King of Depravity: Chapter 20

Triston taps his finger on the desk in front of him. “So we’re in agreement? It’s time to sit down with the Russians?”

I glare at my brother. If he thinks I’m going to civilly sit at a table with the Russians and look at Alexander after the way he treated Chloe, he’s the crazy one. “I won’t be there.”

Triston glares right back. “Yes, you will.”

“No.”

“And what’s more, you’re going to growl and spit and play bad cop.”

“I am bad, and I’m no cop,” I fire back. “Don’t have me there, unless you’re prepared for bloodshed.”

Mason has been quiet, his gaze moving between us, as Triston bangs the table. “I know you’re capable of controlling yourself, Kill. I refuse to believe you can’t.”

I grit my teeth together, curling my lip. “My control is not the problem. It’s his. He put his hands on her twice and I won’t let that slide. Ask me again, Triston, and we’re going to have a problem.”

Mason clears his throat. “I am very grateful for the way you’ve handled yourself, Killian.”

I look at the other man, expecting to find him smirking, or at least to know that he’s patronizing me, but complete sincerity fills his gaze. I blink in surprise.

“The fact that you held off on killing Preston, gathering scores of intel on the Russians, and then managed to make Preston’s death appear accidental, have both been advantageous to us.”

I give a quick jerk of my chin to acknowledge his compliment.

“But I would just like to add that taking your time with Alexander will also be to our benefit.”

My fist clenches against my thigh. “I don’t⁠—”

“I need to divide the Russians and the Italians again, and I can’t do that if you attack now. You’ll have your chance once we’ve made them enough promises that they cease their collaboration. Then we’ll drop the bomb on both of them—separately.”

I see his point. It’s an excellent strategy, but Alexander threatened my woman. I know we’ve put some protective measures around Chloe, but I won’t really breath easily until I know Alexander is no longer a player in our world.

But before I can argue the point, my phone rings, Rush’s name coming up on the screen.

“Yeah?” I pick up before the phone has completed one full ring.

“I fucked up.”

“What happened?” I’m out of my chair and striding toward the door, ignoring the concerned stares from both Mason and Triston.

“Killian?” Triston calls after me, but I ignore him, as I leave the conference room and start down the hall. He can fire me if he doesn’t like it.

“I think it’s bad,” Rushton half whispers.

“What’s bad?” I grit into the phone.

“I told Chloe that you whacked Preston.”

I stop dead in the middle of the hall. “What the fuck did you just say?”

Triston runs into my back. Fucker must have followed me. I turn to give him a snarling glare. He’s close enough that he must hear Rush’s next words. “We were talking about you, and I mentioned that she’s been good for you except for…”

“Rush,” I snap, scrubbing a hand down my face. “How did she react?”

“She locked herself in your master bathroom.”

“Fuck!” I yell, my voice echoing down the hallway.

“What happened?” Triston asks, his voice dropping low.

But I don’t answer. This sick dread fills my chest. How will Chloe react to what she’s learned?

“I’m sorry, Killian. I was trying to tell her that you seemed more animated than you’ve been in years, but then I fucked up and told her about your⁠—”

I hang up the phone as I see Triston’s gaze narrow, his nostrils flaring. And a new worry fills my chest. Chloe knowing about some of the illegal shit we do is a problem.

Turning away without a word, I stride down the hall. Talking has never been my strong suit, and I don’t try now.

Triston follows. “What does Chloe know? What did Rush say?”

“None of your fucking business.” I keep going, walking faster as I pull my keys from my pocket.

“We both know it is,” Triston is still behind me.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“No,” Triston grabs my shoulder. “We need⁠—”

I spin and swing, clipping my brother in the jaw. He stumbles back, not expecting the hit. Good. He needs to understand something. No one is touching Chloe. And I will fight anyone who tries.

That’s when I see Mason standing outside the door, his arms crossed as he assesses us both.

I don’t need to ask to know what he’s thinking. I’m a volatile guy. Mason is a man with unlimited resources. If he decided I was a problem…

But I’m not going to worry about that yet. One issue at a time.

I take the stairs down to the garage two a time, getting into my Pilot and weaving through traffic until I reach the loft.

I can hardly contain my twitching as I step into the elevator.

I barrel through my front door, slamming the door closed again, the sound echoing through the loft. I find Rush standing in the middle of the living room, worry drawing every line of his body tight.

“Chloe,” I call out, walking past him and down the hall, into my room.

Rush follows. “I told her I only meant that you hit him, but I don’t think she believed me.”

“I have too many brothers,” I growl.

His phone rings, and he stops in the hall to answer. I keep going, closing the bedroom door and locking it, before I move to the door to the bathroom, raising my fist and knocking. “Chloe.”

Silence meets my call, and I go from uneasy to fucking frightened. “Open the door or I’ll break it down.”

“Killian,” she cries back. “Don’t make me.”

The sound of her voice calms me. “I just want to know you’re all right.”

“Are…are you…promise you’re not going to touch…”

My skin crawls. Is she really asking if I’d hurt her? I try to remind myself that she’s got history, but it fucking cuts deep inside that she thinks I am the kind of violent that I would hit a woman. “Is that what you think of me?”

The door unlocks and she cracks it open, her eyes red and puffy. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Why? What is it you think I’ve done?” I want to hear her say it.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what you’ve done,” she cries. “That’s the point. We’ve been moving way too quickly. How do I know⁠—”

My chest caves in. “What do you mean?”

“I thought I could do this because you were honest. Because I knew where I stood. But I don’t know a thing, do I?”

The truth is that she’s right. She has no idea about my past, or even most of what I do in the present. I’m crazy and she’s messed up.

There is no world where we work. I smack my hand against my forehead, letting out a deep cry of frustration.

Because despite all that, she’s the only person who I think might actually see good in me, and I can’t lose her.

Chloe looks at me the way everyone looks at me. Like I’ve lost my mind. Like I’m crazy. “Don’t look at me like that,” I snap.

“Like what?” she asks, her voice just above a whisper.

“Like you think I’m broken. Like you think…” But I can’t even make myself say the word.

“If I think you’re broken, I think I am too…” A tear slips down her cheek.

I don’t know what she means by broken, but I know she can’t leave me now. And I’m not talking about my emotional needs. Between the Russians, Triston, and the look Mason gave me, Chloe needs to stay with me. If anything happens to her, the entire world will see the depth of my insanity. I will burn the whole fucking thing down. My family. The Kincaids. Vegas. I will reduce it to ash and rubble.

“Chloe.” Her name comes out rough with all the aggression coursing through me and she takes a step back.

“I think I should go back to my place,” she whispers. “We need time⁠—”

“No,” I growl. “You’re staying with me.”

Her eyes widen as the color drains from her face. “Killian. Don’t scare me.”

“I’m not, sweetheart.” I force myself to relax, though it goes against every instinct. “I’ll sleep in the guest room if that’s what you need. I swear I won’t touch you, but I want you to stay here. Please.”

The word please seems to break through her fear because her brow furrows. “You’re worried about me?”

“Of course, I am.”

“Can you tell me what happened with Preston and when?”

“No.” I shake my head. “Not because I’m hiding the truth from you. But because it involves people beyond me and because you’re safest the less you know.”

She looks to the side, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ll stay in the guest room.”

I wish I could find the words that would bring us back to last night, when she let me inside her, gave me her virginity.

But I’ll take this. Just knowing she’s safe in my home.

And I’m going to have to figure a way for both of us to get out of this mess. Because I’m comfortable in the shadows. But it’s no place for Chloe to live. She deserves the light.