Kingston

Four.

"Kingston, Lo, I'm leaving. Come on." he said and walked out. Holy Christ, Axle was here.

I stood up and walked to the sink. I heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. I didn't turn around. I didn't want to turn around.

Then he spoke.

"Catalina" he said. My blood sizzled with irritation.

"Alex." I chirped back and turned to face him. Good lord his knuckles looked even worse. He must've done most of the work. I'd read of Axle's betrayals. No one lasted more than a few hours once he'd found out. Lines and generations had gone extinct, all for either cheating him out of a deal or stealing something from him.

He let out a soft chuckle. God why was his presence so overwhelming?

"It's Axle." he responded harshly. "it's Katerina." I bit back.

"pass me that bottle." he said. And I raised a brow. "try that with a 'please', you're in my house." I said and turned my back to him. My body was on fire and this man was going to be family.

I heard his footsteps again. The bottle was behind me. He walked to me, reached around my body, brushing my back with his arm. It was so brief I barely felt it, but my heart was still pounding.

I was at the sink putting water into my coffee maker. But now I wasn't sure if I was even doing it right.

I heard the sound of ice chinking in his glass. He cleared his throat and leaned on the counter next to me. I put my coffee pot into the maker and he just watched me.

"don't you have people to murder?" I asked him and poured the beans into the grinder. My mouth was suddenly very dry.

He eyes his glass and swirled the ice around.

"I do. But I'm busy now." he said, matter of factly.

I arched a brow. "busy doing what?" I said.

"trying to figure out why you don't like me. We're almost family Catalina. We need to sort this out." his voice was laced with sarcasm.

I refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he pissed me off so I responded, very catty.

"well Alex, if you must know, I do not trust you. My father formed alliances with you without doing enough research." I said and turned to my coffee maker which I was sure was mocking me.

"is that so? And what research have you done?" he said. His voice is so damn sultry. I hate him.

"just your FBI file. Your face is probably on a board driving a fed insane." I said and tried to get my mug from the shelf. I guess since I haven't been home for so long they moved my dishes.

He obviously saw me struggling and reached over my head and brought it for me. I was suddenly embarrassed that it was a mug with cat ears on it.

He's about 6'4. I probably don't come anywhere near his shoulder.

"If the feds aren't after you, you aren't making enough noise. However, I'm disappointed you had to do research. I thought you would've heard of me. I must be doing something wrong." he said and swallowed his scotch.

"must be losing your edge. Though I wouldn't worry. Everyone gets soft." I said knowing full well he shot a Capello in the face outside a church about 2 weeks ago.

"you ought to be nicer to me Catalina. We're going to be family soon. I would like to start that on a positive note with you. I don't have time for petty issues." he said. He doesn't sound genuine and so I scoffed. "I'm not a petty issue, Kingston." I say.

"hm, you've got a lot of lip. I wouldn't get on my bad side." he said. I turned to face him. "are you threatening me?" I asked. Completely shocked. It sounds like a threat to me. In my house, Hayes' daughter.

"yes." he said. Plainly. And so I let him have it.

"I'm not scared of you." I tell him, even though his presence is consuming everything right now. I see why they call him 'the devil'. I understand why people in the underworld wouldn't dare cross him. I've known him for two days, and I'll admit, I am intimidated.

He inches closer to me. "you sure about that? You don't know a damn thing about me but I'll tell you something." he's in front of me now. His eyes burning straight through me. "I'm very good at reading people. And right now, you're terrified to be this close to me. All the rumors are true, sweetheart. I can rip you apart without breaking a sweat." he speaks so low, so husky. It's daring.

I back away. But something is wrong with me.

"I don't like you. At all. But you're working with my father and that means something to me. All I ask is that you respect him, don't get him involved in something that would get him hurt. Don't cheat him and definitely don't threaten me. I don't trust you, but my father does. Please, don't cheat him." I said and poured my coffee.

I walked off, gathering myself and collecting my thoughts and not believing I just did that. Until his rough hand grabbed my wrist.

"you think I'd cheat your papa?" he asked. His voice in my ear took me to heaven but the look in his eye sent me straight to the gates of hell.

"I do. You're impulsive. Hot-headed. You shot a man in the face with these very same hands." I glanced down at his hand wrapped tightly around my wrist. "You're a reckless man Kingston, and I don't want my family to crash and burn." I said and he eased his hand on my wrist. There wasn't any force to begin with.

"listen to me carefully Katerina. From now on, speak with some fucking respect. Just because you're a Hayes doesn't mean another man will let you speak that way. Watch the goddamn tone. And secondly, I may be impulsive and reckless but I get shit done. And that's what your father needs. Don't associate yourself with my affairs and keep your nose out my fucking business." his voice rattled through my entire body.

He threw his glass in the sink and walked off. His heavy footfalls exit the house.

I heard the door close and had to catch my breath. He was right. He did get to where he was because of his nature. But good Lord he was intense. I rubbed my wrist where he grabbed me and sighed heavily. My first real interaction with him was a disaster. The devil would soon become part of my family tree.