Page 7 of Crown Jewels
Did she forget our childhood. “You stabbed me in the leg when I was three and got the last cookie.”
“Ugh.” Verity groaned. “That was one time, and I used a fork. You barely have a scar. Stop whining about it.”
Believe it or not, this was a nice conversation with my sister.
My family was complicated. Yes, a lot of people said that, but in my case it was true. For example, the Kessler father/son relationships were not the playing catch in the yard type. We didn’t joke around or openly display our affection for each other. That might make us look weak, and we couldn’t have that.
Needless to say, I wasn’t really close to my dad. I respected him, but I also resented him. It wasn’t all his fault. He didn’t have the best role model. My grandpa wasn’t an easy man to get along with, and he was especially critical of my father.
Sometimes it seemed like he couldn’t do anything right. And that line of thought carried down to me, as my father prepared me to one day sit in his chair.
“Anyway,” my sister sighed. “What are you doing? How are things going over there?”
I rolled my eyes. “You can tell mom I’m fine.”
That was the real reason she was calling. To check up on me.
“I don’t tell mom about our conversations.”
“Oh please.” I grumbled. “You tell mom everything.”
“I didn’t tell her about your little hobby.” Verity pointed out, and I couldn’t argue with her.
My career wasn’t something either of my parents would be happy about, but it wasn’t my dad I had to worry about. The worst he would do is give me a lecture and cut me off for a month. If my mother had any idea I was making porn, she’d show up here and kill me herself.
The only reason my sister knew is because her fiancé watched a lot of porn, and would eventually stumble across it.
“Does Trina know about your hobby?”
“Trina doesn’t know what I look like.” That was a poor argument.
“Still, she might not be too happy about her future husband’s past career choices. Maybe I should tell her?”
Like I gave a fuck what Trina was happy about. “And what about your future husband? There’s a few things I could tell him about you.”
“You’d have to find him first.”
I could hear the rage in my sister’s tone. “Is he still fucking around?”
“Don’t care if he is.”
Yes she did, though I couldn’t say I was surprised given who his father was. When they were kids Colton Hudson was all about my sister. He’d follow her around all the time, saying she would be his wife. That changed when he was eighteen. I don’t know what happened, but he suddenly wanted nothing to do with her.
“Well,” I sighed. “I’m sure he’s busy doing Order bullshit.”
“I don’t know Vahn,” My sister spat back at me. “Seeing as you’re his king, you should know.”
“Don’t start with this shit Verity.”
“No Vahn, you need to start taking responsibility. If you were here being the leader you are supposed to be, instead of fucking for money you don’t need, then maybe these idiots would stop running around causing chaos.”
I didn’t want to be the King of Kings of their precious order, but that’s what it all came down to. Family, love, and friendships all came after. Everything we did was for The Order Of Ravens And Wolves.
That’s how I’d been trained to think. Every thought, action, or decision I made was with The Order in mind, and I fucking hated it.
Don’t get me wrong, I understood the need for it. The Order did a lot of bad things in the name of power, but they also protected the people in my hometown. That didn’t mean I wanted to sit at the throne so to say.
Honestly, Verity would be a better choice. She was malicious, calculating, and ruthless. All qualities one needed to run an evil empire. And what was more, she wanted the job.
