Empire of Desire(Empire #1)(10)

Back then, I beat him within an inch of his life. But he never fell down and he refused to forfeit, even when his blood painted the floor red. The organizers had to stop the fight before I killed him.

It was the first time I’d seen a worthy opponent. I can still remember the sheer force of his determination when he stared at me, coughed up blood, and bounced back to his feet.

That’s when I knew he wasn’t a spoiled senator’s son after all. He was more.

I beat him to pulp a few times after that, but he still came back for a redo, over and over, until he was able to win against me. Then it became some sort of a ritual.

We were rivals but often saved each other’s asses from the principal, our parents, and even the police.

We had our own world and no outsiders were allowed inside. Many women tried to get in; they wanted to play on both sides, but we dropped them within a fucking minute. We could fight over anything—opinions, strategy, employees—but never over a woman.

It’s not worth jeopardizing our partnership and friendship for it. Though friendship might not be entirely accurate; we’re still rivals in a way. We still compete and fight and call each other on our shit.

But like yin and yang, we complete each other. Where he’s quiet, I’m loud. Where he’s cold, I can be hot-blooded, which makes our partnership extremely profitable.

When Nate and I are on a mission, nothing can stop us.

Or at least, I thought so until this morning.

Until the fucking phone call I had not so long ago.

Until I realized the actual danger to my daughter’s life.

The daughter I didn’t think I wanted when she showed up at my door. But one look into her innocent rainbow eyes made me fall in love when I thought I wasn’t capable of the emotion. I never even considered giving her away, I couldn’t. She was a part of me and I knew I had to protect her. It didn’t matter that I was young and reckless at the time. It didn’t matter that I knew shit about raising a child.

Living with a strict father who kicked Mom out to marry his mistress turned me into an unfeeling motherfucker whose sole purpose is destruction—my own included. And when that same mother killed herself, I swore to never forgive my father, his wife, or the fucking world that made my mother end her life.

That’s why I took a reckless path as a teen and nearly ruined everything.

But that was before this tiny baby with little hands and a rosy face bulldozed through my fucked-up existence. Even before I did the DNA test, I knew she was my flesh and blood. I knew she belonged with me.

She’s the blessing I never thought myself worthy of. Which is the reason behind her name. Gwyneth.

Her existence gave me a new purpose that was entirely different from wrecking my life. I’ve always been addicted to power, but she’s the reason I did everything to acquire it.

Because those with power can protect their family.

And Gwen is the only family I have.

The family I’ll slaughter everyone in my path for, just so she’ll remain safe.

But there was a miscalculation on my part.

I didn’t look close enough at my surroundings and, therefore, I didn’t identify the one person who could threaten her. The one person who could take her away from me after I’d raised her for twenty years.

“Fuck!” I hit the gas and call Nate again.

He finally picks up and speaks with a bored tone. “What is it, King? I have a meeting.”

“Fuck meetings. This is an emergency.”

“What is it?” His voice sobers up.

I open my mouth to rain hell down on him, but the blaring of horns interrupts me. A car cuts in front of me and I hit the brakes hard, the loud screech echoing in the air.

But it’s useless.

A haunting sound of metal against metal fills my ears and I’m swung back by the airbag until my neck nearly cracks.

My eyes are half-open as liquid streams down my forehead and forms a red haze in my vision.

In a fraction of a second, I’m disconnected from my body as if I’ve somehow left its confinements and am now existing someplace else.

My ears buzz long and hard and my body doesn’t feel like mine anymore. I’m floating somewhere, motionless, unblinking, but there’s movement.

Not from me.

Sounds, colors, and sensations blur together as a commotion from outside slowly filters in, and with it comes Nate’s voice. “King! Kingsley…say something. What the fuck happened?”

“Gwen…” I croak. “Take…care of…her…”

I want to say more.

I want to curse him for what he brought into our fucking lives. It’s all because of him and his safe and strategic plans that everything is going to hell.

But no words come out.

My vision slowly darkens, and invisible hands drag me under.

I’m so sorry, my little angel.





3





Gwyneth





The glass of water slips from my hand and hits the sink with a loud crash, splintering all over the surface.

The sound collides with the climax of Car Radio by Twenty One Pilots that’s playing from Alexa.

I wince while I carefully grab the tiny pieces and throw them in the trash and simultaneously scroll through my phone.

Aside from the memes and mindless conversations in my group chat with my college friends, there’s nothing of importance. Though calling them friends is an exaggeration. Colleagues would be more appropriate.