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

by AJ Jarrett

  The one good thing about having a witch as a parent meant he and his brother had a special talent. They could teleport, unlike some Dark warriors. His mother had told him while growing up it was because she was part witch and the evil from being a vampire combined made them gifted. At the time Kayson thought it was amazing to be able to blink in and out of places but he realized it had a cost. The cost was being born into evil and expected to do evil things.

  Kayson was only two hundred years old. Young by paranormal standards. He and his brother Kane had been on their own for the past hundred years. He assumed his parents were still out there somewhere wreaking havoc in the world but Kayson could care less. His mother and father never loved them, only saw them as a responsibility they had to deal with. It was no skin off of Kayson or Kane’s backs. They had each other and that was good enough.

  Years of killing and torturing people had caused him and Kane to make a name for themselves and caught the attention of Lucian Salva. This was back before Lucian found his mate and got his soul back. Lucian liked the ruthlessness that he and Kane possessed and had them be bodyguards for Hale. Even after Athena took over she kept them with Hale. She trusted them and now Hale trusted them to be his right-hand men.

  “What’s the kill count tonight?” Kane scooted over on the bed to make room for Kayson.

  “I lost count after five.” Kayson sighed as he lay down and stretched out his legs.

  “All lookalikes for Colby?”

  “Yep.” Kayson raised his hands to run his fingers through his long hair.

  “I wonder if he knows what he’s doing? He’s basically killing his own mate night after night. Do you really think he wants to kill Colby?” Kane asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Kayson shrugged. “I’d say no but fuck, man, I’m not sure anymore. Hale’s only getting worse.”

  “I agree with you, bro.” Kane nudged him in the shoulder.

  “How was your night?” Kayson asked. “How’s mommy dearest?”

  “That bitch is getting crazier each day she’s locked up.” Kane laughed. “She’s always muttering to herself. Talking about being in love and finding her mate then about missing her baby. It’s nuts, I tell ya.”

  “Well, she is the creator of all evil.” Kayson laughed but didn’t really find it funny.

  Kayson wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t evil because he was. He’d done evil things and killing was part of his everyday life but that was then. Now he was a changed man, all because of a young man that literally fell into his life. It was Hale’s fault. Kayson’s heart was beating again because he’d found his mate and it made being evil and a Dark Warrior hard.

  “You mind if I crash here tonight?” Kane asked.

  “Nah.” Kayson stood from the bed and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Unlike some of his fellow Dark Warriors, Kayson took care of himself. Being evil didn’t mean he had to look like a monster with poor hygiene.

  Kayson was brushing his teeth when his brother teleported into the bathroom. He rinsed out his mouth then went to use the toilet. Kayson didn’t mind his brother doing that but it was annoying sometimes. Kayson didn’t use his gift for short distances like that but Kane was lazy. Kayson was the more level-headed brother where Kane was the wild child. They might be the same age but Kayson felt older.

  “What time are you due back for your shift babysitting Athena?” Kayson asked once they were back in the bedroom.

  “By morning.” Kane pulled off his shirt and pushed down his pants then crawled under the sheets.

  Kayson did the same. He curled on his side to face his brother. They slept like this for most of their long lives. They might be evil but they longed for a connection to someone. They were the only family they had.

  “Night, Kay.” Kane yawned.

  “Night, Kane.” Kayson tugged the blanket up under his chin and did his best to get his mind to relax long enough to fall asleep. There was no telling what time Hale would be up moving around and demanding more of Kayson’s time.

  Chapter Three

  Kevin said good-bye to Wes and headed to the storage unit in the small town where he kept his motorcycle. He parked his truck, left his ball cap and police badge inside. He walked over to his unit and unlocked the lock and rolled his bike out.

  He put on his vest and strapped on his helmet.

  “Another day in paradise.” Kevin climbed on the bike and started it up. It roared to life and he hit the gas and went flying out of the parking lot.

  The one good thing about this assignment was he got to ride a motorcycle. It drove his brother nuts because Matt was always worrying about him but Kevin loved it. He was seriously thinking about buying one after he was done with his undercover job.

  Kevin sped down the highway heading to the clubhouse. The gang was meeting at two today. That was early by the King Cobras’ standards. It made Kevin think something was about to go down.

  The drive came to an end way too soon. The clubhouse was located in a building behind an auto body remodeling shop. Lester said he loved to restore old cars and it gave the club a respectable business to put out front while all the dark deeds were done out back.

  Lester was an older man, mid-fifties if Kevin had to guess but he looked a lot older. Hard living had left its mark on Lester in the form of wrinkles and scars. He was tall and still had plenty of muscle but years of drinking and smoking were aging him at a quicker pace.

  “Hey, Gilly.” Sasha, Lester’s old lady, waved to him as he pulled into the parking lot. “Lester and the boys are already out back.”

  “Thank you, darlin’.” Kevin got off his bike and gave Sasha a kiss on the cheek. She was a nice lady. She too was showing signs of hard living. Her bright red hair had streaks of gray mixed in and the skin on her arms covered in tattoos was starting to sag.

  Gilly was his undercover name. His backstory was that he used to be a contractor until he lost his job. If anyone were to search Gilman Houser it would pull up a picture of Kevin and a rap sheet a mile long. Drug possession, DUI, armed robbery and assault. Wes made sure to leave nothing to chance. Kevin was supposed to be a bad guy and the record stated just that. Lester welcomed him with open arms.

  Over the past year he’d gotten to know the main guys, Austin, Bop, Smiley, and Dick. There were more guys in the crew but they weren’t as important. The supporting cast to these guys. And let’s not forget Lester and Billy. Kevin was in thick with these men and he hoped that it would be over soon. He wanted to stop the kidnappings and killings. Innocent people were dying and that didn’t set well with Kevin. It was hard to maintain character when he looked at these men, knowing what they had done and what they were capable of doing.

  “Gilly, where you been?” Smiley, a tall, heavy-set man with long scraggly black hair and brown eyes, asked. “We were just about to get started.”

  “Let’s just say it was a long night and even longer morning.” Kevin reached down to grab his crotch. “Couldn’t get that sweet honey off my dick long enough to get ready.” Kevin smiled.

  “I’ve been there.” Smiley shook his head. “Some of these whores don’t get it. Cling to you like stink on shit.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.” Kevin followed Smiley into the building. “Had to kick that bitch to the curb. She was talking about living together and shit.” Kevin was making this story up as he went. The guys all thought he was some Casanova but he wasn’t. If they knew the truth they’d laugh so hard they’d all die of a heart attack.

  Kevin kept his personal life to himself. Even with his brother and Wes. Kevin wasn’t ashamed of his lack of experience but it was nothing to brag about either. Being a twenty-six-year-old virgin wasn’t something to flaunt around. Knowing his brother, Matt would be concerned and try to figure out just why that was.

  There were days that Kevin was scared of his own shadow but it didn’t explain why he chose to be alone. It’s funny how just one week with Kayson had changed his entire life. Hale was the one who had killed his
parents not Kayson, but Kayson didn’t lift a finger to help them. No, he just stole Kevin away from his happy life forever damaging the person he used to be.

  Matt was the best big brother anyone could ask for but Matt carried around a lot of guilt over what had happened. He blamed himself for their parents dying and for Kevin being abducted. Kevin always told him it was Hale’s fault and the blame landed squarely on his shoulders.

  The whole no sex thing wasn’t because he couldn’t get any. Quite on the contrary. Women were constantly throwing themselves at Kevin but he wasn’t interested. He started to think he was gay but not even men were causing any type of desire to stir within him. Kevin wasn’t always this way. He used to be into girls and thought about them all the time. That’s what teenagers did. This feeling of indifference didn’t happen until he was taken by Hale. When he met Kayson.

  Just thinking about the man sent a chill down Kevin’s back. After all these years the thought of Kayson frightened him to his very core. Something about those black eyes and the promise to never let him go scared Kevin. Kayson had acted as if Kevin belonged to him. There were times Kevin’s mind wandered to the what-ifs. What if Matt hadn’t rescued him? What if he was still with Kayson? Would he be dead or worse?

  Kevin shoved those distracting thoughts away. It was time to get to work.

  “About time your ass finally arrived.” Lester stood up as Kevin neared him. He held out his hand and pulled Kevin in for a one-armed hug. “Starting to wonder if you were dead.”

  “Nah, boss.” Smiley cackled. “He was drowning in pussy.”

  “Ah hell.” Lester chuckled. “We’ve all been there.”

  Everyone around the table laughed. Kevin looked around and didn’t see Billy anywhere.

  “Where’s Billy at?” Kevin took the seat to Lester’s right. The seat on the left meant for Billy was vacant.

  “He got nabbed on his way back from Dallas.” Lester shook his head.

  “Loaded down with over a pound of coke,” Bop spoke up. “He’s looking at quite a few years in prison for that one.”

  “He deserves it,” Lester barked. “He got sloppy and got caught. At least he knew better than to name names.”

  “If he had he wouldn’t be alive long enough to enjoy his jail cell.” Dick raised his hand and slashed it across his neck.

  Kevin had no doubt these guys would kill one of their own if there was a reason to. Maybe even if there wasn’t.

  “Okay, let’s got down to business.” Lester banged his fist on the old worn wooden table.

  Lester talked for the next hour. He made arrangements to get another shipment of drugs and who would be picking it up. He also had a deal going down with a big shipment of guns being sold illegally. Lester liked to make money no matter the means taken to get it.

  Kevin made mental notes on everything being said. He knew the club had a good lawyer that got them off chargers all the time and none of these guys would see hard time but he had to try.

  Once the meeting was over the guys filtered out of the room. Lester put a heavy hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Hang out a minute, Gilly.” Lester motioned with his chin toward the door. Kevin looked over his shoulder to see Smiley standing behind him. “I got some business I want you to assist me and Smiley with. You interested?”

  “Sure.” Kevin gave him a lopsided grin. “Whatever I can do to help out the club. You know that, Les.”

  “That’s why I like you so much, boy.” Lester smiled and walked toward him, wrapping his arm around Kevin’s neck.

  “What do you need me to help out with?” Kevin asked.

  “It’s a secret.” Lester laughed. “Come on now. We have to ride to get where we’re going. Smiley, you ready?”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  Kevin kept the neutral expression on his face but his stomach was swimming in knots. Could this be another drug deal or something involving those missing people? Kevin wasn’t sure but he was eager to find out.

  Smiley walked with him toward where their bikes were parked. Kevin had hoped to get a minute alone to send Wes a text on where he was going but neither Lester nor Smiley left him alone for a second.

  Kevin wasn’t worried. He could take care of himself. But this was an official police matter. He wasn’t out here for the joy of it. He despised the life these men led.

  “Let’s ride, boys.” Lester kick-started his bike then peeled out of the parking lot.

  Kevin and Smiley followed him. The wind slammed into Kevin’s face and he thrust his chin outward. He had to admit he loved the feeling of the wind on his face and the rumbling of the bike between his legs. It was dangerous yet thrilling.

  One stop and three hours later they pulled into a town just outside of Lake Charles. Town’s name was Casper. Population was under five hundred. It was small and not a lot to see. The sun was starting to set and the sky was painted a stream of orange and reds.

  Kevin stayed close to Lester and kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Lester kept driving until he turned left onto a deserted road. A lot of trees and swampy land stood out before them. Before too long a small house came into view. They made their way up the dirt drive and parked their bikes. Kevin glanced around, noting the eerie quiet. Not even a bird or a cricket made a sound. Very odd.

  The cop in Kevin went on full alert. The hairs on his arms stood on end. An electric energy surrounded him and Kevin had learned long ago to trust his gut. Something bad was taking place here.

  “Where the fuck are we?” Kevin asked. “And what time is it?” He used the excuse to pull his phone from his pocket. No signal. Kevin cursed under his breath. No signal meant no way to get ahold of Wes if trouble went down and he needed help.

  “You saw the sign, boy.” Lester patted him on the back as he passed by. “Casper. Little hole in the wall town.” He laughed.

  “Okay.” Kevin frowned. “What’s in Casper exactly?”

  “Come on in and I’ll show ya.” Lester pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

  “Hey, Les.” A man Kevin had never seen before was sitting in a chair in the empty living room. All there was, was a TV, a chair, and a small lamp. Besides those few things the house was completely empty.

  “Fred.” Lester nodded to the man. “I brought a friend of mine to help with the deal tonight.” Lester turned toward Kevin. “This here is Gilly.”

  “Can he be trusted?” Fred stood up.

  “I trust him with my life,” Lester said with complete faith in his tone. “Is that good enough for you?”

  “Good enough.” Fred held his hand out to Kevin to shake. Kevin squeezed a little too hard to show this man, Fred, he wasn’t some weakling. “Where’s Billy?”

  “Dumb motherfucker got pinched on a run.” Smiley shook his head in disgust. “Fucking moron.”

  “Hell.” Fred let out a roaring laugh. “Haven’t we all been there before? Follow me, boys.”

  They followed behind Fred toward the back of the small house. It was just as dark and sparse. Fred came to a door that was locked with three deadbolts. He pulled out a key and started to unlock them.

  “Hey, Les, man.” Kevin leaned in to whisper against Lester’s ear. “What is all this?” In the past year Kevin hadn’t heard of this town or any involvement or connections to it.

  “It’s a little side business we dabble in.” Lester’s lips curled up to display an evil grin. His yellow crooked teeth came into view as his smile grew. “Big payday on this one.” Lester turned to follow Fred down the stairs.

  Kevin was left scratching his head. He was the last to start down the stairs. At the end, they came to a small area that had another door with three locks, as well. It was cooler down here and when Fred opened the door a gust of cold air rolled out, causing goose bumps to pop up on Kevin’s heated skin.

  It was dark in this room too but not completely. Low lighting and soft music played from speakers hanging on the walls. The further Kevin walked inside and his eyes adjusted he
realized they weren’t alone. There were big fluffy chairs and couches spread out through the room and people were lounging around. Men, women, young and old were scattered around the room. Kevin didn’t know where to look. There were at least twenty people down here and they all looked in some sort of drugged out state. One lady on the couch was smiling and twirling her fingers around in the air, seeing something they couldn’t. Across from her was a younger man, maybe twenty, passed out cold.

  “What is this?” Kevin asked.

  “We have some friends that have unique taste.” Fred started to laugh. “For the human flesh.”

  “More like their blood.” Smiley smacked his hand on his leg and laughed so hard he doubled over. “Poor dumb bastards. They don’t even know what’s coming for them.”

  “Gilly, my boy.” Kevin jumped when Lester rested his heavy arm over his shoulders. “What would you say if I told you vampires were real?”

  Kevin’s eyes widened and he took slow shallow breaths. His knees wobbled and he felt as if he might get sick. It was the exact same feeling he had twelve years ago when he did in fact discover that vampires were real.

  Chapter Four

  Kayson was sitting in the small study in Hale’s home reading a book. He was rereading the Harry Potter series. His brother gave him shit all the time about reading these books but Kayson found them entertaining and helped him forget that he did live in a world where all this shit existed. And he was one of the monsters to be feared.

  It had been a quiet day and Kayson was thankful for that. He’d hoped after Hale’s partying the night prior he’d lay low and he had. On days like this Hale stayed in his room and kept to himself mostly.

  Kayson had to assume that like him, Hale was missing his mate. It was difficult to handle knowing that you had a mate out there in the world, had felt the touch of their skin, seen the radiance in their bright full of life eyes, but torn apart. A gap a million miles wide separating you to where nothing but loneliness filled the void.