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“He will always be your person, Son.” Knight’s tone is thick with emotion. Bishop steps forward with King at his side. They each grip a side of the lid. Chaos tenses in his cousin’s hold as he waits with bated breath to see his brother. Koby creeps up beside her husband and grips his arm for support. The moment the brothers remove the lid and step back, Koby screams and drops to her knees. Knight is right beside her, holding her as she claws at his arms, screaming for her son to get up and cursing God for taking her baby from her. I’ll admit, there isn’t a single dry fucking eye in this room. I watch as Erika pulls London in close. Clare, Anya and Allison have pulled their own children in closer.
“Let me go,” Chaos says in a tone void of all emotion. Royal and Chanel release him so he can go to his brother, my heart warming at the sight of Royal drawing my girl into his side and holding her close. Without words he is offering her his strength and telling her he will be the rock that will carry her and Chaos through this pain. Chaos grips the edge of the casket and stares down at his brother.
Havoc isn’t dressed in a suit like most would assume. He wears a black tee and jeans like he always did. The wound on his neck is cleaned and stitched, but to the naked eye you wouldn’t be able to spot it because the Jack of Spades covers it–Chaos’s calling card.
“You were supposed to be by my side, my ride or die.” The emotion in Chaos’s voice is felt by everyone. “I’m so fucking sorry I failed you, Hav.” He bows his head as he weeps quietly for his brother. “You loved me your whole life and now, I will miss you for the rest of mine big brother.”
* * *
I wrap my good arm around my girl and draw her into my side as we stand back and watch Havoc’s casket get lowered into the church floor where he will be taken to be cremated. Knight and Koby tried to convince Chaos not to watch the cremation happen. But he ignored them and jumped on top of his brother's casket and refused to leave him until the last minute.
We walk quietly out of the church. I head for our car but Chanel grips my hand and leads me around the side of the church. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see.” Just as we near the back of the church, she comes to a stop and turns to face me. The look on her face has me stiffening.
“Chanel, what the fuck is going on?”
“You have given everything up for me and my family. I know you did it for us, so I am giving you one last chance.”
“A chance for what?” I snap.
“A normal life without me.” I snap my arm out, grip her throat and pull her to me as I bend so we are eye to eye.
“There is no me without you. Got that?” A devilish smirk graces her stunning face.
“Good answer, Loki.” I roll my eyes. She continues to fucking call me Loki because according to her, he was a master bullshitter and the name fits me. “Follow me,” she says as she yanks free of my hold. I follow her around the corner only to stumble to a stop.
“What the fuck?” I breathe out at the sight of my parents and little brother standing there with four guards standing watch. Chanel turns sideways to keep them and me in her gaze.
“The danger to them is now gone. I brought them here for you to say goodbye or if you should choose… you can leave with them.” Now I get what she meant, she is offering me an out from this life. I close the space between us and kiss her. I show her without words that she is my endgame and I’m not going anywhere. I break the kiss, resting my forehead against hers, we’re both breathless and panting.
“You will always be my first choice, Sin. I will choose us every time.” Her eyes turn hazy. I pull away from her and face my family. The resentment I see in my parents’ eyes stings but I weather it. Ash just looks pissed that he isn't the center of attention. I realize now after spending time with Chanel’s family, that my own never cared about me or Marcus, they just cared about the son who was going to be famous and make enough money to fund their early retirement.
“What is the meaning of all of this, Kacey?” my mother snaps.
“You into some trouble aren’t ya, boy?” Dad quips, while keeping his gaze on my sling.
“You know, everything I have done is to try to please the both of you, to make you proud of me.” Dad splutters but I push on. “Marcus once told me that he could never live up to the expectations you both placed on him. I thought he was talking out of his ass. Turns out, he was right.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Kacey?” Dad snaps.
“Marcus turned to drugs because of the pressure you both placed on him. I became an agent because it’s whatyouwanted. Newsflash, Dad, I failed at that shit and now I’m dating the daughter of one of the most wanted men in America.” My dad’s eyes blaze with disgust, while my mom gasps and clasps her imaginary pearls. “I found a family, a place I finally belong. With the people I spent my life trying to put behind bars. After today, you will never see me again.” Mom opens her mouth to argue but I push on. “Before you pass judgment on Chanel and her family, know this. It is because of her that you three are still alive. I hope Marcus finds peace in the afterlife because he sure as fuck didn’t have it here on earth with you two.” The look of indignation on their faces pisses me off. How they can stand there and act like they are innocent and had nothing to do with how their oldest son's life ended is disgraceful.
“You can’t turn your back on family, we are all that you have!” Dad shouts, not caring who is around to hear him.
“Correction.” At the sound of Royal’s voice I spin around to find him, Vincent, Bishop, Erika and Chanel standing behind me with angry glares pointed at my family. “You were all that he had. He has a new family, and unlike the one he was born into, this one won’t turn their backs on him.” Fucking hell, hearing that shit come from Royal has a sense of belonging blooming inside me. Sin reaches for my hand and leads me away from my parents and their shouts for me to come back.
“What’s gonna happen to them?” I ask once the five of us are in the safety of the car. Bishop drives while Vin sits shotgun and Sin takes the middle seat between Royal and me.
“They will be compensated for their time and then put on the first plane to wherever the fuck it is they want to go. They will never be able to contact you, but if you should choose to make contact with them, then you can.” Unsure of what to say, I just nod my head and agree with what Chanel has said.
“How long are you going to wait before you tell Chaos?” Bishop asks, I frown and cut a glance to Royal as he runs a hand through his hair.
“I don’t know,” he answers honestly.
“He needs to know. You and I both know he is going to go after the Dominico family and there isn’t a fucking thing we can do to stop him,” Chanel adds.
“We may not be able to stop him but we are theMemento Moriand we do everything together. If he is going to war against the Dominico’s, then we are all at fucking war!” Chanel beams at her cousin and hums her agreement. Vincent and Bishop both sigh knowing there is nothing they can do to stop their children.
