King stood, placing his hands on the table in front of him. “And as her president and the mother figure in her life, it was your fucking job to protect her.”
“King, watch your tone,” Bane warned.
The officers and I sat up straight. Ready to move if we had to.
“I am the king of this motherfucking castle, and I fucking outrank both of you. Now, sit your ass down and shut the fuck up.”
Neither of them moved. When Ghost and Jingles both stood, Bane glared at King but grabbed Val and hauled her into a chair. Val opened her mouth to talk, but King silenced her with his hand.
“You are both here as a courtesy. I called you because Amber is your daughter. But make no mistake, you are not in charge.” He sat back down and looked at Jingles. “Please go get Kytten.”
“King—”
“She needs to do this, brother,” King interrupted. “Jingles, grab Torment too.”
“What the fuck is Torment doing here?” Bane asked.
“My old lady needed him.”
“I don’t understand. What happened to Kytten?” Val looked to Sypher, but he kept his mouth shut. Pippen hadn’t acknowledged either newcomer. He simply stared at them without a word.
“Do either of you plan on saying hello to your son?” Dante’s eyes got wide as he looked at me. Val gasped and put a hand over her mouth.
“I didn’t know he knew,” she whispered.
Bane stood from his seat and walked over to Pippen. He pulled his son into his arms and held him. Pippen hugged him back.
Val slowly stood and walked toward them. When Bane released Pippen, Val grabbed his face in her hands. “I never knew. No one told me that the baby I carried out of that place all those years ago was my son.”
“Yeah, Sin’s a bastard like that,” Pippen joked.
I could only imagine what he was feeling. He looked happy, though hesitant to accept what Val was offering. I wondered how I would react if I stood face-to-face with my birth mother after all these years.
Our lives were different, though. Pippen wasn’t given away; he was taken. He didn’t grow up with a mother who loved him. Instead, he grew up with a narcissistic asshole who barely tolerated him. I grew up with loving parents. I wasn’t looking to connect with the woman who gave me away.
I felt for them; I did. And for Amber. But I wouldn’t put their feelings above Rose’s.
“Where’s Danika? Can I meet her?” Val asked.
“She’s with Melissa tonight. She’ll be here tomorrow.”
Val hugged her son; Rose suddenly forgotten. And I was beginning to see why that bitch Syrena was able to do what she did. She preyed on Rose’s vulnerability and feelings of being abandoned.
The door opened, allowing Jingles and Rose to enter. Rose’s eyes went straight to Val, who was still holding her son.
“Come here, baby.” I held out my hand, and she rushed to me. I pulled her against me and whispered, “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Kytten, what the hell is going on?” Val moved around the table. She sat in the chair next to us. “You found your brother and didn’t call me?”
Pain laced her voice, and it made me angry. Rationally, I knew it hurt that Rose hadn’t told her something so important about her life. But when it came to Rose, I was irrational. What I saw was a woman manipulating my old lady’s feelings.
Rose looked down at her hands. When Torment cleared his throat, she glanced his way and then said to Val, “You were busy. I didn’t want to burden you.”
I knew it took a lot for Rose to say those words. She thought the world of Val and didn’t want to hurt her. I did though. Call me petty Betty, but this chick needed to understand the damage she had done in not protecting Rose.
“You are not a burden, Kytten. I told you I would drop everything and come home if you needed me.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, causing me to growl.
