Killian (Hope City #8) - Kris Michaels Page 0,47

with a resounding thunk. The pain in his head didn’t even register over the thudding in his leg. “Oh, dear merciful heavens, please give me the strength.”

The ambulance pulled up and the passenger door opened. “Sir, I’m Charlie Snider. Can you tell me what happened? “

Killian explained and let himself be led to the ambulance as Bekki answered Officer Arnett’s questions. She was right, there were several news station vans that appeared shortly after more cop cars filled the street. Yellow crime scene tape kept the reporters at bay.

But not Brock King.

Killian was sitting on the back bumper of the ambulance with his newly minted scar bandaged. He was listening to a lecture on how smart it would be to go to the emergency room when Brock King lifted the yellow tape and flashed his badge at the patrolman manning the cordon.

“What the fuck happened?” Brock strode up to him. “What are you and Bekki doing in this part of town? Where is she?”

“Holding court.” He nodded to where Bekki was talking to not one but four officers. She glanced over and smiled at Brock and then winked and smiled at him.

Her brother growled under his breath. “That woman will be the death of someone. Mark my words.”

“She was nearly kidnapped tonight. Or worse.” Killian wasn’t going to have Brock talk bad about what she’d done. The woman had stronger intestinal fortitude than most men he knew.

Brock’s head snapped toward him. “Explain that.”

He did, in short, concise sentences. Brock rubbed the back of his neck. “Damn it.”

“Yeah,” Killian agreed.

As he watched, the sea of blue suits that had formed on the corner parted and Chauncey King strode right past the two of them up to where Bekki was talking. He wrapped her in his arms, and she hugged her father. The cops surrounding them dispersed like fog on a warm day.. He stood and cringed at the ache in his thigh, which had surpassed the stinging burn of where the bullet had burned a mark against his skin.

Brock turned to him. “So, you and my bratty baby sister, huh?”

Killian straightened to his full six foot, six inches and glared at the homicide detective. “I dare you to call her that to her face.”

Brock held his stare for a full thirty seconds before he smiled. “Nah, I like my balls just fine where they are. She’d knee me in a heartbeat.”

Killian chuckled and extended his hand. “It’s new. Your mother doesn’t even know.”

Brock’s eyebrows lifted heavenward, but he clasped Killian’s hand anyway. “You don’t say?”

Shit, he’d fucked up. “No way, man, you can’t. That’s against the Bro Code. Seriously, you can’t say anything.” Killian shook his head in warning.

A deep laugh rolled out of Brock. “Oh, I so can. The Bro Code doesn’t apply to us, we’re practically family. Besides, that little minx has it coming to her.” Brock dropped the hand clasp and slapped his hands together, rubbing them briskly before he taunted, “Hover Mother, activate.” Brock laughed again and slapped Killian on the back, sending him forward onto his sore leg. He winced and shook his head. Whatever. It wasn’t really his fault the cat was out of the bag. He was blaming the son of a bitch that had tried to push Bekki into the car.

Chapter 12

“You want me to do what?” He hissed the words as he stared out of his bedroom window.

“I don’t believe I need to repeat myself. There are still stumbling blocks to reaching our goal, one of which you will help us eliminate.”

“Do you realize who she is?”

“Do I care?”

“She’s the police commissioner’s daughter!” His gut rolled with the realization that this was the second time he’d been involved in putting Chauncey King’s daughters in danger. The first incident, he’d had no idea who the woman was. This time… God, what had he done?

“Inconsequential. She’s in the way and she needs to be removed.”

“We don’t even know if she’s put two and two together. What if they ID the man you sent?” He couldn’t push his source any further without questions being raised and any pointed inquiries would expose too much. His gut told him Bekki King was on their trail. She was as tenacious as her fucking father and brothers. He wiped the sweat from his face and shook his head. The walls were closing in. He could barely breathe.

“If they catch him, he’s a professional. They will get nothing before we eliminate him.”

“There has to be a way to make her