Page 87 of Blood and Reign

“It’s okay,” I tell her, gripping her frail body tighter to me.

She opens her mouth to speak but sputters up blood.

“Kiarra? Kiarra baby, stay with me. Please.”

I watch the light slowly dim in her eyes just as her body grows heavy and stops moving completely.

I pull her into me, holding her body against mine. My own, trembling with the agony I feel inside me.

I should have seen the signs. Even as kids, I knew there was something about King that wasn’t right.

“I should’ve taken you away. I should’ve taken you all away. Rion would never have become a killer for his parents. Luka, Jax, and Axel would never have gone through what they went through with their families, and we would’ve all been safe together.”

I rock her body from side to side, holding her for as long as I can. “I was supposed to protect you all and look out for you. You all trusted me, and I let you down. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby.”

“You’re right. It is all your fault.”The voice above me echoes my thoughts, sending another shard to slice through my shredded heart.

“It all started with you. Without you, none of this would have happened.”The voice is right. None of this would have happened. I should’ve stayed away from them all… I should’ve…

My body freezes as a thought hits me.

No. If I never had met the boys, then Rion would still be with his parents and Jax and Luka… I can’t even imagine what would have happened to them. Axel would never have met us, still lost and alone.

And Kiarra… She would have still met King either way.

Like a ton of steel has hit me, I blink as the realization of what could’ve been, sets in. Without me there, we’dstillall have gone through our struggles. Our own versions of Hell.

We may have broken apart, but in the end, I made sure to get each of my brothers back together. And even though the guilt of not looking harder for Kiarra won’t leave me, I have to accept the things I cannot change in order to move forward.

Even though I would’ve preferred a different outcome for us all, I wouldn’t change the outcome we have now. One where we’re altogether with Kiarra.

I need to let the rest go. And leave the past where it belongs… In the past.

It’s the only way we can all move forward.

I hug Kiarra once more, feeling her body grow lighter as she disappears. “I won’t let you down this time. I promise.”

The lab resets itself, the blood disappearing from everything but my hands—

My eyes widen as the blood starts to disappear from them too, the tightness in my chest slowly easing. I release a breath, finally starting to feel a bit lighter as the lab around me grows darker.

I take one last deep breath, closing my eyes as I’m consumed by the darkness, welcoming it one last time.

* * *

My eyes squint open,slowly adjusting to the harsh light. I’m lying on the floor in a bare room. The walls are black, the floor gray with a type of thick metal paneling on it.

“What the—”

I turn and find Axel sitting up, looking around. A couple of feet beside him is a passed out Jax. Further down lies Rion. I nod to Axel, asking him if he’s okay. He nods back, the same look in his eyes telling me he went through Hell but made it to the other side, just like me.

Axel moves to Jax, and I make my way to Rion, both waking before we reach them.

“What’s going on? Where are we now?” Jax asks, jumping up.

I help Rion up as Axel lightly punches Jax in the arm. “I don’t know. I woke up here just like you, shithead.”

Jax pats himself down before doing the same to Axel. Axel frowns at him, pushing him away. “What the hell are you doing?”

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