Page 13 of You're My Person - For Always

Kingsley squeezed Kenna's shoulders. Usually, she was the one full of questions. The one who vehemently fought everyone to prove her dad was alive. Her lack of questions or emotions worried him.

"Your dad needs time to think about a visit. I'm sure he'll let us know soon," said Zane.

Kenna stood and rushed out of the room. The front door slammed shut.

Kingsley went after her. Outside, he spotted her race-walking toward the other side of the garage. There was nothing over there, except pine trees and rocky terrain. Setting out after her on foot, he kept his distance, letting her work through the hurt.

Pulling a cigarette out of his pack, he lit the end and slowed his stroll. There was more that Zane wasn't saying, and he'd find out what was going on later. Right now, Kenna needed to process what little info she received and accept that her dad had the final say in whether she got to see him or not.

Kenna stopped abruptly, turning to face Kingsley with fire in her eyes. "Why does he act like we meant nothing to him?"

"I’m sure it's not that simple." He took a slow drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke with deliberate calmness to settle her down.

"Not that simple?" Her voice echoed against the mountains. "He killed people, knowing he'd be taken away from us. Why doesn't he love me? What did I do wrong?"

The anguish in her voice pierced him. He stubbed his cigarette out on the thigh of his jeans and reached out, wishing he could take away her pain. "I don't think this has anything to do with something you did or didn't do. Your dad has his demons that can blind him to what's right in front of him."

"That's no excuse," she shouted, clenching her fists at her sides.

"No, it's not," he said softly. "You deserve answers."

Kenna's shoulders sagged. The fight drained out of her as quickly as it had come. "I just want to understand," she whispered. "I want to know why he'd do something like that. I want to know how he could forget about me and River."

He wrapped her in a protective embrace. She buried her face in his chest. Looking off into the trees, he had no quick answerfor her. But he was certain of one thing. Kenna wouldn't be alone.

He kissed the top of her head. "Do you want to go back inside?"

She inhaled deeply and looked up at him. "My sister doesn't need me."

"What would make you say that?"

She shrugged. "She has Zane."

Right now, Kenna couldn't see through the storm that rained down on her. But one day, she would.

He picked up her hand and held it. "I'll go back to the house with you. You can ask Zane all your questions about your dad, okay?"

She walked with him, and that time, she never pulled away from him.

Chapter Five

Kingsley

––––––––

Zane paced back and forth in the office at the clubhouse, his leather vest creaking with each step. Kingsley drummed a steady rhythm on the desk with his fingers, matching the noise. Both were acutely aware of the dangerous game Burt Shay orchestrated from his cell on death row.

"How the hell does Shay manage to control others? He's got one foot in the grave." Kingsley growled.

Zane paused, running his hand through his hair. "He's got connections, or at least he did."

"How come we never heard about him?"

"Does it really surprise you that Dad crossed Shay's path." Zane ran his hands down his face. "He obviously has something on Dad, which makes him dangerous to Gem Haven."

"You'd think if Shay's that powerful, he'd have more people. He would've had one of them watch over River and Kenna," he said.

His brother met his gaze. "Bigger chance of the truth getting out. His number one concern was keeping the girls from learning he's on death row. He was visibly shaken when he mentioned their names."

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