What had Wynter called it?
Dysfunctional.
I rubbed my brow as I asked, “What’s the second thing you were dreading telling me?”
“Kendra…”
As her voice faded, I demanded, “Kendra? The clubwhore?”
“Yeah, her.”
Unease filled me. I might not have been so concerned if she hadn’t prefaced our conversation with her dreading talking to me about this.
“Oh, Jesus, please tell me he didn’t knock her up and I have a fucking baby brother or sister somewhere.”
The sharp breath that escaped her had horror overtaking my unease.
“He did, didn’t he?” I choked.
I didn’t remember Kendra being pregnant, but it wasn’t like I was interested.
Although, surely Link would have told me. Or Steel? They were nosy bastards.
Rubbing my brow, waiting for the guillotine to fall, I held my breath as Rachel said, “No. Bear left a key in my possession. It’s to a safety deposit box. His will stipulates that the key is a gift for…”
When she hesitated, I groused, “Who?”
“He gave me her address.”
“Her?” I frowned. “Who is it? Who’s the beneficiary?”
“She’s not a beneficiary. Not legally, anyway. But it’s Kendra’s mother,” she rasped.
“What the fuck was he leaving her a gift in his will for?”
“Kendra’s your half-sister, King. The gift is for her mother.”
Her use of my real name cemented those heinous words into reality.
“Kendra is my half-sister?”
Was this a joke?
“Yes,” she whispered. “I hate Bear for making me be the one to tell you.”
I ground my teeth as I leaped onto my feet. One second, I was staring at nothing, the next, my glass of JD and Coke had been hurled across the room at the TV.
As the screen imploded, Rachel shrieked, “King? King, are you okay?”
No, I fucking wasn’t.
Kendra was younger than me by a good couple of years, but not that young.
“He cheated on Mom,” I whispered, stating it aloud so that I could better process it.
“Yeah.” She exhaled. “He did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I demanded.
“I had no…” She sighed. “I had no words, Rex. I was as stunned as you, but it… I’m sorry.”
Her simple apology didn’t ease the sting, but I hissed as I scrubbed a hand over my face. Processing this was going to take some time. “Why’s it mentioned in his will? Because he was too chicken shit to tell me in person?”
“Because the will stipulates that you’re the one who gives her the key.”
She said it in such a rush that I knew she was terrified about sharing that with me.
At another time, with different words filling my ears, I’d have laughed at that.
Rachel Laker, Ms. Ball Buster herself, nervous?
Of me?
But she clearly was.
And I didn’t even have it in me to calm her down. To calm things down.
I ground my teeth as I snarled, “You have to be joking.”
“I’m not,” she said softly. Miserably. “I wish I were.”
My hands balled into fists. “I have to go.”
“King!”
Her cry didn’t stop me from cutting the call, nor did it stop me from ignoring her when she tried to ring me again.
I almost flung the damn thing against the wall too, but only knowing this was my point of contact with her and Wynter stopped me.
Reaching up, I rubbed my forehead where an ache had bloomed.
Wynter said she’d be calling later when she was ready for me to come and collect her, but that was hours away.
I had two alternatives—get drunk or go for a walk to clear my head.
“She’s just starting to trust you, dipshit,” I muttered under my breath.
I gathered my shit together then pulled on my jacket. Once I’d locked up, I made my way down to reception.
“There’s been an accident in my room,” I said flatly. “I understand that you’ll need to rescind my security deposit.” I handed the woman the key. “I’m going out now. If you could have the TV replaced before I get back, I’d appreciate it.”
Not letting her reply or ask me any goddamn questions, I left the reception with her calling out for me and exited the hotel.
Once I was outside, bars and pubs tempted me as I ambled toward Wynter’s school, but knowing she was at the end of it kept me from heading into one of them.
Dad had cheated.
Fucking cheated.
Not just that, he’d had a goddamn daughter.
That daughter had been living with us for years. Whoring herself out. He’d fucking let her. And what if I hadn’t been repulsed by her? What if I’d fucked her?
God, I needed a drink. I needed a fucking drink so bad.
Gritting my teeth, I shoved my hands into my pockets and slouched down streets I barely recognized.
Somehow, hours later, I found the school even though I didn’t have a clue how I’d made it here without accident, but when I looked at my phone, saw there were five more missed calls that I hadn’t heard, I also registered that it was far too early to be here.
There was a small rise beyond the school parking lot, so I set my ass there, raised my knees, and plunked my elbows onto them as I stared at nothing. Just tried to process what the fuck was happening.
The twilight zone—that was what I’d entered.
An alternate universe where my dad cheated on my mom and I had a baby sister, one who whored herself out to my brothers, and who was the worst of all the bunnies.
Fuck, she’d almost had her ass kicked out of the club more times than I could count. She was a troublemaker, was the principle reason Storm and Keira had split up, and was universally hated among the Old Ladies.
I rubbed my brow as I admitted to myself that I hated her too.
God, I hated her so fucking much.
My sister.
My goddamn sister.
When my phone started ringing again, I barely noticed it, but then I jolted when I saw that a bunch of kids had left the school and were driving off in their cars.
Grabbing my cell, I saw Wynter’s name on the Caller ID, and grimaced when I realized she’d been calling for the last ten minutes.
“Hey!” I answered gruffly, aware that I sounded like hell. “I’m outside in the parking lot.”
“You are?” I heard her suspicious surprise and cursed it. I got why she was hard on me sometimes, but I really didn’t need that now. “Whereabouts?”
“On the hill at the back.”
“On your bike?”
“No. I walked here.”
“Why?” She didn’t let me answer. “Are you okay? You don’t sound too good.”
I clenched my jaw. “It’s… I just learned some bad shit about my dad.”
“Oh.” She hesitated, and I heard some kids talking in the background as she moved toward me. Then, sounding like she was tasting the words, she asked, “My granddad?”
“Yeah. Bear.”
“I can see you. Be there in two.”
I peered up and found her over by the back entrance to the school. She waved at me and I waved back. She tucked her cell into her pocket then walked over to me.