Page 33 of King's Claim
King staggered to his feet, chest heaving, blood dripping from his knuckles.His shoulder burned where the bullet had grazed him, but he barely felt it.His gaze found Lena.
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The Serpents’ clubhousereeked of smoke, spilled beer, and blood.King’s men moved through the wreckage, checking bodies, gathering weapons, making sure no one was left alive who could crawl back and bite later.
Boots thudded over broken glass.The sound of men cursing and low, grim laughter echoed against the battered walls.Lena didn’t hear much of it.
Her ears still rang with gunfire, her throat still ached where Riker’s grip had dragged her, and her pulse hadn’t slowed since King ripped him away.
Every blink brought flashes of it back.The cold press of the gun against her temple, the stink of Riker’s breath, the way he’d laughed when she screamed for King.
Her stomach lurched.She curled forward, pressing her hands to her face.
It was over.She was free, and yet her body hadn’t caught up to the truth.The room tilted when she lifted her head, but then he was there.
King filled her vision, broad shoulders blocking out the chaos behind him.His face was smeared with blood, some his, some not.His jaw was set hard, his eyes burning with a wildness that hadn’t left him since the moment he crashed into Riker.
“Lena,” King said, voice rough.
Her breath broke.A sob tore through her, raw and ugly, and she didn’t care.She surged forward, grabbing fistfuls of his cut, burying her face against his chest.His arms closed around her instantly, like steel, like salvation.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” she choked out, voice muffled against him.“I thought...God, I thought he was going to—”
King pressed his mouth to her hair, tightening his hold until she almost couldn’t breathe.“I’ve got you.I’ve got you, sweetheart.He’ll never touch you again.No one will.”
The dam inside her burst.She sobbed harder, every ounce of fear spilling out in violent tremors.Her whole body shook against him, nails digging into his back like she needed to anchor herself to his solidity or else dissolve into nothing.
“I was so scared,” she whispered.“I kept thinking, if you didn’t come, if he—”
“I’d burn this whole fucking world to the ground before I let that happen.”King said, using his hand to cradle the back of her head.“You hear me?You’re mine, Lena.And I’m never letting you go again.”
She stilled, her breath catching.She pulled back just enough to look at him.His face was brutal in the dim light.He had a cut lip, swelling bruises, blood at his temple, but his eyes burned with something she hadn’t let herself hope for.
Love.It wasn’t soft or gentle.It was fierce, possessive, a declaration carved into bone.
“You mean that?”Lena asked, voice shaking.
“More than I’ve ever meant anything.”King brushed away the tears on her cheek.“I was a fool to push you away.A coward.But losing you, Lena, it damn near killed me.I love you.And if you’ll have me, you’re mine from here on out.No excuses.No walking away.”
Her heart stopped, then lurched forward in a rush that left her dizzy.For so long she’d tried to guard herself, to keep him at arm’s length because she’d known what it meant to fall for him.
Now, after nearly losing everything, there was no room for walls left.She surged up and kissed him.
It wasn’t careful.It was desperate, bruising, a clash of teeth and lips that tasted of blood and salt and something sweeter underneath.He growled low in his chest, hauling her tighter, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
The rest of the room faded.She didn’t hear the shouts of his men, didn’t see the wreckage.There was only King, solid and burning, his mouth hot and demanding against hers.
When King pulled back, his breath was ragged, his forehead pressed to hers.
“Say it,” he rasped.
Her chest heaved. “I love you.”The truth came out raw, unguarded, undeniable.“I tried not to.I thought it would destroy me.But I love you, King.”
A groan tore from his throat, and then he was kissing her again, even rougher.
One moment, they were pressed together in the Serpents’ clubhouse.The next, King was hauling her to her feet, tugging her out through the chaos of men still clearing bodies and broken glass.His hand never left hers, fingers locked tight like he didn’t trust the universe not to rip her away again.
The ride back to the Devil’s Crown MC compound blurred past her in a haze of roaring engines and wind whipping her hair.She clung to him, pressed against his broad back, the heat of him grounding her against the storm still raging in her chest.
