#Chapter 46 – The Young Kingpin

My father settles me into a comfortable chair at the center of the group and Tristin, to my right, shoots me a cold smile. Baby Estrella, in her lap, coos a happy greeting to me, so I give them both a warm smile in return. It’s a happy affair, really – everyone seems eager to greet me, to bring me plates of food, to ask me about my life, my studies, and my career. Overall, I’m kept quite busy and happy, getting to know my biological family and all of their friends. I catch a glimpse, as the afternoon passes and the sun starts to set, of Daniel still happily playing volleyball. Apparently, his team has progressed to the championship round. As people start to settle in for the evening and stronger liquor starts to be poured into everyone’s cups, I start to notice…well. That there are a lot of boys around. I look around the circle, noting that there are, of course, women – aunts and cousins, many of them. But I’ve also been introduced, this afternoon, to a variety of handsome young