Page 85 of When Kings Fall

She’d inspired my songwriting.

Hell, she’d made us happy again.

Having her with us had fixed the broken pieces, putting them back together in the best way imaginable.

I pushed away from the wall and left Mason to it, loving that he was in his element.

I had another hour or so before I was to meet Bree downstairs in Roman’s home gym to do some more sparring. It gave me time to get started on figuring out my set list for my upcoming show in a few weeks. I needed to narrow down my hires too, then start rehearsal. There was a lot to do, made all the more overwhelming by everything else going on, this mission ahead, being here instead of back in Stonewell.

Roman was working from home while we were here and right now he was out in the massive workshop he’d built doing some woodworking with Levi.

It was unheard of for him to take time off work like this, but as we’d all seen, especially over dinner, Roman was overjoyed to have some quality time to spend with his son.

Over the last year, with Levi being away, they’d been estranged. I mean, they’d talked and all that, but Levi had unwittingly put a strain there in their relationship with him faking that internship and wanting to keep his mission against Malcolm Lynch a secret. It must have killed Roman, because he was all about his son.

To the outside world, Roman Knight was a notorious, dangerous and heartless bastard. But that was just a façade, one he had to be putting out there to protect himself and his business, given the kinds of people he did business with.

But beneath it, he was sentimental about Levi and all those he cared about.

His son was everything to him, through and through.

It was really nice seeing them reunite. And it was also killer that Roman had taken such a liking to Bree. He’d obviously seen how good she was for Lev and for all of us.

She was holed up in one of the other guestrooms right now catching up on her college classwork remotely.

I should be doing mine too because I’d ended up falling behind again with everything that had been going on.

But that thing was happening in my mind where I was laser-focused on something else, and I couldn’t turn away from it.

Mythic Cry was what I needed to work on now.

Until I did, I wouldn’t be able to see beyond this frustrating state of tunnel vision.

I had a few weeks before the show, but still. I hadn’t prepared anything yet. I was a little ways out from finishing my most recent song too.

I headed down the corridor and walked into my assigned room, going straight for my guitar that was on my bed, along with my notebook where I took down melodies and lyrics that I was working on.

I settled into a cross-legged position with my guitar.

And then I let go, immersing myself in my music.

“Vicious things walking into the light/ Girl’s ours now and we make a real sight/ Stay here/ Stay, my dear/ Vicious things like us belong right here.”

“Colton?”

I jolted at the sound of Brianna’s voice, and stopped playing, turning around to see her leaning against the door to my room.

“What’s up, cutie?”

She smiled with amusement. “Just wondering if you’re coming to spar.”

“Yeah, of course I am. Why?”

“We were meant to start over an hour ago.”

I put my guitar down and pushed off the bed. “What? Seriously?”

“Seriously. It’s okay. You just lost track of time enjoying your music.”

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