Page 91 of Kill for a Kiss

“Yes.”

“Well, you always are.” He grins around the bone. “That means you’re still you.”

I roll my eyes.

A few more minutes pass before he tosses the bone onto the grass. “Y’know, when you left all those years ago, I wasn’t surprised.”

That gets my attention.

He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “You were always the one who didn’t give a shit. Who walked around like you didn’t oweanyone anything. I used to think you were an asshole, but nah. You just saw through everyone’s bullshit.”

I glance at him. He doesn’t look back at me. Instead, he lifts his head to stare at the sky.

“I looked up to you, y’know. You did what I never could.” He barks out a laugh, bitter. “Just walked the hell out.”

I crease my brows, frowning. “You? Looked up to me?”

He smirks, but it’s thinner than usual. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

“Because you’ve always acted like you were born without a filter.”

“Yeah, well. You showed me I didn’t need one.” He rubs his jaw. “You stopped caring what people thought. I figured maybe I could too.”

I’m not sure what to say to that. We’ve never done this, never said this kind of shit out loud.

Then his expression changes. Still casual, but his voice cuts. “Dad liked you best.”

The worddadmakes my chest uneasy. It’s a different name from the one I always use.Kai.Cold, distant, detached. Stanley doesn’t look at me. He just keeps talking, filling the silence.

“I used to wonder why. You weren’t even the golden boy. That was always Damon. But dad looked at you like you were some sort of reminder of something important to him. Orsomeone.”

He glances at me now, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“So when you ran, I figured you must’ve found out some sort of terrible truth, Silver.”

I don’t say anything.

Stanley watches me, a heaviness behind his stare. “You’re not Clo’s, are you?”

Silence passes over us again. I meet his gaze, frowning. The fire crackles. Then I nod once, slow.

“Wait—wait, back the fuck up. So I’mright?” He holds his head with both hands, eyes wide and in clear disbelief. “You’re not Clo’s. Okay,wild. But ifCloisn’t your mom…” He blinks, squints, then leans forward like the answer might be hiding somewhere on my face. “Then who the hell is?”

I don’t answer.

His mouth gapes open. “Youknow, don’t you?”

I nod again. He stares at me, waiting. I say nothing.

“Oh, no,no. Don’t you dare do this silent broody shit right now.” He shoots up and starts pacing. “You’re telling me I’ve been going my whole damn life thinking we were full-blood brothers, and you’re holding out on me now? After we’ve literally—literally—done everything else together? You selfish bastard!”

I raise a brow. “After you butchered a boar in my kitchen?”

“Yes!” He stomps at the ground. “This is premium family drama material. Firepit. Meat. Suspicious backstory. Gimme your real mom’s name, Silver!”

I glance toward the cabin, just in case Elle’s woken up from all of Stanley’s stupid noises.

“Is she someone I know? Wait—wait—oh my god.” Stanley gasps. “Is it someoneDamonknows? He knowseverything. Wait! Does Damon even know?”