
Kingston: We used to be so much fucking more than that and you know it.
It was starting to become more obvious they hadn’t meant to add me into this conversation but I didn’t stop reading, even if they weren’t including me, or had been talking privately, I just kept reading.
Presley: Yes, and you decided that didn’t matter either.
Kingston: You didn’t decide it mattered to you until it suited you.
Presley: I’m not doing this again with you.
My heart had started to race the more of their exchange I watched. Why did this feel so intimate?
Kingston: Then why did you text me out of the blue, why not text Gio? Why is it me that’s on your mind when you’re in bed with Adrian?
Fuck, now I felt like my chest was open and they were just being dicks about pouring in the gasoline, and irresponsible with the matches.
Presley: I’m not as angry with Gio as I am you because he didn’t say shit that was insensitive and rude.
Somehow, that didn’t make me feel any better.
Kingston: Fine that’s fair. He is the better brother but answer me. Why are you texting me while you’re in bed with him.
Presley: … why do you care either way?
She asked a good question. If Kingston had truly let her go, and no longer cared either way about her, then why was he baiting her?
If anything, he should be kind, hoping to get her to stay when she came back.
He was fucking it all up again, and he was doing it because he still cared.
In fact, if I went back and looked at everything he’d done, it was clear that he cared too much.
While I was hurt, I wasn’t so hurt that I agreed to fucking her and then leaving her.
I didn’t agree to pulling our protection of her, or our friendship.
It was something I knew with time we could likely work through, but not my brother.
He wanted to burn every memory, destroy every moment, and erase her.
I was still staring at my phone when a new alert came in.
Dad: Need you and your brother to come to the house asap.
Feeling petty and hurt, I decided to jump into the conversation.
Me: Sorry to break this little heart to heart up, but Kingston, dad needs us up at the house.
With one last glance up at the sky, a tender part of my chest throbbed, wishing for stars. For something that would help lead me back to the way things were before all of this.
It was late when I finally arrived in the family wing. Kingston was already there, sitting on the couch, legs propped up on the ottoman with his phone in his hand. His eyes traveled up to mine when I moved to the spot across from him.
“Hey, I’m sorry about the text thread.” He cleared his throat while placing his feet on the floor.
I shrugged. I knew he wasn’t over her. He was a liar, and it was better that I realized that now instead of when she got back.
“Gio, I am sorry. I didn’t know—”
“Drop it. I don’t fucking care,” I snapped in return.
Dad walked out of the kitchen with a white ceramic mug filled with tea. He was shirtless and wearing his sweats when he settled in the chair across from us.
“Thank you both for coming so soon.” His eyes bounced between us, like he knew we were in an argument.
King nodded while I just watched them both. I just wanted to know what the hell he needed, so I could go sort out all of the emotions I was feeling.
Dad sipped from his mug and then jumped into what happened. “I got a call this evening from Adrian Adesso. Seems he’s desperate for help and is asking for us to step in and be the aid he needs to get the girls out.”
I didn’t look at my brother when I asked, “He can’t just place them both on a jet and tell the pilot to come here?”
“Obviously not,” Kingston snapped.
I glared over at him, but before I could reply, Dad cut in.
“Doesn’t matter, and we’re not arguing about it.
Adrian needs to get them out, and he said his property is being watched like a hawk, all of his aircrafts and employees are under Markos’s direction.
There are too many soldiers to just simply have the two of you go in, even if Scotty and Kyle were to go with you. ”
“So what are you asking of us?” I asked.
Dad sipped from his mug again, then settled it on his knee.
“This isn’t easy for me to agree to, nor is it easy to ask.
However, I’m not too proud to do whatever needs to be done for the sake of my daughter.
I need your sister to be safe, so I’m asking you both to lead El Peligro to their doorstep and get her and Presley out. ”
Kingston slowly slid his gaze over to me, and while I didn’t see any reaction there, I knew what he was thinking. So, I asked it.
“What if Presley doesn’t want to leave?”
Dad set his mug to the side and brought his hands together. “Adrian was insistent that she’d be returning.”
Probably to stay with Alex, or to touch base with Scotty. I had a feeling she’d want to come back with her, but this just confirmed it.
King’s brow raised as he sat forward. “You’re sure she’ll leave with us?”
I replied arrogantly. “Why don’t you just text her, Kingston?”
Dad let out a heavy sigh. “I honestly don’t know, but based off what Adrian said, both girls will be ready to go, and from the severity of the situation, I don’t think Presley will have preferences on who it is that picks her up.
You can both stay behind and lead from a distance so you don’t have to be around Presley if that’s a concern of yours. ”
The only concern was that she might try and shoot us on sight.
“It’ll be fine,” I snapped, pulling my cell out. Henry would have to start mobilizing the guys tonight, so we could leave first thing in the morning.
“How do we communicate with Adrian regarding the pick up?” Kingston asked.
Dad pulled his phone out and examined the screen before shaking his head. “You don’t. There’s a location for you to go and a time frame in which to arrive, and that’s all.”
I scoffed, “You realize this could be a trap.”
Dad’s eyes burned under the lights, making his amber eyes glow.
Sometimes I got jealous that he and Kingston looked so similar.
I took more after my mother, with what felt like lighter skin compared to King, and lighter blue eyes, and even my hair didn’t seem quite as dark as his.
He was like a shadow, everything darker and colder.
“That’s why you’re going in with the army you built. This is exactly why you have it. A risk worth taking to get your sister out of there.”
Kingston sighed heavily and slowly got to his feet. “When do we get to kill Scotty for sending her there to begin with?”
Dad didn’t wince or flinch as he looked us both in the eye and replied, “As far as I’m concerned, I never heard you ask, and I have no information whatsoever on anything that might happen to him from here on out.
Whatever I may have told you before regarding the rules of this manor and respecting his training guidelines, consider them gone.
Scotty James is a threat to this family. ”
King and I both watched him as he left, and then our gazes locked on one another.
I’d wanted to kill Scotty for a long fucking time, but my love for Presley had always stopped me.
I wondered if King would still stand by that reason for not murdering her uncle or if he’d finally own up to the lie he’d been telling about how he’s over her.
This might prove to be a great way to test that theory.