Chapter Four

I really like the last picture you sent me. I saved it.

King rubbed his eyes and squinted at the phone screen. He was so tired after the day, and his head hurt so freaking bad, but he couldn’t sleep until Kat was home safe. Not home. He didn’t mean that. To the hotel safe. Yeah.

A woman like her needed her independence, especially after that dipshit treated her like property. She’d given so many signals that she healed faster with some space, but he pretty much hated this. Hated knowing she was drinking at a bar with no backup.

She could handle herself though.

He sat up, leaned over on the side of the bed, and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, like the coolness there would ease the tension. He’d never had something hurt this long before. Even his battle scars healed up completely after a day, and didn’t hurt after just a few hours.

He never wanted to see Wreck’s fire again. Lesson learned. Wreck was the boss, and King wanted no part of pissing him off again. This sucked.

He opened up the text. It was one in the morning. She was probably drinking a bit, so he pulled a water bottle from the mini-fridge he’d stocked earlier, and set it and the Advil on the nightstand for her.

She’d said she wanted to sleep in the bathroom, but he wouldn’t let her. She could have the bed, he would take the bathroom.

Do you need anything? Send.

I like how you do that.

He squinted at her text. What? How I do what?

You don’t tell me to get my ass home, or ask me who I’m with. Rook would be losing his mind.

Woman, you don’t belong to me or anyone else. You belong to you now. If you want me to come to the bar, you know you can just ask. I know you know. I don’t need to micromanage you. Have fun. You’ve earned it. Cold Foot was brutal.

Oh. That was a weird response from her. Gah, his head hurt so freaking bad. Why are you still awake?

In case you need anything. Send.

You confuse me.

You’ll sort it all out in the morning when you aren’t drinking. Send.

He laid back down and rested his phone on his stomach, stared up at a crack in the ceiling. Admittedly, he wished he could be there, watching her cut loose. He’d seen a glimpse of her smile today, and it had been gorgeous.

You didn’t kiss me when you fucked me.

Oh geez. She was definitely feeling the drinks. He sat back up and read that text twice more before he responded. Want me to come to the door of the bar and walk you back? Feeling all right? Send.

Explain.

King inhaled deep and muttered a curse. What do you want me to say? You said we aren’t supposed to talk about this stuff. Send.

I want to talk about it now.

When you come back, we can talk. Face to face, not over text. Some conversations are too big for text. Send.

I’m braver on text . A picture came through, and it was a selfie of her and six roughneck good ol’ boys behind her.

King let off a long, low growl and set the phone face-down on the bed. He focused on inhaling, then exhaling the possessive feelings. He wrapped his hand slowly around his wrist to feel his tripping pulse. Not good.

He picked up the phone to call her, but there was a text. I am playing pool with these guys and they are really nice and I want you to meet them. Are you any good at pool? I need a partner.

He didn’t know why, but his heart rate steadied. He felt relief. She was inviting him, not working one of those guys. Probably.

Be there in five. Send.

He stood, and swayed, wincing at how bad the pain in his head was. He pulled his pants and thermal on, forgetting his flannel in his haste, but he did grab his beanie and key card from the table on his way out.

The lights in the hallway were blinding, but he made it out the door. The wind that blasted frigid air across his face actually felt good. It was dark out here. Even the lights of the convenience store were turned off, and when the halo of light from the hotel lights faded, the only light was on the tree line of this small Alaskan town that lit up the Moody Lantern bar.

There were a few of the shifters from the prison hanging outside together around a firepit, and the tall guy from earlier with the weird-shaped pupils nodded a greeting. King returned it.

“Here for the girl?” he asked before King could pull open the door.

He looked at them one by one, suspicious. “Yeah.”

“We made sure she was good. No one’s messing with her in there. The guys are all right. Plus she’s been yapping their ears off about you all night. Any of the men who aren’t happily married or too ancient to get their dick hard are probably pretty turned off by her stories about you.”

“She’s kind of funny,” another one said.

“Thanks for keeping an eye out. Don’t need updates on her, but thanks.”

“You’re a silverback, aren’t you?” the tall guy asked, and sipped on a beer.

King shrugged. “So?”

“So, Silverbacks need to know what their women are doing. You don’t gotta bullshit us.”

King was annoyed that they thought they knew everything about a freaking complicated situation, but these shifters seemed to mean well, so he nodded his thanks and let himself into the bar instead of fighting them.

There was loud music blaring on a jukebox, and there was a man with a banjo sitting at the bar, talking to the bartender. The bar was winding down in this room, but in the pool room, there was a party going.

King steeled himself to see her hanging all over one of the men or something, but she wasn’t. She was sipping on an ice water in the corner, eyes closed as she danced to the song, and oh goodness, she was fuckin’ cute when she danced. She was just bouncing around and shaking her shoulders to the beat of the music.

“Kiiiiing,” a couple of the guys crowed. “Girl. Hey girl! Your man is here.”

Kat’s eyes flew open, and her smile turned megawatt. King just stood there frozen, his heartbeat drumming against his sternum.

“You’re not allowed to call him that,” she told the guys as she sauntered past them. “We are friends.”

“Pshhh,” one of them said as he leaned down to take a shot on the six ball. “Sure you are.”

“Hi, hi, hi,” she chattered, sliding her hands around his arm. God, it felt so good to be touched in a familiar way like this, and something in his middle stirred.

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Three drinks, but I’ve been drinking water for a couple hours now.”

“She has,” the guy who was making the shots called out. “We can vouch for her.”

Okay, now he had an idea of how well she had her mind. “Want to stay? We can stay until close. Go have fun with your friends. Want me to refill this?” he asked, taking her empty glass from her hand.

“I want to go up with you. Why is your face all scrunched up like that?”

“Headache,” he admitted softly.

“Ooooh, I forgot. I know what you’re feeling. The Wreck-headaches are the worst thing ever. Here, come with me. I’ll get us both waters. Boys!” she called over her shoulder. “Save my dancing spot. That’s my corner. No one steal it.”

The guys chuckled, and one said, “It’s safe. Maybe pick another song or two on the way back, though.”

“I’ve been the DJ tonight,” she told King. “I’ve picked every song since Gary—that’s the banjo player over there drinking with Ruth—finished his set. Ruth was kind of mean at first, but she has complimented my musical taste two times now, haven’t you, Ruth?”

Ruth looked up. “Little Freak has fished for compliments on her musical taste two times.”

“Don’t get mad at her,” Kat told him. “Little Freak is a term of endearment.”

“No it’s not,” Ruth assured him as King bit back a smile. “Want a drink?”

“I don’t think a drink will help tonight,” King said. “Can we get water?”

“Sure thing.”

While Ruth made a couple ice waters, his attention drifted to the table in the corner. The light was off over there, and there was a familiar someone sitting in the shadows. She had a matching scar on her face. He nodded a hello to Silver.

Silver stood and made her way toward the door, offering him a little tired smile as she passed.

“Silver?” Kat asked.

Silver sighed and turned around. Her eyes were cool on Kat. “Yeah?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to make sure you don’t fuck up your spot in the Crew.” She gave a little wave and left without looking back.

“Did you ask her to come watch me?” Kat asked.

“Nope.”

“Oh,” she said, her frown aimed at the door where Silver had disappeared. “I wonder why she didn’t tell me she was here. I would’ve come over and talked with her.”

“Maybe she didn’t want that.”

There was the ghost of hurt in her eyes for just a moment before she put on a mask of indifference, but King had seen it. There were feelings there. He would bet Silver was the friend she’d talked about sharing Rook with.

This woman had a complicated past, but those layers were so interesting to reveal. He was totally hooked on her story. They hung out for another half an hour, and then she faded quick as the high of freedom turned to the exhaustion of an overwhelming and long day.

She said goodbye to her newfound friends, and they waved to the shifters who were still hanging by the firepit out front.

The snow that had melted slightly during the day was freezing to ice right now, and the ground was slick. Kat nearly busted it, so she held onto King’s arm as they walked. He didn’t mind it. In fact, he liked it. Really liked it. That little pressure of her hand on his inner elbow was turning him on.

“Why didn’t you kiss me?” she asked suddenly, pulling him to a stop in front of the hotel door.

He inhaled deep and shoved his hands deep into his pockets, then settled his gaze back on her. “Because kissing means something, and what happened that day couldn’t mean anything. Neither one of us wanted it like that. The drugs fogged my head. I don’t know what yours did, but mine took part of my control. I fought, just so you know. They said they were bringing me my first breed. Said you were ovulating. I didn’t sign up for that shit, Kat. They told me they were bringing you to me the day before, and I beat the shit out of my cell.” He inhaled deep and looked up at the sky, just to find relief from this moment. “I don’t want to revisit it. If I could’ve stopped it, I would’ve.”

Kat didn’t say anything. Maybe she hated him all over again. When he felt her hands slide around his middle, and her cheek rest against his chest, he closed his eyes and blew out a long breath, and with it, tension he hadn’t realized he was holding in his body.

He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head, rested his cheek on top of her head, and felt the scratch of her beanie against his cheek. “I’m sorry, Kat.” He meant it with every fiber of his being.

“I couldn’t stop it either,” she whispered thickly. “I’m sorry too.” And he could tell…he could tell without a shadow of a doubt…Kat meant that apology with every fiber of her being as well.

“You never have to say that again. Not for this.”

“Same for you. It happened. It was done to us. I don’t want to hate you anymore. Hell, it was myself I hated. I just needed someone to blame for the confusion. My body liked it.”

“Mine too. It’s not the way…”

“Go on.”

He swallowed hard. “That’s not the way I sleep with a woman.”

“We are a mess,” she told him through a soft smile.

“We are a work in progress,” he corrected her.

“We’ve been through something together that would be hard to explain to someone else.”

He nodded. He understood completely what she was saying. Kat didn’t have to say anything else, and neither did he. King nodded again.

“Sleep?” she asked.

“Yeah. Sleep.”

He followed her into the hallway and scanned the key card for her, opened the door, and let her in. He grabbed a pillow off the bed and went back to the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I’ll sleep right outside the door. You’re safe, Kat. I swear it. No one will mess with you.” It was an easy oath to make. She didn’t know how much he liked her already, but pushing her too far too fast would make her close up like a little clam, and he would be damned if he let that happen. She needed some time to process, and honestly? So did he. Those apologies had been a huge moment for them. He needed to think on everything without seeing her sleeping form, or being tempted to touch her. And right now? If she leaned in even an inch, he would ask to touch her skin.

The timing wasn’t right. Today had been an emotionally-charged day. He’d freaking died today.

She peeled the top blanket off the bed and handed it to him.

“Everything you do is just right.”

He didn’t understand the moisture that rimmed her pretty eyes, but he appreciated the compliment. “Trying. I’m not perfect, by any means.” He offered a teasing smile to ease the heaviness of the moment. “I’m a murderer, remember?”

“About that. You know I’m going to ask you more questions about that. Mentally prepare yourself. I’m nosy.”

He laughed and made his way outside. His fingertips pressed lightly on the swinging door as he turned and told her, “Goodnight, Kat.”

“Goodnight, Kingston.”

And then he made a pallet right in front of the door, rested his hands on his stomach, and stared at the ceiling. His head was feeling better. Maybe it was the water, or maybe it was just watching her let her walls down that was healing. Whatever it was, he was grateful.

Kat was special. He didn’t know why the breeding program had chosen her for him. It had been both of their first times, and it had happened right before they escaped? He’d told her where the vent was. He’d told her just in case, but what had possessed him? His only currency in that godforsaken place was knowledge. He’d felt so bad about how lost the both of them had become with each other, he’d whispered the location of the vent, not knowing she would be able to use that information so soon.

He'd never believed in fate before, but today had him second-guessing everything.