Next in Line (Monarch of the Kohler Mafia) Book 5 of the Köhler Series

ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖

Xerxes stayed in Germany for a month and has been back in D.C. for a whole week now, and he still hasn't told Riley he was back.

Not because he didn't want her to know. It because he was still trying to make sense of what he said.

Yeah, he did love her. It wasn't any doubt about that, but that wasn't the way he wanted to tell her, not over the phone.

The good thing was she hadn't mentioned it or called about it, maybe because she was waiting on him to say the shit again.

Xerxes knew this is what Riley was waiting for, and it took him a long fucking time to understand that he loved her too.

"You mean to tell me you're not somewhere between Riley's legs."

"DAD! FUCKING REALLY?" Xerxes yelled, causing Luca to laugh. He made jokes at the oddest times.

Anyhow he sat down beside him, picking up the controller smiling, wanting to play a game with him more like give him some advice.

"Okay, show me what you got, old man," Xerxes laughed, making his father glared over at him, ready to punch him in the face.

"Hit me, and I'll tell Mom."

"You know your mother can't save your fucking ass all the time. Right? Stop depending on your mother and take care of business on your own."

X looked over to his father with his eyebrow cocked, not understand what he was talking about because he always took care of his business and never needed him or his mother.

"Dad, are you high?'

"No, dumbass. I know what is going through that head of yours. You probably think I have no idea what I am talking about. That you take care of your business without the help and you may do. Still, you depend on your mother to help you and bail you out of shit with me..."

He stopped himself thinking as he continued to look at the TV, and they played the game. Xerxes was ready for what he was about to say.

"I know you may think I put a lot on you but look at Riley. She's Donna at eighteen. You are just Co-Don but doing the same thing. Your mother and I can only help with so much the rest you have to help yourself with. It's time to be a man. Stop fucking whoring and but grateful for the woman that's in front of you because you could have had a whole different life. Remember, you were supposed to marry Jia Li."

Xerxes nodded, laughing as his father whooped his ass in the game as he put down his controller, running his fingers through his hair.

"I want to make this work with Ri, but I don't know––"

"I'm going to stop you before you say you don't know-how. Your only step is to stop fucking sleeping around. Your Opa was a fucking whore, and it cost him a good relationship. He had a woman that loved him, and all he saw was what was between other woman legs beside his own. About time he found his happiness, he was killed. Don't be your Opa. Can you understand that?"

Xerxes nodded and the thinking to himself for something he could do for Riley to show that he wants to be with her and only her.

"I understand that, but Dad... I'm not a..."

"Save it and talking to me when you and Ri are in a good place."

"Okay, but I haven't thought about another girl in over a month. She all I think about. I don't understand it."

"It's nothing to understand X. You're in love take that it is all you need."

"Can I ask you something?" Xerxes asked his father as he nodded, looking over to him, waiting for him to speak.