Page 29 of King

“No,” Kane said, his tone calm but heavy with implication.

“I did,” she finally answered but offered nothing else.

“What happened to him?” Kane knew she was playing a game, but he was good at ending games quickly as she was about to learn.

“I don’t know.” She said with a frown. “I found him like that.”

“Who did this to him?” Kane didn’t let up; his eyes narrowed because he knew for a fact that this woman knew more than what she was saying.

“I just said I found him like that,” she snapped, her tone defensive, but her eyes gave her away. There was a flicker of fear before she masked it with defiance.

“Bullshit,” Kane said, leaning forward so quickly that she flinched. Her eyes went wide, but she held her ground. “You know exactly what happened to him and who did it. What are you afraid of?”

Her lips parted, but she hesitated. Her eyes darted to the crowd, scanning for eavesdroppers. Finally, her shoulders sagged slightly, and she lowered her voice to a whisper. “These people...you don’t want to mess with them.”

Kane tilted his head, his smirk sharp and humorless. “I’m sure I’ve messed with worse,” he said coldly. “Now, tell me. Who the fuck did this to him?”

Her hands tightened around the bottle, her knuckles white. She stared at him, her lips pressing into a thin line before finally speaking. “You don’t understand. If I tell you, it’s not just me they’ll come for.”

Kane’s voice softened, though the steel behind it remained. “Then you better hope you’re under my protection when they do. Start talking.”

Confusion rushed across her face. “Who are you?” She whispered, and then her eyes widened in realization and then fear. “Warrior.”

“Fuck no,” Kane spat, then a smirk curved the corner of his mouth. “Dark Guardian.”

“No, no, no, no...” She cringed as her whole badass façade completely vanished. “I can’t be seen talking to you. Please, I didn’t do anything to the kid except take him to get help. Just let it go.”

“Can’t do that,” Kane said, realizing there was much more to the story here, and went deeper than any of them realized. His gaze went to the others in the pub, stopping on one man looking their way. He let his gaze drop to his phone. “Give me your number.”

“What?” She frowned, shaking her head. “Ah, I don’t think so.”

“Listen to me and listen very carefully.” Kane smiled at her as if they were having a casual conversation, knowing the man was still watching them. “We have eyes on us right now. I don’t know what you are involved in, but you better fucking answer your phone when I call or text you. If you don’t believe me when I tell you that I, along with every fucking Dark Guardian, will be searching for you, and I always find what I’m searching for.”

Cursing, she quickly rattled off her phone number. “Are we done?”

He noticed her hand shaking almost uncontrollably as she brought the beer to her lips, draining the rest of the bottle. She was terrified of someone or something, maybe him, and he was okay with that. He scared a lot of people, but he also got what he wanted, and he wanted fucking answers. He quickly pulled out his phone and called the number she gave him. “Depends.”

“On?” She set the bottle down.

“Whether you gave me the correct phone number.” He countered, watching her closely.

The woman’s expression didn’t shift much, but her movements betrayed a flicker of tension. She took her phone from her pocket, glanced at the screen, and then placed it face-up on the table so Kane could see his missed call.

“Happy now?” she asked, her voice clipped but steady.

Kane’s smile widened, though his eyes betrayed a darker intent. “Not until I find the bastards responsible for hurting a kid.” His smile faded, his gaze sharpening like the edge of a blade. He studied her face, watching for any sign of guilt, hoping she wasn’t involved.

She tensed slightly but kept her gaze steady, her jaw tightening as if holding back words.

Kane leaned back in his chair, his voice low and deliberate. “You best go. I’ll be in touch.” He paused, his eyes flicking briefly past her to a figure in the crowd. “This isn’t the place to have this conversation. Your watcher just made a phone call.”

Her expression faltered, and she instinctively glanced toward the shadows of the room. Fear flashed in her eyes before she quickly masked it, but Kane caught it.

He tilted his head, his voice soft but laced with warning. “Word of advice—watch your back.”

“I can take care of myself.” She stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the wooden floor. Without another word, she turned but stopped, looking at Kane over her shoulder. “The kid...is he okay?”

“He’s alive.” Was all Kane said, not missing the brief flash of relief in her eyes. She nodded, then turned and walked out of the pub, her shoulders stiff as if bracing for whatever storm lay ahead.

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