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. Wenever 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.”
