Empire of Sin(Empire #2)(102)

Speak of the fucking devil.

He swings it shut with his foot and storms in my direction, holding his phone and grinning like a bloody fool.

He removes his AirPods and comes to my side, then holds the phone up. On the screen, there’s everyone from back home. Well, not literally, but most of them.

They’re gathered at a huge dinner table in the home of Jonathan King. Elsa’s father-in-law and Aiden’s father, who’s even worse than the sorry cunt.

Jonathan is sitting with his much younger wife. There’s Elsa and her shadow—sorry, husband—Aiden, and their son, Eli, who’s, unfortunately, turning out to be more and more like his father instead of his mother. It’s those destructive King genes, I swear.

Ronan and Teal are smiling at me while holding a giggling Remi, who keeps chanting, “Nokth…Nokth…”

There’s also the rest of my group of friends from secondary school, Xander and his wife Kim, and their daughter, who’s hiding her face in her father’s shirt.

The silent motherfucker with serial killer vibes, Cole, and the woman who tamed that destructive side of him, Silver.

And last but not least, the reason behind this call and who’s holding the phone, Astrid. She’s Daniel’s best friend and always includes him in everything that happens back home with live video calls.

Her husband, Levi, another one with the destructive Kings, keeps watching her while simultaneously holding their twin boys. It’s their birthday, I realize, because of the huge cake with “Landon” and “Brandon” written on it.

“Say hi to my bug, Knox!” Daniel says in his cheerful tone.

“You’re my bug, Dan!” Astrid protests.

“I agree to that. If anyone is a bug, then it’s this one.” I smile, waving at T and Ron and they wave back. My brother-in-law is making a show of it like the cheeky bastard he is and even making his son join in.

“That’s your uncle, Remi. And while you can love him, you’re not allowed to become as desperate as he is, mkay?”

“Says the one who sent a thousand clingy texts to his wife back in secondary school,” Xan teases.

Ron glares at him. “Hey! You shut the fuck up before I expose you.”

“I still have the screenshots,” Xan continues taunting.

“Me, too.” Aiden smirks, one hand playing with his son’s hair and the other stroking Elsa’s hand on the table. He always has to be touching her in some way.

“Me three,” Cole says with a perfectly straight face, wrapping a hand around Silver’s shoulder. “And I might have taken a picture of a recent clingy conversation as well.”

“You fucking—”

“Language at my table, Astor,” Jonathan says in his usual stern tone.

“Just let them be.” Aurora laughs, entwining her fingers with his. “It’s fun.”

“Dear Aurora,” Ron starts in his fake dramatic tone. “I’ll show you what fun is when I burn Cole’s next special edition book.”

“Not if you still need your life,” Cole says coolly.

“Hey.” Teal stares at Cole. “Stop ganging up on him or you’ll have me to answer to.”

“What she said. I’ll also sue you for emotional distress, and my beloved brother-in-law will win the case.”

I raise a brow. “The same brother-in-law you’re telling your son not to grow up to be?”

He laughs, but it’s a bit forced. “I was just kidding… Listen, Remi, your uncle Knox is the best there is. You can definitely become like him.” Then he whispers, “Not.”

“I heard that.” I glare. “And I might be thinking about representing Cole in this case.”

“Nooo,” Ron says dramatically. “Not you, too, Knox.”

Laughter breaks out around the table, and Dan and I laugh as well before he shouts, “Happy birthday, Lan and Bran. Your favorite uncle sends you the best wishes.”

Astrid brings the phone down so that she’s occupying most of the picture. “You could’ve been here instead.”

“I have work.”

“More like, he doesn’t want to run into a certain blondie.”

“Shut the fuck up.” He snatches the phone and continues talking to Astrid on his way out, subtly changing the subject.

But I follow after him. What? The best way to kill time is to get on Dan’s nerves.

I wrap an arm around his shoulder and join in on the conversation. “He’s so traumatized that he’s been having PTSD episodes whenever I send a blonde hooker to his place.”

There’s laughter from the other end, and Levi slides to his wife’s side, still holding his boys. “I told you there was more to it, Princess, but you refused to believe me.”

A frown appears on her forehead. “Is it true, bug?”

“They’re all little fuckers who love instigating chaos. Don’t listen to them.” He tries to push me off him, but I tighten my hold as Levi and I egg him on while Astrid tries and fails to take his side.

He hangs up as soon as we’re by the door and gives me the stink eye. “Can’t you stop?”

“What?” I grin. “Talking about your trauma from a certain blonde?”

“If you don’t quit the wanker behavior, I’m going to fuck with you as well.”