I shoot to my feet. “But Dad, you can’t make us get married.”
It was the wrong thing to say. My father comes around his desk and stops in front of me. He has never hit me, but I’m wondering if this will be the first time. “We are a family without wives. We don’t have any stability, and without stability, we invite our enemies to challenge us.”
I shake my head. “Dad, we’re not losing control. Our business is strong.”
Bennett finally chimes in, but his question floors me. “We can marry anyone?”
I give him a traitorous look. He surely doesn’t believe this nonsense. No one can force us to marry, not even the mafia king of the South. Times are different now.
Our father levels Bennett with a look. “Yes, I’m not telling you who to love. I’m telling you that if you want our name to continue to be feared, respected, and untouchable, then you both will marry… soon.”
A thought seeps into my mind. “You’re not honestly thinking of marrying someone else… what about Mom?”
My father glares at me. “What’s wrong with you, son? I’m bringing your mom home.”
Bennett shakes his head. “She’s not going to like that, and she’s not going to come willingly.”
My father stomps his foot. “Her place is by my side. She won’t stand by and watch this family, our name, fall apart. She’ll come.”
My father walks back around his desk and sits down. “We’re done here. I expect to hear progress reports.” He looks at Bennett. “And I want to know what Audrey Sterling is up to.”
My brother and I walk out of Dad’s office. We don’t say a word as we go through the house and step outside where no one can be listening in. As soon as we get to our cars and I see Stone standing there waiting, I gesture to Bennett. “Want to go for a walk?”
He nods and follows me down the path. Neither one of us says anything as we walk. It’s like we’re both trying to process what just happened. We stop at the pond on the back of the property, and I turn to my older brother. “Well… what are we going to do?”
Bennett looks up to the big house and then back at me. “We get married. He’s right, ya know. We need wives… we need heirs.”
I shake my head. “This seems like a business arrangement more than anything else. What about love?”
He shrugs. “He said we can marry who we choose. I don’t see the problem here, Cole.”
I blurt out a laugh. “You don’t see the problem? Really? I thought you would have a big problem with this. You think you and Knox will be able to share women if you’re married?”
He tenses and looks out at the pond. He shoves a hand through his hair and blows out a breath. “Look, Cole, I don’t know what this is going to look like, but I agree with Dad. It’s time for us to settle down. You’re thirty. I’m thirty-five, and do we really want the Kingston name to end with us?”
Stunned, all I can do is shake my head.
Bennett continues. “Look, when Mom left, it changed how people perceived us.”
I glare at my older brother. “Don’t put that on Mom. Do you blame her for wanting out? How many times did she have to sit in this house, by herself, and wonder what was going to happen to Dad or the two of us?”
Bennett rolls his eyes. “I’m not blaming Mom. I’m just saying that it’s time for us to step into what’s next. Right now our family consists of Dad, me, and you.”
“Mom is still a part of this family.”
Bennett impatiently blurts out, “Of course she is, but we need her here. We need to build our family, bigger and stronger. Wedon’t have the edge we once did, and maybe Dad is right. I mean, he usually is.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m warning Mom. I’m telling her that Dad is coming for her.”
Bennett nods in approval. “Good. She needs to know, and I hope she doesn’t make it easy on him.”
“What about you? You have someone in mind?”
There’s a spark in his eyes that says yes, but he shrugs his shoulders. “I dunno. I’ll figure it out.” He looks at me. “What about you? Anyone in mind?”
Instantly, my thoughts go to Luna. I don’t know anything about her. Hell, I met her just today. But there’s no denying the fact that I want her. Hell, I don’t just want her. I’m intrigued by her. She went toe to toe with a man twice her size for some animals. She’s a hard worker, obviously. And fuck, she’s so beautiful. “Maybe.”
We start walking back to our cars. “Maybe, huh? Do I know her?” Bennett asks.
