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I frown, confused. “So my father isn’t related to Montgomery, then? Are you saying he’s a fraud?”
“No. I want you to take a look at something for me,” Cal says, turning back to his computer. He clicks on another file attached to the same email that held the photo of the note. “Hudson sent me this email shortly after he called about Camden’s mum. Grim did some digging. She knows a lot of people. Her lead took her to a manor house in Cornwall where a woman called Fran works as a housekeeper for a very wealthy family. Her real name is Avery Bennett. She’s Montgomery Bennett’s surviving daughter and she was the one who provided us with this photograph.”
My attention is drawn back to the computer screen and my mouth drops open in shock. There in front of me is a beautiful young blonde woman standing next to a man who looks exactly like my father. The resemblance is uncanny.
“He looks just like the King,” I say.
“Yes. This photo proves his relation and his lineage. Your father is indeed Montgomery Bennett’s grandson.”
“Why all the secrecy then?” Sonny asks.
“Something made Montgomery Bennett protect his family line. All living heirs were forced to change their name, to go into hiding. The Bennett family fell off the face of the Earth, the true heirs to the original King of the East End a highly guarded secret. Until now.”
“Explain,” Eastern snaps, looking as confused as I feel.
“The King is well known in the criminal underworld today because of his name and the legacy behind it, but very few people have actually seen the King’s face or any of the Bennett family, for that matter. Oftentimes he will send another person into a meeting pretending to be him. As we’re beginning to understand, only a handful of business partners know his true identity. Even Grim has never met him, though his name precedes him, of course.”
“Camden knows his identity,” Eastern points out.
“Yes, and now so does Asia. I’m guessing the fact the King abusing Camden’s mum was big enough incentive for him to keep quiet, don’t you think?” Cal suggests.
Sonny swipes a hand through his hair. “Fucking hell, Cal. How is Camden going to survive this? His mum’s dead despite everything he’s tried to do to keep her safe.”
“We’ll help Camden get through this any way we can, but right now the question we really should be asking is why the King chose this moment to come out of hiding? Why reveal his family name if not for a purpose?”
“Because hewantedme to know my family name, it wasn’t a slip of the tongue,” I say before Cal can.
Cal nods his head, looking at each of us in turn. “The King doesn’t do anything without a reason…”
“What are you getting at?” Sonny asks, frustrated.
“The King has been watching and waiting for his moment to act. He used Camden’s mum to pass on this latest message as a show of power, yes, but also because he knew that note wrapped around her neck would make its way back here. He asked to see you, Asia, so that he could drop the family name knowing you would return to Oceanside and share this information with the only person here that he wanted to hear it. This is a personal vendetta the King has against someone from his past…”
“The Black Sheep?” I ask, a rash of goosebumps scattering over my skin.
“Yes, exactly.”
“So, who are we talking about?” Eastern asks, looking more confused, not less.
But here’s the thing. I’m no longer confused. I know exactly what Cal is hinting at.
“I know who my father wants me to kill in order to save Pink’s life.” I look at the three men before me, the blood draining from my face. “The Black Sheep is Mr Carmichael.”
