King

by Jamie Begley

  Henry parked the car as close to the location as he could. King and Henry then both got out of the car, using the city they were familiar with to maneuver their way closer.

  The car tailing them was being dealt with, so they wouldn’t be expecting King to show up. They had put too much faith in King not striking against them because of Evie.

  He had backed off when they had taken his sister, and she had been butchered. The same wasn’t going to happen to Evie.

  King and Henry managed to get close enough to see Ramos and Moran enter the warehouse in different vehicles. Rabbit was inside Moran’s car. Rabbit had been the one who had taken Evie to make sure his lucrative cut of the deal was a success. He had been gaining a steady reputation of seeing deals of this caliber involved no bloodshed to those paying for his skills. Unfortunately, he had left a trail of victims like Evie to realize his goals.

  Evie had placed too much trust in Rabbit because they had been in the military together. She had also trusted King not to hurt her, afraid of being hurt. Both of them had let her down. She clung to The Last Riders for a reason—she would never have been in this position with the club.

  King saw movement behind the warehouse as the Predators moved in. Jackal and Ice were in the lead, giving directions and spreading the men around the warehouse. After Jackal used the darkening sky to get closer to the building, unlocking a side door and going inside, Ice and Max followed behind.

  King and Henry used the cars parked outside to hide, making their own way to the door. He reached out to touch the handle when the first shot could be heard from the inside.

  “Shit.” King jerked opened the door and stepped into Hell without a second’s hesitation.

  * * *

  Evie tried to loosen the tight zip-tie around her wrists, but she quit when two cars pulled into the warehouse. Men climbed out of the cars, holding guns casually by their sides.

  Rabbit got out of one, casting a look of apology in her direction. Evie had already figured out he was the one behind her being taken as insurance against King. She had played right into his hands when she had asked for his help in finding out the information she wanted.

  Evie was watching as the drugs and money were exchanged when the one who had been left standing guard over her suddenly fell to the concrete floor next to her. Evie stared at him blankly before looking up to see Jackal pulling a knife covered in blood out of the man’s back.

  When Jackal put his finger to his mouth, telling her without words to remain quiet, Evie nodded her head, showing she understood. Jackal then bent over her chair, cutting the cord at her wrists.

  He jerked her from her chair as a bullet struck it, toppling it backward. A small scream passed her lips as Jackal pushed her down to the floor, covering her body with his while grabbing his own gun and returning fire. The men scattered like ants, each running to their own cars.

  They didn’t make it. They were gunned down steps from their cars. The one who had kidnapped her was one of the first to be killed. Ramos and Moran were each next.

  Once their bosses were no longer in control, their men fought unsuccessfully for their own lives. All thirteen of the men were killed. The only one spared was Rabbit, who had hunkered down by the table and didn’t move.

  When no one was left moving, Jackal helped Evie to her feet. “Are you hurt?”

  Evie started to shake her head but dizziness overcame her; only Jackal’s hand on her arm kept her from collapsing.

  “I was hit on my head.”

  “Can you walk?”

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t take his hand away. “We have to get out of here.”

  “Evie!” King grabbed her, hugging her close. She tried to move away from him, though. He didn’t let her go, yet he allowed her to put some space between them.

  “Let me go.”

  King’s arms dropped from her at her cold request.

  “King, we need to leave,” Jackal ordered. King nodded, stepping back.

  It was completely dark when they left the building.

  “I’ll get the car.” Henry jogged off.

  “King, thanks for having my back,” Rabbit said.

  “How did they know about Evie, Rabbit?” Kings harsh voice had Rabbit coming to a stop.

  Evie looked at the man she’d thought was her friend. He was going to try to talk his way out of it; it was what made him so good at his job.

  The Predators were coming out of the warehouse behind them. Max was carrying the bags containing the drugs and the money.

  “What about my cut?” Rabbit asked, as if he had been the one to rescue them.

  “You're not—” Evie began angrily.

  A shot rang out in the night; Rabbit fell backwards, a hole in the side of his head. The Predators ran for cover, trying to figure out where the shot had come from.

  Instinct set in. Evie threw herself into King's arms, pressing against him as tightly as she could. “Don’t move!” Evie yelled to everyone around her.

  They were under the scope of a cold-blooded killer, and any move they made could be their last.

  Chapter 20

  “Evie...”

  “Don’t move, King.” Evie pressed against him harder.

  King’s car pulled up to them and he reached out, opening the door. “Get in. If he shoots me, it’s what I deserve.”

  Evie glanced around. The Predators were all escaping, blending into the night. They weren’t his target, though; King was. “Get in the car first.”

  “No.”

  Evie reluctantly let him go, turning to the direction the shot had come from and staring into the darkness. “Please,” she mouthed, no sound escaping. She felt the hair on her arms stand in warning. “Please, don’t.”

  “Evie, get in the car.” King was resigned to take his punishment for endangering her, but Evie didn’t budge until she saw a brief flash of light and knew she had temporarily bought King a stay. Only then did she finally slide into the car with her head pounding.

  King closed the car door, lighting a cigar with a shaking hand. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”

  “No, I have a concussion. I need to lie down and take it easy for a while, but I will be fine. I guess I won’t be catching my plane in the morning.”

  “You booked a plane? You were going to leave without talking to me?”

  “I have nothing to say.”

  “Evie, I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

  “You’re full of shit. You’ve judged me from the moment you met me, just like you did Shade. You’re the one who’s fucked up. I trusted you. I thought you were smart enough to step away from that deal. I was wrong. The next time you screw up, I won’t be around to save your ass.”

  “I did step away. I told Ramos to do his business and get out of town, then Rabbit called and said Ramos had you. He didn’t trust me not to interfere. I spent most of my life building my reputation, and it almost got you killed!”

  “Thank God, it wasn’t Lily.”

  “You’re just as important as Lily is to me, Evie.”

  “Don’t lie,” Evie seethed.

  “I’m not lying.”

  Evie turned away, not willing to argue with him. That’s when she noticed Henry had pulled up in front of King’s building. “Take me to Penni’s.”

  “Stay the night. At least let me make sure you’re okay. You can sleep in the spare bedroom. You have to be checked every so often because of your concussion.”

  “Penni is there.”

  “You want to explain to her what happened?”

  No, she didn’t. It would be hours before Penni would let her sleep if she did.

  Resigned to her fate, Evie tiredly got out of the car, moving away from King's touch. Silently, she followed him into his penthouse. She knew the way to his spare bedroom and that’s where she went, closing the door on him before he could speak.

  She toed off her shoes before lying down on the bed, not bothering to turn down the blankets. Curling
on her side, she stared at the emptiness of the bed beside her and fell asleep within minutes. She hadn’t slept through the night since her fight with King.

  Later that night, King woke her up with a cold drink. When she sat up, gratefully taking a long gulp, he gave her some ibuprofen which helped with her headache.

  She was about to go back to sleep when she realized she didn’t have her purse. She started to get out of bed.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I need my purse; it has my phone.”

  “You’re going to leave in the middle of the night for your phone?”

  “I need my phone,” she said stubbornly.

  “Get back in bed. I’ll send Henry after it.”

  “Thank you.” Evie lay back down, falling back asleep.

  * * *

  Sometime later, she felt her head prodded.

  “Stop, that hurts!”

  “Let him check you out.”

  Evie’s eyes flickered open to see an older face staring down at her interestedly.

  “Hello,” he said.

  “Hi.”

  “He’s my physician,” King said. “I wanted to have you checked out to make sure you’re okay.”

  “It’s just a mild concussion.”

  “She’s right,” King’s physician agreed, straightening from the bed.

  “Told you so,” Evie muttered then fell back asleep.

  * * *

  Evie woke feeling more clearheaded later in the day. She sat up slowly before getting to her feet, making sure she wasn’t dizzy before going to the bathroom. She took her time washing her face, staring at her pale reflection; the dark shadows under her eyes would need a coat of make-up to cover them.

  Back in the bedroom, she flipped through her messages then texted Penni she was fine and would be back that afternoon. She then called and rescheduled her flight, giving herself a couple of days before she traveled.

  She looked down at the t-shirt she was wearing, surprised. She hadn’t imagined King would ever own a t-shirt; it didn’t fit his elegant style. She couldn’t picture him in jeans and t-shirts. He was the complete antithesis of the type of men who attracted her.

  She picked up her clothes from the chair, getting dressed, and King came in as she was putting on her shoes.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Leaving. I’m feeling better.”

  “Stay. You need to recuperate.”

  “I can do that at Penni’s.”

  He stood with his hands in his pockets, staring back at her with a grim face. “I can’t convince you to stay?”

  “No.” Evie picked up her phone and purse, ready to leave the close confines of the bedroom. She stared back at him coldly as he blocked her exit.

  “Evie, I know I fucked up.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you I don’t want to talk?”

  “Haven’t you ever screwed up, Evie?”

  “Not when I give my loyalty to someone. Loyalty is everything.” She touched the tattoo on the curve of her breast. “I hurt Beth one time, and I will always regret it. I did it because I was loyal to The Last Riders. I broke that loyalty—men who have stood beside me for years—for you. They deserve my loyalty; you do not.” Evie walked past him into the living room.

  “I’ll call Henry.”

  As Evie heard the defeat in his voice, she wanted to turn around and hide in his arms. The last thing she wanted to do was leave him, but he had showed her he didn’t trust her. He had been pretending to care for her to find out a way to hurt her friends, and he had almost succeeded.

  While they stood, awkwardly waiting for Henry’s arrival, her eyes roved to the television screen behind King’s shoulder. There was a breaking news report describing the violence of the last twenty-four hours. They were detailing the gruesome discovery of several bodies at the warehouse, then the shocking execution-style killing of Digger as he was being moved to a safe house. King stared along with Evie as they watched Digger’s sheet-covered body loaded into the coroner’s van.

  “I would have paid him for that one myself,” King commented, not making eye contact.

  “It wasn’t for you.” It was for Lily; it would always be about Lily for Shade.

  King’s phone rang, announcing Henry’s arrival downstairs.

  King walked her to the elevator and Evie felt the tension climb, sensing King wanted her to stay. However, when the elevator opened, Evie stepped in, her finger pressing the lobby button. “Goodbye, King.”

  His hand stopped the elevator from closing. “I know you hate me right now, and I don’t blame you. I asked for your trust without giving you mine. I was wrong. It wasn’t the first time I was wrong dealing with you, though, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. My sister was murdered because I trusted someone’s word I shouldn’t have, and she paid the price.

  “I’ve made no secret of the fact that I don’t like Shade, and I was well aware your loyalty to him came first. Last night, you threw yourself in front of me to save me from him. Whether you know it or not, you made a decision to pick me over The Last Riders.

  “I’m moving to Treepoint, but it’s going to take me some time to finish up here. That will give you some time to cool down and come to the same realization I have—we belong together. We are fucking good together. And neither you nor The Last Riders are going to keep me from proving I can be worthy of your loyalty. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

  Evie didn’t say anything, letting the elevator door close on the man she had come to love.

  * * *

  Three days later, her bags were packed once more. Evie stared down at the new suitcases she had purchased containing new clothes. The only things leaving with her she had brought were The Last Riders’ t-shirts she used to sleep in. She had also purchased a couple of nightshirts in different colors.

  “I’ll see you this summer when I come in for the Fourth of July picnic.” Penni hugged her.

  “Take care, Penni.” Evie picked up her suitcase, opening the door. “Be careful around the Predators.”

  “I will. I have no intention of becoming involved with them.” Evie looked at her doubtfully. While Penni was trying her best to avoid the Predators, she hoped her antagonism for them remained strong. She was glad Penni was in and out of town, touring with Mouth2Mouth.

  “Bye, Evie.”

  “Goodbye, Penni,” she said with finality, going out the door.

  She blinked back tears in her eyes. She was going to miss Penni. They had grown close the last several weeks living together.

  Wheeling her suitcase out of the elevator, she stopped at the concierge desk. The new employee had been hired when the old one had let the man kidnap her onto the elevator for a large tip.

  Evie reached into her purse, pulling out a thick envelope.

  “Keep an eye on her. If you see she’s in any kind of trouble, call the number in the envelope. It’s her brother.”

  “I will. Thanks, Evie.”

  She nodded, handing him the envelope of money before rolling her suitcase outside where the taxi she had called was waiting. The driver put her suitcase in the trunk while Evie climbed into the car. The driver slammed the trunk then got back behind the wheel.

  “The airport,” Evie said, looking out the window with tears brimming in her eyes.

  “Where you headed?” he asked, pulling out into the heavy traffic.

  “I’m going home.”

  Chapter 21

  The taxi pulled up in front of the small house. It was well-maintained with a pretty, grassy yard and spring flowers blossoming, lining the white picket fence.

  Evie got out of the cab while the driver got her suitcase. Taking it from him, she turned toward the house then headed up the sidewalk. She bent down next to a decorative rock, and turning it over, she located the key Beth had promised to leave for her.

  Evie unlocked the front door and stepped inside, pausing inside the doorway to turn on the lights since the shades were all drawn.
r />   “Welcome home, Evie,” she said out loud to herself, staring around the empty house.

  Beth and Lily had cleaned out all their things, and Evie had signed the papers the day before she left for Texas.

  “Enjoy your trip?” Evie stiffened when she heard the voice behind her.

  Turning around, she kept her face an expressionless mask. “Brooke, what do you want?”

  “Can’t I come by and say hello to my sister?”

  “You’re not my sister.”

  Her fake laughter sounded off the empty walls. “I saw your taxi driving by as I was coming out of the church. Not much goes on in this sleepy, little town, does it?”

  “Then leave. Go back to New York. Hell, go home to Georgia; I’m sure Mom misses you.” Evie was proud of the lack of resentment in her voice.

  “Aren’t you getting too old to still be jealous of mine and mom’s relationship?”

  “I’m not jealous at all; you two are just alike.”

  “Let’s not start that again. I came by to say hello. It’s time we started being sisters again. Twins are supposed to be close.” Her hand rubbed over the baby bump that had grown in size since she had left.

  “We may have been fraternal twins, but we have never been close. You made sure of that, Brooke, not me.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re still holding a grudge?”

  Evie’s face whitened. “It’s because of you I was raped! Did you think I would ever forgive you? You had Thompson wrapped around your finger. He was the one who egged those men on when we got back to base.”

  “I did not.”

  “Don’t fucking lie about it anymore, Brooke. He told Shade the truth. The dumb fuck would have done anything to make you happy. He called you when we got back to base, told you how the men were treating me. Then, when they started drinking, you told him to take his friends to my quarters. You told them I put out enough in high school that I would enjoy it.” Evie was practically screaming at her.

  Brooke’s face didn’t change expression, but Evie could see from the malicious gleam in her eyes that she was accomplishing her goal of upsetting her. Brooke had always pushed her buttons; she did it deliberately to get the reaction she wanted. Her twin was sick; that was why Evie had joined the Navy, to escape her influence when her mother had refused to see the truth.