Page 63 of King

Even if everything about her life had changed, even if she had no idea what was happening inside her...she still had Joey and King. And right now, that was enough.

CHAPTER 28

King strode toward the compound, his jaw tight, his mind already back at his place. He wanted this over with. The sooner he met with Sloan, the sooner he could get back to Amara.

After settling Joey in, Sloan had called, asking him to come to his office. King hadn’t questioned it. When Sloan called, you answered. But that didn’t mean he liked leaving Amara.

Viktor and Bishop had shown up just before he left, joining Adam and Steve at his place. They told him that Sloan had sent them. It was reassurance that Amara would be protected while he was gone. Still, it didn’t sit right with him.

He had asked her to come with him, but she had chosen to stay with Joey. He understood she didn’t want to leave Joey, but that didn’t stop the uneasy feeling crawling up his spine. He would have felt better with her by his side, where he could see her, where he could protect her himself.

He couldn’t shake the restlessness inside him when she was out of his sight. His instincts told him something was coming and soon.

King stepped into Sloan’s office, his senses on high alert, even in a place that should have felt familiar. The room was empty except for Becky, who stood at the fax machine, her fingers deftly working the controls. She turned at the sound of his entrance, offering him a knowing smile.

“Hi, King.”

“Hey,” he greeted, his gaze sweeping over the office before settling back on her. His lips quirked into a smirk. “So, how did Sloan bribe you into faxing his stuff?”

Becky raised an eyebrow, her smile turning slow and mischievous. “You really want me to answer that?”

King’s smirk dropped instantly. “Yeah, forget I asked.” He snorted, shaking his head as she laughed. He definitely didn’t need to hear about Sloan’s personal business with his mate. Some things were better left unknown.

His eyes flicked around the office, noticing how much neater it looked. The usual piles of paperwork were no longer threatening to topple over, and the random clutter Sloan never seemed to care about had been cleared away. It felt… different. Less chaotic.

“You’ve been busy,” he observed, nodding toward the cleaned-up space.

Becky chuckled as she moved back to her desk, sliding a stack of papers into a drawer. “Someone had to do it. You know Sloan. He gets caught up in everything but organization.”

King huffed a quiet laugh but didn’t respond. His mind wasn’t really here, to be honest, it was back home, with Amara. Even standing in Sloan’s office, he felt the pull toward her, an invisible tether that tightened with every second he spent away.

Becky glanced up at him, her expression softening. “He’ll be right back.”

King gave a short nod, rolling his shoulders to shake off the unease creeping in. The sooner he got this meeting over with, the sooner he could return to where he wanted to be.

King barely had time to get comfortable before Sloan walked in, trailed by Daniel, Charger, and Ryker. The air in the room instantly shifted, thick with tension. King met each of their gazes, nodding in acknowledgment before zeroing in on Sloan.

“You said be here. I’m here.” His tone was clipped as his eyes flicked to Daniel. “What’s up?”

Sloan snorted, dropping into his chair. “I wish some of these other assholes were that damn obedient.” His smirk faded as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “We got a name from one of the pricks you beat the shit out of.”

King’s body tensed, his muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike. “Who?” His voice came out low, deadly.

“Valkas,” Ryker answered, stepping forward. His expression was grim, his jaw tight. “The guy never saw him but heard the name. He’s a Warlock, one known to work closely with demons. I had a few run-ins with him in the past. Nasty piece of shit who will do anything for power and money. He will go to any lengths to carry out whatever job he’s given if the pay and prestige are good.”

King’s hands curled into fists. “Where can I find this fucker?” His voice was razor-sharp, edged with the barely controlled rage burning inside him. Every second wasted was a second Amara was in danger.

“He’s not the main character in this chaos,” Daniel said before Ryker could respond. “There’s a demon orchestrating my demise. Actually, there are many salivating to take me out, but one main demon so far who is trying to use Amara to do that. Valkas is our key to finding out who that is.”

King’s patience was wearing thin. “And?” His growl was a warning. He didn’t have time for riddles or half-measures.

“We need to make a trip into the Demon Realm,” Charger said, his expression unreadable. “Are you ready for that?”

King let out a sharp breath, the anticipation surging through his veins like fire. “Fuck yes, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“Not yet,” Daniel said smoothly.

King snapped his gaze to him, barely restraining another growl threatening to escape. “And why the hell not?”

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