Kindred: Kingpin (The Kindred Series Book 1) Read online

  “It’s weird that he knows how to get into your apartment so easily,” Lucas grimaces, “And that he knows your dress size.”

  “I’m trying not to think about it,” Tara chuckles uneasily. She doesn’t add that it very conveniently covers up the Mark just under her collarbone. She’s spent all of that day and yesterday contemplating whether June was doing something nice, or whether he was just trying to hide the fact that they were Kindred.

  After a few minutes of driving, Tara notices that they’ve long since passed the city and are now surrounded by forest.

  “Where does he live?” she asks in amazement. She stares in awe as the road ahead gets gradually shaded by a canopy of trees with pretty purple flowers. Hundreds of fallen petals cover the ground.

  “He likes his privacy,” Lucas explains, “And his mother is really fond of trees.”

  “It looks like something out of a fairytale,” she sighs in wonder.

  “The perks of having a ridiculously full bank account,” Lucas quips and watches in amusement as Tara rolls her eyes.

  They pull up to a pair of giant wrought iron gates with stylized lions decorating them and Tara watches as Lucas scans his thumb on a keypad outside the gate. For a moment, everything is quiet and then the gates pull away slowly with a loud, drawn out groan and Lucas takes them inside.

  At first, Tara only sees stretches of grass and intricate looking gardens with flowers of all kinds littered about. There are guards everywhere, some with visible weapons and some without. They patrol the grounds as Tara and Lucas drive through and she assumes no one stops them because she’s with Lucas, who is essentially June’s head guard.

  As they drive further into the estate, a large white mansion comes into view and she lets out a small gasp at the size of it. It looks around three stories high but runs along the grounds for what seems like forever. When they pull up to the front of it, she stares in wonder at the little koi pond that surrounds the entrance to the mansion, decked neatly so that the front steps run over the pond.

  “This is ridiculous,” she mutters to herself.

  “I’ll go up and fetch him,” Lucas tells her, “Mind waiting here?”

  “Not at all,” she gives him a small smile from her seat.

  Lucas gets out and jogs up the front steps, pulling out a pair of keys from his back pocket that he fits into the front door. She watches him enter with curious eyes but the door closes too quickly and she isn’t given a glimpse of the inside.

  Lucas is gone for quite a while, almost twenty minutes, and when he finally walks out, Tara is surprised at the angry expression on his face. He stomps over to the driver’s seat, not waiting for June who hasn’t come out yet.

  He gets in with an angry huff, shutting the door with a harsh tug and turning to her with apologetic eyes, “I’m sorry,” he tells her.

  Tara is about to ask what he’s sorry about but high pitched giggling draws her attention to the entrance. June walks out in a plain black suit that fits his figure snuggly, with his hair slicked back to the sides. Tara’s eyes flit over to him for a moment before they’re drawn to the woman next to him.

  She’s in a pretty black dress that falls just above her knees with puffy black sheer sleeves covering her arms and stopping at her wrists. Tara recognizes her face instantly as one of their city’s more famous models and a frequent customer of Tempest.

  June opens the car door for the woman and ushers for her to get inside with a polite smile. The woman slides in with June following her.

  Tara – having moved from her seat in panic – now sits across from them and stares at the woman with a mildly panicked look on her face.

  “Hello,” the woman greets her and Tara mumbles out a soft greeting, eyes still wide and slightly frightened.

  “That’s just my assistant,” June tells the woman and the turns to Tara with an expectant look, “This is Mina Chomsky, she’ll be my date tonight.”

  Tara nods her understanding, “I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of,” she replies in a small voice. June doesn’t respond, simply turns to Mina and pulls her closer to whisper something into the model’s ear. Mina giggles and shoves him playfully.

  Tara turns her head to gaze outside and tries to swallow around the lump in her throat. For a moment, she’d been under the assumption that she was to accompany June as his date and now with the reality of it in front of her, she feels both embarrassed and foolish for considering anything other than the situation presented before her.

  She tries to will away a few tears that threaten to fall but the sudden swell of emotion is too much for her to handle and a few stray tears escape and run down her cheeks. Tara tries to brush them away as inconspicuously as she can, hoping that no one’s noticed.

  When they finally arrive at the club, a slew of media publications are waiting outside the entrance. She turns to leave and for a second her eyes meet June’s, an unreadable expression on his face as he watches her with calculating eyes. Tara ignores him and slides out the car when Lucas offers her his hand.

  The party is already in full swing when they step in and Tara is pleased at the way it’s turned out. Gone is the usual muted red lighting, replaced by a soft golden hue. The tables and chairs are decorated in gold and white crystal with an arrangement of flowers decorating the center pieces of each it table. A tray of champagne is offered to them by one of the waiters.

  Mina commends Tara on the decorations as they walk further into the club, giving her a warm smile and Tara feels guilty for the rush of irritation she feels when the model so much as looks her way. It’s not Mina’s fault that Tara was so quick to jump to conclusions, and a small part of her has to remind her that it isn’t June’s fault either. She returns the model’s smile as best as she can before throwing out the excuse of having to check on the catering so that she can escape.

  Ren finds her hiding in the kitchens with a mouthful of sushi.

  “Stress eating I see,” he quips, tapping her cheek where it bulges with food. Tara chews as fast as she can and almost swallows it whole.

  “Comfort eating,” she corrects him and shoves another roll of sushi into her mouth. He gives her a questioning look but she simply waves away his concern, “Later. I’m not drunk enough to revisit that train of thought.”

  She glances around him to smile at the woman who’d been standing at his side, watching Tara with eager eyes and a polite smile, “Gwen, I presume,” Tara guesses, reaching out a hand to her, “It’s nice to finally meet you.” She’s a pretty African American woman with dark skin and an intricately braided bun atop her head.

  “Likewise,” Gwen shakes her hand with a warm smile and grimaces when Tara holds up a plate of sushi towards her, “I’m not really a fan of sushi,” she scrunches her nose and gives Tara an apologetic smile.

  “Ren,” Tara stares up at the woman with an awed expression, “She’s really cute and extremely out of your league.”

  “You’ve known her for all of five seconds and you’ve already come to that conclusion?” he chuckles, grabbing a sushi roll off of Tara’s plate and throwing a wink her way when Tara glares at him.

  “Are you enjoying the party?” Tara asks Gwen.

  “I am,” plump cheeks lifting into a graceful smile, “Ren told me that you put it all together.”

  “Me and the fifty other people I’ve been yelling at for the past two days,” Tara shrugs sheepishly, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an uprising tomorrow.”

  “I don’t think you realize how scary you are when you’re organizing things,” Ren ruffles her fringe, “No one is brave enough to start an uprising against you.”

  “I’m sure he’s just exaggerating,” Gwen elbows him in the ribs, giving Tara an apologetic smile on his behalf.

  “You don’t work with her,” Ren scoffs.

  Tara sits with Ren and his girlfriend for a little bit as she gets to know his Kindred. When Gwen tells her about their first meeting and how they’d found out about being Kin
dred – Ren, a flirty barista at the local coffee shop near her university, had charmed his way into a date with her before eventually revealing his Mark – Tara can’t help the swell of envy that crushes her chest. A part of her wonders if she’d have had a similar story with June under different circumstances but a greater part of her wishes that soul bonds didn’t exist in the first place. She leaves soon after that, under the pretense of checking on the rest of the party.

  In the main room where the guests lounge about, Tara bumps into one of June’s associates. He’s one of the older men and judging by the smell, he’s also incredibly drunk. He grabs Tara’s waist and pulls her to him, a hand resting on her lower back.

  “Let me go,” Tara tells him in what she hopes sounds like an authoritative tone but even she can hear how her voice trembles. She feels bile rise in her throat and tries to pull herself out of his grip. His hands wander lower, almost passing between her legs and Tara panics, wrenches herself out of his grip with such a furious strength that she trips over herself and falls onto the floor, the front of her dress ripping and almost exposing her chest.

  The man is about to lunge for her again when a tall woman steps between them, black knife already held to the man’s throat, “Touch her again and I’ll gut you in front of all of your men,” the woman threatens in a casual tone and Tara is amazed when no one does a thing to stop her.

  The old man glances at the woman before him for a second before stepping away and spitting near where Tara is slumped on the floor, “Secondhand whore,” he mutters disdainfully in Tara’s direction.

  Tara feels hot, angry tears slide down her face and wishes for the floor to swallow her whole.

  She’s about to stand and thank the woman when she feels something placed atop her shoulders, covering her exposed chest. Tara glances up to find Lucas standing above her. He reaches out a hand and helps her to her feet, securing the coat around her frame and buttoning it.

  “Get us a pot of tea,” the woman tells Lucas and Tara is further surprised when he nods and makes his way over to the kitchen. The woman turns to Tara with a surprisingly warm expression for someone who’d just threatened to kill a man, “Let’s get you some fresh air, love.”

  She leads Tara up to the rooftop and casts a curious glance over her shoulder as they leave. June stands near the centre of the room, his date long forgotten as he eyes Tara with a helpless expression.

  When they’re finally alone, the woman turns to Tara with curious eyes, “I’m Michela Frye,” she introduces herself.

  Tara nods, turning to her with a grateful smile, “I’m Tara. Thank you for helping me,” she bows her head lightly, trying to hide her surprise. Michela and her brother Jasper are notorious – two wealthy siblings who control the eastern harbor and its weapons exports. They’re also June’s most trusted business partners.

  “No need to thank me,” Michela replies, “Greasy old men should be put in their place.”

  They don’t talk for a while and Tara uses the silence to try and calm herself. She feels like a mess with her dress ripped open and her makeup running down her face.

  “So you’re June’s Kindred,” Michela says after a long while, tone casual but Tara can hear the curious lilt in her words. She stares at Michela with a look of shock, wondering how the woman could possibly know. Michela nods to her collarbone, “I got a look at your Mark when that asshole ripped your dress,” the other woman explains, “I’ve seen June’s Mark plenty of times to know that yours is a mirror of his.”

  Tara tries not to react at the implication of Michela’s words but fails when her fists clench automatically at the insinuation. Tara doesn’t bother with confirming the woman’s suspicions.

  “I don’t envy you,” Michela sighs and turns to Tara with pity in her eyes, “Being tied to someone like that can’t be easy.”

  Tara scoffs, “You have no idea.”

  “I do,” Michela shrugs, “A little bit. I know how much he hates his father.”

  Tara furrows her brows, curiosity eating at her, “What do you mean?”

  “That’s not my story to tell,” Michela begins, “But I can tell you that he despises Kindred and anything and everything that comes with the soul bond.”

  “I really don’t mind completely disappearing from his life,” Tara mutters, “If only he’d let me.”

  “That,” Michela glances at her, “I am curious about. I always thought that if he ever found his bonded, he’d do everything in his power to stay away from them. I’m not entirely sure about his reasons for keeping you here.”

  Tara silently agrees with her.

  “Tara,” June calls out from behind them and the woman is so surprised to hear her name coming from him without malice in his tone that, for a moment, she doesn’t recognize his voice.

  She turns to him and bows her head in shame, “I’m sorry about the incident from earlier. I’ll go down immediately to tend to the guests,” her body trembles as he nears them and all she can do is silently pray that he doesn’t find some humiliating way to punish her for causing a scene.

  “Lucas will take you home,” he tells her instead, “Ren will handle the rest. I expect you in the office on Monday.”

  Tara’s eyes widen in surprise but she doesn’t chance a glance at him, simply keeps her head lowered as she mumbles out a quiet, “Thank you.”

  June dismisses her then and she rushes downstairs to meet Lucas outside.

  Michela watches her go with appraising eyes. When she’s sure that Tara has left, she turns to June with a calculating expression, “She’s scared of you.”

  “Lots of people are scared of me,” June shrugs, “Did you enjoy the party? I made sure to order the champagne you like.”

  “That’s not a respectful kind of fear, June,” Michela accuses, “She’s terrified of you. What did you do to her?”

  June rolls his eyes, an irritated grimace pulling down his lips, “We haven’t seen each other in months and you want to talk about my secretary?”

  “Your Kindred, you mean.”

  June visibly stiffens at that and even in the low light, Michela sees the dark, angry look in his eyes, “What did she tell you?”

  “She told me nothing,” Michela scoffs, “I saw her Mark just like everyone else did, when that creep,” she spits the word out, “ripped open her dress. And while she’s been traumatically humiliated in front of a room of the city’s elite, you simply fill his glass with more alcohol and ensure that the city doesn’t find out about one of their minister’s being a serial molester.”

  June rolls his eyes, “You’re overreacting.”

  “She’s your Kindred, Park!” Michela yells, turning to him with such fury in her eyes that June takes a step back in fear, “Do you feel nothing? Are you really that cruel that you’ll let the person your soul is bonded to suffer like that?”

  “You know how I feel about Kindred,” June grits his teeth in anger, eyes narrowing dangerously.

  “I also know how tightly it binds you to another person,” she tells him in a quieter voice, placating, “You can’t possibly tell me you feel nothing knowing that she’s that terrified of you.”

  For a moment June is silent as he stares out into the city, before he turns to Michela with an impassive expression, “She means nothing to me. I simply don’t care enough about her to do anything for her,” he takes Michela’s hand in his and silently cheers when she doesn’t immediately pull away, “Don’t confuse my feelings for you and use her as an excuse to run away from them.”

  “This isn’t about us, June,” Michela sighs but leans into his palm when he cups her cheek. His skin feels warm against hers and she almost nuzzle’s into the warmth, “You’re the one running away from your feelings.”

  “Don’t project your own situation onto me,” June scoffs and pulls his hand free with a harsh tug, “I’m not the one throwing away years of trust and friendship over some stupid superstition.”

  Michela sighs in resignation, “I’m not the on
e throwing years of friendship away, you are. If you’re going to throw a tantrum over my Kindred every time we see each other, then maybe Jasper should be the only one you deal with,” she doesn’t wait for an answer, simply leaves him standing on the roof as she ventures back to the party.

  When Lucas escorts Tara friend through her apartment door, he’s surprised to find Lillian seated on the couch. Tara tells him to take a seat while she freshens up and Lucas does so, eyeing her with worry. He greets Lillian distractedly, eyes never leaving where Tara had been.

  “What happened?” Lillian asks.

  “I’m not sure I should be telling you,” Lucas sighs.

  “I take it this has something to do with your boss?” Lillian asks and when she sees the hesitance in Lucas’s eyes she continues, “Tara told me about being Bonded to him.”