Death of a King

Chapter 9

 "I must have heard you wrong. It sounded like you just said the police are on their way to the compound with plans to collect a girl they're damn certain you stole, and then throw your sorry ass in jail." Corinth placed her hands on her hips, standing in the middle of the room, waiting for Dustin renounce her claims.

But he was too preoccupied to notice her impudence.

Dustin jerked open the top drawer of his dresser, pulling out a knife similar to Corinth's though his was three times larger in size. He reached down and slipped the knife into his sock then hid it with his pant leg. If that wasn't bad enough, I then witnessed him reach under his pillow and pull out the same sleek gun from our first encounter.

My heart dropped.

He checked it for bullets, as I should have done before letting him kidnap me with nothing more than an empty slab of metal.

Corinth rushed forward, her green eyes trailing his every movement in an odd terror that was foreign to her features, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Dustin tucked the gun into the back waistband of his jeans. My eyes got snagged on the patch of toned torso revealed when he lifted his shirt up and my mouth went dry. I looked away to keep myself from further gawking but that didn't erase the image branded throughout my mind. Dustin didn't notice my staring, thank God, and continued with strapping the gun to his back, "I'm getting ready."

"For what?! You're not going to shoot a cop, Dustin." Corinth shrilled, reaching around him to take the gun away. Her fingers grasped harmlessly at air as Dustin sidestepped her, but Corinth was nearly as stubborn as her cousin, "You quite literally just got out of jail. Legally, you're not even allowed to carry a gun. And if you actually were to shoot a cop, that's it Dustin. You'd go back for life, you understand that right? My father got you out once, he wouldn't be able to do it again-"

"I know, Corinth! I'm well aware of your father's limits." Dustin bellowed, pushing her out of his way and coming to my side. He reached for my arm, working roughly to remove the cuffs from my wrist, "The gun is just for precaution."

Corinth neared, her face falling into recognition, "Precaution for what?"

For the first time since entering the room, Dustin stilled. He glanced over his shoulder at his cousin and with a heavy sigh that seemed to weigh on him, he spoke quieter, "I went for a ride with the guys, just to clear my head. While we were out, we saw Reapers nearby."

I watched in growing concern as Corinth's skin went ghostly pale, an unsurprising wave of fury passing throughout her petite body, "What would Reapers be doing this far into our territory?"

Dustin turned away from Corinth. With his back facing his cousin, she couldn't see the way his face dropped into icy disregard. But I could. Every flicker of his eyes and every twitch of that jaw muscle sat plain for me to see.

His head dropped a little lower, "I don't know what they're planning but they wouldn't come onto our land unless Rosen demanded it, and that's as good as any call to war."

Corinth had her hands buried in her hair by now, gripping each strand tightly in distress, "Did they see you?"

He paused ... then nodded.

Her eyes drained in fear, "Does my dad know?"

Dustin shook his head, "I came straight here, there isn't time to worry about Reapers when the compound is threatened by cops." He finished getting the cuffs off my wrist then grabbed onto my arm and started for the door. But even in this moment, he seemed calm. Far too calm, "We can hide her in your room, in the safety hatch."