Page 8 of KAI Tortured

In a way, I want to savor the moment before I open the package. Fuck knows what I’ll discover when I do, but it seems lately all I’m predestined to receive is shocking news.

I take a knife from the cutlery drawer and slide it over the opening, slicing the label and making a cut in the box. I don’t know why I’m adding so much significance to this. Actually, I do know why, but what I’m hoping for is ridiculous and I’m doing this only to confirm my ideas are absurd.

I open the flaps of the box and inside, I see a single letter.

Am I excited? I check myself. I’ve got no emotions, because it’s a far-fetched idea Maisy has been feeding us for nearly a year, and it’s just that, far-fetched. Yet even I started to believe her lies.

I skim through the letter quickly, but as I do, I find myself going back to the same few lines, over and over.

The percentage of the genetic match determines your sibling status.

Your genetic match is 25%, which is sufficient confirmation that you three are half-siblings.

I sit down at the table with the letter still in my hand.

“…you three are half-siblings.”

How the fuck is that possible? I’m trying to figure out how on earth one woman slept with Willer Carte, Mickey Delgado, and Lorenzo Vitali. Gave birth to three sons, and none of them knew about it.

I have brothers. Fuck. Is this real? This changes everything.

I’m still in shock when the sound of Kai’s motorbike shakes me from my daze. He’s come back. I left my cell in my bedroom, but I’m sure the security cameras would have pinged if it was necessary. Even so, I wouldn’t have bothered looking at it. I have men outside, and I know it’s him.

Do I just tell him? Do I prepare him for this? How will he react? And Logan? Half-brothers… fuck. We’re brothers. This can’t be real. We’ll have to do another test to confirm.

Did Kai have any idea what was inside when he saw the package from Marina?

I get up and hurry to fill my cup with coffee. I want to stand in wait for him when he walks in. It’s funny; I’m nervous for the first time ever. I ought to be mad at him for how he left last night, after threatening us. And now, I don’t know how to act. A million thoughts swirl in my head, and I start to go over each of them.

I’ve been alone in here for quite some time. I realize he’s not coming in.

My cup is empty, so I pour myself a refill and head out.

It’s strange for Kai to stay outside but then again, he may be talking to Martin and Phil. We did say we need to be friendly.

I leave the letter on the kitchen counter and head to the front door. I open it slowly, wanting to see what’s going on without startling anyone. Another reason I’m nervous is that I’ll be talking to Kai for the first time as his ‘big’ brother.

When I pull the door fully open I see only Martin and Phil, talking in low voices. They’re wearing their winter coats, in contrast to me in my boxers.

“Oh, hey, boss.” Martin looks oddly excited, a huge grin plastered on his face.

I look beyond them. I see Kai’s bike, but not Kai. I nod at Phil. “Where did he go?”

“Who?” Both of them seem confused.

Goddamn stupid men. “Kai. Where did he go?”

“Oh, that.” Martin grins. “You mean, his bike?”

Phil pipes up. “He’s not here, boss. He swapped with Martin last night. He was just telling me about it.”

I’m hearing what they’re saying, but a sense of déjà vu overwhelms me, though I reject it. I reject it because I remember not checking my cell when Maisy went to Logan’s club. And I also remember everything that happened afterward. My whole mind just shuts down and yet, I’m standing in front of my house, with a coffee cup in my hand.

Kai, my newfound little brother, is finally gonna get the beating he missed out on all these years.

Martin seems to pick up that something’s wrong. “Boss?”

“He has your car?” I ask, as calmly as I can. Although at this point, I sense my nostrils flaring in anger.

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