Page 240 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

I nod my head, realizing that even though it’s only been a few days, this is now my home, and I don’t want to be anywhere else. “Home.”

Kai shares a look with me, and then the guys, before nodding his head to the men.

I go to move off him, but his grip tightens. “Stay.”

The men look wary but approach Kai and the others like they would a vicious beast. His two bodyguards span out around them. The one closest to me assesses the room, frowning at each of the guys before landing on me. His eyes travel down my body, reminding me of the men back at King’s tower.

“When you’re finished with her, can I take her off your hands?” He licks his lips, making my body turn stiff.

The temperature in the room suddenly drops as each of the guys turns a murderous glare on him. Seconds is all it takes for Kai to place me in Luka’s lap and have the bodyguard up against the wall by his throat.

What’s with everyone thinking I’m an escort for hire? I glance down at my dress, wondering if it really is see-through and maybe I missed it.

“Kai. It doesn’t matter.” I was used to much worse from the men back in King’s Tower.

“No one gets to make you feel uncomfortable, baby. No one,” Jax tells me, moving closer to Kai and the guard.

Scales slide down Axel’s right hand as he rolls his shoulders back, standing up. Flames engulf his hand, his eyes pulsing gold as he makes his way over to Kai and the guard.

“Looks like we’re having a barbecue.”

“Guys.” But they ignore me. Even the men and fellow bodyguard stay quiet as Kai slowly drains the life from him.

“Luka, do someth—” I glance down at Luka, finding his shadows rising off his skin like black flames. His body is stiff, and his hands are fisted at his side.

“She’s… just… a stupid… whore… Why—” the guard wheezes out.

I wince, hearing a deep growl. Turning back to Kai, I watch him snap the guard’s neck, just as Axel’s flames burns his body. It happens in seconds, leaving behind nothing but ash.

“Guess you’re going to need another guard,” Jax tells the men with a smile. “I’d suggest getting one who knows when to keep his mouth shut,” he adds with a nod, making him look fucking crazy.

“Leave. Now.” Kai’s voice is guttural, sounding barely human.

“Of course. We’ll… discuss the issue another time. Apologies to your…”

“Mate. She’s our fucking mate,” Luka tells him, clenching his jaw.

The men’s eyes widen before they back out of the room slowly, keeping their eyes down.

Luka closes his eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths before looking at me. “Go to him. He needs you right now.”

I run my hands down the side of his face. “What about you?”

“I’m fine. Kai needs you more.”

I kiss Luka’s cheek and get up to go over to Kai. His back is to me, his muscles bunched with the rise and fall of his harsh and uneven breaths.

“I’m not going to apologize, Kiarra. No one gets to talk to or about you or look at you like that. Ever.”

I walk around to his front. His eyes are squeezed shut. I lift my hand to his face just as he opens them. They’re nearly completely black with a red iris. Instead of being afraid like I think he expects, I feel drawn to them, as though it calls to something inside me.

Just like Jax, my own darkness wants to reach out to his.

He waits to see what I will do, how I will react to this side of him. I step into him, wrapping my arms around his body. His body shudders before relaxing into my embrace.

Maybe it’s the years of torture with King that desensitized me to the gruesome death, but seeing Kai upset becomes my focus instead of the dead guard.

He wraps his arms around my back and nuzzles into me.

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