6.

KIAN

It’s supposed to be four boring years of wasting my time taking courses that I already know more of than the professors teaching them but both our dads insist that Laurent and I need to provide a university certificate to take over the conglomerate.

Yet, as soon as I enter the double doors, my eyes locate her on instinct, sitting amidst people who don’t hold a light to her glow.

Fake.

I find myself spitting the word in my mind before I can process what I mean but I know just fine.

I don’t need to be a psychologist to know the confident look she wears is just a façade, one she pulls off effortlessly well.

I’ve never seen brown skin glow the way hers did. Her locs make her stand out with all the accessories in them and they are calling on me to tug on them harshly as I watch her small pouty lips open in a silent moan, begging me to take control of her body.

Her eyes meet mine and her mouth falls open. I have to look away because of the surge of pleasure that courses through me at the helpless, innocent look on her face.

Nobody else matters at the moment, just her. I want her even though she is fake. I want to taint that innocence behind her doe eye. This is a first for me.

“Man, I hate being here already,” Mason says with a sadistic grin that contradicts his words, his eyes scanning the crowd like a predator searching for prey.

“Cut it out. You better behave yourself, Mase, I’m not cleaning your mess again” Laurent warns cooly from beside me in his usual bored tone, already seeing the wheels turning in Mason’s head.

“I never make trouble” he winks and I roll my eyes.

“What’s your boy doing over there?” I ask Laurent when I see the person he supposedly owns sitting with the girl who has my interest.

“He’s free to do whatever as long as he doesn’t misbehave” He picks up his phone to send a message to his ‘princess’

“Hmmm. Tell him to tell you, her name. The one with the locs”

“What do I get in return?” The thing about us Bastons is nothing is ever done for free even between brothers or cousins. That’s the way it has always been and it won’t change.

“I’ll give you the paper company in Switzerland. The one you’ve always wanted” I bargain immediately without missing a beat. She’s worth it. I know it.

“Alora Jones,” he says after a few seconds. “You should leave her alone. That one is already damaged”

I glare at him for his choice of words but it doesn’t surprise me that he sees her façade as well. We were trained to see beneath the surface of the people around us. It’s etched into our blood.

“She isn’t damaged. Don’t use that word again” I warn lightly and Laurent knows better than to push the subject “She interests me”

My eyes would not stray away from her, not that I give a fuck. She is a stunning sight to behold.

“Do these old men have to be so extra? I can count at least ten guards disguised as students” Mason motions to the class.

“Deal with it. It’s not like it’s new” Laurent dismisses him but I don’t pay attention to them, I lean forward in my seat as Brielle approaches her and begins to make trouble for my butterfly.

My eyes find her hands clenched but trembling. The sight makes me smile if you can call the little twitch at the corner of my lips that. She looks calm and unbothered but inside, there is a raging storm. I want to ruin her.

The class passes by in a blur and we walk outside the building to get away from the bees buzzing around us.

We find ourselves under a tree, far from the chatter of the students and a view of the cafeteria. My little butterfly walks in and I pretend not to see her as she settles down with her friends.

She finds me almost immediately and I can feel her eyes on me as she watches me but I don’t turn because I want to see what she will do.

“I hate this school” Mason whines and I take a drag of the weed in my hands, letting the familiar burn drag through my body.

“You are getting annoying with these complaints, Richards” Laurent warns slowly, using Mason’s last name.

“We are being called” Laurent waves his phone to my face, ignoring Laurent and I see a message from his old man asking us to come to the HQ, emergency in bold fucking letters.

Subconsciously, I let my eyes find hers again and she jumped back in shock.

A smirk appears on my lips and she flinches back from shock. I watch her, amused as she grabs her bags and runs out of the place as if she senses danger.

“Let's go, Kian. Leave your obsession for later” Laurent hangs his bags out and a guard appears from thin air to grab it from him.

I leave mine on the floor along with Mason’s, certain someone will get it. We head for our cars, separately. We never ride together or even fly together.

“Heirs can't be together in one plane or car. Anything could go wrong and one has to survive” I still remember Emerson, my old man drilling it into my brain.

My phone dings with a new notification from our group chat consisting of just the three of us

Mason: What do you think they want?

Laurent: Someone probably caused trouble.

Kian: I would hate to get my hands bloody today

Laurent: You never get your hands bloody

Mason: I'm rock-hard already at the thought of bashing some skulls open

Kian: Keep your sick tendencies to yourself

Mason: that's all Laurent. You legit own a human being

Laurent: keep his name out of your mouth.

Kian: Mason, do you want broken bones again?

Mason: Man, don't go there. I only tried to touch him once. Laurent's a psycho. He's too possessive over the damn boy

Laurent: That’s it. Your house in the Hamptons is on fire. You'll receive a call soon.

Mason: Shit, Laurent. Not that one. It's my favorite

Laurent: I know.

Mason: Kian, you can't keep quiet now bro. Oh shit, my phone’s ringing. Fuck you, Laurent.

Laurent: You wish. You're welcome by the way

“Sir, we've arrived” The driver announces from the front seat. I chuckle before shutting my phone off and stepping out of the car.

“A fucking explosive, really Laurent?” Mason grits out as he paces in front of Laurent. He should have known better than to get involved in Laurent and Harvey’s shit. It's a no-crossing boundary even for me.

“You don't talk about my boy and I don't do shit to you” Laurent waves him off and makes his way into the building.

“Get it fixed before your old man hears” I pat Mason’s back as I pass him.

“Oh man.” he whips out his phone and makes a few calls. “It'll be done in two days” he mutters

We fall quiet as we ride the elevator to the top floor. We pass a security check before we are let into the room. Relatives or not, there is no room for trusting anyone. I trust Laurent and Mason with my life but I’ll never say it out.

Emerson and Isaiah Baston are sitting side by side on a couch in the large office, a frown mirroring both faces.

First glance at them, you’ll think they are twins but with a closer inspection, you can see the differences. Emerson has grey eyes which I inherited and Isaiah has blue eyes like Laurent. Isaiah is taller but my dad is more muscular.

Both men, however, were men of little words and cunning as hell.

Jacob Richards steps into the room shortly. He has an intimidating build even for someone like me who never gets intimidated.

For Jacob, men in our line of work must look deadly after all, he makes arms for the military. Mason is exactly like his father, hot-headed and with a love for violence.

While Laurent and I don’t like to get our hands dirty, Mason has no problem dismembering a body with his bare hands and a pocket knife. Don’t ask me how he does it. I may be exaggerating.

Richard places a file on the table and takes a seat opposite my dad and uncle.

“Take it” Isaiah commands and Mason collects the file and reads through it.

“We are going hunting” he announces with glee in his golden eyes. I always thought they made him look like a venomous snake when he smiled like that.

“Who?” I ask, leaning against the wall as we are yet to sit since we were not offered any.

“Kevin Adams. Stole a truckload of cocaine and money” He answers still smiling as he flips through the file again.

“Seems he's tired of living” Laurent comments and I nod in agreement. I thought people knew better than to steal from us.

“Maybe, but it's not a job for you three. There are already rumours flying around that we are entangled with the mafia. We don't need to prove those rumours to be true” Emerson says with a hard glare in our direction

“Then why are you telling us this information if we aren't going after the man?” Laurent scoffs

“Watch it, young man. You are not above a little discipline” My dad warns.

“Laurent’s right though. If we are not getting involved, why pull us from school?” I press further with a neutral tone.

“You three will be taking over soon so we've decided to let you in on every single thing that happens” Jacob speaks up.

“Let's do it. We’ll be discreet. I'm fucking bored anyways” Mason whines. Everyone knows Mason doesn't do discreet.

“He’s right. Let's handle this” Laurent supports.

“We'll make it quiet like you want. No witnesses” I propose, knowing I have no choice now than to back them up.

“I trust Kian. He's more level-headed than these two” Isaac says to my father and Jacob “If he is with them, we can expect them to handle it well”

“Tonight. No side stories” My father pins me with a hard glare and I give him a curt nod in response before the three of us step out of the office.

The three of us enter the elevator we just exited and I let it close before I talk.

“Mason, alert the guys. We need to take care of him somewhere hidden but open. Maybe an alley?” I instruct.

“Why an alley? That's a very tacky location” Laurent interrupts.

“Don’t you like the idea of him thinking he can call out for help to the people passing by as we rip him to shreds? I'm in the mood to play with my food”

“And they say you're the levelheaded one” Mason snorts.