Salient Secret

Chapter 31

We make it to their house after dropping Sammy off at school, we ring the doorbell several times but no answer. 

"They're probably training," we get back into the car and go to the gym I'm guessing, I haven't been in a gym for about 4 and a half years now, it's almost impossible to do any form of exercise when your lungs hate you. We arrive at a warehouse, I know I don't gym but this does not seem like a gym. 

"This is it?"

"Yeah, it's Wednesday, they're training, which is here because this is where all the fights are happening for their tournament."

When we walk inside, there's about 15 sweaty men all doing different things, I spot Mr Grayson and Lorenzo by the punching bags, a really tall, muscular guy is telling them to go faster. He notices us walking towards them.

"Enzo junior, what are you doing here?" the giant man says to Kai. 

"Uncle Arlo, do you mind if I borrow you guys for a few minutes?"

"Alright man, not for too long though, who's your friend?" he asks now noticing me,.

"I'm Avery," I say holding out my hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you Avery, I'm Arlo, TJ's uncle,"  he points to TJ on the phone in the corner, I smile and Kai pulls me to wherever he is going. 

"Nice to meet you too," I shout back. 

I greet Lorenzo and Mr Grayson, when TJ walks into the room, Kai makes them all sit down on a bench in a back room, and he starts telling them everything, starting with the day he met up with his mom. By the time Kai is done, all of them have a blank expression on their faces. Lorenzo is the first to say something, "So we have a little sister?" 

"I haven't met her yet but yes we do."

"When can we meet her?" Lorenzo asks.

"You'll have to ask Melanie." 

"We gotta meet her together man, all 3 of us, me, you and Sammy." I'm kind of surprised that Lorenzo is excited to meet his little sister, I honestly thought he was the mean, angry one.

"So you're telling me, my psycho dad had an affair and got my best friends mom pregnant with my half sister, and when my mom filed for a divorce it wasn't because he abused me and her but because she was pregnant with my little sister, and then my dad murdered my little sister who was just an infant by setting their house on fire too." I realize now that out of everyone, TJ has it the worst. 

"This is so fucked up," Mr Grayson says.

"Mom left us because she was pregnant with a psychos child," as soon as Lorenzo finishes that sentence Mr Grayson storms out and Kai goes after him. Lorenzo and TJ sit there talking about what they just heard and Arlo is just standing there silently. 

"How does this involve you?" TJ asks me in a harsh way but I can't even blame him, he has been through the most.

"Your dad is my uncle," I say and TJ steps aggressively toward me.

"WHAT?" he yells and Kai comes in with his dad just on time and stands in between us and I hold onto his arm. 

"Doesn't that make you and Kai related if your uncle had a child with Kai's mom?" Lorenzo asks. 

"My uncle is not my biological uncle, he was adopted, his parents died in a car crash and my grandparents took him in because they were friends with them," I reluctantly respond. 

"Were his parents psycho too?" TJ asks, at least he's cooled down a bit. I have never thought about that, maybe my uncles psycho tendencies are inherited. 

"I wouldn't know," I say. 

"Well can you find out princess?" TJ says and I feel Kai's arm tense up.

"Watch it," he says.

"My grandparents are dead now but I will speak to my mom and see if she knows anything."

"Thank you Avery," Mr Grayson says and then continues, "We have to speak to Melanie and Julia, together, all of us with them and Palmer, we need to know everything." Everyone agrees and they start chattering, Arlo leaves with no one else noticing, he isn't involved directly so I don't blame him, I must say, it is nice to have that kind of muscle on our side.

 The chattering stops and Kai says, "So it's settled then," he looks at me, "Avery, we need your mom too, she might know important things about your uncle," I nod and he turns back to the rest, "I'll get Melanie there and TJ you'll get your mom. Lorenzo, dad and Uncle Arlo...who isn't here, you guys need to clean up that house because we're doing it there, tonight, at 6 pm sharp." 

"Alright, I'll go fill Arlo in on what's going on," Mr Grayson says leaving the room. 

"Let's get you home to your mom," Kai says to me while walking out, we get into the car and drive to my house. "What's wrong?" Kai asks me because we've arrived at my house but I don't get out of the car. 

"You really think this thing tonight will be a success? You hate your mom, so does Lorenzo and your dad, my mom and Julia are fighting and TJ is not very happy about not knowing about his little sister." 

He turns in his seat to face me, "I have no idea, I just know that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I sat back and let my little sister get burnt to death because of simply being the product of my moms biggest mistake."

"You're right and Arlo aka the Hulk is on our side, Dane James doesn't stand a chance," I say to get a smile out of Kai, and it works. I give him a quick kiss on his lips and get out of the car.