Chapter 40
COLLINS
Struggling to keep up with Hayes’ footsteps, I trudge through the dirty back alleys of Boston’s downtown area. The scent of ammonia and exhaust cover up the fresh, clean smell of rain that downpours around us.
“You shouldn’t have brought her,” Killian comments, tossing a spent butt to the side. His bomber jacket is light in the cold as I hunker into my soaked brown wool coat, side stepping something gross.
“And leave her at the house?” Hayes fires back, hand firmly wrapped around mine.
This is normal—natural.
Hayes fits into a spot in my life like it’s been carved for him. Maybe it was. He’s always been at my back, holding me when things get tough.
I still haven’t told him how I feel. After the dining room, it’s been business as usual. My clinicals have been intense as we near the end, and with Roman’s threat hanging over our heads, we’ve had little time but to say goodnight before sleep.
That will change soon once the trials are over. When he wins, I can tell him that he’s accepted, tamed the monster inside of me and I want him. Forever and a day.
Such a silly promise and yet, it’s my life preserver. Something I cling to as this ordeal continues. And I’ll continue to hold on to it—because it’s the promise for a future together.
Killian groans, glancing back at me, annoyed.
“She’s the only doctor we have. Bringing her to a gun sale doesn’t seem smart, Prince.”
“And leaving her behind when there’s a leak,” he counters, “seems pretty stupid too. Especially when they want her.”
“And she’s right here,” I mumble, jumping over a puddle. “She can hear you.”
“She needs to stay quiet,” Killian demands, pushing ahead of us. I see his gun in the back of his pants, Hayes’ on his side. Both have knives and various other weapons hidden on their person. And here I am—no weapons, in a pair of heeled boots, traveling to an illegal activity.
Not the best choice, but Hayes is right. Killian and him had to meet buyers and Maeve was gone doing God knows what. With a leak in the mansion and Roman pursuing me, I needed to stay as close to my fiancé as possible.
Hayes looks back at me, winking. “Whatever happens, stay silent. You don’t want their attention.”
“Fuck,” Killian swears, running a hand through his dark wet locks.
Rain pelts into us, dripping down his chin and slicking Hayes’ hair to his neck.
We stop at the mouth of an alley, the harbor in the far distance covered by fog as the lighthouse spotlight makes its round.
This area is full of abandoned warehouses with very little foot traffic, sheets of rain cutting across the parking lot.
Across the open lot is a running sedan, all black, with tinted windows. The lights act like beacons, drawing us through the darkness.
“At least they’re timely,” Hayes retorts, earning a hard look from the reaper.
“Don’t let her out of your sight,” he instructs. Then after a moment, shakes his head. “She’s not going to like this.”
“She doesn’t have a choice,” Hayes reminds him. “It’s her directive.”
“Your funeral, Prince.” Together, we walk across the pavement, both men shielding me from the lights. We stop a few feet away before the doors open and two hulking men, dressed in tailored suits, step out of the car.
Hayes shifts, looking from the men to Killian, eyebrow raises. Killian’s jaw is tight and his shoulders back as if he’s ready to charge. Elbowing him, Hayes asks, “Know them?”
“Who vetted this?” His teeth grind, a muscle by his ear bouncing.
“I assume Maeve.”
Vet? My anxiety kicks up as I scan the grounds. Killian would only be worried about vetting someone if he thought this wasn’t a legitimate deal. And I can’t be arrested this close to the board exam.
Exhaling, the reaper pushes forward as we meet the security duo. Both Korean Americans, they stand tall, with cropped hair and no umbrellas. The thunder cracks overhead as they look down at us, twin faces of irritation.
They either don’t like us, or don’t want to be here. Makes two of us.
“Is there a problem?” Hayes closes his fist around the end of his gun, staring at the men, his question directed toward the reaper.
Killian cracks his jaw, rolling back his shoulders. “No. Stay here.”
With that, he shoves between the assholes, shoulders crashing into theirs. Both men jump apart, saying something in Korean that Killian ignores.
We watch him go to the backseat, yanking the door open with a hard grasp, and I gasp.
He doesn’t wait for an invitation and I feel like that a big no-no in the criminal underworld.
Or at least a sure way to get shot. He doesn’t get in—barely bends down to speak in Korean to the buyer before slamming the door so hard, the windows rattle.
One man grunts a curse—at least I assume so. I only know English and Latin, with broken Spanish taught to me during my medical education. Whatever they’re saying is lost to us.
Killian returns to our side, shoving the men again, sneering. “Your keeper wants a word.”
When they move away, Hayes elbows Killian again, eyes worried. “This isn’t part of the deal. We’re to take the money and wait for delivery.”
“Plans change.” He lights another cigarette, drops rolling down his cheeks. He looks windswept and vengeful, a wraith looking to steal souls. “We’re not selling to them.”
“Killian—”
“What?” He grows taller, body tight with tension. “Have something to say about my judgement, Prince?”
“Fucking hell,” my fiancé curses, looking to the sky for patience. Drops clump his thick lashes and he sighs, shoulders dropping. “Why aren’t we? Is there something we should know?”
The men return, and we cut the conversation short. They drop a bag at our feet and my eyes widen.
We freeze, but Killian places the tip of his cigarette on his lip, pulling the zipper. Cash, bundles of it, stare back at us, drenched in the storm. My mouth drops open, surprised and a bit nervous.
Is this what Maeve does? Is this what happens in our clan? I’ve only seen the results of broken bodies and tired eyes, but this? This is another side. It makes it real.
They say something and Killian laughs. Shaking his head, he hands the bag to Hayes. “The answer is still no.”
A voice calls out from the window. Deeper, accented, and authoritative. “Do you speak for your master? We had a deal. I’m told the new Captain honors deals.”
“Your deal was with the old Captain.” He tosses the butt, blowing out smoke into the night air. “The new Captain will not have your ties.”
“Are you sure?”
“I guarantee it.” It’s a growl, and I step back. He’s a man possessed and I’m nervous to be caught in the crossfire. “Find another seller.”
“You need us,” the voice says, covered in darkness. “Without the Board, your clan is in trouble. Money is money.”
“We’ll be fine.”
“Kil-hyun.” Killian’s mood only gets darker, like the Grim Reaper looking to capture a wayward soul. “Think this through.”
“You have two minutes to leave.” Killian withdraws his knife. “O’Brien doesn’t sell to your group. Stay the fuck away from her.”
We watch wordlessly as the voice commands something in Korean and the men withdraw quickly back to the car like a well-trained unit. Another minute passes as it rolls away, far from us and I exhale, water soaking my hair and shoulders even as I shudder from fear.
“Want to tell me what the fuck that shit was?” Hayes throws the duffel bag into Killian’s chest and it falls to the ground with a plop. “You just cost us a sale. Over what? Not liking the guy’s bodyguards?”
Giving Hayes a bored look, Killian slips the knife away, glancing at me. “You okay, Coli?”
“Fine.” I rub my arms, hands shaking. I’m soaked—toes frozen, feet waterlogged. I just want a cup of tea and my bed. “That was intense. Why did they give us the money if you didn’t sell anything?”
The reaper smiles, ignoring Hayes’ glare. “He didn’t want me to kill him.”
“I assume you know him.” Hayes picks up the bag. “Otherwise, you have a lot to explain to Maeve.”
“Trust me. She’ll understand.” He scans me, brows furrowed. “Senior is dead. That makes you top contender.”
I shift as the topic changes. Hayes told me what he had to do—who he had to do it to.
There’s no guilt. If anything, I wanted to help torture him. He deserved worse.
The hitter shrugs. “Still one more trial.”
“You know what needs to happen.”
Both men stare at each other and I wave my hand to get their attention. “Hi, what needs to happen? No one explained it to me.” And why is this happening out here? We’re going to catch a cold hanging in a thunderstorm.
Killian turns away, looking to the surroundings, leaving Hayes to explain. “The final trial is a test of loyalty. We all were given a code word that we need to protect.”
“Right,” I encourage. “So whoever keeps it longest, wins?”
“With one twist,” he says, rubbing his forehead.
“Which is?”
“Torture,” Killian cuts off. At my alarmed expression, he shrugs. “They all have to be tested, Coli. Whoever keeps their codeword during their torture session, wins.”
My heart aches. Torture? Forget that I’ve seen the worst that can come from it, healed people and allowed them to be hurt again, Hayes will be subjected to it. He’ll be tied down, beaten, forced to endure incredible pain.
If I’m terrified of the idea of it, how does he feel? How can he agree to this?
For me. He’s doing this for me.
Warmth spreads through my chest, on the wings of love and adoration. He’s already endured so much in his life, and he’s willing to brave more for me. To keep me safe.
“Who’s doing it?” I ask, throat dry. “Who’s doing the torture?”
Killian flicks ash away. “Maeve.”
My blood runs cold. There’s a reason our enemies give her a wide space. My sister’s reputation for torture is legendary.
Hayes grabs my face, pulling me close. “I’ll be fine, viper. This isn’t anything I haven’t seen before.”
“But,” my bottom lip trembles, “Maeve is your best friend. How can she—how can you let her?”
I used to be jealous of their connection—until we got our own. Now, I know, Maeve was Hayes' safety in rough waters. To torture him would break that trust. Both of them need the other in this dark world.
“Viper,” he calms, rubbing my bottom lip. “I signed up for this. I knew what was going to happen. I willingly took on these trials for you.”
Emotions clog my throat and I blink back tears. “I know, but you didn’t have to—"
“I did,” he confirms. “Because I would soon rather break every bone in my body than let Roman get you. I did this for you, and I’ll finish it. For you.”
His soft lips dance across mine—a chaste kiss compared to how ours usually go. “I love you.”
I hiccup, chest tight. Grabbing his hair, I pull him close, opening my mouth to say the words back. I need him to know how I feel. I want him to know he isn’t alone—that he's loved.
That the broken boy is whole in my eyes.
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “Tell me after I win.”
Gently, another tear falls and I nod once. “Fine. But you better win.”
“There’s that venom.”
He kisses me, lips hard and tongue hot. My body ignites, want and need swirling in my gut. This is different from how he makes me feel. Those are carnal and possessive—this is heartbreaking, full of love and need so deep, I’m going to fall off a cliff and be swept away into the ocean.
Clearing his throat, Killian interrupts. “We need to get back. I’ll need to explain this to Maeve and I want to hide the knives first.”
Snorting, Hayes pulls away, tucking me into his chest. “No, you don’t. You’d rather her use the knives.”
Killian smirks. “What can I say? I like my women bloodthirsty.”
We walk back the way we came, stopping in front of Maeve’s G-class. Hayes grabs the keys, opening the back door for me, but I grab Killian’s forearm, pulling him close.
“Promise me, Killian,” I whisper, eyes wide. “Promise me, you won’t break him.”
He rolls his eyes. “Coli—”
“I know what this trial is supposed to do. I know the rules.” My voice drops.
“Promise me you’ll do it. If Maeve does, it’ll break everything between them.
And as much as you might dislike Hayes, as envious as I am of their relationship, they need each other.
They need the other in their corner when they do dark things. ”
I don’t know what Hayes provides for Maeve, but she’s his rock. And survivors need someone to be there for them when they’re healing. To take it away could damage Hayes more than anything else.
Killian’s jaw bounces before he nods once. “Fine,” he bites out. “But I’m doing this for Maeve.”
Together, we climb into the car, thoughts silent. I don’t tell Hayes what Killian promised, but I know, it’s the only way I can save him from losing everything to these trials.