King of Depravity: Chapter 25

The shattering of glass fills the loft as bullets strike all over the room. I watch drywall explode on the far wall, hit the cabinets, splinter the tile backsplash. All I can do is wait and hope I don’t get hit.

I hear Chloe’s scream and I let out a feral roar. If anything happens to her, I will tear Vegas apart brick by fucking brick until I’ve laid the entire place to waste.

Any man responsible will suffer the worst and most heinous death imaginable.

My door flies open and Tris appears, a pistol in his hand as he crouches low, he returns fire.

I can’t see if he hits anyone or even the helicopter, but the machine gun firing ceases, the helicopter taking off into the sky.

I don’t wait. Pushing up, I sprint through the kitchen and down the hall, throwing open the bedroom door.

“Chloe!” I yell into the silence. The windows are unbroken, but I realize I’m holding my breath when she stands from the other side of the bed.

“Killian,” she sobs, her hands over her red face.

Closing the distance between us, I pull her into my embrace. Her arms and legs wind around me, her face burrowing into my shoulder as she lets out a wailing sob. Her fingers thread into my hair, her body heaving.

I hear the crunching of Tris’s footsteps. They stop in the door. Chloe’s still in just my shirt. I look over my shoulder to glare at my brother as she begins to shake uncontrollably. “Get me a blanket,” I snap at my brother.

He does as I command, pulling the comforter off the bed and spreading it over Chloe’s back himself.

“Sweetheart,” I murmur. “It’s all right.”

“Are-are you h-hurt?” she stutters out.

“No. I’m fine.”

That’s when she lifts up her head. “Triston? Are you o-okay?”

A muscle in his cheek twitches, the only indicator he’s struggling. “I’m just fine. You?”

“I…I…” she looks at me then, her eyes filled with so much anguish, they fucking slay me. “Please tell me this wasn’t my fault.”

“Of course, it’s not your fault, sweetheart,” I grit out through clenched teeth.

“But I was so stupid going to work by myself tonight. You told me not to and I didn’t listen. I⁠—”

It’s Triston who answers, “This isn’t your fault, Chloe. Any of it.”

She collapses on my chest again, burrowing into me. I glare at my brother. I hope he’s reading my message.

I see his slight wince. Carrying Chloe to the bureau, I pull out pants for her to put on. It’s not the smoothest move while holding her, but I manage. Then I carry her to the bathroom door.

“Sweetheart. Put these on. I’m going to pack a bag for us while you dress. Okay?”

She wobbles on her legs but manages a nod before she disappears into the bathroom.

As soon as the door closes, I spin back around, glaring at Triston. “Tell me this wasn’t you.”

“Of course it wasn’t me,” he snaps. “You’re my fucking brother.”

I scrub a hand down my face, trying to think. Chloe clouds my judgment, because she brings out my emotional side, but I start tucking my feelings away.

“She doesn’t know anything, does she?”

“No,” I spit, starting for the closet to grab a bag. “Of course not. I know my fucking job. I always have.”

Triston lets out a long breath. “I should have trusted that. And you.”

“Yeah. You should have. And you can trust in this. Chloe is my forever. Though, if she were thinking clearly, she ought to run far away from all of us.”

“Would she go to the cops?”

“She hates cops. But even if she did, she knows nothing of the company or what we do. Only of what I did tonight. It would be my cross to bear, no one else’s.”

“But that could mean that she could rat⁠—”

“That’s my risk to take, Triston. And even if she does, she gets all my petty cash and my personal real estate.”

Triston looks at me like I’m crazy. Like I’m insane. As fucking usual. But I don’t care. Chloe comes out of the bathroom in her pants and darts back into my arms. It’s like she would crawl into my skin if I let her.

I pick her up and put her on my hip, throwing shit from drawers one-handed into the duffel.

Triston lets out a long breath of air. “Let me do that.”

“Hurry,” I say, going to the bathroom to collect toothbrushes and shampoo, carrying Chloe with me.

We’re ready in the next five minutes. I’ve got clothes, cash, and enough personal items to get us through for a while.

“Can you walk?” I ask Chloe.

“Yes,” she answers, as I set her on her feet.

“We’re going to have to disappear for a bit,” I say to her, wincing. She’s got school. Work. I know she’s been afraid to lean too heavily on me.

But as her green eyes meet mine, I watch a tear slip down her cheek. “Just don’t leave me, Killian. Please.”

I hear the begging. “I said forever, Chloe. I’m never leaving you.”

“Promise?”

Her hand is squeezing mine, her eyes pleading. “I promise. I’m your monster remember?”

“And you’ll keep all the other monsters away?” she whispers. But I know Triston hears it.

I fucking brought the monsters right to the door tonight. “Baby, I’m going to slay every one of them. And that is a promise.”

She burrows into me again, her body folding so small, she kills me as I kiss the top of her head. “We’ve got to go.”

“Where?”

I’ve got a few safe houses in this city. Places with no name and no record. We’re going to one of those.

“You can take Mason up on his offer,” Triston offers.

I scowl at him. For all I know, Mason just tried to kill me. I wouldn’t put it past him. His mouth twitches and I think he understands.

“You can get me on the burner if you need me,” I tell him and then I sit Chloe on the bed, slipping a pair of sneakers on her feet. “Call our mother and tell her I love her, would you?”

“You want me to call mum?” Triston asks, his eyes bugging out.

“Yeah.” I can’t go into why, but I hope she understands.

Triston’s mouth is opening and closing even as I head for the stairwell. I won’t use the main entrance, and I won’t take my car.

We’re disappearing into the shadows.