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"What I saw there, Wes, God, I—I had to help her. But Vic… He was E's right-hand man and security. E was…and Vic, he held the girl—"
Jesus fuck.
"I killed him."
Those three words were spoken so low that it takes me longer than it should to comprehend them. King has stopped moving but won't look at me.
I wait.
"I surprised E from behind and stabbed him in the side of the neck. Here." She touches the side of her own neck with her free hand. "The blade slid in like a hot knife through butter, which was exactly what went through my mind. This was like slicing butter—until I hit…bone. But it wasn't butter that was spilling over my blade and hand."
Her voice is detached, and I don't dare interrupt her.
"The girl started screaming, and Vic noticed what I had done—he had been facing the other way. Like he didn't give two fucks what his boss was doing to this poor girl. She was supposed to start working at The Pole the following week. Vic…he—"
"Did he hurt you?" I can't stop myself. I scan every inch of visible skin for scars or signs of old injuries.
"No. He… Vic stared at me and then…left."
"He left?"What the—
"I couldn't focus on it at the time. I had to help the girl. She was bleeding from where E had hit her. His body was at our feet, and she was still naked. She went into shock, wouldn't talk or respond. I didn't know what to do. I had killed my boss. There were witnesses, not to mention the entire club was wired with cameras. I would go to jail." Her tears resemble a downpour against a pane of glass. "I wrapped the girl in a blanket and drove her to the emergency room. Once she was taken care of, I—"
Suddenly, King folds into herself. She kneels in the middle of the hiking path and rocks back and forth. She drops her head to her knees, and my lungs compress at the sight. I've seen this before. This was how Rhys reacted to finding Lilly's Jeep flipped upside down on the side of the road. I peer in either direction, but we're the only people up here.
Fuck it.
I sit down next to her and pull her into my lap. She curls into me, and I hold her tight, rocking both of us as one would soothe an upset child.
It takes her forever to regain some control. It could've been just a few minutes, but it sure as shit felt like hours.
"I drove back to the club. It was nearly six, and E was dead in the middle of the bar's main room. I did the only thing I could. I called the one person I knew would help me."
"Who—"
"Please don't ask," she cuts me off, and I swallow the remark on my tongue.
Who would she have been able to call who could make a dead body and a bunch of security videos disappear? I mean, I know who I'd call, but I doubt King has Lilly's or George's numbers. I have so many questions, and it's clear I won't get any answers to them.
"He told me to go home and wait for his call. He'd take care of everything. Then, he ordered me to run. I could not stay in one place for more than a few weeks until no one would be looking for E anymore. I left town before the club reopened that night. From what Kiwi told me, E was reported missing. I also never checked back on the girl. I should've gone back, but I was too scared."
"This is how you ended up in Stonebriar?"
King nods against my chest, and I hug her tighter.
"Why didn't you keep moving?" Deep down, I know the answer, which makes my stomach flip in a good and bad way at the same time.
"You."
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
After that,uh, confession, we walk—both of us in our own thoughts. When I check my phone, I am shocked to see that it is almost two in the afternoon. I've missed my morning classes, and practice starts at four. It'll take us forty-five minutes to get back to town limits, and I don't have my gear with me. I can't afford to miss another practice.
After ditching last Wednesday and barely being present the rest of the week—thanks to my constant state of hangover—Coach will have my balls if I don't show. At the same time, I don't want to leave King.
Her confiding in me brought this—us—to a different playing field. I thought I would be able to walk away, despite what I witnessed last night. Now, there is no chance in hell I can leave her side again. Kingsley Monroe is one of the fiercest women I've ever met, and I know some strong fucking girls.
I squeeze her hand lightly. Her eyes are haunted, and I'm worried about what recalling the events after having the nightmare mere hours prior has done to her. I stop and spin her toward me. "We should probably head back."
