Page 13 of Indecent Villain

Until today, I haven’t laughed in a long time. I pull myself together and shake my head.

“Kinsley, I’m not sure what you heard, but Jude, not once, had anything to do with drugs.”

A frown pulls between her brows. “I overheard my father discussing shipments with another man. He specifically talked about the quality of, and I quote, ‘coke.’ How did I mistake that?”

That bit of information puzzles me. “Do you know who the man was?”

She shakes her head. “I didn’t see him. He had a distinctive voice, so maybe I would recognize it if I heard it again.”

“What else did they say?”

“That was it, really. I mean, I wasn’t sitting in the closet at the time. I went in it to change out of my school uniform when I heard raised voices. My father had a booming voice on occasion.”

“He did,” I reply, distracted.

What the fuck had Jude been involved in? I knew my brother, or at least I thought I did. The Jude I knew wouldn’t have been involved in drugs. So, what changed?

“Tell me about him, please. You were about to until I butted in.”

“We are part of a mafia family.”

Kinsley blinks hard, her pretty features contorted in horror. “I thought the mafia was Italian.”

Her comment catches me by surprise. What did I expect from her though? Tears and denial? Hysterical laughter because it is so unbelievable?

“Our grandfather was Italian.” I clear my throat. “His only surviving daughter—our mother, Jude’s and mine—took over from him. Isabella was fierce and someone not to be crossed. This house is my family home, Kinsley. That is why Jude was supposed to leave it to me, under the provision that you would always have a home here.”

“You’re not bullshitting me, are you? I remember Grandma. She was always in a bad mood. She scared me.”

I laugh. “She scared me too.”

Kinsley raises a brow.

I smirk. “You don’t believe me?”

“Actually, I think I do.” She scoots the chair forward and leans her elbows on the desk, her chin resting on her hands. “My parents were killed because of who they were?”

I nod.

“Do you know by whom?”

“I will tell you my theory one day. For now, it is enough that you know who they really were.”

“And you, Tiberius? What is your part in all of this?”

“I am the head of the family. I was before your father died. So if you are thinking I got rid of my brother to take over, that is not true.”

“That hadn’t crossed my mind.” By the frown on her face, I believe her.

I’m contemplating how much to tell her, when she asks, “So, what revenge is going to be taken?”

“Do not worry about that.”

“Don’t patronize me, Tiberius. I may be young, but if you are who you say you are, then revenge will be taken. I want in on that.”

“You need to trust me to keep you safe.”

Her eyes narrow, a telltale sign that she does not like my words. Well, tough. She’s just going to have to live with it.

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