Officiating Death Kings 2.0
**Preston**
I have never seen such a beautiful woman. The more we talk as Slater cooks, the more I’m attracted to her, and not just at a physical level. Artemis is a soul that shines, radiating goodness. It’s something I want to keep as far away from the world of the Death Kings as possible. That’s improbable because bringing her into the family is also the best way to keep her protected.
I can already tell she isn’t like the women I know. Ali, Sawyer, and Carmen are all three killers. Then you have Carley, who has no problem maiming she just can’t bring herself to kill. There was that one time, but that was more self-defense than anything. The way Ransom and Jensen mutilated the corpse of that guy was the stuff of nightmares. Carley only thought she killed that man. He lived and regretted it instantly.
“You have two brothers. What was that like? The three of us are only children, so we are thrilled to have the twins,” Artemis queries as we watch the toddler boys play with blocks in the center of their living room. I’m on the couch at the far end, but we are both turned facing one another. Artemis has her fuzzy gnome-socked feet poke up from underneath her crisscrossed legs.
“Stetson and I fought a lot since we were so close in age. Weston was more like a father than an older brother. He raised us. Even when our parents were alive, Weston took care of us. He made sure we had food and clean clothes that fit. It was, though. At first, it was just us three and then we moved in with the other guys at Ransom’s house. It was like having multiple older brothers, but multiple young dads, too. It makes me glad they have their rugrats to raise,” I say with a chuckle.
I watch as Camden sits on the floor with the children. It’s fascinating watching a man who is diagnosed psychopath play with toddler boys so gently. When one boy stumbles, his tattooed arm saves them. The boys don’t seem to mind that the man has a blank expression on his face. It’s as if they can sense what he is feeling below the surface with the aid of expression.
“So, is Camden like this with all the time?”
“Like what?” Artemis questions with a puzzled look on her face.
“Unfiltered without the mask of expressions he doesn’t feel,” I explain.
She thinks about it for a moment. “We don’t expect him to be pretend at home. We are perfectly happy with our robot leprechaun being himself at home. In public, he is expected to mimic emotions and facial expressions. We don’t. Sometimes it can be confusing, but it’s Camden, so we are used to it.”
“I get it. Thinking back to living with my family, Ransom was that way. We tease, being a robotic hellhound. Out in the field, he slowly got referred to as the Chaos Hellhound. I’m not sure that other than he attacked where Ryder or Jase pointed. Is Camden that vicious?”
“Camden is Slater’s attack dog. But with Camden, he knows how to use people to his advantage. Cam is manipulative and strategic. I’ve only met Ransom a few times to know he is cunning, but not near to the degree that Cam is.”
Her words cause me to mull them over in my mind. Camden might be better at planning than I am. He would be someone who could not do combat training, but strategy as well. With Ryder stepping away, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to prepare for jobs and stay several steps ahead of our marks the way he could.
There is a knock on the door. Artemis gets up, opening the door to Razz and Roan, who are just a few years older than I am. Her face lights up and she squeals when Razz spins her around before handing her off to Ronin before her feet can touch the ground.
Camden is standing with both boys in his arms as if preparing for an attack. Slater comes in from the kitchen, his gun trained at the two new men. Both of them are observing them, examining every move. I can almost see the wheels turning in their plans as Camden and Slater silently communicate how they will kill the other two men while keeping their woman and children safe.
I look at the toddler boys in Camden’s arms and back at the two men making Artemis smile brightly. Atlas has dark hair with heterochromia eyes of turquoise and mahogany, just like Ronin or Roan, only with Artemis’s Grecian nose and high cheekbones. Atticus has sandy curly blonde hair and violet eyes with Artemis’s high cheekbones but a nose that reminds of Ryder’s wife, Ali, the Bloody Angel King herself. Just like that of her nephew Xavier or Razz, as most know him. These kids look like them and not Slater and Camden.
“Daca, put Atti down,” Atticus says to Camden. Camden places him back on the floor. When attempts to release Atlas, the boy clings to him tightly.
“Okay, Las. I won’t put you down. Let’s go say hi,” Camden suggests, but Atlas shakes his head reluctantly.
“What if bring them over here to meet you both instead of you going to them? Would that be alright?” I ask little Atlas, who seems wary of the new men. “They are friends of mine.” Atlas seems to think about this.
He points to the recliner. “Daca, sit,” Camden does as the small boy orders without a word. Atlas looks at me and then his mother.
Atticus walks over to me. “Can Atti with you?”
I smile at him. “Sure. My nephew says I have a comfortable lap.” Atticus crawls in my lap and I feel very honored since they just met me today.
Camden signals Artemis to come to us, with Razz and Roan trailing her. Her eyes dart and she nervously bites her lower lip. As soon as their eyes land on the toddler boys, shock is apparent on their faces. They didn’t know they had sons. Oh boy. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, all of us are going to have to get along in the future if our team is going to be the new Death Kings.