19. Tiberius

19

TIBERIUS

The lawyer flicks his gaze back and forth between us as Kinsley reviews the legal documents she needs to sign. I know she understands what my mother did was wrong, and I understand her wish to make it right. She can’t, though. Jude’s will is ironclad.

Kinsley passes me the documents. “Can you look them over before I sign, please? I don’t want to miss anything.”

“I can assure you that the documents are in order,” Fielding says.

Placing her hand on my arm, she says, “I trust Tiberius to make sure I’m signing what I’m supposed to, since I’ve never signed a legal document before.”

I’ll be damned if my heart doesn’t swell at the confidence she has in me. I need to make sure I don’t fuck up the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

“You have made peace with your uncle, I see.”

She’s made a lot more than peace with me, old man!

“I know you’re aware that I’m not her uncle. My brother told you. I found your letter in reply to his confession.”

Fielding goes quiet and blushes.

I pass the documents to Kinsley. “It’s okay, sweetheart, sign away.” I hold Fielding’s gaze.

“Okay,” she replies.

I turn my attention to Kinsley as she signs the documents. Three copies.

“Are we done?” I ask.

Fielding nods.

The moment we’re out of the office and the door closes behind us, Kinsley asks, “What was going on with him?”

“The clue was when he referred to me as your uncle. He knows something is going on between us, and he doesn’t approve. He probably thinks I’m using you. You’re young and innocent.”

Kinsley pulls on her sunglasses and grins. “I wonder what he’d say if I told him I was using you for sex?”

My eyes twinkle. “He’d call the cops.”

“I guess it’s a good thing you haven’t fucked me yet, then, huh?”

A gargled cough comes from behind us.

Kinsley’s face turns fuchsia. “Mr. Fielding, I didn’t know you were there.”

“Yes, dear, I gathered that.” Fielding rushes off down the sidewalk.

“Oops! Well, at least he knows we’re not going at it like rabbits.”

I grab her face and kiss her teasing lips before I wrap an arm around her waist. That is how Aldo Rossi finds us.

He steps out of his car and says, “You must be the lovely Kinsley Elliott.” He grabs her hand before either of us has time to react.

“And you are?” Kinsley yanks her hand free.

“Aldo Rossi.”

Fucking hell!

“Hello, my fiancé,” Veronica says as she joins us on the sidewalk. She takes my arm and tries to steer me away from Kinsley.

My patience has run out. I untangle myself from Veronica and tighten my hold on Kinsley.

“We are no longer engaged, as you are aware,” I say to her. To Rossi, I add, “I will see you in a few days. Excuse us.”

My rudeness will not have helped any, and neither will my obvious attachment to Kinsley. What a fucking day this is turning out to be.

“I didn’t like him,” Kinsley whispers as I help her into the car.

Jock frowns at the comment.

“Rossi and Veronica ambushed us outside the lawyer’s office. And, Kinsley”—I look her way—“you are right not to like him. He’s worse than Cannon, which says a lot.”

“He knew you would be there,” Salem suggests. “No one just bumps into Aldo Rossi.”

“That’s correct and troubling,” I say.

“Someone at the lawyer’s office must have tipped him off,” Salem adds.

Kinsley puts her hand on my thigh, which I like very much. Veronica had tried to cling and get all touchy, and I’d push her away. With Kinsley, when she touches me, I fucking love it. I lift her hand and intertwine our fingers. She grins. Jock coughs, and Salem chuckles softly. I give Kinsley a small smile before turning my attention back to business.

“Salem, when we get back, try to find the snitch. Jock, get confirmation that it wasn’t Edge’s men at the warehouse. We need to find the fuckers.”

“What about Aldo Rossi? I got a weird vibe from him, and I haven’t heard you mention him as an option,” Kinsley says.

I sit back and wonder. Could it be Rossi? I catch Jock’s eye, and he nods.

“If it is Rossi who’s after us, then Jock and Salem will get proof.” I pause. “Get Saul on it as well.”

“On it, boss.”

I hold Jock’s gaze. “Wherever Kinsley goes, you go. I don’t trust Cannon not to try to get to her.”

“Can’t I stay with you?”

“I have a meeting.” I lean in and put my mouth to her ear. “We’ll be close when we sleep in my bed tonight.” I press a kiss to her cheek and smirk at her flushed face.

“Do I need to protect her from you?” Jock asks. It’s difficult to decide whether he is serious.

Narrowing my eyes, I say, “What goes on between Kinsley and me is private.”

“Besides,” Kinsley says, “Tiberius is probably going to need protecting from me. I can’t get enough of him.” She wiggles her brows.

I grin at my teasing girl.

Salem says to Jock, “Glad you caught the boss in a good mood, because it would take all fucking day to clean your blood from the car.”

Kinsley winces. “Will you tell me more about the Edge family?”

“Hmm,” I sigh. “Where to start. Cannon is my age. We used to be friends a long time ago.”

“What happened?”

“Your mother happened.”

“Oh! So you were friends until my mother got pregnant and fled to Jude?”

“Yes.” I squeeze her hand. “I always thought Cannon would go in a different direction, but what happened with Anna screwed him up. Xavier is the youngest, at twenty-eight. He doesn’t want to be in the family business, but he doesn’t really have a choice. Then there is Cleo. All I can say about her is that you should not trust her. Do not let her get you alone. She was always a daddy’s girl. If anyone wants vengeance more than Cannon, it’s his sister.”

“Heck, they sound like a wonderful family. What about their mother?”

“Maia Edge is alive and well. She’s a recluse. I have invited her to the dinner; however, I doubt she will come. You won’t be alone with them. I won’t allow that to happen, Kinsley.”

She nods.

As we pull onto the gravel driveway leading to the Lake House, Kinsley unclips her seat belt and climbs into my lap. Her arms wrap around my neck as her face nuzzles into it.

“I wish we could go away. Someplace no one can find us.”

I wrap her up in my arms and hold on while a sick feeling of dread fills my stomach. I close my eyes and bury my nose in her hair, filling my senses with her unique scent.

One thing about Xavier is that he likes to run, which makes it easier to catch him alone. I still take precautions to keep us both safe from prying eyes.

Sweaty and out of breath, Xavier appears around the bend. I hand him a bottle of water and wait for him to catch a breath and take a drink.

“You want to know what Cannon has planned for Kinsley’s birthday, don’t you?” he says. “Well, I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know. My brother isn’t talking about it. Once or twice, I thought he seemed genuinely excited to meet her, but that isn’t like my brother. Something odd is going on with him.”

“What about Cleo?”

Xavier winces. “Oh, she has made her feelings clear. She has no desire to meet Kinsley. She would like to see her bleed, though.”

My body goes rigid with anger.

“Don’t worry. Cannon has told her he will kill her if she so much as harms a hair on Kinsley’s head.”

“He probably wants that privilege for himself,” I say.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. He’s different, which worries me.” Xavier glances around. “I heard about the other night. That was something Cannon ranted about. He didn’t do it, if that’s where your head is at. He was pissed as fuck, shouting that if Kinsley had been there, he would have hunted down every last man who lived and killed them himself.” He winces. “I haven’t seen him so worked up in a very long time.”

“So, where is the threat coming from?”

“I don’t know. Cannon called Rossi and basically told him what he’d do to him if he found out he was responsible. Rossi hung up on him.”

“Well, fuck!”

“I need to get going before I’m missed. I’m sure my brother has eyes on my vehicle.”

My eyes scan the forest for anyone possibly watching before I move off toward the fire road where I left my bike. Cannon’s lack of a plan bothers me, as does his denial about the attack. Is there a new player moving in, or is it Rossi getting greedy?