Death Kings

Chapter 32

Ryder

The kid my father helped create is being raised by his stepdad, who gambles too much on what little money he makes. It makes me livid, but there isn't much I can do for the kid while the old man lives, other than train him and his friends so that none of them have to take a beating again.

Last night, Gerhardt called the kid to his house to see what Dominic wanted. When the kid wouldn't tell him anything, the old man threw his glass of scotch at Ransom's head. I had to stitch it up before we could begin training. The kid's ribs were bruised too. He screamed when he hit the mat. Gerhardt had beat the shit out of Ransom just as he once did me. Scare tactics. Gerhardt thinks they work, but he should know better since it never worked on me.

My phone rings. I answer with my last name.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me who your mother was?!" Leo Wulf's tone was low and menacing. Old Gerhardt must be playing mind games with Leo for backing out of their contract to join me.

"Why does that matter, Leo?" I ask him in a bland tone.

"Because she was the only person in this world I truly cared about more than myself. She was pregnant with my son when Gerhardt forced her to marry him. What happened to the kid? What happened to her?" Leo questions in a growling voice.

"Gerhardt shot her in the head so she couldn't take me away from him," I reply succinctly in a bitter tone. I'm going to let him figure it out.

"Why would she take you away from him?" He questions, confused.

"He called me a bastard. Why do you think?" I prompt.

He is quiet. I only hear his breathing while I'm watching Dominic put Ransom through his paces and Etienne as he grapples with Carson. Arson is currently with Callum. Jase is shooting with Jaxson.

Minutes later I heard him whisper, "You're my son." Bingo Leo, I think. "I'm coming over," he declares and hangs up the phone before I can tell him not to.

I shake my head, hanging up. Etienne notices the change in my energy first. He lets Carson up, tossing him a water bottle and coming to me.

"What's wrong, you? Don't ya try tellin' me it ain't nothin'. Cause I know better." Etienne is adept at reading through my bullshit ice façade.

"Leo is coming over. He just figured out he is my biological father," I tell him. Tee has known since the first time I found out Gerhardt wasn't my sperm donor. He was the first person I called to talk me off a ledge. Imposter Syndrome had taken hold of my life.

Tee hugs me close to his body and strokes my hair. "It'll be fine, Chouchou. Just you watch and see." I breathe a sigh of relief. Tee's motor oil mixed scent and warm body instantly relax me. I got this. I can do this.

Leo Wulf, the leader of the Dire Wolves mercenary group, arrives an hour later when the kids are done with their training and are relaxing near the pool. My biological father.

"Pops? What are you doing here?" Carson asks him. The kid looks almost identical to Leo. Same medium brown hair and light blue eyes.

"I'm here to talk with Ryder in private," Leo says scuffling Carson's hair, mimicking affection.

I nod to Leo, leaving the kids with my family. Natalie is the only one who joins me. We will tell the others later about this conversation. We keep no secrets in our family.