Chapter 9
9
KILLIAN
I refuse to accept that Raine has to be killed, but right now, I’m outnumbered in the vote. My mind races, and thoughts click into place. If I have to kill War and Jamie to save her, I need them to move farther apart. Right now, we’re standing together, and they’re watching me closely in case I make a move. No way would I succeed in taking them both down.
For now, I have to convince them she’s not a threat.
“All right, let’s take a breath,” Jamie says in a tone that’s calm and almost friendly. “Raine is it? Pretty name. Go wait in the kitchen, Raine, and stay in our line of sight.” His ability to hide his emotions and intentions is world class.
Raine stares up at me, looking suddenly terrified. “Killian,” she whispers.
“Come on.” I take her arm and walk her to the kitchen, keeping my voice low so I won’t be overheard. “Stand still and say nothing. I’ll handle this.”
I turn and walk back toward the men who were supposed to be my partners for years to come. I can’t believe it’s come down to this. During training, the three of us formed a unit that became unbeatable. It’ll be a big fucking shame if I have to kill them.
Still, my mind breaks down the sinister possibilities. I don’t think Jamie’s got a gun on him. But if I start a fight with War, Jamie will have time to get one. Then, even if I made it through a “kill or be killed” battle with War—which is a big if—Jamie would put a bullet in my brain and heart before I ever get a chance to make a move in his direction.
War gestures us closer, and the three of us move into a tight circle to speak low, so she can’t hear us.
“What’s the deal? You’re fucking this girl?” Jamie asks.
“No.”
“But you used to?”
“No.”
“I’m tired. Let’s do this,” War rumbles.
“You don’t need to be a part of it, Killian,” Jamie says. “Take a shower and go to bed. When you wake up, she’ll be gone.”
My pulse thrums in my throat. Could I do that? Walk away? There have been times when I’ve wanted her gone for good. The amount of control it takes to hold back when I want to grab her is fucking maddening. If she were dead…
Chewing on the corner of my mouth thoughtfully, I glance at my partners. These guys are trying to make it easy on me by offering to do it.
My muscles tighten reflexively as I shove that option aside. There’s no way I would let someone else kill her. If I want her dead, I’ll do it myself, so I’m the last one to ever touch her.
I’m not ready, though. Because after she was gone, there would be nothing but emptiness in the vast space she currently occupies in my head, leading me into a soul-sucking void of existence… everything silent, everything gray. So mind-numbing reality feels a million miles away. No fucking way. Whatever happens, Raine and I are not going to be separated.
If I can’t get War and Jamie to back off of this, they’ll have to kill me, too.
And I’m not ready to die .
As my survival instinct kicks in with full force, rage simmers in my blood. This might be the edge I need.
“What do you care?” War demands, spotting the look in my eyes and recognizing it.
“Can’t do it now anyway,” I say, my voice as steady as ever. “My text is the last one on her phone, and you know her phone’s pinged right off our tower.”
They’re silent but thinking. Here’s a small opening I can exploit.
“I’ve got a history of violence that any DA worth his salt will be able to uncover,” I continue, my voice a mix of ice and reason. “If Raine dies or disappears this morning, I’m Suspect #1. That brings the cops to our door. None of us wants that. Crue leaders do not want that.”
“He’s right. A nonstarter,” Jamie says, his gaze flicking over to Raine who’s so pale she’s like an alabaster statue in our kitchen.
I lean in, building my case brick by brick. “She’s got no evidence of anything. What did she really see? A trash fire and us coming in from canoeing. It’s nothing. Less of a danger to us than if she’s killed here.”
“Well, she saw smeared blood on the white suit. Some of the blood soaked through your black t-shirt,” Jamie says.
I grind my teeth. Yeah, that’s not a good thing for her to have noticed.
Jamie cocks his head and shrugs. “Still, rushing and doing someone in our own crib? That’s… suboptimal, as Trick would say.” He exhales audibly. “Look, this is thirty-six hours awake with the adrenaline worn off. Judgement is not at its best. Not for any of us.”
I say nothing because it’s better if Jamie’s the one who keeps talking. With no incentive to let Raine live, he’s more likely to convince War than I am.
War clenches his teeth impatiently. “If you’ve got a plan, get to it.”
Jamie licks his lips and glances at me, assessing. “If no one will come looking for her in the next couple of hours, she could stay here, under house arrest for trespassing. We’ll all get some sleep and make a plan when we wake.”
War rubs his stubbled jaw. “She’ll run.”
Jamie raises his index finger. “Not if she’s under lock and key.”
I don’t know what Jamie’s talking about. The main door and all the windows can be unlocked from inside. There’s no easy way to lock someone down inside the house.
Oh, wait. They must have handcuffs, which is not surprising given their sexual appetites.
Cuffing Raine for hours would be pushing things to the point of no return. But if it would save her life, I could convince her to stay calm and deal with it.
As long as I stay with her, I can control the situation.
And the thought of having her cuffed to me for hours… not a hardship.
“Find out if anyone will miss her,” War says.
Jamie walks to the kitchen, and I’m right behind him. What if she’s got a presentation or workshop where she’ll be missed immediately? I need to be ready.
The block of knives is only a few feet away. I could grab the butcher knife and cut Jamie’s throat before he or War would have a chance to stop me. I’d have to move really fast to have a chance against War after that, knife or not.
Once again, there’s something at the edge of my consciousness that I don’t recognize. Can’t be regret. I haven’t even done anything yet. It must be guilt. My brows wrinkle in surprise. My connection to these guys is nothing like the one I feel to her, but I guess I have formed one to a degree.
“All right, baby girl,” Jamie says with a smile that could charm a snake out of its venom. “You didn’t see anything because there was nothing to see. But we’re tired and our minds aren’t right. We could all use some rest, I think, before decisions are made.” His tone is like he’s talking to a toddler, all sweet and cajoling. “Now, if you skip class, will your little mates start blowing up your phone and raising the alarm?”
Her eyes move slowly to my face, but my expression doesn’t change because he’s watching us.
Raine chews on her lip, her gaze rising to the ceiling. She’s weighing her responses, trying to decide whether it’s safer to lie or tell the truth.
“Don’t think. Answer me now,” Jamie says with a rougher tone.
My fingers curl into fists, but I keep my arms by my sides .
Raine relents. “People will text to see if I want to meet for lunch, but if I text ahead to say I didn’t sleep much and I’m going to crash until dinner, no one will think anything of it.”
“Or we can tell them you’re busy until tomorrow.”
Her jaw clenches. “I guess.” Her gaze flicks to me and back to him. “My film seminar class is tomorrow morning. I never miss it. If I’m not there, people will know somethings’s wrong.”
“Tomorrow. That’s grand,” Jamie says. “We’ll have everything sorted long before then. Now, I’ve got to ask you to do us a favor.”
She stares at him, her brows drawn together in a serious expression. “What?” The word falls slowly from her mouth.
“We’ll all want to talk to you when we wake up. Just to set the record straight on some things, you understand. And we can’t have you slipping out on us. So, let’s go upstairs. I’ll show you what we have in mind.”
Upstairs? No. My room’s on the ground floor, next to the media room, so I’ve got no interest in having Raine on the second floor. My hand snakes out to catch her arm.
“Go get them,” I say to Jamie. “She stays with me.”
Jamie quirks a brow. “Get what? It’s not?—”
“Enough fucking around,” War growls as he walks over. “What’s the word?”
“Yes, she can stay with no trouble,” Jamie says. “She’ll give me the code to her phone, so I can send texts for her, and then it’s to bed for the lot of us.”
War stares down at Raine. “Tell him.”
I move a shoulder between War and Raine and then turn slightly so I’m pushing him back. “Go ahead, Raine. Give Jamie the code.”
After a beat, she tells him her six-digit pin. “Need me to enter it?”
“No, he’s got it,” War says. “Let’s go, little girl.”
My eyes narrow, one hand still firmly holding her slim arm. “Why upstairs?”
“Because the bolt for the restraints is on my wall.”
I’m tired, so it takes a couple of clicks for me to get it. He has dungeon restraints to chain a woman to the bed when he wants to really play. My reaction to that is neutral. The only person I’d play with in my own bed is Raine, and I’d never need to restrain her with cuffs when I could just use my hands.
“You and I need to swap beds, War.”
“No. Too risky,” he says.
He means he thinks I’ll let her go while they’re asleep. Or even take off with her. I wasn’t planning to, but I might change my intentions after some rest.
My eyes narrow. “Too bad. The only way she’s sleeping in your bed is if you’re not there.”
“Easy now,” Jamie says. “War, just lock her up and keep the key.”
War eyes me suspiciously. “Or lock them both up together.”
“Or that,” Jamie agrees. “All settled.”
Raine is as stiff as a fucking board. She must be losing her mind, but she’s as silent and calm as I need her to be. She learned that from being around me. She’s been witness to a bloody mess of my making, and she managed to go silent that night, too.