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Kingston gritted his teeth at that. He didn’t like thinking of Autumn being a celestial, nor did he see himself as one, even if their powers were tied to that realm. “You are hardly at your end of days, grandfather. There is still hope that you will meet your true mate one day.”
His grandfather snorted in derision. “It doesn’t happen for everyone. At least I had the love of a good female for a period of time. I still miss your grandmother on nights like this.”
Kingston had loved his grandmother dearly. Although Alicia and Harrison had originally forged an alliance for business purposes, they’d had a good relationship up until her death. Losing her and his parents had wrecked Kingston, and he’d always felt a little guilty for being glad they hadn’t been true mates. Otherwise, he would have lost his grandfather as well.
“I’ve heard rumors that the new Goddess of Revenge used to be human.”
“Autumn was a witch before she was chosen to become a god. She and her friend own a bakery close to my firehouse, so I’ve known her for a few years now.”
“But you never claimed her?”
“How could I when that would have only put her in danger?”
Harrison nodded in approval. “Was she able to help you get your revenge?”
Kingston blinked at that. “You make it sound like you believe I deserve revenge.”
His grandfather’s lips trembled slightly before he said, “I’ve always been confident that you were innocent, but we couldn’t prove it. I know I should have stood by you, but the bank—”
“You had to protect our family’s legacy. I understand. I might not have at the time everything happened, but now I understand why you did what you did.”
Harrison’s chin lifted. “You refused my request to visit you.”
This time, Kingston felt his own lower lip tremble. His voice was tight with emotion when he said, “I didn’t want you to see me in there. Prison was…well, it was pretty fucking horrible, to be honest. But what made it much worse was the fact I knew I didn’t belong in there. Still, I could do the time, endure whatever punishments I’d been given, but I couldn’t stand the thought of you visiting me in that place.”
Both males were silent as they took a moment to recover from that dark memory. Still, that woeful reminder hung in the air like a specter haunting them both.
Harrison cleared his throat as he glanced back toward the river. “And once you got out?”
“I needed time,” Kingston said honestly. “Time to get back on my feet and to figure out how to clear my name. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been easy. I didn’t have any luck with that until recently.”
Harrison turned back, and his gray gaze sharpened. “You know who framed you?”
Kingston nodded slowly. “My mate saw it in a revenge vision.” Realizing his grandfather didn’t know what that was, he explained, “Autumn can sometimes see the reasons or events that trigger someone’s desire for revenge. It comes to her like a movie clip playing in her head. So, she knows exactly what happened to me.”
“Who did this? Who broke apart our family?”
That question was like an arrow through the heart.
So far, his grandfather seemed to be taking everything in stride, even Kingston’s new god status and the fact he was mated. But now, Harrison’s voice was filled with a rage so deadly, it made the hair on Kingston’s arm stand on end in warning. He had only heard that particular tone coming from his grandfather once before, and that had been when he’d discovered Kingston’s parents had been killed.
Unsure how to break it to him, Kingston went with the brutal truth. “It was Jeremiah.”
With a heavy sigh, Harrison closed his eyes and tilted his head back. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“I had a feeling it would end up being one of your brothers, but I was hoping I was wrong.”
“You thought it was Wes, didn’t you?”
Harrison shook his head. “He was the obvious choice, which is why it seemed unlikely. But Jeremiah, it’s difficult to believe he would do something this awful. He has always idolized you.”
“No, he’s just good at pretending. I’ve seen some of the things he’s done. When it comes down to it, I’m not sure Jeremiah even has a soul. Now, it’s just a matter of proving it to the Supernatural Council. There is more on the line than just me and my reputation. I have to protect my mate, and the truth is the only way to do that.”
Harrison opened his eyes again. “What do you mean by that?”
“He means the Emperor of the Gods might be coming after us soon, so we need to clear Kingston’s name before that happens,” Autumn announced as she walked outside to join them.
