Page 29 of Black Bay Enforcer (Beasts of Black Bay #3)

August forced his mouth into a tight smile to keep from curling his lip in disdain.

The venue for Katherine’s birthday party was lovely – rustic yet refined.

The guests Harper invited were anything but.

Her family was solidly upper-middle class, yet many of them dressed and acted like trailer trash.

One man, who he believed was Harper’s Uncle Charlie, had a bushy, unkempt gray beard, his arms were covered in badly faded, poorly done tattoos, and he was wearing a t-shirt with the word HUGE over the silhouette of a rooster. Charming .

An overly endowed woman in a pair of obscenely short denim shorts nearly fell out of her flimsy tank top every time she bent over – and she’d already bent over at least five times in the last ten minutes for no reason August could discern – while another woman, a rather large one, was testing the structural integrity of a pair of purple yoga pants she’d paired with a hideous chartreuse top.

Meanwhile, on the sprawling lawn, a younger set that had to be Katherine’s friends embarrassed themselves with a childish game of tag.

Still, August would persevere with his mission.

He’d already begun planting the seeds as soon as he’d arrived, playing the part of the remorseful father looking to make up for his past neglect.

Harper had not been happy to see him. She hadn’t bothered to hide her displeasure as her eyes had skated over him with thinly veiled disgust before she’d snapped out, “What are you doing here?”

“You invited me, Harper.”

“Yes, well, we both know that’s merely a courtesy. Up to now, you’ve respected that.”

He put on a fair show of molding his expression into one of contrition and launched into the speech he’d rehearsed. “I’ve recently taken a long, hard look at my past behavior. I have regrets, Harper. The biggest one is that I missed so much time with Katherine.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you dying?”

August blinked, wishing he’d thought of that. What better angle than a man facing his own mortality? Katherine surely would have invited him to visit her at Black Bay out of sympathy alone.

Harper waved her hand dismissively. “Whatever. I don’t care.

We both know how this will go, August. I give it half an hour, tops, and your phone will ring, and off you’ll go.

” She made a little running gesture with her fingers.

Then, with a sad shake of her head, she turned on her heel. “Enjoy the party while you can.”

“I don’t have my phone on me,” he called to her retreating back but she just waved a hand over her head.

He’d been determined to see his plan through, and to avoid interruptions, he’d left all of his devices in the truck he was still driving.

Wandering over to the gift table, he took in the colorfully wrapped packages.

His was the smallest, but he’d wager it was the most expensive.

His assistant had shown him the lovely two-carat diamond earrings he’d picked out before he’d wrapped the box.

It was a gift meant to impress and August made sure to place it right in front.

Somebody let out a short, startled scream and he jerked around. He expected to see one of the ruffians causing trouble not a team of armed soldiers in full tactical gear rushing the venue.

“August Cleary!”

He froze in disbelief and the next thing he knew, he was being shoved face-down on the ground as his arms were wrenched behind his back with so much force he thought they were trying to dislocate his shoulders.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

He felt the zip ties tighten painfully around his wrists before he was jerked roughly back up to his feet. Everyone was staring at him, open-mouthed, a few were even taking pictures, maybe even video, with their phones.

“I demand to know what this is about!”

The soldiers ignored him, dragging him off.

“Release me! I know my rights!”

As they continued to haul him bodily away, he yelled, “Harper! Call my lawyer!”

Moments later, he was thrown into the back of a black van, surrounded by stone-faced soldiers who refused to tell him anything.

Katherine sat on the couch in a daze as the conversation drifted around her.

She wasn’t sure what they were talking about, she hadn’t been able to focus much, her thoughts too scattered, but she was grateful the girls were with her.

She didn’t want to be alone. Logically, she knew she was safe here, but logic wasn’t really playing a role right now.

She kept reliving the moment Kong was shot, the sight of him lying on the ground somehow merging with the dead body in the trunk, the psychotic glint in her captor’s eyes. She shivered and rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms.

“Let me get you another blanket.”

Katherine wasn’t sure who had said it but she felt the couch shift under her as one of the women got up. A moment later, she felt the weight of another blanket being settled around her shoulders.

Tears prickled behind her eyes and she felt one of them spill over, tracking a hot path down her cheek.

These friends of hers were so good to her.

They’d stayed with her and helped her into the shower.

Paige, she remembered, had gotten in with her, clothes and all, to help her remove the filth of that psycho’s touch.

Then they’d helped dry her, helped her into some warm clothes, and walked her into the living room where they’d wrapped her in a blanket and tended her injuries before they’d pressed a glass of wine into her hands.

They never asked for any details of what had happened, they’d simply stayed with her.

She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there, numb to her surroundings, but a scent hit her nose that finally woke her up. They must have grabbed the blanket from the bed. It smelled like Kong.

Kong. Panic suddenly gripped her in a chokehold. She needed to see him to make sure she hadn’t dreamt that he was still alive.

Clumsily, she lurched to her feet, the forgotten wine glass dropping from her hand but Perrin somehow managed to catch it before it could hit the floor.

“Where’s Kong?” She looked around the apartment frantically. “Where is he?”

She was petrified they’d tell her he was dead.

The women all stood and Lynx held up a phone. “I’ll call him. Right now.”

“He’s alive?” Her eyes skittered from one face to another, searching for the truth. Kong on the ground, not moving, his white shirt stained with blood…

Jayla’s arm came around her. “Yes, hon. He’s alive. He’s fine. He had to interrogate a prisoner, but he’ll come.”

She didn’t bother to stifle her sob as her tears fell fast and heavy. Alive. He was alive. He’d come for her. It hadn’t been a dream. Her knees went weak and Jayla helped her back down to the couch.

“I’m putting you on speaker, Kong,” Lynx said. “Talk to Katherine. She needs to hear your voice.”

“Katherine? Love?”

She let out a keening cry at the sound of his voice so strong and deep.

“I’m here, Katherine. I’m on my way to you right now.”

He spoke to her the entire way back, so that she couldn’t for one second doubt that he was alive, and when he burst through the door, he came straight to her, gathering her up in the warmth of his strong arms. Only then did the chills that had racked her truly subside.

Katherine clung to him as the women quietly left them alone. Kong spoke to her softly, soothingly as he held her. “I’m here. I love you, Katherine. I’ll always come when you call.”

They stayed like that for several minutes until Katherine suddenly jerked her head back to stare at his chest. He was still wearing the dress pants from earlier, but he’d shed the blood-stained button-down for a black t-shirt.

Her hand rose, her fingers trembling as she tentatively touched his chest where he’d been shot, finding no wound or bandage.

“How? I saw him shoot you. I saw the blood…” Her chin quivered but she quickly got a handle on it. Swallowing hard, her eyes met his, and he saw the confusion in her gaze. She didn’t know, he realized. She must not have been told. She must have thought Godwin had killed him.

“I thought you knew.” He hugged her close, burying his face in her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“Knew what?”

Kong raised his head. “The Beasts, the majority of us, can heal almost any injury.”

Her eyes went to his chest again. “How is that possible?”

“Something engineered into our DNA that stumped the scientists that were brought in after we were freed. Only the lead geneticist knows the secret and she refuses to talk.” Not that Kong cared what that unknown marker was.

Usually, the only thing he cared about was that it made him a more efficient soldier.

Today, he was grateful for it for Katherine’s sake.

If he’d died, it was likely no one would have found her in time.

The very thought made his lungs constrict painfully.

Katherine grabbed hold of his shirt and frantically tugged it loose from his pants. “I need to see.”

Placing her gently back on her feet, Kong helped her pull his shirt off and stood still as she looked at his unmarked chest.

Her fingers traced delicately over his sternum. “That is amazing. There isn’t even a mark here.” She tipped her chin to look at his face. “If I hadn’t seen you…” Tears welled in her eyes but she blinked them back as she breathed deeply through her nose.

“Luckily, he missed my heart or I would have been out longer.”

“Out longer ?” she asked in clear disbelief. “Are you telling me you could survive being shot in the heart?”

Kong nodded. “We can’t regrow limbs, but as long as we’re well fed and well rested, we can heal almost anything else. We might be unconscious for a while as our bodies make repairs, but we’ll wake up. Lark took two bullets, point blank to the head, and survived.”

That hadn’t been all that long ago, either. When she woke up, she’d suffered some temporary memory loss, but she’d healed up with no problem.

“Wow.” Katherine looked gobsmacked and while he wasn’t surprised by the reaction, he’d rather talk about her.

Gently, he feathered his fingers over her cheek. “How are you doing?”

She waved away his concern. “It hurts, but I’ll heal.” She shot him a teasing look. “Just not as fast as you.”

So fucking strong.

“Were you able to find out how that psycho knew my father?”

General Davies had permitted Kong to tell Katherine about August Cleary, that he was even now being brought in for questioning, he just wasn’t sure how she would take it. She’d already been through hell today.

At his continued hesitation, she prompted, “Kong?”

“Here, let’s sit down.”

She came willingly, settling onto his lap and Kong absently combed his fingers through her hair.

In a low voice, he told her about Terrence Godwin – who he’d been to Kong, and how he’d become entangled with her father – then, he dropped the bomb.

“We believe your father is trying to start a war. He’s being brought to Black Bay now and will be detained for questioning. ”

She was silent for so long that Kong began to worry. “Katherine? Are you okay?”

“Well, it makes sense, doesn’t it? Who profits more from a war than the person who makes the guns?”

Surprisingly, her tone was neutral, matter-of-fact – too matter-of-fact. He wondered if it had fully penetrated.

“That bastard!”

There it was.

She exploded off his lap in a sudden burst of righteous fury.

“I can’t believe him!” She pointed a stiff finger at Kong, all tightly contained rage.

“I hope you nail his ass to the wall!” She stomped across the floor, fuming.

“I hope you bury his ass in a deep, dark hole somewhere and throw away the key!”

“We will. Don’t you worry about that.”

Planting her balled fists on her hips, she narrowed her eyes as she stared at an empty spot on the wall. “I want to be there when you question him.”

He hadn’t expected that. “Er…”

She snapped her head around to look at him. “Not in the same room, but is there someplace I can see him and hear him?”

“Yes,” he replied hesitantly.

Katherine nodded sharply as if his confirmation meant it was a done deal. “Good. I’ll be able to tell you if he’s lying. I’ve learned his tells, the slimy bastard.”

They wouldn’t need that, not with Lark, but he understood her need to help, to feel useful, and he couldn’t deny her. But first… “Are you sure, Katherine?” She’d been through enough.

Her expression was one of savage delight. “Oh, yes. I’m sure.”