Page 35 of KAI Tortured

Maisy’s gaze drops back to her hands when she stops talking. It seems that she’s finished telling her story.

I take the whiskey bottle and refill the four glasses that are still on the table.

I pick up my glass and down it in one. Logan and Kai follow, both finishing their drinks swiftly. Maisy goes last; she takes her glass, sips a little, and then gently sets it back on the table.

“Wow,” Logan mutters. He looks shocked. I think we all are.

Our mother… She planned her vengeance from the age of twelve. If that doesn’t scream mafia, I don’t know what does.

I stand up and rake my fingers through my hair. I don’t know how I feel about any of this. I stride over to the windows overlooking Manhattan and stare down at the view. Trying to make sense of it all.

“How did you find out?” Maisy asks quietly.

“We got Marina to compare our DNA,” Kai replies. “You’d given us enough clues.”

I’m overwhelmed. My head will probably explode from the information overload. Plus my cock’s still twitching from Maisy’s proximity. I’ve missed her badly all this time, and I bet Logan and Kai feel the same.

I look back at them and notice Logan’s eyes are closed. Okay, maybe he’s thinking about our mother, Rebecca Trellis. What fucking luck she had. To lose everyone at the age of twelve, everyone, and end up in foster care. And then do what? Create three lives and hope they’ll kill each other one day? I have mixed feelings about her already. She played the long game. Her approach to revenge involved patience and long-term planning. She gave up her newborn sons to aim for a significant future outcome.

“What happened to Rebecca is the exact reason why I don’t want any more shootouts in the streets of New York,” I announce. “Our mother lost everyone, literally everyone, and gave her life to avenge her family. And why? Because our fathers craved power. Everyone dies in the end. It’s how we live our lives, no matter who we are, that makes all the difference. We’ll annihilate the Slavs, and we’ll create what we set out to create.”

“Hear, hear!” Kai exclaims.

“Let’s do it,” Logan says.

Maisy shoots to her feet. “I want to help.”

Logan cuts her off. “Absolutely not!”

“Over my dead body, baby girl.” Kai grabs her by the hand and tugs. “Now sit your ass down.”

She wrenches her hand away from Kai’s and remains standing. “Why not? I was there, I know their operation. I also spent time with Milan. I know them better than anyone.” She sits on my lap. “Orion, come on. Let me help,” she pleads.

I don’t want to be harsh with her, like Logan and Kai were. I smile, kiss her cheek, and tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

“Maisy,” I sigh, “this war, it’s ours.”

“I want to dance in its ashes too, Orion. If I’m part of your lives, you gotta allow me to contribute.”

I glance over at Kai and Logan.

“Didn’t you just hear me? Over my dead body, Orion,” Kai repeats.

I agree with Kai, but we can’t shut her out. “Logan?”

“I don’t want her in the line of fire. And if she’s helping, that’s exactly where she’ll be,” Logan points out.

“It’s because I’m a Slav, am I right?” she protests.

“No, Maisy. It’s because you’re our addiction, you’re too precious to us, and we don’t want you to get hurt.” I turn to Logan and Kai. “But now that she’s to be part of our lives, the dynamic of our relationship must change. And that means we let Maisy contribute. Especially when she has inside knowledge. The little fact that she’s a genius could help, too.”

“Goddamn!” Logan’s clearly annoyed.

Kai sighs, looking frustrated. “I don’t want her anywhere near the Slavs. Agree to that and I’m cool.”

“One hundred percent.” I turn to Maisy. “Did you hear? We don’t want you out of this penthouse until the war is won. Clear?”

“Yes!” She smiles naughtily, as if we didn’t just make a huge decision in our lives. None of us said it, but the moment I used the word relationship, we all felt it. Like the elephant in the room. She didn’t seem to pick up on it, though, which is for the better. As for us, it’s time to grow up.

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