Page 335 of Conquered

“You ready?” I ask Kai, pausing him with my hand on his bicep. He turns to face me, and it takes more effort than I’d like to admit not to flinch at the sight of his cold, dead eyes, all the warmth drained away.

“Yes.”

I loosen my grip, letting him go, but the stiffness in my shoulders remains as I watch him.

“Let’s get this show on the road, brother,” Loki says, his usual, teasing tone gone and replaced with the hard Knight that we’ve all been moulded into.

Taking one final, deep inhale, I draw my own darkness to the front, letting my inner demon take over for this bloody night’s work.

One last life to take.

LILLY

The pains increase steadily as the day wears on, becoming more intense and frequent as evening draws in. When we returned from our walk, Mai helped me to set up the main living area asmy birth space; placing affirmation cards around the room, and plugging in fairy lights that she’d brought with her. The twins helped to set up the bluetooth speaker, and the classical playlist that Loki and I had created specifically for the birth is playing softly in the background. There’s a sharp pain in my chest which has nothing to do with my labour and everything to do with my missing Knights.

I keep walking round the space, pausing and breathing every time a contraction hits me. It’s full night-time now, the moon shining through the French doors, the curtains left open at my insistence. I’m looking out into the darkness as another pain tightens my abdomen, and I grab hold of the back of a chair in a tight grip as it washes over me.

“That’s it, just breathe through them, Lilly,” Mai soothes, rubbing my back in circles. “You are doing so well, sweetheart.”

Tears sting my eyes at the endearment. It’s Kai’s new nickname for me, and I would give anything to have him here. To have all of them here.

“They’re getting stronger,” I pant out, straightening up once it passes and resuming my pacing, Mai giving me the space to walk.

“And closer together,” she says with a smile. “Baby is growing impatient to meet its mama.”

“Here,” Rowan says, holding out a bottle of some kind of sports drink. “You need to keep your energy levels up, especially as you haven’t eaten much.”

I take a sip, my heart aching when mango fills my mouth and I remember Jax taking care of me in his truck after Julian had said those awful things at the paintballing centre.

I gasp as another searing pain hits me, and Rowan quickly grabs the bottle before I can accidentally drop it. I grasp his arm, digging my nails in as I pant, this pain stronger than the last and much sooner.

A cool cloth smelling of lavender is pressed to my forehead as the contraction subsides, and I sigh, breathing in the relaxing scent. It reminds me of all the bubble baths the guys ran for me.

“Sorry.” I wince when I see the crescents in Rowan’s forearms left from my nails digging in.

“No worries, pixie,” he assures me with a grin.

The next hour or so is more of the same, walking and panting through the pains, time slipping away as I get lost in my own body and the war that is raging inside me.

I come to realise that’s what birth is, a war with only one outcome. Your body is literally being ripped apart, and all you can do is ride the waves of agony, praying that you both come out of the other side.

JAX

Agony contorts Stephen’s face as the cat-o-nine tail lands on his torn-up back, blood spraying over Kai holding the whip.Can You Hear Me Nowby The Score plays loudly in the background, Loki dancing around like a fucking insane person as the lyrics ramp us all up to a state of fury.

I lift my gaze to Kai, watching as he observes his handiwork with a cold detachment that’s fucking scary. His chest is bare and glistening with crimson drops and splatter covering his face as he brings the whip down again.

Stephen struggles against his binds, crying out around his gag, but Ash tied him up good, hanging from the basement ceiling as Kai requested, so the fucking paedo isn’t going anywhere. The beast inside me purrs in approval at the bastard finally getting what he deserves. Kai meting out the punishmentthat his uncle gave him all those years ago is the icing on the cake.

Tears track down the man’s face, fucking pathetic sack of shit. He’s saying something, and Ash steps forward, removing his gag.

“What was that, Stephen?” he asks, and a dark bark of laughter bursts out of me at Ash’s tone. It’s like we’re in one of those shitty board meetings at Black Knight HQ, his tone bored and unemotional.

“P–p–please,” Stephen rasps out, the whites of his eyes showing as he looks at Ash.

“Did you listen to a small boy’s pleas, Stephen?” Ash questions and his voice is fucking arctic, his hand fisting in Stephen’s hair. He holds his grip as another hit lands on the man’s back, and we all relish in his loud scream, the sound unhindered by the gag.

Roughly, Ash lets go, stepping away and leaving bloody shoe prints on the concrete floor. Luckily, he’s wearing his father’s shoes, we all are except Kai who has plastic shoe covers over the top of his. Gotta keep up appearances and all that, footwear marks are evidence after all.