Page 113 of Royal Sons MC

“Negative. Let's pray she's still hiding.”

He and Duke slid through the door, both silent and deadly. King eyed the bastard Groot, knowing if Rico didn’t kill him, he’d die by his hand.

Rico pushed Groot up against the cabinet. His gut twisted thinking about Ayesha hiding inside since Keys said he'd seen her going in there. Groot knocked Rico’s hand away, which only seemed to piss the little shit off more. What happened next seemed to flow in slow motion. Rico lifted his arm, a gun sliding out from the sleeve like magic. Groot’s mouth fell open in surprise. He looked down at his chest, red blooming over his blue button-up shirt. He should’ve stuck with Chopper’s rule when doing a job. Wearing black hid the blood much better.

The force of the shot tossed Groot backward, making him slam into the cabinet. He fell to the side, stumbling while grappling at his chest. However, nobody was paying him attention because the door popped open when he hit the cabinet, exposing what was inside.

“Ayesha,” King barked.

She had her gun up and pointed in front of her. At his shout, the other three men turned toward him. He already had his gun up and fired off several rounds before he dove for the floor. His ears rang as other shots rang out at the same time as his, anger filling him along with fear for Ayesha. He heard two more shots fired from inside the kitchen. He jumped up, uncaring about his safety, launching himself over the bar between the two spaces. His feet hit the floor, skidding to a halt. His boots slipped in blood from the four dead men lying on the tile.

Ayesha held the gun out, her little body quivering from inside the hiding space. “Hey, baby, you’re alright.” He kicked the gun away from Rico’s body as he took the two steps to Ayesha. Squatting down to her level, he held his hand out. “C’mere, love, give me the gun.” He held his hand out. She placed the weapon in his palm. He turned the safety on, putting the gun on the floor away from them. He held his hands out once he had that out of the way. “C’mere,” he said again.

She launched herself out of the tight space with a cry, her sob breaking his heart.

“I was so scared. I sh...shot him. Oh my god. I killed him.” She buried her face against his chest.

King palmed the back of her head and stood up, taking her with him. His other arm went around her waist. “We need the cleaners in here.” He looked over his shoulder as he barked the order. “Keys, wipe this shit. It didn’t happen.”

He walked with her into the bathroom, bloody footprints be dammed. He needed to get her warmed up, and they needed to talk. Her shivers were freaking him out. Fuck, she was in shock. “Duke, call Doc.” His voice was too loud, and he knew it, so he took a deep breath.

Duke knocked on the open door, careful not to look inside. “Yo, King, Keys done did.”

King lifted his chin in acknowledgment, kicking his boots off. He looked at what she had on, figuring he could replace whatever was ruined as he jerked each item off, ripping seams in the process, followed by his outside the shower. “Ayesha, look at me, baby.” He stood her beside the huge glass enclosure, his arms still holding her.

Shakes and shivers assailed her. He lifted her into his arms, took them both inside, and shut the door while the water rained down on them. She gasped and blinked at him as if seeing for the first time. “Oh god, Tiana.” She reached for the door.

“You protected her. You did good,” King praised her. Tomorrow, maybe the next, he’d blister her ass. Right now, he’d take care of her. Get her straight.

She sagged against him. “I’m probably going to go to...to jail.”

King grabbed her hair. God, he loved her fucking hair. “Baby, there’s nothing to go to jail for.”

She opened her mouth to say something, closing it when he placed a finger over it. “Rico and those men won’t be missed, and if they are, they’ll assume they ran into trouble with some business associates. Nobody but you, me, Duke, and Keys know what happened in that kitchen. There ain’t one of us who blames you or wouldn’t have taken that shot. In all honesty, we can’t say who killed who. I fired off several rounds, and Duke did too.” He wouldn’t tell her how they would get rid of them. The less she knew, the better.

“You scared at least ten years off my life tonight,” King said, pulling her in against his body.

She wrapped her arms around him, her little body fitting him like she was made for him. “I suppose you’re thinking of spanking me.”

Oh, he barely contained his chuckle. “Little Dove, I’m not thinking anything.”

Her tense shoulders relaxed until he let his hands trail down her back. “I already know exactly what your punishment is going to be.”

When she opened her mouth, King tugged her head backward and covered her lips with his, silencing her with his. Fuck, he was sure she was going to be the cause of his first grey hair instead of his brother.

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