A Warrior's Choice [Warriors of the Light 18] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by AJ Jarrett

  The words Kayson had said to him were always in the back of his mind and it was the promise in those words that frightened him. Kayson had wanted to keep him like some pet. It wasn’t right or natural to hold someone against their will. Kevin was a man now, and he’d never be that vulnerable kid again. He refused to be a victim.

  Kevin graduated from high school then went off to college. He’d been unsure when he was younger on what he wanted to do with his life. After everything that had happened nothing seemed to hold any purpose but having Wes in his life helped Kevin figure things out.

  Wes was a good man and treated Kevin as if he were his son. Kevin owed a lot to Matt and Wes. They loved him and took care of him and were there when the nightmares were so bad he couldn’t sleep in his own room alone. They were the shoulders he needed to lean on when things got to be too much.

  When they moved to College Station, Wes worked as a cop. They stayed there until Kevin graduated high school. Matt had finished college two years prior and worked as a physical therapist. When Kevin had been accepted into Ohio State they packed everything up and moved there. Kevin got a degree in criminal justice and then enrolled into the academy to become a police officer just like Wes.

  Over the years Wes went from being a beat cop to a detective and now he was the captain at the local police station in Shreveport, Louisiana where they lived now. He worked for Wes as an undercover cop on the narcotics unit.

  Kevin loved his job. He’d been doing it for the past four years and it kept him busy and his mind off of other things he’d rather not be thinking about.

  You’re mine. I’ll never let you go. Kayson’s words flittered through his mind, causing Kevin’s hands to tremble. The words weren’t said as a promise but a threat.

  He graduated at the top of his class and started off as a beat cop like Wes but he very quickly climbed the ladder of success, as his brother liked to tell him. Kevin was smart and thorough and that all stemmed from his lack of trust in people. It was a sad way to live but a good quality in a cop. A person was guilty until proven innocent and even then, that didn’t mean Kevin trusted them.

  His current assignment had him working undercover as a member of a motorcycle club. He’d been on assignment for a little over a year now. He had to earn the guys’ trust and prove his loyalty to the other members of the King Cobra Riders. Which Kevin found funny since these guys were the least loyal human beings he’d ever seen. Straight up criminals. They sold drugs, drank too much, which led to fights, and were thieves. There was no other way to describe this group of people. Violent individuals with no value of life.

  But those violent tendencies and illegal activities weren’t the reasons why Kevin had been sent to infiltrate this club. It was a string of missing people that led to a few dead bodies found around the outskirts of town that had the police tracking these men. Every single body they had found and were able to identify had last been seen with members of the King Cobras and of course these guys had an excuse and alibi every time they were questioned. It didn’t help that no one would testify against these thugs either.

  It took time for Kevin to work his way up within the club. He handled grunt work, such as keeping watch while the crew did a drug deal or beat the shit out of some poor guy for not paying for the shit drugs he’d gotten. Kevin hated it but he knew it was for the greater good.

  Steam started to fog up the mirror. Kevin stepped under the hot water. He tilted his head back and let it run down his body. He took his time washing his shoulder length light brown hair then scrubbed his body clean. He rinsed his body of all the soap, turned off the water then stepped out to dry off.

  This assignment had required him to look a certain way. He’d let his hair grow long and kept from shaving his face too often. He worked out every night once he got home to keep his body in good shape. He’d come a long way from that tall lanky teenager he used to be.

  Over the years he’d gotten a few tattoos. Well, more than a few. He had his parents’ date of birth and death written in Roman numerals on his shoulders. On his left bicep was a picture drawn up of his childhood home. The artist did a really good job. A moment captured in time of the summers he’d spent there. It was so lifelike there were times that Kevin looked at it and thought he could just reach out and touch the old house with the barn in the back yard. On his right bicep the artist had drawn an old looking ship with big crashing waves slamming against it. Kevin was unsinkable and he wanted that to come across in the tattoo. He had another one on his rib cage right under his right arm. The words “Resist the darkness. Live within the light.” Under his left arm he had written, “I am my protector. I will save myself.”

  They were words to remind him of where he’d come from and that it was him and no one else that could keep him safe. Wes and Matt did their best but in the end, it was up to Kevin to protect Kevin. He knew what lay in wait in the darkness and he refused to be a victim again.

  Kevin combed his hair, put on deodorant then headed into his bedroom to get dressed. He pulled on a pair of well-worn denim jeans, snug fitting white T-shirt, and laced up his heavy black boots. He was meeting Wes at a small diner two towns over. He grabbed the black leather vest the club wore and his helmet. Kevin snagged a ball cap on the way out the door to put on over his hair to help disguise himself just a little.

  He locked the front door when he left. Kevin popped the lock on his truck and tossed his vest and helmet inside. He put on his sunglasses to help shield his eyes from the bright sun and pulled out of his driveway.

  An hour later he was pulling into the diner parking lot. He saw Wes’s silver SUV parked near the front entrance. Kevin climbed out and went inside. He smiled at the waitress who greeted him then walked over to sit opposite Wes in the booth.

  “Hey, little man.” Wes held out his hand for Kevin to shake. “How’s it going?”

  “Wes, Wes, Wes.” Kevin groaned but grinned. “Do we have to go through this every time we see each other? I’m bigger than you. Can you stop calling me little man?” Kevin already knew the answer to that one.

  “Fuck no,” Wes scoffed and made a funny face. “You will always be my little man. No matter how big your ass gets. You feeling me?”

  “Yes, dad.” Kevin rolled his eyes. He said it as a joke but Wes really was like a second father to him. The man treated him like a son and was there for Kevin in a time in his life when he needed that love and guidance the most. Matt was lucky to have Wes in his life. Kevin often wondered if he’d ever find someone for himself or would he be forever destined to walk this world alone. Kevin was afraid he was too screwed up in the head to ever let his guard down long enough to let anyone in. Fear did that to a person.

  “How’s it going with the MC?” Wes asked in a much lower tone. “Getting any closer to Lester?”

  “Yeah.” Kevin stopped speaking when their waitress came to take their order. Once she was gone he started again. “That guy has some serious trust issues but he seems to really like me.” Kevin smiled and Wes had one to match his. “I guess he has reason to, right?”

  “Yeah, well, hopefully he’ll screw up soon enough.” Wes sighed. “I’m sick and tired of having to tell a mother and father that their child is never coming home.” Wes shook his head. “Makes me sick.”

  “Did you find another body?” Kevin lifted his mug to sip his coffee.

  “We did.” Wes nodded. “Teenage girl. She’d just turned sixteen. Sophie Daniels. When I went to question the parents, they said she’d gotten mixed up in a rough crowd.” He looked pointedly at Kevin.

  “Do you have a pic?” Kevin was shuffling through his memories on whether or not he remembered meeting a young girl at the club’s house.

  “I do.” Wes clicked on his phone and handed it over to Kevin. Kevin took the phone and stared at the picture of a smiling young woman with her whole life ahead of her. “Look familiar?”

  “No.” Kevin handed the phone back to Wes. “I’m assuming there’s been witnesses putting
her with the Cobras?”

  “A friend of hers said they’d hang out there. Sophie was pretty hot and heavy with a man named Guy. We’ve already questioned him and of course he gave us nothing.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Kevin knew Guy and the man was loyal to the club and would rather die than give anything away. “I don’t remember seeing this girl though. Guy likes them young so no shocker that he was hooking up with her.”

  The waitress came back with their orders. Kevin grabbed his fork and dug in. He was starving.

  “This is so frustrating. Twenty-three missing people in the past year and a half, all with connections to the Cobras. What are we missing?” Wes asked.

  “Not sure.” Kevin grabbed his napkin to wipe his mouth. “I’ll work on Lester a little more. He’s starting to trust me more. He’s having me do more runs than Billy.” Billy was Lester’s right-hand man and as of late Lester had been turning to Kevin to bounce ideas off or seek advice.

  “I’m sure Billy is just loving that.” Wes smirked. Kevin laughed then yawned. God, he was still so tired. “You sleeping okay?” Wes nudged Kevin in the hand with his coffee mug. “Nightmares keeping you up again?”

  Did they ever stop? Kevin opened his mouth to say just that but didn’t want to make Wes and Matt worry. He was a grown man and he didn’t need to run to his big brother to hold him when he got scared.

  “It’s not been too bad,” Kevin lied.

  “You know we’re here for you, Kev.” Wes covered Kevin’s hand with his own. “There’s no shame in being afraid sometimes. Matt still has nightmares about everything that happened twelve years ago. We won’t think less of you.”

  “I know.” Kevin leaned back in his seat. He wanted to tell Wes about his dreams but what good would it do? It wouldn’t change a single thing. He couldn’t go without sleep so he had to just be a man and deal with the nightmares. It had been twelve years and Kayson hadn’t found him yet. He had nothing to worry about.

  Chapter Two

  Kayson stood with his back straight, ignoring the sounds of begging and crying coming from behind him. It was a common occurrence he’d gotten used to years ago. He didn’t have to look to know what was going on.

  Hale, his boss, evilest motherfucker he’d ever met, was draining some poor blond twink dry. The guy that was now in the process of dying could have been Hale’s mate’s twin. The guy looked so much like Colby that Hale kept calling him that. The nameless man was so drunk he hadn’t cared. Well, he did care once Hale removed his glasses and the guy got his first glimpse of those black eyes. All the begging and pleading would not stop Hale from draining the very life from this poor human.

  “Man that was fun.” Hale patted Kayson on the shoulder. He glanced over at Hale to see him pulling a handkerchief from his back pocket to wipe off his mouth. “He was feisty. I love that.”

  “Should we…” Kayson gestured to the bloodless body lying on the ground.

  “Nah.” Hale bent down to brush the man’s shaggy blond hair off of his face. “Let the police find him.” Hale stood up and smiled. “This one would make for a nice burial. Open casket and all. Maybe we’ll attend the funeral.” Hale laughed as he turned and walked away.

  Kayson followed behind him. He turned to look over his shoulder one more time at the body. A feeling of sorrow filled his empty chest. Such a waste of life.

  “What should we do now, Kay?” Hale asked. “It isn’t every day we’re in New York. All these people and the scent of their blood is like a drug, man.”

  Kayson sniffed the air and yes, the fresh aroma of sweet blood surrounded him but he didn’t care. There had been a time where he’d been just as eager as Hale to make his next kill but that feeling had disappeared twelve years ago when his mate left him. Nothing had meaning anymore. It was hard to get through each day without not wanting to throw in the towel and quit.

  Kevin

  Kayson wondered what his mate was doing now. He’d be twenty-six now. Grown up from the boy he’d been into a man, no doubt as gorgeous as Kayson had imagined he’d become over time. Kayson had tried over the years to find his lost mate but it was no use. Magic shrouded him from Kayson. It wasn’t fair but Kayson couldn’t blame Kevin’s brother for taking him back. Kayson had a brother too and if anything were to happen to Kane he’d do everything in his power to find him, yet this was different.

  “Why are you so fucking quiet?” Hale stopped walking and turned to face Kayson. He put a hand to his chest. “What is with you?”

  “Nothing is wrong with me,” Kayson said through clenched teeth.

  “Oh. I know what it is.” Hale grinned. “Me killing blondie back there made you think of”—Hale snapped his fingers and pursed his lips in thought—“what is his name? Keith, Kameron, no, what was his name? Kevin!” Kayson clenched his fists at his sides. Sometimes he really hated Hale. The man had become more ruthless and evil as the years passed. “You missing that sexy little human.” Hale sighed. “He was hot. Hell, how old was he then fourteen, fifteen?”

  “Fourteen.” It made Kayson sick to hear Hale talk about Kevin in such a way. Kevin had been just a boy then. He was Kayson’s mate and he didn’t even think those types of thoughts. Hale was getting worse. The more time he was separated from Colby it was as if the evil inside Hale was consuming him. Kayson wasn’t sure there was anything left inside Hale to save.

  “Just imagine how fucking hot he’d be now.” Hale reached down and grabbed his cock and groaned. “I bet he’d be so sweet. Too bad he’s not my type.”

  Kayson rolled his eyes. He knew better than to say anything to Hale. Hale was a madman who had lost all grasp of right and wrong. Life meant nothing to him.

  There had been a time when Kayson hadn’t put much value on human life, but the day he’d met Kevin something changed. It was almost as if a switch had been flipped on inside him and all these feelings came to life. Kayson hated it. He hated feeling and caring about people. Every time he had to watch Hale kill someone caused a piece of his black heart to break.

  If Kayson was being honest with himself, he wasn’t at all like Hale really. Yes, he’d killed before but never because some dark force urged him on. It was a choice, and over the years Kayson had made some bad ones, but he wasn’t a monster.

  “There’s another club up ahead.” Kayson pointed in front of him. “Maybe we can find someone else to help curb your appetite.”

  “That’s why I like you, you big lug.” Hale put his arm around Kayson’s shoulder the best he could. It was hard to do when Kayson was four inches taller than Hale’s six feet four-inch frame. “Let’s go get lit.”

  Kayson forced a smile to his lips, dreading each step he took. Because he knew that it would mean the end to somebody else’s life.

  It was hard being evil with a soul that was trying to flicker to life.

  * * * *

  It was nearly four in the morning when they arrived back at Hale’s house. Hale was passed out in bed and Kayson checked on him to make sure he was all right. Hale was drunk on blood. He was sprawled across his bed with his clothes still on. Kayson went into the room to take off Hale’s shoes and tucked him under the blankets. He flipped the light off on his way up to his room.

  Kayson was convinced that if Hale was human he’d be dead by now, poisoned by his own reckless abandonment of his life.

  There was a time when Kayson remembered Hale being just this nice kid growing up in a house surrounded by the Warriors of the Dark. Back then Kayson thought that a young Hale wasn’t going to survive the evil but Hale had proved him wrong. It was scary how cold and heartless Hale could be. Hale was the most powerful Dark Warrior he’d ever met, even stronger than Hale’s mother Athena.

  Athena was one of the very first witches known in existence. Her heart was as black as her soul. It’s funny how the times have changed. Kayson would much rather deal with a pissed off Athena versus Hale on a good day.

  Kayson was the one warrior that Hale seemed to trust the most. His b
rother Kane was a close second. But right now, Hale had Kane on another assignment. Kane was currently keeping watch over Athena as she was being held captive in a jail cell designed by Hale.

  It was funny really. Kayson had to assume the Warriors of the Light believed that Hale and Athena were working together but they weren’t. Hale despised his mother and had even cursed her to live as a human woman with no memory of her life prior as a witch. That lasted for only five years before something happened and Hale brought her back to the compound. That was twenty years ago. She’d been locked up ever since then.

  Kayson made it up to his room and shut the door behind him. He was exhausted. He took off his back-suit jacket and laid it on the chair next to his bed. He then started unbuttoning his shirt.

  “Hey, brother.” Kane’s voice had Kayson looking over his shoulder to see his identical twin brother lying on his bed. “Long night, I take it?”

  “As always.” Kayson tossed his shirt into the chair.

  Kane and Kayson were born evil. Their mother was a witch that had been bitten by a vampire, their father. They were so in love as their mother liked to tell Kayson and Kane when they were younger. His mother and father went on killing sprees back in their heyday, killing entire families right down to the family dog. They were sick individuals that only stopped their antics when their mother Julia became pregnant with Kayson and Kane.

  Kayson had very few memories of his parents. They were gone most of the time, leaving him and Kane with a nanny. A nanny that also served as a blood slave. Kayson couldn’t say he had a bad childhood or was even that lonely. He always had Kane with him and back then that was all he needed. And for as neglectful as his parents were, they did always provide for him and Kane. They didn’t want for anything really.