Page 47 of Obsessive Love (The King #1)

Chapter Forty-Six

Sophia

W e turn onto the road that leads up to the gates outside Jericho's house, each of us laughing because of the mess in the car from Kaleb purposefully driving over speed bumps much faster than he should've each time Jaylen was trying to drink his milkshake and in the end, the lid came off and the car got covered the frothy substance.

Kaleb's laughter dies immediately when he spots a silver Mercedes with tinted windows parked outside the gates and he curses beneath his breath, pulling down the sleeves of his T-shirt that he'd only rolled up a few moments ago.

"What's wrong?" I ask, glancing between him and the car parked in front of us.

My question is answered when the door of the Mercedes opens and Alessandro steps out, dressed in a pin-stripe grey suit. He turns to our car with a scowl on his weathered face and strides towards the driver's side.

Kaleb's eyes turn to slits as he follows his father's approach, his hands tightening on the steering wheel and the muscles in his jaw rippling as he grinds his teeth together.

I reach over and place my hand on his thigh, squeezing it lightly.

Alessandro knocks on the window and I quickly pull my hand away from Kaleb as he presses the button on his door and the window opens a few inches.

"What?" Kaleb grunts, turning his murderous glare towards his father.

Each muscle in my body locks up when Alessandro bends down, peeking through the gap in the window, scanning both of us with his steely, hard gaze.

"Where have you two been?" he asks, his eyes slicing between us.

Jaylen leans forward, popping his head through the space between mine and Kaleb's seats.

"Three, not two," he chirps, painting a sickly sweet smile on his face as he leans further forward, blocking me from Alessandro's view. "We've been shopping. Jericho ordered us to go and get Sophia an outfit for tomorrow. Now we're coming back for some food, so if you don't mind moving your car, that'd be highly appreciated."

My eyes widen as I stare at the back of Jaylen's head, surprised by his brazen comment.

"Be careful how you speak to me, boy," Alessandro hisses.

I grab Jaylen's arm, squeezing it tightly as I silently try to convey to him that I want him to be careful.

"Why are you here?" Kaleb asks, breaking through the tension.

"I've come to speak to you and your brother."

"Well, then press the buzzer."

"You think I haven't tried that already in the last ten minutes I've been sitting out here?" Alessandro snaps.

Kaleb huffs out a laugh and then winds up his window, leaving his father outside the car, glaring at him through the window.

Jaylen finally leans back, sitting in the back seat again and I gulp as my gaze connects with Alessandro's for a brief second before I look away.

Kaleb fiddles with the screen on his dashboard, pulling up Jericho's contact and pressing the green call button.

He answers immediately.

"You couldn't have stayed gone for another half an hour?" he grumbles.

"We've been gone for two hours already. You could've warned me that this fucker was at the gate and then I wouldn't have come back," Kaleb retorts.

Jericho sighs and then rustling sounds through the speaker.

"I'll open the gates," he huffs. "Bring him straight through to the kitchen. I don't want him wandering around. I'll have Leo and Charlie on high alert and have them watching the cameras whilst he's here."

The call ends and almost instantly, the gate starts to open.

Alessandro glances at the gate, then back to Kaleb before shaking his head and trudging back to his car

"You stay close to me, okay?" Kaleb says, watching his father with an eagle-eyed stare as he gets back into his car.

"Wouldn't it be better for me and Jaylen to go up to our rooms?"

Kaleb shakes his head.

"No, you both stay where I can see you."

"Aww, does this mean you care about me too?" Jaylen teases from the backseat as Kaleb drives closely behind his father.

"No. I trust you to keep her safe if anything goes wrong," he states.

"Why would something go wrong?" I ask, dread settling in my stomach as we pull up outside the house.

"It might not, but this whole situation is fishy. Alessandro has never been to Jericho's house, especially not for a meeting. He always has us go to him, and we prefer that because Jericho doesn't want him here. This is unusual and I feel like there's an ulterior motive, so stay close to me."