Page 3 of The Broken Queen
Dad’s eyes flicked between the two of us before he let out a small scoff. “I was hoping to take all of you.”
Gio and I both shook our heads at the same time. “We aren’t leaving.”
He knew we couldn’t. The ink over our hearts demanded we stay; required us to lead. We didn’t have the twenty years Dad did in managing the beast that was El Peligro. It had only gotten worse with the new ties to the cartel that our uncle had developed over thepast few months. It was stronger now than ever, and more dangerous.
I desperately wanted to ask Dad how he led it back when he did, but I never would. Not when he’d worked so hard to subdue it, only to have us fuck it all up.
“Hand things over to the man who helped stage the coup for the gang to leave my leadership in the first place. Henry, right? Step away while you still can. The link to the cartel is dangerous, and not something to take lightly. You boys need a clean cut.”
Shame hollowed out my chest as I considered how he’d view Henry. He had been loyal to my father once, but he’d been the one whispering in our ears to return the gang to the initial vision our grandfather once had for it. Instead of confirming anything about Henry, I asked, “How do you know about the cartel link?”
Dad’s jaw hardened. “Because it runs in my fucking blood, Kingston. Those men were loyal to me for twenty years. They may have wanted to return to the initial vision, but it didn’t change who they consider the true leader.”
Fuck, that hurt. He was right, but it was humiliating. El Peligro wasn’t something my brother or I loved. We abused it, and in turn, the men felt it.
Gio spoke, shaking me from my thoughts. “Even if we wanted to go, we can’t. They’d hunt us down. You know this.”
Dad’s jaw worked back and forth as if he were biting back a thousand different words.
“If you hand things over to family, they won’t. Henry is a blood relation to my uncle, they’ll follow him.”
Our dad glanced between us. I knew he understood what our hesitation was about.
If there was still a chance that Presley needed us, and while we knew she hated us, if we could ever use what connection we had to the gang to protect her, then we would.
Our silence answered for us, and we had to watch as fresh hurt worked through our father’s gaze, cutting us down to the bone.
“She isn’t coming back. While we haven’t been in communication with Kyle or heard how she’s doing…I know Presley. She will do whatever it takes to keepherfamily safe, and whatever you did made it to where we are no longer a part of it.”
Cold numbing truth slid through my veins at his harsh reprimand. We had ruined everything.Ihad ruined everything. Gio would have never gone this far if it weren’t for me.
“What about your friendship with Kyle? Haven’t you both been through enough not to leave him like this? Markos is going to kill them.”
Dad didn’t even wince or flinch as he dismissed the idea. “Kyle has always worried about his family. It’s time I do the same.”
Shock was the first thing I felt. Ever since we could remember, Kyle and my father seemed more like brothers. Even more so than Kyle did with his own brother, Decker. Dad and Kyle were cut from the same cloth, the same fear and obsessions of keeping what they cherished safe…and yet.
“Dad, you can’t do this,” Gio argued, shaking his head. He pushed his dark hair back, revealing a new tattoo snaking along his forearm. Something about punishment and penance.
Our father gave us one glance before turning toward the patio doors. “I didn’t do it, Son. You two did. We warned you not to ruin the family.”
He didn’t understand, no one was fucking trying to understand. “Adrian is going to kill her. You don’t believe us, but we know our intel is solid.”
Dad paused with his hand on the doorknob for a fraction of a second before turning. “And yet he hasn’t in nine months.” His eyes burned as he glared at us both, his voice rising.
“She’s been in Italy, living happily for nine months.”
I winced, lowering my head. Hearing it was too painful because it was what went through my head every night when I closed my eyes, what I heard every morning. What I thought of every time I considered tracking her down.
“She’s been engaged fornine months,and nothing bad has happened to her. She’s happy.”
“Stop,” Gio warned, his voice cracking.
Our dad’s eyes blazed as he took a step closer. “She’s rich, being completely spoiled and not covered in bruises. She’s not fighting anymore. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”
My brother was shaking, and I felt that same quivering wherever it was my blackened soul lingered. Of course, we always wanted her happy and safe, and fucking whole. We wanted her to find joy in this life, but fuck, did it have to be without us?
“He’s not who he says he is. Markos is?—”
