Forgotten Kings
Mix
Somewhere in the Georgia mountains…
“King thinks you’re in New York checking on things?” the old man in the wheelchair asks. His voice is raspy and strained, not at all what it used to be.
“Yeah, I have my boys in New York seeing to things until I get there,” I reply.
“He’s running a tight ship, I see,” he says with a firm nod and pursed lips.
“Yeah, the kid is doing well. I’m proud of him,” I say and nod my head. I am proud of King even if I have a suspicion he’s keeping something from me. I guess we’re about even there.
In the end, it will all be a matter of who’s willing to forgive who. I’d say I’ve had more time to deal with what I have been suspecting. King is going to be blindsided with this completely.
“Does he know trouble is headed his way yet?”
“No.” I shake my head with a grim frown on my face. “I’ve kept a lid on things. I think his iron fist has held things off for this long. No one can find a way in. Too many are scared to come after the Lost Souls. They know about the Squad and are scared shitless of them.”
The old man grins as much as his scared face will allow. “I would fear them if I didn’t know the face of death for myself,” he says. His grin falls as quickly as it appears. I know the conversation is about to take another turn. The same turn it takes every time I’m here. “Any change?”
“No brother, not yet.” I don’t have the heart to say there never will be. I know hope of there someday being a change is the only thing holding this brother up.
He swallows hard as he looks off into the distance. “How does an old son of a bitch like me get so lucky…” He doesn’t finish the rest of his thought, but I’ve heard it enough to know what comes next.
“I’m hoping we all have your luck. Squad or not, this is coming for us all. He plans to finish what he started, and he has leverage and timing on his side this time. I think our clock is running out,” I reply gruffly.
The old man nods. “I’ve been readying myself for this day. I think I’ve been readying myself long before I knew this day was coming. The bones in my closet are ready to rattle. We’re going to see if the boy lives up to his name.”
I snort. “King won’t go down without a fight.”
“Good, cause neither will I.”
Chapter 10
Just a Man
Eva
With yesterday forgotten, I find myself laying on Owen’s chest. Yes, I have mentally started to call him Owen after he has growled at me a few times for slipping and calling him Brick.
After our bath, he called his housekeeper to get the things I needed to make us pancakes, as well as a few other things I asked for. By the time Owen had me dressed and we returned to his place in the old warehouse, everything I asked for and then some was stocked in his kitchen.
I made us pancakes for lunch and since he couldn’t keep his hands off me long enough to allow me to cook, we had takeout for dinner. The beginning of yesterday had started off rocky, but it ended on a sweet note. Today has started off the same.
We only moved out of bed to relieve ourselves and freshen up. Then we ended up right back in bed cuddled up and have been that way since. It’s been about two hours now.
“What were you thinking?” Owen chuckles as he runs his fingers through my hair.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking.” I giggle. “He pissed me off. I reacted.”
“King has mentioned that temper of yours,” he says with laughter in his voice.
“I’m working on it.” I shrug. This is the millionth story I’ve shared with him. We’ve been trading stories about ourselves since last night. I think at this point, he knows me better than Misty does.
“He was only trying to cheat from your paper.” He laughs. “Did you have to kick him in the balls?”
“Yes, yes, I did. I asked him to stop,” I say with a sage nod of my head.
“I’m never looking at shit over your shoulder.”
“I have a question,” I say and pop my head up to look at him. “The apartment at the office is amazing. Did you design it all?”
“Every last detail. I didn’t think we’d get those plans approved. We tried for this place, but no matter how deep my pockets are, it was too much glass for this structure, and they weren’t willing to take the risk.
“I would have had to compromise on too much of the structural design to get approved. The office is exactly what I envisioned,” he says proudly.
“You have a brilliant mind. We have to go back. I didn’t get to take it in fully,” I say in awe of his work.
“Anytime you want, darlin’.” He chuckles again as he glides his fingertips up and down the center of my back.
The sound of my stomach growling takes over the room. I blush and bury my face into his chest. His chest rumbles with laughter.
“Come on, baby, let’s see if we can find some leftovers,” he says through his laughter.
“Do you cook?” I ask as we walk to the kitchen stark naked.
“Not often. I suck at it,” he says with a shrug.
I laugh and wipe my sweaty palms on my thighs. You would think I would be more comfortable by now, but Owen is… Owen. Huge, sexy, and imposing. I feel so small as I walk beside him.
His body is perfection. I’m still trying to get used to the fact he’s my man and he likes to see me walking around his place naked as the day I was born.
In the back of my head, I keep asking myself if I’m dreaming. I can’t believe I’ve
