Page 1 of The Lost Kings
P resley’s lashes fluttered against her freckled face while she clung to her stuffed animal.
She slept in complete peace as if she hadn’t snuck out of her bed yet again.
I’d smile at her determination if it weren’t for this new feeling cracking my chest open.
Seeing her between the twins, in what she had called “her favorite place in the whole world.” Perhaps it was because she’d just turned five, or maybe it was the argument I got into with Juan, the twin’s father, but I finally had a name for that new feeling.
Fear.
I leaned over them and gently tugged down the blanket that covered Presley’s face.
Her hair was dark like her mother’s, her lashes were long and she had the same freckle on her cheek that Rylie had.
The boys took after Juan with the same inky hair and long lashes, with the same warm brown skin.
They all looked so tranquil, and yet that fear came back in full force.
My voice was nearly as soft as Rylie’s as I muttered in response, “She’s getting too old.”
Kingston and Gio certainly were. They would be seven in less than six months.
Rylie sighed while squeezing my arm. “They’re best friends. She feels safe with them.”
That word “safe” felt like a sucker punch because my daughter often felt afraid. From what my wife and I gathered, it had to do with how frequently we moved around and that she didn’t have roots. Seemed she made her own between the twins.
Presley’s nose twitched, but she was tucked under Kingston’s chin, so it made his lashes flutter. Gio was behind her, wrapped in his own tattered blanket, while a piece of Presley’s braid was looped around his finger.
“They’re too old to be sleeping in the same bed.
” Not to mention spending every waking hour together.
The three were completely inseparable, and while it was cute when they were little, it was starting to make my stomach bind into an invisible knot.
I was about to pull my daughter into my arms when a familiar voice stopped me from the doorway.
“Never thought I’d see The Joker panicked over something so innocent.”
My wife released a small chuckle while shaking her head. “You two have fun, I’m going to bed.”
“Night, little one,” Juan said warmly toward Rylie while she exited the room.
The nickname he’d given my wife years ago steadied me, reminding me how much history I had with this man. He may be the twins’ father, and responsible for these two little boys who couldn’t seem to stay away from my little girl, but he was also my friend .
Juan pushed off the doorframe and walked over to where I stood, staring at our kids.
“You’re overreacting.”
I glanced up, seeing Juan’s messy hair crowding his forehead. He wore black sweats and a white T-shirt with no socks. He had likely been sleeping or at least trying to. Lately, things had been so stressful for all of us that it was difficult to find any rest.
“My gut tells me I’m not.”
“They’re children. Practically siblings, let them support one another. They need it now more than ever.”
I was reminded of our argument from earlier.
We would need to run again, but Juan wanted to remain in North Carolina.
He had his wife, Taylor, and their three kids to think of.
Their daughter Alex, and then the twins Gio and Kingston…
even Juan’s mother and stepfather had started tagging along wherever we would go.
I understood their need for stability, but we both still had enemies which required us to remain hidden.
I had them from my connection to the mafia…and he had them because of his role in leading El Peligro, a gang that originated from the cartel.
We’d both attempted to leave our lives spent killing and defending our names when we became family men, but we were fools. Our enemies were determined to never let us forget and refused to let us move beyond it without paying for every single thing we did.
“I can’t fix this, Juan. I tried. Fuck, you know how often I have tried to untangle this fucking mess. No matter what I do, how many enemies I defeat, it’s like a new family pops up with its sights set on murdering everyone I’ve ever known.”
Our friendship had started by accident when a deal had gone bad and instead of killing each other, we killed the other men in the room and became allies.
That was almost ten years ago, and while we’d been running ever since, we hadn’t gained any space from our problems. They only grew, and in turn, we did too…
we became closer as a family, traveling together and watching one another’s backs.
Juan continued to stare down at our kids before giving me his thoughts.
“Perhaps we need to unify our families then. If it’s getting this bad, use El Peligro, just as an extra layer of protection.”
A sour feeling overrode that fear working through me.
He’d managed to take the gang his father had led, and with his wife, Taylor, they’d turned the entire thing into a charity.
El Peligro didn’t strike fear into people’s hearts anymore; it gave them hope.
I hated the idea of taking what he’d changed for the betterment of the community and turning it into something lethal again.
El Peligro was dismantled from the top down and reconstructed to be a tool for the powerless.
They were getting insulin to people who didn’t have insurance.
Homes for those who couldn’t afford rent.
Clothes and school supplies for low-income families, and funding for the local schools.
El Peligro had started buying up property so they could offer housing to those who needed it most instead of corrupt billionaires buying out of greed.
El Peligro was a thorn in the side of any politician or real estate mogul who wanted a foothold in North Carolina.
Juan and Taylor wanted to stretch their hands further and cover a broader scope, but it would take time.
Time they didn’t have if we had to continue running.
While they were playing Robin Hood, I stabbed everyone who dared to breathe wrong in their direction.
Juan didn’t realize this, but even he had accrued several enemies by standing on the right side of the law.
Those real estate moguls wanted blood, and I was the person who took the hits.
I did it because I’d created so many other messes that Juan had to save me from. It was an honor to have his back.
“I don’t want to use El Peligro unless we have no other choice.”
Juan dipped his head and shifted closer to me to quiet his voice .
“Once upon a time, we talked about who would take over for us. Do you remember that?”
A fist gripped my heart as I watched Presley sleep.
Back then she wasn’t even a thought. I had assumed one of Juan’s kids would lead or take over, but now my daughter was here, and there’d been a separation in how we led and what we did.
Juan was the good guy and had a community to protect.
He’d become a symbol of hope for so many, there was no way I could ask him to sacrifice his sons to fix all the shit I’d started with these families.
I had envisioned having my own outfit…stealing from the other families in the mafia and creating a large enough one of my own so that I would be invincible.
I wasn’t the head of any family; I had no ties anywhere…
I was The Joker. Someone who crept into the underbelly of society and tricked them out of their holdings.
While I was prepared to walk away from all of it entirely, I fucked up.
I fell in love, and when her life nearly became forfeit because of my role in the mafia world, I stepped away. I was prepared to never step back into that life again, but it yanked me by both legs, not giving me any choice.
The threats were endless, and I wasn’t sure we’d ever be able to outrun them.
Not unless something drastic changed…
“We’ve been running for five years straight.”
Juan turned toward the door, ready to head back to bed no doubt. His raised brow encouraged me to continue.
“We need a new plan…” I trailed off.
He glared at me then flicked a gaze over at the kids who were still sleeping.
“What sort of plan?”
This could be insane. It could be the worst idea I ever had or the only option we had for survival.
My fists clenched and unclenched at my sides. “First, we consolidate, give our kids roots. The manor…it’s large enough to give each of our families privacy. We move here, permanently. ”
Juan’s eyes were dark in the muted room, but I noticed as they narrowed on me angrily.
I knew what he was worried about: that I’d drag his boys to the front of the line to go to war for us.
It was a thought we had years ago when the idea of who would take over was brought up.
But this was my plan, and it had to be me who was willing to take the risk.
“Okay…and then what?” Juan asked cautiously.
I paused, letting my mind work. Rylie was going to kill me, but Scotty would have my back. My uncle would understand, and deep down I knew I was right about what I had in mind.
We could do this.
“They’re going to grow up understanding the dangers we face.”
Juan shook his head, stopping me. “That’s too vague…what exactly do you mean?”
I turned so he caught my expression. “Every family now knows my playbook…we aren’t establishing a foothold anywhere as an official family would. Unlike the Costa Nostra or the Bratva…we have no place at any table.”
Juan’s eyes narrowed on something behind my shoulder. “You burned the table and killed most of the players. Now you’re dealing with their relations and offspring. Hiding in your hole like a snake who swallowed his meal.”
A smile curved along my lips. “Exactly.”
“Are you going to tell me what the new plan is beyond all of us moving into the manor and raising our kids together?”
My mind began to churn out scenarios and ideas of how we could get out of this, and all of it revolved around that image of me being in a hole, devouring my meal. I wondered what would happen if I were given enough time…
“Just keep my kids out of it, whatever it is you’re planning,” Juan grumbled one last time.
“They won’t be involved…” I assured him, still staring down at Presley tucked between his two boys. “But they’re already extremely protective of her… ”
Juan’s head snapped up as if he’d just realized what I was hinting toward.
“What are you going to do, train her the way Scotty trained you?”
Juan never knew the depths of what my uncle had put me through.
He had an idea that it was rough, but I’d never really opened up to anyone other than Rylie about how gruesome his methods could be.
While I didn’t want to consider my own child going through something that painful, I also knew firsthand how protective my uncle already was of her.
Besides, there wasn’t anyone on this planet I trusted more than Scotty.
The second he defied a direct order to hand me over to his boss, he’d earned my loyalty.
My body shifted; my eyes meeting his. “He’s the only person who could ever prepare her for what’s to come.”
Juan searched my face, understanding dawning on him. “You’ll allow him to essentially raise her, Kyle. Think that through.”
A strange throbbing sensation began in my chest at the idea of Scotty raising Presley. “Rylie and I aren’t going anywhere. We’ll be there to ensure she’s safe, that he doesn’t go too far. Besides, the boys will always keep her safe.”
“See what you did there by bringing my boys into it?”
Juan’s glare was severe as we stared at one another. He knew as well as I did that there would be no escaping the fact that his boys would naturally be drawn to protecting her. They already were and they hadn’t even turned seven yet.
The silence expanded only to finally burst as Juan shook his head. “Then perhaps I need to take them away from her.”
That throbbing in my chest became tighter just at the idea of him and Taylor leaving. We’d been through so much together, and while most of it was shit that got me shot, or nearly gutted like a goddamn pig, at least Juan was with me through all of it.
“You can’t separate them. You know that as well as I do.”
It was the only card I could really play. He and his family were free to leave, and they’d be fine, but Presley was an only child, and the kids here made up her family. Not just the twins, but their older sister, Alex, and Presley’s cousin, Carter.
“Will you help me or not?” I interjected again, this time too loudly. Kingston stirred, which made Presley’s eyes flutter.
Juan stepped closer and softened his voice. “My boys are not to be a part of this. Any of it.”
“Understood.” My voice was gentle, but the way Giovanni’s eyes snapped open, you’d think he’d heard me.
I lowered my arms and pulled my daughter out from between them, which forced Kingston’s eyes to open as well, and now both twins were glaring at me as if I’d just stolen something from them.
Deep down I knew this bond between them would keep my daughter alive. Just as long as nothing happened to make them ever feel anything more than sibling affection toward one another, then we’d be safe, and this entire plan would work.