Chapter 11
KIERAN
Fifteen months before Eden went missing…
I don’t flinch at the cold barrel that presses into my skin. Instead, I hold Rohan’s dark eyes as he glares down at me.
There’s no tremor in his hand, but I know that he’d never pull that trigger. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s pissed enough to pull his gun on me, though.
“If you are so damn eager to get a bullet through your fucking skull, I’ll save us all the trouble and do it myself,” he seethes, his accent thick. It tends to overtake his words when he’s frustrated.
“I am allowed to take challenges,” I remind him.
“It’s the third time in a month.” The metal digs in a little harder. “You are being reckless .”
“Ro…” Lochlan shifts behind him, looking mildly uncomfortable. It’s almost laughable that he would be uneasy when it comes to a death threat. “Take the gun off of him.”
“No. If he’s so eager to pick a fight with someone, then I’m here and willing.”
I sigh, slamming my palm into his wrist and twisting the weapon out of his grip with the other hand. Rohan could easily counter, but he doesn’t as I toss the gun onto the table, sending it sliding away. Lochlan swipes it.
“I’m reminding everyone that we hold the power for a reason. If we stay out of sight, stay complacent for too long, then they will start to test that power.”
“You are riling them up!” Rohan drops into the chair next to me, tipping his head back with a groan. “Since that first challenge you took a month ago, there’s been an uptick in attacks from the classless. Even some from the rebels.”
“So?” I turn to snag an empty glass from the bar behind me. It was why I came into my sitting room in the first place—before I found out Rohan and Lochlan were waiting for me. “Let them kill each other. It would solve my issues.”
“They aren’t attacking each other, Kieran. The classless attack the lower class, given that they are stuck at the base of the mountain, too.”
“In buildings.” Though I know that they provide little protection. It’s why we have the cage fights. Anyone can try for a better life on the mat, or pay for someone to take their place if they can afford it. Someone like Eden.
It gives the illusion of hope. Desperation is no good bleeding through the people. It’s better bleeding out on the mat as we weed out the weak.
“You know damn well that those buildings don’t really protect them.”
“Are you suddenly gaining a conscience? Is this some kind of moral concern?”
Rohan snorts. “You’re more likely to hear me announce I’m getting sober.
” That makes my lips twitch. He loves whiskey more than I do.
“I’m reminding you how easy it is for the classless to attack the lower class.
Our working class. If they are all dead, then we have no workers, and I don’t think even the finest drugs can distract the upper class from that fact. ”
I shrug a shoulder. “That’s Miles’s problem, isn’t it?”
“He’s not cut out to handle shite,” Lochlan argues from across the table. Probably because he has to handle Miles the most.
Technically, he’s my partner. He leads the government, manages the classes, and maintains the city.
If there are uprisings, I’ll lend my guards, but the moral concern and actual planning are his responsibility.
It’s the only reason I allow him to think he has a modicum of power. Because it benefits me.
With a lack of a soul and a black heart, I couldn’t be bothered with half the shite that keeps people in line. So I let him think he has some kind of importance, even living across the mountain instead of down in the city. But he’s under my thumb like all the others, working for me.
“Make him handle this.” Another groan from Lochlan. “Problem solved,” I say as I shoot a look at Rohan.
“My point, Kieran, is that you are being rash, and it is causing more trouble than it’s worth.
You want a fight? Go train with the guards.
Jude will gladly take you to the mat, and it’ll be a real challenge.
You’re bored? There are better uses of your focus.
But for fuck’s sake, stay out of the cages. ”
I work my jaw. Jude has been pushing me about telling Lochlan and Rohan the truth. It’s been three months since I first saw Eden, and he doesn’t approve of my sneaking down to the city. It seems even his loyalty has limits.
He says it’s because he cannot properly keep me safe if I refuse to take extra guards or Lochlan. When I remind him that I can handle myself, he only scoffs.
It’s truly humbling.
“Fine.” I swipe a bottle of whiskey and pour myself a full glass. “I’ll consider it, yeah?”
Rohan’s nostrils flare, and he pushes up to his feet. “You need to get your fucking head on straight.”
He stalks off without another word, and I watch Lochlan’s eyes follow him. A moment later, I hear the door slam shut.
Lochlan’s dark blue gaze slowly moves back to me, and his expression is enough to even rattle my cold as fuck heart.
Because this isn’t the Lochlan I’m used to.
This isn’t the one that will dive into a fight for the excitement without asking any questions.
This isn’t the brother I grew up with that can be loud and obnoxious.
This is the Lochlan that found his mother dead and didn’t speak for a week after. This is the version of him that was abandoned by his own parent and left at the mercy of mine, something even I couldn’t protect him from.
Lochlan might hide everything behind a smile, might be down for a fight or a drink at any moment, but I’ve never forgotten what lies beneath all that. He’s the most human of us three—though barely.
And he looks it right now.
“He doesn’t want you dead, Kier,” he says softly, and I feel a twinge of guilt.
Only these two can pull those kinds of emotions out of me.
“It’s obvious something is going on, but you always tell us what it is.
” Pushing to his feet, he holsters Rohan’s gun at his side.
“We’re all shite with words, but we’re supposed to be in this together, yeah? ”
It’s fucking sobering when Lochlan acts like this. I’m protective of the arsehole, and it’s the first time I’ve really considered what Jude’s been saying.
“We are.” I try to keep my voice neutral, but I know there’s a tinge of emotion in it.
He nods slowly, looking away from me. He’s got demons worse than either me or Rohan, and I know that it’s half the reason he acts the way he does. He’s always outrunning them. “Doesn’t seem like it lately.”
Then, he’s gone, too.
I toss the whiskey back and drag a hand down my face. I’ve really fucked this up.
Rarely have I actually felt like the piece of shite that I’ve been accused of being. I have no qualms about the blood on my hands or the decisions I have made. But when it comes to those two, I know I’ll need to make it right.
Not tonight, though.
It’s actually good they left before I had to tell them to fuck off. Jude should be back any minute.
Standing, I leave the glass on the table and make my way down the hallway. I’ve just rounded the corner when I hear footsteps moving toward me. Based on the steady stride, I know it’s Jude before I even see him.
What I’m not prepared for is the amusement dancing in his eyes or that knowing smirk. I don’t trust it.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He stops in front of me, looking so damn smug. “Eden is just outside. I’ve stationed the guards outdoors, so you’ll have privacy for the night, and everything is arranged on your patio.”
“That did not answer my question.”
“Someone found Eden on my way in to collect you.”
My jaw clenches. “Who?”
“Mika.”
Now I see the source of his amusement. His wife is as much of a wild card as Eden, though Mika is more akin to sunshine rather than the fire I like to play with. She’s still not one to be underestimated, and I can only imagine how Eden will react to her.
But I also know that since it is Mika, Jude will make sure she keeps this a secret. She’s playful, but there’s a reason I trust her as much as I do her husband.
“I assume she is prying as much information out of Eden as possible?”
Jude chuckles. “Mika pounced, but Eden is holding her own. They seem to have taken a liking to each other.”
“Are you telling me that I’m getting cockblocked tonight?” It’s the main reason I wanted Eden brought to the house tonight. While I’ve made her come on my hand after the challenges I stole, I’ve refused to fuck her until I can take my time where no one will hear her.
“Good luck convincing my wife to let her go.”
I roll my eyes and start toward the door leading to the adjoining garage. I hear their laughter as we approach, and when I turn down the last hall, I spot them standing in the entryway.
Mika is a good bit shorter than Eden, but her large personality makes up for it. Her thick hair is up in a bun while Eden’s curls are down, and I’m surprised to see Mika’s hand on Eden’s arm.
Eden says something as we approach, making Mika shake her head with another chuckle. Then her eyes turn on us, and I can see how much she is enjoying this. “Kieran.” Her smile is as annoyingly entertained as her husband’s. “I had no clue you’d been hiding actual good company.”
“Yeah, Kieran.” Eden leans into Mika. “If I had known that I had someone up here to get into trouble with, I’d have been more inclined to make the trip.”
I narrow my eyes at Mika. “Too bad you were just leaving, right, Mika?”
She bites her bottom lip as her soft brown eyes dart to look at Eden. “I don’t think I have plans tonight…”
“Jude,” I growl.
He lets out a low chuckle before crossing to his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into him. Mika’s arms immediately wrap around his neck as she sinks into his hold. “What if I had plans for us?”
She toys with the short hair at the nape of his neck. “What kind of plans?”
“Let me take you home and show you.” He leans in, nipping at her bottom lip in a display that used to make me roll my eyes. But I’m starting to understand the affection. “It’ll be worth it, my little Troublemaker.”