Page 35

Thirty-Four

Killian

After breakfast was over, I went to the guest house to change out of the sweatpants and sweater. When I left, I told Reign I would see her when I get back and we could do something.

I changed into a navy compression shirt and black shorts. I’m hoping this hike with Malcom doesn’t take long. He says he wants to go on this hike to get to know each other a little more and have some fucking guy time but I know what his plan his.

He knows he won’t be able to get rid of me. He knows I’m here to stay, or at least that’s what he thinks.

I’m still trying to figure out myself what the hell I’m even still doing here.

Yea it definitely has to do with the girl who has big blue eyes and loves playing in flower fields or just talking to the stars.

My dad called me after breakfast, but I ignored it.

Malcom is giving me enough goddamn stress that I shouldn’t be dealing with so answering my dad was something that I wasn’t going to deal with as well.

Ever since Malcom asked me to hike with him, my stomach has been churning and my mind has been just going into an overthinking drive.

I all of a sudden just feel a wave of anxiety hit because something isn’t fucking right.

I usually trust my gut so that’s why I bring my matches and gun just in case anything happens.

I walk out the front door and see Malcom stretching. He’s wearing a muscle t-shirt and shorts.

I walk up to him, and Malcom turns his head to me. “Killian.”

“Malcom,” I say in a monotone.

“Let’s talk, yea?” Malcom says as he starts to walk towards the exit of his estate. I follow, walking at the same pace as him. “I’m curious, do you know why your dad and I don’t get along?” Malcom asks, looking at me with a questioning look.

We end up walking out of his estate and towards the trail he’s talking about.

“No. I don’t get involved in anyone’s business unless it concerns me.”

“Well, I’m going to tell you a story. Your dad and I used to be business associates; some would even call us friends.”

“What happened?” I ask, indulging.

“Well, a few weeks before the day I met you at the annual ball, your dad killed my brother.”

“Why? There must've been a reason. My dad only kills someone who is a threat to him.”

“Your dad told me it was because my brother talked badly about your mom.” Malcom looks at me for my reaction, but I don’t show one.

I just look back at him and say, “Then I have no sympathy for your brother. Anyone who talks bad about my mom to my face will die. I won’t even feel sorry for it.”

Malcom nods his head. “I understand that. But he was still my family.”

“So, this vendetta you have against me is because of my dad for that?” Malcom nods his head. “You shouldn’t have any sort of vendetta against me because I’m not the one who killed your brother. I was a kid when that happened and obviously didn’t know until now. Plus, I’m not my dad.”

“I’ve realized that now,” Malcom agrees. “But you also aren’t completely different from him. It's funny, you both have the same weapon of choice while your sister and mom have the same weapon of choice.”

“Mom daughter and dad son duo.” I shrug. ”Do you not like fire?”

“Fire killed my brother,” Malcom reveals. I stay quiet, not really knowing what to say. “My daughter likes you,” he states, making my heart rate start to speed up. “At first, I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the fact that my daughter would like a guy like you.”

“A guy like me?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“A villain. You aren’t a hero, Killian, and you don’t pretend to be. I always imagined my Reign, my sweet, beautiful princess would fall in love with a good guy. Someone like Jamie but then you come in and she made it her mission to make you open up and try new things. Ever since you came into her life, she’s been happier.”

Why the fuck does he have to tell me all this?

Doesn’t he know it makes shit ten times harder?

I can barely even fucking kill you because of that goddamn girl.

“Reign has always been happy.”

“She has. But since you came in the picture, she doesn’t have her nose stuck in a book or texting someone on the phone. She dedicates her time to you and enjoys spending time with you. Spending time with you makes her happy. Every time she comes home from being with you, she looks like she just finished riding cloud nine. Sure, my daughter smiles and is kind but since you, she changed. She's been glowing recently and Lia notices it.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You did. You just didn’t realize it. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t hate it at first. But after that trip to Paris, I started to look at things differently.”

I don’t say anything to him about that.

I don’t feel like talking about Reign and I’s relationship with Malcom because he doesn’t need to know the details.

He doesn’t need to know how I’m slowly starting to become afraid of actually losing someone when I’ve never been afraid before.

I hear a whistle behind me making Malcolm and I stop walking. We turn around and see men in black vests with their guns aimed at us.

And I bet if I turn around...

I turn my head and see three more men behind Malcom wearing the same thing, holding guns.

I look down at their hands, seeing a very familiar rose tattoo on the side of their wrists.

Damn it.

I have the same fucking tattoo on my wrist too. My dad wanted to make the family tattoo a rose because that’s my mom’s favorite flower.

Everything starts piecing together.

The constant anxiety all day, my dad calling, the feeling of my heart about to explode.

“Not very smart to go on a new hike with no guards,” one of the guys says, walking closer to us. “Well done, Killian. Your dad will be proud. Great minds think alike.”

Malcom’s eyes widen and he turns his head to look at me. “You,” he says, glaring at me, his jaw clenching.

I tense but keep my composure calm. “No, I didn’t mean for it to go this way.”

“Enough with the bullshit, Killian,” one of the soldiers says before looking at his men. “Go get him.”

All of the guys around us come in closer towards Malcolm but I stand in front of him and help Malcom start to fight off the soldiers.

One soldier from far away raises a gun and shoots, making Malcom fall to the ground. I take my gun out swiftly and put a bullet through his shoulder. I go up to him and hold him against me with the gun pressing against the side of his head.

All the soldiers look at me, shocked that I’m not going along with their plan.

My dad probably set this up to make killing Malcom easier when in reality if I wanted to kill Malcom, I would have done it on the first day I got to Bulgaria.

“I’ll shoot him. Leave Malcolm alone or I’ll put a bullet through his head,” I threaten with a calm tone.

The main guy smiles and laughs. “Killian, be serious right now. You won’t shoot family.”

“Don’t tempt me.” I shove the gun against the guy's head harder, making him wince.

“You’re really going to disappoint your dad like this?”

Malcom looks at me and I swear I see hurt flash in his eyes. “You’ve been working for your dad? This whole time?” he says, holding his stomach.

“That was before-”

“Before what?” the main guy says, not keeping his goddamn mouth shut. “Before you fucked his daughter.”

I press the trigger, the soldier's body going limp in my hold.

Another soldier puts a bullet through through Malcom’s abdomen making him scream. I don’t think twice before aiming the gun at the main soldier and shooting him between the eyes.

He falls to the floor with the rest of the soldiers making it just me and Malcolm.

“Fuck!” Malcom screams in pain. I go over to him and kneel next to him. He looks at me with rage and moves away from me. “Get away from me!”

“Let me fucking help you-”

“No! I should have never trusted you. I was wrong to think a girl like my sweet daughter could ever love a man like you. You’re dead De Luca. Dead to me. And eventually dead to Reign. Can’t believe I was even close to trusting you.” Malcom gets up slowly and I try to help him, but he rips my arms off him and backs away from me.

“Malcom-”

Malcom looks at me again, betrayal in his eyes. “I’m not going to tell you again. You’re dead to us De Luca!”