The Killer and the Messenger

"Do you think I care about anything but you?"

Kade's POV

"So what she knows? She still likes you don't she?" Tommy asked
"She hates me" I grumbled
"She doesn't feel safe around me" I said, slowly sitting up
"She does know you're better protection than most around here right?" Elijah asked, leaning against the boxing ring

I shrugged
"She said she doesn't know me"
And that hurt
It really fucking hurt because I wasn't myself unless I was with her
She made me... nice
She made me soft, she made everything I said mean something

"Then show her she does know you" Tommy said simply
"How do I do that?"
"She thinks you're a killer, show her what kind of people you kill" he suggested
"I can't do that" I snapped
I wasn't exposing her to the kind of things they did
They would give her nightmares

"Well if she thinks you're a monster then you need to show her they're bigger monsters, that you did the world a favour taking those bastards out" he explained
"He's right" Elijah said
"In a way" he went on.

"Show her you're not a monster, that you're just some kid that's loved her since forever, your dad's business... that's not you, not really, sure you're in this world but it doesn't make you a bad guy deep down" Elijah explained.
Doesn't it?
"I beat up guys that were interested in her, warned kids off when they hadn't done anything wrong" I said

That was bad. It was unjustified
It was my unwarranted anger
She'd never forgive me if she found out about that.

"Kade, stop moping, and do something, or she will move on from you" Elijah said.
"And when that happens... is she free game or?" Tommy asked
Elijah smacked him around the head before I could
"Sorry, it was a joke" he defended.

Grant's POV

"So is this where you threaten me?" I asked, not taking the drink he was offering
He put it on the desk, chuckling
"No, if you insist on chasing my son down, I cannot stop you" he said
"You can" I said

I know he could
Because I knew what kind of man he was
I knew how many legal cases he'd been caught up in
"But I will give you some advice Grant, my son, is a good man. And your daughter seems to really like him, whether they work out or not, telling her to stay away from him, will only drive her further out of your life, and into ours" he said

"I don't want your advice" I snapped
I wouldn't lose her
She would see this is for her own good
"I'm just saying, teenagers rebel, if you support her, she may open up to you more"

"I don't need parenting advice off a man like you" I said, heading for the door
"My daughter and your son, will not continue dating, if I catch him anywhere near her, he'll come home with worse than a bloody nose" I warned

"Tsk tsk, threatening a teenage boy, that's not a very good look is it?" He said
I left, I wasn't feeding into what he wanted.

He was a criminal
One that hadn't been caught
His son was no better
And Kingsley wasn't going to ruin her life seeing a lowlife like that kid.

Kingsley's POV

"Kingsley, we're leaving" dad snapped
"A-already?" I asked, I just stepped back into the house
"Yes, already, get in the car" he said, grabbing his coat
"Grant?" Mum questioned

"We're going" he said, already pushing the front door open
"Dad- I'm sorry Chaska" I said, rushing after dad
"Yes, very sorry, it was lovely to come though" I heard mum say

"You didn't have to do that" mum snapped as she got in the car
"They're fucking criminals" he said
And I tensed
"Criminals?" She questioned
"You don't know how many cases that man has chucked money at, he's a fucking waste of space, so is his son" dad shouted, starting the car.

"Assault, robbery, laundering, that man has bribed away tens of men that have been in trouble with the police" he rambled on.
"His men, I don't know what he is, what it is that he's... running, but he's a bad man Autumn. No fucking son of his is dating our daughter" he said

"Dad it's my choice-"
"No! No it's not your choice! You will not see that boy again!" He shouted, engulfing us in silence for the rest of the ride home
As mum gave me hesitant looks in the mirror

•

I couldn't sleep
I didn't know what to think
Or what to say to Kade
He's killed people?
Kade King. The boy I had known since forever
The boy that had always been there. Nearly every day of school
When was he killing people?
Why?

Why would his dad make him do that?

I looked at my phone screen as it lit up, to another text from Kade
I sighed and rolled over, ignoring it.

Kade's POV

Why won't she answer?
"Come on, focus" Tommy said, folding his cards
"Shut up" I mumbled, putting my phone away
"She won't answer" Elijah said, sorting his own cards out
Why did we even think of playing poker?

"Thanks" I grumbled
"She's upset, she'll reply tomorrow" he shrugged
"Said the man famous for his women" Tommy chuckled
"I've had women" Elijah argued
"You've had romances, you don't know women" he laughed.

"Clearly I don't either" I sighed, sitting back
Abandoning my cards. I had a shit hand anyway
"Let's go" I said, standing up
"Where?" Tommy asked
"Talk to that prick who scared her, find out who he's working for" I said, I needed... something

I needed to hit something
"You know who he's working for" Elijah said pointedly
"Fine, let's just go get him then" I said
"Now?" Tommy sighed
"Yes, now. Get up" I said, heading for the door

•

He was laughing
Laughing and talking to some girl
I waited. Waited for her to get up, before I made my way over, sitting where she had been.

He looked up from his phone, eyes hardening and body tensing before he sat up straighter
"King" he acknowledged
"Huxley Rutherford" I mused, sitting comfortably
He glanced over to the bathrooms
"What can I do for you?" He asked

"I think you know" I said
Elijah sat down on the table next to us, facing Huxley as Tommy stood by the door
"You can't kill me" he said confidently
"No?" I asked
"Think I could" I commented, glancing out of the window

"Think I could take you outside, drive you somewhere quiet, slit your throat" I thought aloud, before looking back at him
"Then maybe I'll come back here, pick your sister up" I said, causing his jaw to tense, as his eyes shifted to the bathroom again
"Liana, isn't it?" I asked

"I get it alright, you know me, the little brat went running to you did she?" He asked
"No, no I have ways of finding people... Huxley. So like you told her. I know you. I know where you live, where your sister goes to school, your parents. I know you work for Dmitri Petrov" I reeled off

"And I know... I know that if you talk to Kingsley again. Scare her in any way at all, I won't kill you, I will take your sister... to that nice quiet place, and I will kill her as slowly as is possible" I warned

His eyes sharpened
Trying to hold back the emotion that was desperate to seep through
"It's my job, I'm just the messenger" he argued bluntly
"This is my life" he went on

"Kingsley. Is my life. And now he has overstepped the line. Now you have overstepped the line. Boundaries no longer exist when you make it personal. You pass on that message" I said, standing up, as Liana came back from the bathroom
"Hux?" She questioned, looking at me confused

"I'll see you around Huxley" I said airily, walking out as Elijah and Tommy followed me

"That were a bit thick weren't it?" Tommy asked
"If you don't lay it on thick then they don't get the gravity of the threat" I advised.
Dad always told me that.

"Alright, you're the boss" Tommy laughed
"He looked like he was scared at least" Tommy went on
"Yeah well let's hope he is, I don't want to come back and beat the message into him" Elijah said.

Neither did I.
But if he even looks Kingsley's way again. I'll kill him.
Something she'd hate me for
Who am I kidding? She already hates me
The monster. The killer.

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