Page 61 of King of Malice

I hear the thundering footsteps of more men, and I freeze in fear once again, my grip growing impossibly tight on Dimitri’s leg.

Just like always, his hand remains gentle.

“Those would be my guards,” Trent crosses his arms over his chest. “You didn’t think I’d do this alone, did you? You will give up the girl in exchange for Anastasia and your sisters It’s a good deal and you should be thanking me.”

The massive man who’d been on the ground, the one who almost reached me stands up, his hand rubbing over his jaw. “What’s wrong with your woman?”

“Wrong?” Dimitri asks.

“Get back on the ground,” Trent spits, swinging the gun toward the other man’s chest.

The rough fighter ignores Trent and looks down at me.

“She was victimized,” the tattooed man with theguns answers.

Dimitri makes a noise deep in his throat. “How do you know that?”

“My wife has some of the same behaviors.”

Wife? That man is married? He looks too scary. Then again, looks can be deceiving.

I open my eyes to look at him. His gaze meets mine and I swear, I see warmth in his eyes. “But don’t you worry, Ava,” he calls, sounding calm and reassuring. “They’ll have to get through me and I’m devilishly difficult to take down.”

A small squeak comes out of my throat.

The other fighter steps closer, his shoulders expanding as he stares back at Trent. How is this the group of men where I have found real champions? Men willing to stand up and protect me. Warriors. That’s what they are.

A realization fires through me. Real strength, real masculinity protects, it doesn’t harm. Which means, maybe Cadence’s plan wasn’t quite so crazy after all.

The other fighter, the one who’d been hunting me moments before, takes another step to stand at Dimitri’s side. “I’ll stand with you.”

“Price?”

“I’d like to compete next time for free.” The fighter speaks like they’re bargaining for a used car, not a life-or-death situation.

“Done.” Dimitri answers.

Another man, also in black, steps out of the woods. I only have a moment to wonder if this is friend of foe when the devil rumbles, “Tris.”

“Don’t start, Killian.” He comes to Dimitri’s other side, creating a ring of men around me.

Behind Trent appears a line of guards, dressed in black, with their faces covered by bandanas. I squeeze my eyes shut again.

“Whatever Trent paid you, I’ll double it,” Dimitri calls to them.

“It wasn’t money,” Trent sneers. “Their families are safe because?—”

I feel the slight jostle as the man next to Dimitri grabs at his waist, and then the sound of the gun pops. I scream, shrinking even closer to the ground.

I hear the thud and my eyes spring open again. Trent lays dead on the ground.

Shock rolls through me. I squeeze my eyes shut again, as I press my lips together to keep from screaming.

I’m surprised, I’ve never seen death like this. But I can’t say I’m sad. That man just kidnapped me and dragged me here. The other guards shift awkwardly in a line, as though they’re not certain what to do.

“Killian,” Dimitri calls. “Would you be so kind as to take Ava to my car?”

“No,” I whimper. “I want to be with you.”