Page 11 of King

Before King could demand clarification, Daniel’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening before he turned sharply on his heel, stepping out of the room as he answered the call.

“Damn it,” King muttered, glaring at the space where Daniel had stood. “Fucking cryptic as ever.” His jaw clenched as he fought the urge to punch a wall to clear his head. Daniel had a gift for dropping vague, ominous statements that begged more questions than answers, always leaving everyone chasing his meaning like a dog after a phantom scent.

“He has a way about him,” Jake smirked, seeing King’s confused expression.

King growled. “If I ever figure out what the hell he’s talking about before it’s too late, it’ll be a damn miracle.”

“Yeah, well, with the way shit is going, we’ll need every miracle we can get.” Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Sloan’s on his way.”

“Good,” King replied, his mind racing with what Daniel had said.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking of early retirement,” Jake smirked, shaking his head. “What the actual fuck. Here, I thought demons were the worst things we had to fight. Every fucking day we are fighting against new threats.”

“It’s definitely becoming our normal.” King agreed as they both turned toward Joey. Slade gave orders to the nurse, and his movements were precise and focused. Amara stood motionless, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as she watched them work. Her lips were pressed into a thin, bloodless line.

King felt a strange twist in his chest as he looked at her. It was part anger, part protectiveness, and something else he wasn’t ready to name.

“You didn’t answer her about Lee,” King said, shifting his gaze from Amara to Jake. His tone was calm, but his eyes held an edge. Across the room, Daniel had returned and was speaking quietly with Jill, who smiled faintly before leaning in to hug him.

Jake exhaled sharply, lowering his voice even more as he met King’s intense gaze. “I called in Kane to help track down Joey. He’s got his ear to the ground in places we can’t reach. He found out an unidentified body had been discovered near the river. A fisherman stumbled on Lee’s body.” Jake’s jaw clenched, the muscles working beneath his skin. “He was beaten pretty bad with a gunshot wound to the head.”

King’s eyes darkened, the familiar burn of anger simmering beneath the surface. He didn’t like Lee much, never had, but the man was Joey’s father. He’d seen glimpses of change in him, moments that hinted at a better man trying to surface. But in King’s eyes, if he had a kid like Joey, he wouldn’t just try. He’d move heaven and earth to be the father Joey deserved. “Are we sure it’s him?” His tone was sharp, the question slicing through the heavy air.

Jake glanced down briefly before meeting his gaze again. “He still had his wallet, cash, ID, the whole thing. Over two hundred bucks.” He arched a brow, his expression hard with meaning. “This wasn’t a robbery. They still need someone to do a positive ID.”

They both looked at Amara.

King’s lips pressed into a thin line. His mind raced as he pieced it together, and he then cast a glance toward Joey’s still form. “Where exactly did they find Joey?”

Jake shook his head. “Not with Lee.” He sighed heavily, frustration etching deep lines on his face. “Jessie started working the phones, calling every hospital within a hundred-mile radius. Only one John Doe matched Joey’s description, and it was here.”

King’s expression darkened even further, a scowl settling deep. “How the fuck did he get here?”

Jake’s gaze flicked toward the door and back to King. “Kane asked the ER staff. A woman brought Joey in. Nobody knows who she is. She disappeared before anyone could get any real answers.” He raised a hand to stop the barrage of questions already forming on King’s lips. “The head nurse said theywere too busy stabilizing Joey. By the time she tried to get information, the woman was gone. But the nurse gave Kane a solid description of her.”

King’s eyes sharpened with deadly intent. “You think Jill could draw her?” He nodded toward where Jill stood, her arms crossed, her eyes filled with concern.

Jake glanced over, then back. “I’m sure she will. We need to find this woman.”

King’s hands curled into tight fists at his side. He could already feel the rage building, the storm inside him growing with every unanswered question. His voice was low, almost a growl. “We’re going to get answers. And when we find the bastard who did this not even God will be able to save them.”

CHAPTER 6

Sloan set the dreaded paperwork aside with a disgusted grunt, casting a weary glance at the fax machine across the room. He hated that damn thing. His gaze shifted to Becky’s desk, now barren except for the few stacked boxes waiting to be unpacked. He missed her, but not because he had to handle the menial tasks like faxing his own documents. It was because the absence of her presence left a hollow ache in the room. Her laughter had once filled the silence, her voice calming the chaos of his days. And her smile...that smile had been his lifeline, a beacon that could pierce through the weight of his responsibilities and soothe the darkness that constantly loomed in his soul.

He’d just gotten off the phone with Jake, and once again, everything was about to blow up in their faces. “Fuck!” Sloan slammed his hands down hard on the desk, frustration rising like bile in his throat. But the call wasn’t the only thing gnawing at him. Shit hitting the fan had become an everyday occurrence in his life. It was his attitude on every damn thing. He was ready to blow...literally lose his shit.

Since Becky had quit and was no longer his secretary, things between them felt...off. Strained, distant, like a thread stretched too far, threatening to snap. He didn’t think all their problems stemmed from her quitting; there was something else. Something she was keeping from him. Sloan ran a hand through his hair, frustration building inside him. He was good at many things—leading, fighting, strategizing, but when it came to his Mate, the one person who mattered most, he felt inadequate.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as his mind raced. How had things gotten so fucking complicated? She was his world, his reason for pushing forward through the endless bullshit that was his job. And yet, he couldn’t seem to bridge the gap that had formed between them.

The door creaked open, and Jared stepped inside. His expression shifted from curious to mildly amused as he saw Sloan sitting at his desk, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Paperwork finally break you, boss?” Jared asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Sloan straightened, his practiced mask of not giving a shit sliding back into place. “What in the fuck do you want?” he asked, his tone clipped and edged with warning.

“Just checking in.” Jared grinned, holding up his hands in mock surrender as he flopped into the chair in front of Sloan’s desk. “How was your Christmas?”

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