Page 24 of The Heir
I eye my mom who's in just a sensible pair of sweat pants and tank top with thicker straps. She's got her curly hair in a high bun, sportssunglasses, and a teasing smile for me because she knows how much I hate this shit. I eye her arms enviously. She's got Angela Basset arms, and I'm jealous as fuck over them too. Why do I have to be the only one who looks like me in the family?
It's not fair. I got all the curves, Melody got the legs, and my mom has the arms.
Genetics suck, and the fact I know I must take after my dad really burns me up.
I begin jogging in place so I can warm up my muscles, already lamenting the feel of my breasts bouncing. "Well come on you two, I want to get it over with." Unfortunately for me this is an almost four mile trail, but they already know I'll stop halfway and walk the rest. That's when we'll talk.
Forty minutes later I'm laying down on a bench with my head in mom's lap, huffing and puffing miserably. "I fucking hate you guys so much," I whimper, turning my head to take a sip of water.
I made it exactly two miles before I collapsed, crawling my way pathetically to the city bench and dragging myself up, wheezing.
"Ohhhh you'll be fine! Your hips haven't spread near as much as you've been trying to make it seem!" Melody leans down and slaps me right on my right hip, making my thigh jiggle. Her hazel eyes sparkle as she dodges me kicking my foot out at her, tripping right into a group of joggers, screaming as she topples over before being snatched up.
My jaw drops as one of the men steps aside and I seeKing,picking my sister up by her arm and standing her upright.
My eyes widen, and my throat closes up.
He's running with four security officers it looks like. His men are dressed in black, looking intimidating. But it's only him I've got eyes for. I'm able to easily pick him out from his security just based off his bone structure alone. He's in a pair of black running shorts, expensivelooking running shoes, and a black muscle shirt that's completely covered in sweat and sticking to him. His thick hair is wet, and he runs a hand through it as he lets go of my sister.
"You okay?" he asks gruffly, barely sounding out of breath.
"Yes, I'm good. Thanks." Melody glances away shyly but King takes another step towards her and holds out his hand.
"Hendrix," he says. "I'm sorry about you almost getting trampled by my men. What's your name?"
"Melody," she takes his hand briefly and then walks over to me, giving me a side eye.
Realizing that I've just been laying here looking pathetic I gasp, rolling off the bench and trying to stand up, stumbling myself as my shaky legs barely hold me up. But before I can stand upright and look normal he's already got his baby blues on me. If I weren't already out of breath, flushed and sweaty, I'd be blushing full force at the slow drag of his eyes down my body, lingering on my breasts. But he quickly snaps his eyes to mine and gives me a devilish smile.
"Well, hello there," he drawls, and my lips tighten as I feel myself become wet between my legs.
"Hey," I say simply. I turn to see my mom standing up and leaning over to say something to Melody about being more careful because she could have gotten really hurt, when King suddenly whistles and takes a couple steps forward, obviously eyeing my mother's arms.
"Ma'am, those are the most impressive guns I've ever seen. What's arm day look like for you?"
My mother glances over at him and laughs, giving him a shrug. "Intense." She laughs and I stand there stunned while they begin to talk about their workout routine.
"Come on," I grumble, rolling my eyes. "I have a hair appointment to get to. I don't want to listen to work out routines while I'm activelytrying to get through one!" Grabbing Melody's arm, I tug her after me and begin to jog, trying to put the pain in my legs aside. "So," I look over at Melody whose face is locked in concentration. She's got the same freckles I do, but hers are more on her face, while mine are more on my cheeks and nose. I hear King and my mom getting chummy as we go, and it makes my irritation rise even higher for some reason. "Tell me how you're liking the new school?"
The second I got my big break I used my earnings to enroll her in a private school. My sister is smart as a whip. I'm talkingsuper gifted,and the minute I could get her into this coveted institution I took it, depositing all of the money I got for landing this client. I'm elated to see that she's liking it.
"It's amazing," she says excitedly. "The track team is so much fun, and I'm thinking about going for cross country."
"Ew," I say, scrunching up my face and making her laugh. "The very thought of cross country isnauseating."
"What can I say? I loovvee to run."
"And I love itforyou," I respond.
I look over at the smile that breaks my sister's face and see that this is her happy place. She has a look of freedom and abandon on her face that makes me almost levitate with happiness, but when we turn a bend in the track and I see the upwards hill just ahead of us I blanch.
Struggling to keep my pace, my steps slow to a half jog now.
Clenching my fists, I dig deep and try with everything in me to go faster because King is behind us with our mom still, and I don't want to embarrass myself in front of him and his men. But to my utter horror, the harder I try to increase my pace, the slower I get.
"Fall back." I hear King call out to his men, and I can feel as a group we're slowing down. It's utterly humiliating. My face falls as shame fills me.
Fuck that. I'll make it up the hill andthendie.
