Tainted

Prologue

KENYON KEYES

“ W ho the fuck are these people?” I asked, joining my older brother, Kross, in the living room.

He threw his head back, using the alcohol in the glass as a sedative. After burying our father, Kross needed it.

“This is all, Mom, but he wouldn’t have objected anyway.”

Loriann was the sun, while Eric was a singular planet in her universe. He wouldn’t be happy about all these people in his house- including his siblings. But even in death, Loriann’s gravitational force still ran things.

“Soft as fuckin’ cotton,” I chuckled, watching Mom and Aunt Delores share a hug.

Across the room, Uncle Leonne conversed with a man I had never seen before. He wasn’t our biological Uncle but more Dad’s sibling than his own. From the expression on Kross’s face, it seemed he hadn’t either but was just as concerned. Their interaction wasn’t heated, but I knew Uncle Leonne well enough to know something was up. Then he strolled over to us, one hand in his pocket, with a face full of apprehension.

“Follow me out front. Someone wants to speak with you. Both of you,” Uncle Leonne’s hand patted my shoulder.

He led the way to the front door, but Mom’s broken voice stopped us at the threshold.

“Where are you going?”

“Smoke break and man-to-man conversation.” Wearing a smile, Unc pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “I know you don’t want me smoking in your house.”

“Absolutely not, but don’t go too far,” she insisted.

“We’ll be right back,” Uncle Leonne replied, but my silence was loud, not so much Kross because he was like Mom in that sense. I was a lot more outspoken like Pops, and the fact that my lips were sealed told her something was up.

Uncle Leonne opened the door before she could poke another hole in his story.

“You need to lay off them shits,” I explained, nodding toward the smokes in his hand.

“It’s plenty of things you need to lay off.” Uncle Leonne pulled the door open to a black truck, which illuminated the dark driveway. “Get in.”

Kross’s hand hit my chest, preventing me from climbing inside. “Where are we going?”

“Someone important wants to send their condolences.”

My mind trailed to the mystery man he was conversing with earlier. Kross and I shared another look. I followed, but he was right behind me. Neither of us knew what to expect, but he had my back, and I had his.

“Kross, right? And you must be Kenyon.” He smiled, extending a hand to each of us once the door shut.

“Who are you?” I asked, getting to the point.

“Javier. I’ve done business with your father and uncle for years. I’m sorry for your loss. Eric was truly one of a kind.” His tone was respectful but tinged with a hint of caution. “It was only right that I pay my condolences, plus your father’s death has left some unfinished business.”

“Continuing without my brother doesn’t feel right, but I don’t want our hard work to go in vain. He wouldn’t want that either,” Uncle Leonne announced, his voice heavy with nostalgia. “Kross is more than capable. He’s been our right hand for years.”

Javier pointed at me, “What about him?”

Kross's eyes darted to me, but I didn’t return the gesture. He always knew he was next in line as the oldest son. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my engineering degree, but it wasn’t taking over the family business.

Uncle Leonne glared at me, threatening to remain quiet, “To be determined.”

“So, you boys think you can fill your father's shoes?” he asked, disregarding Unc’s response.

“Last time I checked, there weren’t any boys here,” I groaned.

“Like Unc said. If you knew our father as well as you say, you’d know he prepared me well,” Kross explained.

“Pero no están listos? * ,” Javier informed Unc.

Kross’s brows furrowed in confusion because Spanish wasn’t his language of choice, but I understood clearly.

"Kross puede manejarlo? * ," I replied, catching him off guard.

Javier eyed us with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. I could almost taste the skepticism as he assessed whether we could carry on our father's legacy.

“Forgive me for being cautious, but I need to be sure I can trust you.”

“The only way to do that is by allowing me to show you,” Kross maintained his poise while I read Sydney’s text. She wanted to know where I was, but I tucked my phone inside my jacket instead of replying.

Javier regarded us both, then with a slight nod, he conceded, “I’ll propose a trial partnership out of respect for your father and uncle.”

Uncle Leonne beamed with pride as Kross leaned forward to shake Javier’s hand.

“You won’t be disappointed.”

“For you and your brother’s sake, I hope not,” Javier replied.

“I think you misunderstood Javier. Kross is taking over the business,” Uncle Leonne explained.

“Son las dos cosas o nada? * ,” Javier replied, just to fuck with me.

It was both of us or no product at all. Finding a new plug once Javier put the word out would be next to impossible, so there wasn’t a choice to make. Judging by the smug ass grin on Javier’s face, he knew it too.

“Kross can’t carry the legacy of two men alone. That would be rude now, wouldn’t it?”

“Just because I’m retiring doesn’t mean I won’t be around. Kross can handle whatever is thrown at him,” Uncle Leonne advocated, but it all fell on deaf ears, so I gave him what he wanted.

“Deal,” I said, refusing to look Kross in the eyes, but I imagined he was having a panic attack. “And moving forward, it’s Keyes.”

“Very well, Keyes ,” he conceded, though his tone remained guarded. “But know this. You'll need more than just your father's name to survive.”

“It’s nothing the two of us can’t handle,” Kross said.

“Very well. We'll start with a small test. If you can handle it, we'll talk about further business.”

Irritation flooded me, but I kept my expression neutral, determined not to let my guard down in front of our new boss . This wasn’t the life I envisioned for myself, but more than not, life didn’t go as planned. We both shook hands with Javier and climbed out.

“What the fuck was that?” Kross questioned as soon as Javier’s driver pulled off.

“It was both of us or nothing, so I did what I needed to do.”

“Or what you always do—making decisions without thinking shit through. This isn’t you, Keyes. It’s never been you.”

While that was true, life was different now. Kross had always had my back, and the opportunity presented itself for me to do the same, so I didn’t think twice.

“I didn’t see you offering a solution. Now all I’m hearing is bitching instead of thank you .”

“People don’t usually say thank you when you make a fuckin’ mess,” Kross sneered, massaging his temple.

“Cool. I’ll be sure to tell Javier I’m out. Then you’ll really have a fuckin’ mess!”

“Enough!” Uncle Leonne interjected. “Both of you are bickering like bitches, and I know he raised you better than that.”

Unc’s comment made me chuckle because Pop’s wasn’t around much to raise us. He provided, and Loriann nurtured. One meeting with Javier gave a lot of context to days Pop walked in with his fangs gleaming and tie dangling around his neck.

Running a criminal organization wasn’t easy, and now I was about to gain first-hand experience. I needed a moment to process that and headed for the house, purposely shutting the front door on Kross for pissing me off.

“You see what I mean. He’s a fuckin’ child,” Kross complained.

I should’ve checked in on Mom first, but I needed space to breathe, so I slipped upstairs to my childhood bedroom. The bed was smaller than I remembered, and the walls were bare except for the old posters of cars I used to dream about owning. Back then, those dreams were enough, but now it felt like the walls were closing in.

Kross wanted this. He thrived in it. The pressure, the deals, the power—it fueled him. But I never wanted any of this. The problem was, I wasn’t sure what I wanted.

“Keyes!” Sydney’s voice was usually soft like velvet, but she was worried. I didn’t need to see her face to know it, as she mumbled, “I swear if he left again,” she complained, moving around the hallway, trying to locate my whereabouts.

I didn’t have the strength to reply. I had used it all to get through the last seven days and currently I was tapped the fuck out. Sydney yanked the door open and her features softened, looking at me sitting on the bed.

“Aunt Lisa has been looking for you.”

She was in town to support her baby sister, losing her husband, and serving as backup in case Pop’s siblings got out of line.

When I didn’t reply or deliver a dismissive gesture, Sydney suggested, “Let’s go back downstairs and get you some food. I’m sure your Mom is looking for you,” because following the rules was always at the forefront of her brain, even at her own expense.

That’s where we differed because I didn’t give a fuck about what I was supposed to be doing. I was tired of people hugging me and telling me sorry for my loss. I didn’t even remember most of them. I wasn’t sure Pops would either if he was here.

“I know it hurts, but you’re not alone. You’re never alone,” she muttered, resting her chin on my freshly retwisted locs that Pop hated so much.

“Did you eat?” She asked.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You said that at breakfast. Drinking on an empty stomach is going to make you sick.”

“Not right now, Syd,” I begged, laying back on my bed.

“I’m going to check on Kross. Meet me downstairs to put something on your stomach.”

In time, I’d appreciate Sydney’s support during this pivotal moment, but the rage in my veins was much stronger, staring at the poster on my closet door. It was more like a blueprint of a car engine I’d sketched, but that future felt far away now, like another life.

I pushed the door open and jogged down the stairs, back to the life I'd chosen. Jogging down the stairs, I was met by my father’s sister. The fact that she wasn’t Aunt Delores said everything about their relationship and mine, too.

“Oh baby, I’m so sorry for your loss,” she sobbed, drenching my shirt in her tears. “I just. I don’t understand it. I don’t know what I’m going to do without my baby brother.”

“The same thing you’ve been doing,” I mumbled, removing her arms from my waist, I slid through the living room to Dad’s office.

It was the only place Kross could be since I didn’t see him. When I reached the door, I heard multiple voices on the other side, which made me pause.

“This is what he would’ve wanted,” Uncle Leonne said.

Finally, Kross sighed, “I know.”

“I meant everything I said. Whether you realize it or not, you have been preparing for this your entire life.” Kross chuckled, not because he thought Unc’s statement was funny. It was a nervous habit. “You and Keyes are the best of him. Together, you two will be fine.”

“ Together .” I imagined Kross taking another sip of his drink. He was rarely without one lately. Two back-to-back losses tormented him far worse than me, which was saying a lot. “We both know Keyes doesn’t want this.”

“Maybe not, but it doesn’t matter now. He made his decision.”

I pushed through the door, putting Kross out of his misery.

“Nephew. We were just talking about you,” Uncle Leonne boasted.

“That explains why my ears are burning.”

“How are you?”

“I’m straight.”

“Good. I’m going to check on your mother,” Uncle Leonne excused himself, giving Kross and me the room to sort out our differences.

“How did you find me?” Kross asked once the door shut.

“I know you.”

Kross was chill, but fucking with me always brought out the worst in him. I never understood why he got more upset about my shit than he did his own. Watching him drown and not be able to do a damn thing about it painted an accurate picture.

“If you know me, why the fuck did you accept Javier’s offer?”

“Because you’d never ask for my help or admit you need it,” Kross turned, surprised at my analysis, “You feel guilty for even considering it because you know this isn’t what I wanted, but sometimes life ain’t about what we want. We just play the cards we’re dealt, so you’re welcome pussy.”

A mocking smile curled on his lips. “Fuck you, Keyes.”

“Just don’t go overboard with this big brother shit now that Pop’s is gone. I don’t need another father,” I explained.

A hesitant laugh escaped because this wasn’t a laughing moment, but he couldn’t help himself. “Debatable.”

“You've always had my back, so I didn’t think twice about having yours.”

We slipped into our signature handshake, which started with a firm grip, and then our fingers intertwined. At that moment, I knew we could conquer anything together, even if I had to change my plans.

* ? But they are not ready.

* ? Kross can handle it

* ? It's both or nothing