Chapter Four
Killian holstered his weapon and ran over to June, dropping to his knees beside her. He patted down her body, assessing the damage. There was fear in her eyes, pain and confusion. This was all on him.
“It’s okay, baby. Everything’s going to be okay.” He prayed to God he could keep that promise.
“Mommy!” Little Killian was broken and crying, his arms around June’s chest. The scene reminded him of that night he’d found his own mother dead. It gave him pause, his childhood horrors rushing to the surface. He pushed the memories away as he hoisted June up into his arms.
They weren’t too far from the apartment complex, but no way in hell was he taking them home. Boss said there was a hit on June and the lad, so the place would be hot. These two people were now all that mattered, and they were his responsibility.
“Where we going?” asked Killian, chasing along beside him.
“Somewhere safe,” he said.
When they got to his car, he asked his son to open the back door. He carefully laid June across the seats, instructing Killian to get in the front passenger side.
“Killian, I’m scared,” said June.
He turned around in his seat after starting up the car. “I’ll make sure you’re never afraid again. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Killian left the seaside town without a backwards glance. He never wanted to see it again. Never wanted June or Killian to struggle in that shithole another day.
The highway was dark and quiet at this hour, the purr of the engine not enough to mask June’s muffled sobs. His mind was on overdrive, piecing everything together, trying to figure out how to make things right. He couldn’t do this alone. He needed Killer of Kings.
He pulled out his cell and called Boss. The bastard was as a hard ass, but he’d helped him get his start when he moved over from Ireland. They had an unorthodox relationship to say the least.
“Boss, I was too late, one of them shot June.”
“She alive?”
“Yeah. I’ve got them both. Need a safe house for my boy until we can deal with the problem.” As in fill those assholes with so much fucking lead even the coroner couldn’t identify the bodies.
There was silence on the other end. “Take him to Bain and Scarlett’s house. He’ll be safe there.”
“Any word on who set it up?”
“Still working on the details, but it’s related to that Dead Angels kill from over a decade ago,” said Boss.
“How the fuck is that possible? It was clean and handled.”
Killian barely remembered that hit. He’d taken out the leader of the club after doing recon for a few weeks. It’s when he met June, so all his memories centered on her.
“I’ll be touch when I know more,” said Boss.
As he continued driving to Bain’s place in the country, he glanced over at little Killian. He was looking out the window, not saying a word. Killian wanted to make things better, not worse. He didn’t want his own son to turn out as fucked up as he was.
He hated the idea of dropping his son off at someone else’s place, but things were going to get ugly before they got better and he didn’t want Killian hurt or exposed to more unnecessary violence. The outside lights were on as he drove down Bain’s long driveway, so Boss must have filled him in. He stopped the car and turned to June. She looked pale.
“Babe, I’m leaving Killian here for a while. Just until things settle down,” he said.
“What? No! I’m not leaving him at a stranger’s house. He needs to be with his mother.”
“And he will be. When it’s safe. I trust Bain with my life. Nothing will happen to Killian here, I promise.”
She glared at him, and Killian knew it would be a long road before she trusted him again. He’d have to earn it, to make up for the mountain of lies he’d told in the past.
“Come on, Killian.”
His son got out of the car without complaint. He was a brave kid. They walked hand in hand to the front door, and before they reached it, Scarlett opened it up. She smiled warmly at his son.
“You must be Killian Junior,” Scarlett said, holding her rounded stomach. She looked to be at least a few months pregnant. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
His son looked up at him, looking for reassurance. It was a step in the right direction. He had a lot of years to make up for. “It’s okay. She’s a friend. You’ll be safe here.”
“What about my mom?”
“I’m going to take care of her. And as soon as I fix this mess, I’m coming for you.”
“You sure you’ll come back this time? Or are you like that cop and want me out of the picture?”
He bent down on one knee to get on Killian’s level. “I’ll never leave you. You’re not some random kid to me. You’re my son. My blood. I want us to be a family, all three of us, not just me and your mom. Understand?”
He nodded, his jaw tight.
“Come on in, honey. I’ll show you to your room. You must be tired,” said Scarlett.
She led little Killian upstairs.
Bain joined him in the entryway, his arms crossed. “You don’t have to worry about the boy.”
“I know.”
“Scarlett’s working on this shit, too. She found the Dead Angels MC tie in, but there’s more she needs to dig up.”
“Good. Great.” He didn’t know what to say. For the first time since starting his new life in this country, he felt a unique vulnerability. He’d been fucking unstoppable, fearless … feared. Now he had to rely on other people, and despite Boss’s frequent warnings not to, he’d fallen in love. Twice. He’d do anything to keep June and Killian safe. “Apparently, he likes to run away, so you’ll have to keep a—”
“I’ve got this, Killian. My place is like Fort Knox. Nobody gets in or out without my consent. I promise you that. If any of those assholes dares to pay a visit, I have a fucking arsenal ready to send them straight to hell.”
“That’s what I need to hear,” Killian said. “I’m heading home. You have my number. June’s injured, and I need to take care of that before anything else.”
“And when you find out who’s responsible?”
Killian smirked. “Let’s just say it won’t end well for them.”
He got back into the car and drove towards the city. “We’re almost there, June. Hang on for me.”
“Why can’t Killian come with us?” she asked. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“He’s my son, too. I won’t let anything happen to him. I’ll explain everything, answer all your questions as soon as we get there.”
“Get where?”
“My place.”
When he saw the lights of the city come into view, he felt a measure of comfort. This was his playground, where he did most of his work for Killer of Kings. It was easy to disappear, and had enough distractions to take his mind off the girl he had to give up.
Only now he had her back. This time he wasn’t letting her go.
He carried her through the front entrance of the lobby. The security guards nodded to him, allowing him to pass by without an interrogation. Boss had them on his payroll. Some nights Killian would come home with blood on his clothes, his weapons exposed, but he never had to worry about being reported.
“This place looks expensive,” she said.
Killian was used to the best. Demanded it. After living the first half of his life in dire poverty, he enjoyed the finer things, including the penthouse suite with a view of the downtown core. “It is.”
When he got to his suite, he managed to get the door open without putting June to her feet. He knew her injuries were minor or he else he would have treated her immediately. It was still way too close for his liking. She could have easily been seriously injured … or killed. He would never have been able to live with himself if she died because of his lifestyle.
He settled June down on one of his leather sofas and then turned on the lights. Killian was a fucking mess. He shrugged off his jacket and removed his handguns, placing them on the bar.
“You’ve got a flesh wound there, sweetheart. I don’t know if that hitman was the world’s worst shot, or just sending me a message.” He sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa with his first aid kit. Boss didn’t permit his men to use public doctors or hospitals—too many questions. Killer of Kings had their own underground doctors on call twenty-four, seven. For non-emergencies, they were responsible for their own medical care, including things like broken ribs and flesh wounds. Killian’s emergency supplies were always well stocked.
He helped June get her sweater off. She cringed, moving her arm out of the sleeve in slow increments. “I can’t believe I was shot,” she said. “Why would someone want to shoot me?”
“Because I love you, and whoever did this wanted to hurt me. It’s the reason my boss doesn’t like any of us getting involved in serious relationships. That hasn’t gone too well for him lately, considering I’m the third guy this year to put a woman first.”
“Is that what you call this? Putting me first?” she asked.
He examined her upper arm. The bullet had just grazed her flesh, and he was thankful it hadn’t been worse. “From now on, you and my son are number one.” Killian used a disinfectant wipe around the area, and then dressed the wound. Her skin was fucking soft.
“And who is your boss exactly? I mean, what are you?”
Now that her wound had been tended, he couldn’t help but notice the rest of June. She’d been wearing just a pink sports bra under her sweater, her big tits barely contained. Ten years ago she’d been a lot smaller, young and naïve. Now she’d filled out into a real woman, with a feistiness that kept him in check.
“I work for an organization called Killer of Kings. My job, it’s complicated.”
She struggled up into a sitting position, so he helped her, supporting her back. June did a visual sweep of the room. “It obviously pays well. What are you, a hitman?”
He licked his lips. She’d just been teasing, but her guess was spot on. Killian was terrified June would push him away, want nothing to do with him if she knew the truth. But he couldn’t lie. Not anymore.
“Yeah, something like that.”
She narrowed her eyes, then shook her head. “That’s not possible. You’re lying again.”
“Not this time, baby. I told you lies before because I had nothing good in my life, nothing to be proud of. You were a fantasy, so I conjured up what you wanted to hear.”
“You don’t know what I wanted to hear. What I wanted was the truth. Maybe if you had of been honest instead of telling me you were this straight A college boy, I wouldn’t have been raising Killian alone for the past ten years.”
“So if I told you I was born to a whore, raised on the streets, and fought and stole to survive, you’d be okay with it? What about getting hired by Killer of Kings when I moved over from Ireland, murdering people for a living? Would you still want me then?” He felt like a cornered dog, bristling but also embarrassed. He didn’t want June to judge him.
She kept quiet, staring at him with no hint of what she was feeling on the inside. Was there any chance she could love him again?
****
June didn’t know what to say, what to think. Killian had told her the truth this time, she just knew it. Besides, who would make up such wicked lies? She wanted to hate him, not just for abandoning her all these years, but for what he represented. He was a bad guy, a criminal, and he’d brought a whirlwind of danger into her life. Into her son’s life.
But she loved him, completely and unconditionally. It pissed her off that she was turned on by the visual of Killian with guns in his hands. It was such a natural look for him. He’d aged like a fine wine, exuding strength and confidence. He could protect her, care for her, love her. It was all she’d prayed for all these years.
“Killian, you’re the only man I’ve ever loved. I’ve never forgotten you. How could I? Your son has been a constant reminder. Even though I’d given up faith the past few years, part of me still hoped you come for me.”
“I fucked up, but I promise I’ll make things right. For the three of us.” He got down to his knees and put his head on her lap. It was a vulnerable moment, this grown man, this killer, still a damaged boy on the inside. “Please, June. Just tell me you’ll give me that chance. I have nothing else. I want nothing else.”
She ran her hands through his hair, still in shock he was back in her life. So many scenarios had played in her head over the years from Killian being dead to being happily married.
“Why now, Killian? Why did you wait this long before coming back? I’ve never moved from town, so it’s not like you couldn’t find me.”
“I thought I was doing the right thing. I’m a hitman for hire. You deserved better than that. Fuck, I wanted to be that college boy—for you. But I never even finished elementary school. I’m a fuck-up, but I promise no one will ever love you more than me.”
It was too good to be true, and her emotions got the better of her. Her eyes welled up with tears, and when she blinked, they traced down her cheeks. “How will you take care of us? We can’t continue like this. I don’t want Killian living in fear.”
He rose up on his knees, his hands still on her hips. Only now did she realize she was in her work bra, her sweater on the coffee table. What did he think of her? A decade ago she’d been thin and young, her skin flawless. Now she had stretch marks, and a lot of extra weight. She was nothing like she used to be. Killian had only gotten sexier, packed on muscle, and to be honest, she couldn’t stop imagining them in bed together.
“Just tell me one thing, baby girl. Tell me if you still love me, if there’s a fucking chance you could love me again,” he said.
She nodded, not trusting her voice with her emotions so fragile. The constant rejection and struggling over the years had taken their toll. This new desire, this acceptance from Killian was healing. “I’ll always love you.”
His blue eyes looked even bluer, and she expected him to break down. “That’s all I needed to hear,” he said. “You’ll never have to worry about anything, June. You’re going to have the best because I’m going to give it to you—you and my son. No more working, no more babysitters or raising that boy alone.”
Killian leaned closer, his massive shoulders swallowing her up. He brushed his lips along hers, a low growl in his chest.
“I’m not the eighteen year old you remember,” she whispered. June had never really given a shit what people, especially men, thought of her. Now she felt a new burden, and wondered if Killian was attracted to her.
“I don’t want a girl, June. I’m a man, and I need a woman by my side. I need you.”
She brought her arms around to hug her stomach. Her current position was not flattering, and being half-naked left her feeling uncomfortable.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
June pushed away from him and stood up, grabbing her sweater to use as a shield. She wandered around, taking in the state of art entertainment center, full bar, and museum-quality artwork. Every finish from the crown moldings to the light fixtures screamed money.
They were from two different worlds.
Back at home, they didn’t even own a television set, and a six-dollar bottle of wine was as fancy as it ever got. She didn’t buy new clothes or treat herself to nice things. Everything was about secondhand stores and sacrifices.
“Don’t do this, June. Stop pulling away from me.”
She had nothing to lose. If she returned to her old life, then she’d survive as she always did. “Killian, you’ve done well for yourself. Just because we have a kid together, doesn’t mean we have to be a couple.”
He charged over and grabbed both her arms in a firm grip. A darkness passed over his eyes as he stared at her. “What don’t you get, woman? I’ve told you everything, spilled my fucking guts because I promised not to lie to you.”
His accent was stronger when he was angry. It turned her on.
“I don’t want you to settle for me. I want things to be like before, when I thought we had something special.”
Killian chuckled. “You have no idea, babe. You’re the only woman for me. The things I want to do your body right now…” He tossed her sweater and pulled her tight to his body, crushing his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and let everything go—the fear, the doubts, the resentment. God, he tasted good, like spearmint and raw masculinity. His cologne enveloped her, a rich musky scent that made her blood burn with need.
His hands roamed down, cupping her ass. She could feel the hardness of his cock against her stomach, and her pussy began to ache for him. “Killian,” she murmured against his lips.
“Yeah, baby, say my name. I love the way it sounds coming from you.” He trailed hot kisses down her neck, his hands roaming everywhere. “You’re mine. And I’m going to claim you all over again, discover every inch of this beautiful body.”