King of Harts

5

Emory

A son.

My brother has a son.

Grayson Allen Hart has reproduced.

Sara Carson?

My mind takes the moment of anticipating silence to conjure up the memories of the girl. She was Grayson's high school girlfriend, they dated for two years and she was probably the best girlfriend he ever had, if I had to pick a favorite. She was volleyball captain, valedictorian and just the sweetest girl all around.

Sara and Gray broke up they're senior year, close to graduation if I remember correctly.

A specific memory of me running into Sara that summer rushes to the front of my mind and she looked nervous, desperate even. She'd asked to meet with Grayson and when I told her he'd be gone all summer, traveling, she gave me her number and hoped that he'd call her.

I didn't have to ask to know he didn't.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to swallow the anger building at the bottom of my stomach.

"Please tell me you didn't know this whole time, Gray. Tell me you didn't go off to college knowing you had a kid on the way" I beg him in the calmest voice I can muster up.

"I didn't! God, Mo. I didn't know, I swear" he assures me and I'm a little relieved.

A little.

Still pissed because that leaves option B, but I'm relieved he wasn't so cruel to leave behind a child.

"That means she tried to tell you, right? She tried to reach out and tell you and you ignored her? Didn't give her the time of day?" I assume and the guilt on his face answers every question.

I then launch for him, full speed towards him, his eyes widening and I'm ready to wring his damn neck.

"You asshole! I'm going to- woah! Hey! Adrian!" I cut myself off when a pair of arms wrap around my waist, lifting me off of the ground and preventing me from lunging at my brother to, I don't know, murder him.

"Put me down!" I groan and place my hands on his arms in an embarrassing attempt to pry them off.

"Only if you play nice" Adrian's sin infused voice fills my ear and if I weren't so shocked and pissed at Grayson, I might have combusted at such a sound.

"If playing nice means kneeing him in the balls, then sure" I grit, the realization of how he's holding me creeping up on me. My ass pressed against his abdomen, which is fucking ripped, by the way, and his hands splayed across my hips as he holds me flush against the front of his body. As if I weighed close to nothing, which is embarrassing because I like to think I've got a little bit of muscle thanks to my job.

It must have been way too long since I got laid because the whole thing is slightly turning me on.

"Adrian...put me down" I say, my voice softer and shakier making me want to slap myself for the subtle giveaway of what his touch is doing to me.

"Not until you swear that you won't hurt me" Grayson points a finger at me like the man child he is.

"I'm not swearing shit! He can't protect you forever you know!" I hiss and begin to wiggle and writhe against Adrian in another attempt to break free.