Page 43 of With This Ring

He continues as if I didn’t say anything. “Right after the last bullet embedded itself in her body, Dad regained consciousness. I guess the knowledge that the love of his life was shot and killed was enough to give him some kind of super strength. He was able to kill every single man that was shooting at our car. All except one.” He swallows again, but I can hear the smile in his voice. The sheer pride makes me smile too. “One was mine. The first man I killed was in revenge of my mother.”

“How old were you?”

“Ten.”

My eyes widen as I look over at him. “Ten? Jesus. I didn’t get my first body until I was thirteen.”

“Well, I am better than you, Kaison,” he says and looks at me and shoots me a wink. His smile drops as he finishes. “I didn’t have a choice. When Dad got out of the car to return fire, one of the guys was creeping up behind him. I couldn’t let them kill my dad too. So, I found the gun on my dad’s bodyguard and I shot him.

“After that,” he says, “Dad went kind of out of his mind for a bit. He killed every man and woman that came from Virginia, then went to their home base and killed them all too. There is no one left from that family. No one who can seek revenge on Dad. The family will be forgotten and it’s no more than they deserve.”

Dominic is a fucking bad ass. To kill for the person you love like that is…kind of unhinged, but the ultimate sign of love.

“Do you miss her?” I whisper, not looking at him because I don’t think I can stand the pain that will more than likely be etched on his face.

The long exhale he releases makes my heart clench. “Everyday. She was a good mother. Tough as fuck and she knew what this business was about. She’s the one that taught me how to fire a weapon.”

“No shit?”

“No shit,” he says with a chuckle. “She was perfect for Dad. They were perfect together.” The bed shifts as he turns to me. I turn on my side to look at him as well. “What about your mom? I’ve never seen your dad with anyone.”

I shrug. “I don’t know who she is. All Pop told me is she burdened him with me before I turned one.”

Carter winces. “That’s fucked up. Are you sure you’re Charlie’s? You two are nothing alike.”

“I’m sure. He got a DNA test done as soon as she dropped me off. And he’d agree that I’m nothing like him. Especially because I like dick.”

He rolls his eyes. “So do I. Do you want to find your mom?”

“Nah. No need. I’m twenty-five years old. She had twenty-four years to find me. Not like she doesn’t know where I am. I’m not missing out on anything by her not being around.”

That’s the truth. It’s shitty that she left me with someone like Pop, but she didn’t want me. I don’t wish she was around like I wish Pop was.

The words that come out of my mouth aren’t supposed to. They’re supposed to stay put, my secret from the world. But Carter has my guard down. He shared so much with me about his mother; turnabout is fair play, I suppose. “I’m not sure why what Pop thinks about me is so important. I know being gay doesn’t make me less than and I get respect from everyone because I don’t take shit and will kill without a second thought. But over the years, hearing him repeatedly tell me I’m an embarrassment to the family name makes me want to show him I can carry the St. Clair family and do a damn good job at it.”

Carter’s warm hand lands on my cheek and I close my eyes at his touch. My heart that was just hammering in my chest slows to a steady thump.

“Look at me, Kaison.” I flick my eyes open and meet his gaze. “Fuck Charlie. Fuck him and all his bullshit. You don’t need him. You’re a Whitlock now. What you do is forourfamily. You understand?”

A smile tugs up my lips at his word. Carter and I are family. The St. Clair-Whitlocks. It’s us, me and him. “I think I like you too, Carter.”

The deep rumble of his laughter makes me smile wider. “I know you do. I’m fucking irresistible.”

CHAPTER 15

CARTER

Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be obsessed with Kaison fucking St. Clair. Never thought I’d feel anything towards him but hatred and loathing. Never thought how he feels would mean anything to me.

But something shifted when I hurt him at the casino, then seeing those bruises on him after he ran away. I’ve put plenty of bruises on him myself when I tried to beat him into the ground, but he gave as good as he got. What happened to him at the club? That was an attack and I didn’t like seeing him hurt like that. No matter how long it takes, I’ll find those fuckers that thought it was okay to put their hands on what belongs to me.

That’s something I’ll think about later. For now, I have a date.

I pull up to Kai’s construction company and put my car in park right beside his. Gavin looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. “You’re weird when you’re cheerful. Especially when it has to do with a St. Clair.”

I shrug. “You’re right. But…I don’t know. He’s not what I expected. He’s…more. Fuck, I don’t know. I sound like a fucking idiot.”

“You sound like a man with a crush.” Gavin smirks at me. I sock him lightly in the arm and get out of the car.

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