Page 10 of The Broken Queen
“Gio, Kingston!”
I caught Cruz in my arms, and my brother caught Kane.
“Are you guys getting any better at that video game we got you?” I asked while my five-year-old cousin began pushing against my eye sockets.
“Can you still see when I do this?”
Kane did the same thing to Kingston, which made him laugh.
Our aunt appeared seconds later, her smile was bright as she greeted us. “Hi, boys.”
“Hey, tía.” I said with a smile.
My father’s little sister looked just like him: the same brown skin, with warm amber eyes, but where my father was hard and blunt, she was soft and beautiful. Her hair was long and thick, and she wasconsiderably more petite than my father, which was only amplified when her boyfriend, Archer, came up behind her.
“Hey, guys.”
I gave him a warm smile, although I still felt mildly awkward, considering only a few months ago, we had tried killing one another. “Hey.”
Archer was the president of a motorcycle club from New York, so while he looked like a Viking with his longer hair, tied in a bun, and his shocking blue eyes, he also gave off the vibe that he’d murder you bare-handed if he felt so inclined.
“What brings you boys by?” Wren asked while we made our way into the two-story house.
“Just some business in the city, thought maybe we’d see you guys first,” Kingston answered while letting Kane out of his arms.
“Well then, stay for dinner!” our aunt gushed while moving to sit on the armrest of the couch. Archer sat down next to her and quickly pulled her hand into his.
“Sure, we’d love to,” I answered while Kingston nodded.
This was so fucking awkward, but if we didn’t start trying to put things back together, then we’d never get past what we did. We nearly cost Archer his life, took some of his men’s lives, and endangered her kids. We owed them a fucking lot.
Besides, we were going to have to get used to eating humble pie if Presley ever let us back into her life.
“Well, I’m going to get it started. You guys relax and play some video games with the boys, I’m sure they’d love that.” Wren stood from the couch and ruffled King’s hair on her way into the kitchen.
Archer sat forward, leveling his blue-eyed gaze on us. “You need any backup for yourbusinessin the city?”
Kingston shook his head while I answered, “We have our men coming in.”
Archer nodded in understanding. “Well, if you ever need us. For anything at all, you call me. We’re family now.”
Something warm and bright moved into my sternum, taking meback to a time when I used to feel that sense of family every day when I’d wake up in the manor. Carter, Alex, and Presley were all there, and of course King. It was a feeling I hadn’t had in a very long time.
“Thank you,” I said honestly.
The moment was heavy between us for a few seconds before two five-year-old boys ran back into the room, holding game controllers. “Okay, this time, we’re going to win.”
Kingston laughed while he helped Cruz sit next to him, and Kane took up the spot near me.
“Let’s play teams! Brothers against brothers.” Kane yelled excitedly.
Kingston glanced over at me tentatively, as if he were nervous that I’d reject him. “You’ll never win against me and Gio.”
I smiled back and took my controller, and regardless of how pissed I was at my brother, I agreed.
“Never. It’s me and King against the world.”
Henry gaveus a small salute as he drove past our team of fifteen and continued toward the back. Kingston drove while I rode shotgun; no one else traveled in the same vehicle as us. Dawn had barely broken upon the world, and we were already nearing the residence of Markos Mariano.
