11
Then you’ll be gone.
King was not a man to second guess himself.Normally.But nothing had been normal since Kitty had arrived in his home.And he couldn’t think two thoughts straight without being distracted by thoughts of the girl since he’d fucked her two nights before.
And since he’d left her alone and trembling, fragile and delicate in his too-big shirt…
He’d lost his mind.That was the only certainty.He couldn’t stop replaying every moment he’d held her.Every sigh, every kiss, every moan.
The sincerity in her eyes when she’d refuted all the nefarious reasons he’d thrown out there.But she never had said why she’d done it.Why she’d let him believe she wasn’t a virgin.
If he’d known…
He ran a hand over his face.If he’d known…what?Would he have managed to show restraint?
If he had, maybe he wouldn’t be tortured by thoughts of her now.
“Well?”Beast grunted from the doorway.
King dropped his hand to face the three men and one woman gathered in his study.Loula rested against the settee where he’d had his way with Kitty.Tracker stood beside her, arms crossed and mouth shut now that he’d relayed all the information he’d collected.
The General sat in the seat opposite him, a cane nearby the only nod to his war wounds.His dark hair was graying at the temples, but his dark eyes were sharper and more intelligent than most men half his age.
Beast stood alert by the door, ever on guard.More so than ever now that he had a wife and child on the way.Not to mention little ones in this home.
King hadn’t missed the way the large pugilist had taken the little ones under his wing.He might not have seen Kitty anywhere since he’d left her alone in this room the other night, but the children had been underfoot.The housekeeper and other employees were full of laughter over the twins’ antics and the baby’s cooing, and he’d found Beast giving Kitty’s brother Jeremiah lessons in fighting only this morning.
But Kitty…
Where the hell was Kitty?
The General leaned forward.“You know where I stand on the matter.”
King nodded, rubbing his chin.The General’s level head was one of the reasons King often sought out his advice.That and because like the other members of this room, he didn’t fear King, yet he could still be trusted.
Why had Kitty lied?
He shook off the thought, and the even more irritating realization that he’d wanted to trust her.He’d wanted her to be one of the few he could trust.
But she’d lied.Or she’d let him believe a lie.
Was there a difference?
He shifted when the General sat back in his seat, the chair’s creaking breaking the silence.
King tapped a finger against the desk as he turned to face the other three.“The General here thinks we ought to avoid a war.”
The General lifted a finger.“Unless you know you can win.”
Loula grinned and leaned over to whisper something to Tracker that had his lips twitching as well.
“We can win,” Beast said.
Tracker nodded in agreement.He’d been the one to scout out Maloney’s operations, and they all knew he was right.
“He’s small time,” Loula said.Anger blazed in her eyes.“And he hurt one of yours, King.”
One of mine.Kitty’s face was suddenly all he could see, and Loula’s anger had nothing on his.