Kingston

Fifty-two.

I smiled. "shut up, you Kingston."

She laughed softly and I woke up to get ready.

As I made my way downstairs, I realized that she knew everything about me. She knew my worst secret, the one thing that ate at me almost every fucking day, and yet she never judged me. She accepted it, and she never made me feel like I did the wrong thing.

I felt some sort of comfort knowing that someone knew, and also loved me all the same. She had no idea how much she's changed me. All for the better.

I made my way to the bar, glancing at the clock. I never start my day after 12 usually, but today was an exception.

I can still feel her sex starved body underneath mine. I'd teach her everything she wanted to know. I bit my lip and thought of all the marks trailing her body.

I ran my hand over my shoulder and felt it burn with the marks her nails left. I smiled at the thought of her losing control like that. She was not the innocent principessa her father thought she was.

All the streets were quiet. Everyone must be with their families. It didn't matter that today was below freezing, I had to go to the cemetery. I walked towards Christian's headstone and pulled out a bottle of Chivas with two glasses. There was no way he was really in here, after the fire they said his remains weren't found but Moretti and I didn't care about that, what mattered was that we honoured our brother, and whether he was alive and kicking somewhere, he'd know how much we needed him. We put this headstone up to visit on days like today.

"It's been a couple years since I got the news you were gone, Chris. I still don't buy it. I wouldn't be surprised if you've been watching me all these years and keeping me out of trouble." I say into the air, taking a drink from my glass. "I was telling Kat the other night about how I met Vin, but I never got to tell her how I met you. Do you remember that night? My father just got shot in front of me, and you walked into that bar ready to protect me, not even knowing who I was. You pulled me out of there, checked that I wasn't hurt, said you'd cover for me if I needed it. You'd just gotten out of jail and you were ready to go back for some eighteen year old boy you just met. What was it you asked me? 'Are there always shootouts in New York on a Tuesday?'" I catch my breath, feeling the cold hit my eyes. I shut them for a second. "We spent the rest of that night finding the Capello's, you tracked down each one of them, told me about your time in prison, said you were looking into some families. But our relationship wasn't always business, was it? Somewhere between helping each other out and becoming each others first phone call, I think you became the brother I always wanted. I trusted you instantly. I never had anyone to protect me, Chris, no one ever looked out for me. That was until I met you." I feel my chest burn for some fucking reason. I clear my throat and look at the dark, gloomy sky.

I look down at his headstone one more time.
"I miss you. I know you'd love Katerina. I think all you ever wanted for Vin and I was to be normal, to fall in love and be better fathers than ours ever were. I'm going to do it for us. I cant wait to see you again and tell you all about it, Alvarez."

I blink away the burn in my eyes and set my glass down. When I left that cemetery, I felt lighter. I miss Christian, but he left me with all the knowledge I needed to run my empire, he taught me everything I knew and I helped him find his way through the underworld. I think all he ever wanted was to get rid of men like his father, and that's what got him killed. Christian isn't like Vin and I, he seeks justice. We seek revenge.

With a clear head, I made my way to the bar to see Lo. It was empty, only a few of my employees were present, waiting for me to arrive.

They were cleaning up, usually Sunday nights are quiet but the bar was closed for new years, and was only reopening today.