But Klein isn’t just anyone—she’s my fiancée. The woman I want to come home to every night. The woman I want to build a life with.
The womanI’d die to protect. The weight of the recognition sinks into me. I finally understand that this is what it means to be a true Huxley. It’s more than just a family motto. It’s about being inspired to live a life of loyalty and unity—to put the interests of others before my own without hesitation.
I flex my hands, not wanting to reveal my relationship with someone as unhinged as my mother. At the same time, Klein has to know. Keeping this about myself out of shame would put her in danger.
“This is going to be an ugly story,” I say. “So…get comfortable.”
Klein looks into my eyes for a moment, then wraps her arms around me, as though sensing that I need the comfort of her touch.
I relax into the embrace, even though my heart is in turmoil. As long as she’s holding me, the situation doesn’t seem as dark and foul. “My birth mother is from a mafia family in some country called Nesovia. Her father, Vincent, is the head of its largest family. Nesovia’s sexist customs and attitudes mean that Mom would never normally control that crime family, but she badly wants to be in charge.
“When they wanted to expand into America, she saw an opportunity to make an impression on her father. My family was on his radar as potential legal support to help ease his family’s way into America, except the Huxleys don’t represent any type of organized crime. But she wanted to present her father with the best, so she did what was necessary—which was seduce my father and marry him. And have his children.”
Klein gasps.
“When Dad found out the truth, he was furious. It didn’t matter that his wife was a mafia princess. The Huxleys would never get involved. He felt deceived and betrayed, and didn’t believe the marriage could go on. He tried to divorce her as amicably as possible, but that wasn’t what she wanted. By then she had become obsessed with Dad for real. So to prevent him from divorcing her, she decided to kidnap Ares, Bryce and me. Bryce and I were eight at the time. Ares was a little older, andfought against her enough that Bryce and I were able to escape. But it left all of us scarred in our own ways.”
I take a deep breath before proceeding. “She left Ares in a forest fire to die.”
Klein covers her mouth with a hand. “Oh myGod, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine…” Tears of sympathy glisten in her beautiful violet eyes. “Why isn’t she in jail?”
Bitterness drips into my tone. “Grandpa didn’t want to see his baby girl rot in jail, so somebody took the fall for her. And there was nothing we could do about it. No hard evidence to throw her in jail, except for the testimony of a highly traumatized and injured boy and his younger brothers. So Dad got what he could—a quick divorce and full custody of us kids.”
As Klein processes, a thought flickers over her face.
“What is it?” No matter how tiny the detail, I can’t overlook it if it’s about Mom.
“That thing about somebody else taking the fall for her… She said a seventeen-year-old kid set the apartment on fire because he was trying to start a new challenge to post on social media. Apparently, he was told that he’d be paid if he was successful. I’m just wondering ifshewas the one who instigated the kid.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. That’s her standard MO. You not feeling well…” I hesitate for a second, wishing I could spare Klein the detail. But the more she knows about Mom, the better prepared she’ll be. “She probably drugged you.”
“What?”
I nod. “When you had coffee with her.”
“But she didn’t make the coffee. We were at a café. You don’t think she owns the place, right?”
“Did you take anything from her? Go to the bathroom while she sat at the table with your drink?”
Klein thinks for a moment. “She handed me some syrup for my coffee.”
“There you go. She probably tampered with it.”
Klein’s jaw slackens with shock.
“She’s very quick. And using drugs on people is actually pretty popular on that side of the family. Her brother Harvey is the same way, tried it with Ares. Youhaveto stay away from her. Please.” I clench my hands as the urge to rush out and find Mom and make her pay pounds into my head. Except that wouldn’t solve everything. The law doesn’t like it when we take matters into our own hands.
“I will.” Klein reaches out and holds my hand. Then thoughts flicker across her face. “You also told me to stay away from Kenna. Is she somehow related to all this?”
“Yes,” I say, laying everything on the table. “She’s working for one of my uncles on that side of the family and feeding information to Mom at the same time. None of them can be trusted.”
Klein nods, her eyes solemn as she gazes up at me. “I understand. I won’t give either of them a chance to hurt me—hurt us. I promise.”
*
By the time we head to the kitchen to grab something to eat, it’s already after eight in the evening. We make some simple sandwiches and clean up.
I hate it that a moment that should have been happy and intimate was ruined because of what Mom did to Klein. Mom can come after me—but she isn’t allowed near Klein.
