Tears are falling down my face. I miss them so much, and knowing everything I thought I knew was a lie leaves me completely shattered.
“The thing no one has ever known is that when Marcus was killed in prison and his son showed up to run things, Father still stayed the face of the family. The night that they died, it wasn’t just Mom and Dad in the car, but Marcus’s son as well.” King tells us, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Why was he with them if they were coming to get information for us to be able to run away?” I question him.
Eleven
Andre
Tinsley is shaking in my arms as Kingston is unraveling this story that seems nearly too insane to be real. This shit is entirely too fucking crazy to be made up.
“Why was he with them if they were coming to get information for us to be able to run away?” Tinsley's confusion matches mine.
“Isn’t that the irony of it all?” Kingston chuckles. “He thought they were up to something, so when they went to go out for the evening, he decided he was going to drive them. That left me to take over the family once and for all, with no one knowing that Otis was anything more than a grieving son acting out because his family was dead, and a little girl who was acting out at the same time due to loss.”
“So, what the fuck happens now? Otis is dead. How are you going to explain that to your family?” I ask the man sitting across from me.
“That’s the great thing about being the only man left in the immediate family of the bloodline. I don’t have to explain shit to no-fucking-body. As far as I know, he just disappeared.” Kingston shrugs, not at all looking upset about the fact that his sister just killed their pseudo-brother.
Tinsley sits forward, eyes glued on Kingston. “Are you done? Can I talk now?”
“You kept quiet for longer than I thought you could. What do you have for me, Tins?” Kingston smirks at her.
Tinsley narrows her eyes. “You’re a fucking asshat.”
“I’ve always been an asshole,” Kingston smirks.
Tinsley flips him the bird before turning to Grandpa. “So you knew Grandfather Reeves?”
Grandpa Silas nods, a grim look on his face. “Reeves Senior was a dick. All he ever wanted was to be the only family. He wasn’t willing to work with anyone or make deals with anyone. Hearing that he had a baby younger than Kingston isn’t surprising at all. He wasn’t known for being choosy or caring about consent. To make it worse, he raised Marcus to be just like him. His going to prison saved many people a lot of heartbreak.”
Tinsley is pacing back and forth, chewing her fingernail. “Are you sure that Marcus Jr was killed in the accident?”
All humor leaves Kingston instantly. “Absolutely, there were three people in the car when it left the compound. Why are you asking?”
Tinsley waves him off. “Just making sure I understand the timeline.”
She walks over to Kingston, sits beside him and lays her head on his shoulder. “I understand now. I’m sorry for what I did today. He had hurt so many people I couldn’t just keep letting him go on.”
“I know. All you did was save me from doing it or your man from having to start a war. To be honest, I’m pretty fucking proud of you for doing it. My question is, will you be able to live with what you did today?” Kingston asks her.
“I will have to, won't I?” Tinsley answers him, closing her eyes.
We all go quiet as she drifts off to sleep.
“Is she safe with you? Is the rest of the family going to be okay with her joining?” Kingston finally questions me.
“If they want to stay members of my family, then they will have to,” Grandpa says before I can.
“Kingston, that woman right there is the only bright spot in this dark and damaged world. I would not only burn the world to the ground for her, but after it was all burned down, I would then grind it to dust. So that when I’m done, there is nothing and no one left to ever darken her world,” I deadpan, making sure he understands I mean every fucking word.
“Every man says they would do this or that, but when they're staring down the barrel of a gun, they don’t. Why should I believe you would?” Kingston cocks an eyebrow.
I reach behind me, pulling my gun from the holster, and lay it on the coffee table in front of me. “I would rather be dead than cause her any kind of harm.”
“Good to know.” Kingston sighs. “Just know that I will be happy to do just that if she doesn’t take care of you first.”
Sitting back, we spend the next hour shooting the shit until Miss Tina steps into the room to get Grandpa for his afternoon walk around the property. Thankfully, Grandpa seems to be taking a liking to her. Just as they leave the room, Vito knocks, then steps in. His eyes land on Tinsley lying on Kingston’s shoulder, and they go so dark green they’re nearly black. Kingston cocks an eyebrow at the man, not saying a word.
