Skin Walkers - King (3 page)

Chapter
4

“My God
, Jenny, would you look at that!”  Lilly nearly dropped her peanut butter and jelly sandwich before it even made it to her lips.  Sitting at a table in the still under construction cafeteria, Lilly turned adoring eyes to follow King as he stalked across the cafeteria heading for the short line. 

Jenny took a bite of her tuna on wheat before turning to stare over her shoulder.  “Oh!” She spoke around the
bite of food in her mouth, and Lilly shot her a dark look as Jenny tried, unintelligibly, to convey some knowledge.

“You wouldn’t want him.  He’s a womanizer?” Jenny finally answered, having swallowed down her bite of food.

“Oh,” Lilly’s expression turned regretful
, “Of course he is.  Look at him.  He can womanize me anytime.”  The man was a beast.  Tall as hell, and thick with muscle, he was the hottest damn thing she’d ever seen.  No.  He was more than hot, he was…beautiful.  He stalked with a grace and confidence that told her he could handle himself.  Practically oozing sensual virility, Lilly knew he was one man she’d never want to be involved with. Men that looked like that seemed to conjure up trouble and the last thing she needed was more trouble in her life.

“Lilly!”

“What?”  Her voice was pitched high in innocence. She wasn’t typically this playful, but after a few days of working too closely with the most savagely handsome man ever to exist and Lilly was ready to let down her guard.

“
Are you
really
interested in him?” Jenny tried to hide her burning curiosity by taking another bite of her sandwich.

A deep sigh left Lilly’s pink
lips as she shook her head.  “Nah, just simply wishing.”

“This is a first,” Jenny challenged.  “With all the available
Wal...”  She cleared her throat, “
Men
here at the estate, you’ve been pretty closed-mouthed.  I had no idea there was such a lusty wench hiding inside you.  What’s so special about King?”

Lilly felt herself blush.  She knew she’d been acting out of character and couldn’t explain it.  Tearing her eyes from King she focused on her sandwich, no longer feeling hungry.  “Guess I just need to get laid.”

“Well, you should stay away from him.  I hear he’s nothing but trouble.”  Jenny felt a pang of guilt at the outright lie, but she had to know if the serum she’d created and already injected into King would work to keep the Walker from becoming afflicted by introduction to his angel. 
Angel, hmph!
  It was the term all Walker men used to describe their mates, the direct result—Jenny assumed—from the fact that male Walkers gifted their angels with a halo. 

A Skin Walker’s halo was generated over time much like the antlers of a deer.  Only the Skin Walker who generated it could remove his halo, and it was only taken off to gift to h
is angel, his mate.  A  Walker’s angel experienced a transformation with the acceptance of the halo.  Like their Walker mate, angels would become immune to illness and would be able to communicate with their Walker mate through the mist.

Lilly dropped her
uneaten sandwich back onto her tray and propped her chin into her upraised palm to eye King longingly across the cafeteria.  “I suppose he would be.”  King was humiliatingly handsome, leaving Lilly feeling lacking.  “It wouldn’t work anyway.  I’m not getting mixed up with the boss’ best friend.  Not happening!”

Jenny scoffed with a scowl,
“You give Monroe too much respect.”

“And you don’t give him enough.  If you knew half the crap that came across my desk
, Jen,” she let the words trail off when Jenny eyed her warily.  Anytime Lilly had brought up anything to do with Monroe’s work, her friend suddenly became too curious, and not in the manner of wanting to know the details of Monroe’s affairs, no, it seemed more like Jenny was curious as to how much—if any—of Monroe’s business Lilly was willing to spill.  The answer was none.  In the time she’d been employed by Monroe, Lilly had witnessed dozens of questionable financial transactions, work orders, as well as several nonsensical pieces of equipment that Lilly was loathe to bring up, like the pave hawk helicopter that kept popping up on the CEO’s finance report.  It was fueled quite frequently, though Lilly had no record of the helicopter ever being used for specific Preserve business. To her credit, Lilly kept her lips sealed.

“What kind of crap?”

“You know I won’t talk, Jen.  Why you bother asking is beyond me.”  She could’ve sworn that Jenny’s smile turned approving.

“I know.  Doesn’t hurt to try.”

“So, what is it this King is going to be doing here on the estate?”

“Beats me,” Jenny shrugged, “I thought you of all people would know.”

She shook her head and took an uninterested sip of her iced tea.  “I have no idea what Monroe would need a man like that for, and I’m almost afraid to find out.  He’s supposed to be security.  Either Mr. StoneCrow’s got some serious enemies, or he’s extremely paranoid.”

At first, Lilly had questioned the amount of people and the strange occurrences that often took place
under the guise of StoneCrow business.  It didn’t take her long to realize that if she wanted to keep her job, she’d need to keep her mouth shut.  And she did just that, but it didn’t hurt to fish for information every once in a while.  “Why do you suppose Monroe is having a school built?  It seems kind of odd for a preserve and rehabilitation facility, doesn’t it?”

Jenny sat up straighter, “Oh!” She waved a hand dismissively in the air, “It’s probably just because the estate is so far from the city.  It’d be easier for staff to school their children here then to ship them to Great Falls.”

It made some sense.  Unlike most employees, Lilly had refused the CEO’s offer to take up residence on the estate.  Instead, she drove the fifty minutes and forty-five miles it took to get to her apartment in Great Falls.  The daily commute was a pain.

“And that’s another thing,” Lilly prodded, “why so
many personnel?  I mean I’ve researched comparable facilities in much larger states.  They don’t have a fraction of the staff we’ll be hiring.  It doesn’t really make sense.”

Seeming flustered, Jenny rose from her seat, taking her tray of half eaten lunch up with her.  “Who knows why he does half the things he does?  You’re closer to him than most.  You
should have all the answers.”

Lilly followed Jenny up, her eyes automatically going to King’s back as he slowly proceeded down the line, filling his tray with mounds of food.  “If I’ve got ‘em, I’m taking ‘em to the grave.  Monroe StoneCrow is one man I don’t want to piss off.”

***

Standing in the chow line, King selected several pieces of fruit, a carton of milk, and was piling a second plate with roasted chicken and steak when a scent hit him.  Surprisingly, the mouth watering aroma didn’t come from any of the food laid out in the long line of banquet tables.  He took another slow inhalation through his nose and sifted through the many aromas of food, the overly strong perfumes, hairsprays, and body lotions.  There!  It was sweet, tempting.  He ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth trying to place it. 
Pears and spiced apples…Christmas!
The scent reminded him of the excitement and eager anticipation of a Christmas morning.
Turning, he let his nose lead his chin until his eyes locked on the source. 
Lilly Worthington.
  Sitting at a table with StoneCrow’s Chief of Surgery, who he knew Lilly was told was merely a veterinarian, King quickly swung back around when Lilly slowly lifted her eyes.

He was surprised to find his heart racing and his body reacting to the sight of the woman.  The sudden urge to leave his tray to stalk across the room to her was nearly overpowering. 
Am I ill?
  Running a mental diagnostic, he checked off a list of ailments that were not currently afflicting him.  He was fine…mostly. 

Peeking another look over his shoulder sent his heart rate spiking again.  What was that emotion he was feeling?  He closed his eyes and let his chin fall to his chest. 
Shit! 
Craving.  He was craving Monroe’s personal assistant, and it didn’t bode well for his new assignment as Chief of Security for the estate. 

After speaking with Monroe
, he’d agreed to accept the position for one year.  In that time, he’d create five teams of Sentries to ensure the safety of StoneCrow’s residence and to retrieve Walkers for the community.  One year, that’s all he’d promised. 

“Uhhh, you gonna decide, big guy?”

Startled from his reverie, King glanced down to find a small Walker woman with pixie short, blonde, hair peering around him to eye the line that had moved considerably further ahead with King holding up progress.  He realized it looked as though he couldn’t decide on another entrée.

His brows speared down and without a word he jerked up his tray and left the line and the
food tray.  Suddenly, no longer hungry, he had to get away from Lilly.  She was too distracting and he didn’t need distractions.  Adamant to fulfill his year obligation and then be gone, he wouldn’t take the risk of getting close to anyone, regardless of how badly he wanted to get to know Lilly.

Chapter 5

Lilly fidgeted nervously as they waited for the elevator doors to open.  Monroe had stalked out of his office that morning demanding, “Lilly!”  It was how he requested her presence.  She’d snatched up her e-tablet and raced after him, which wasn’t an easy feat in her typical office wear of pencil skirt and heels.

Waiting impatiently for the elevator doors to open, she felt her body flush. 
Damn, it’s hot in here!
  She fought to keep from fanning herself.  Monroe stood beside her and King Mulholland was directly in front of her, his massive height and broad frame blocking out sight of the double doors.

Letting her eyes traipse down his shoulders to his tapered waist
, she actually jumped when Monroe asked, “Lilly, any word on whether Mason will be joining us here at the estate?”

Mason?  Mason, Mason…
  “Uhhh,” she pulled up her e-tablet and quickly slid her fingers over the small screen as she drew her mind away from King’s body and tried to focus.

“Ahh, yes!”  She finally responded sounding too breathy.  “I mean no!”  She felt Monroe’s gaze jerk toward her.  “I mean
….yes, I’ve had word, and no, he won’t be coming to the estate.  Apparently, he’s determined to locate his estranged sister before committing to residence.”

“Did you tell him we’d be glad to assist in tracking her down?”

“I offered, but he was doubtful we’d be of use.  He’s hired several private investigators and still has had no luck.”

King looked at Monroe over his shoulder.

“Let’s see if we can’t help our
friend
out, shall we?”

King nodded once before returning his attention to the doors.

“If it’s any consolation,” Lilly offered, “Remy McCabe and his girlfriend, Amanda Chandler will be joining us here at the estate in the morning.”

“You hired Remy?”  King’s tone was incredulous.

“Yes, I did.”

Lilly watched as King’s shoulders tensed.  “Well, keep him the hell away from me.”

Lilly looked at Monroe and when he nodded, she quickly added a note to her profile for Remy McCabe. 
‘
Keep him away from King Mulholland????
?
’

When the elevator doors opened on the third floor, a construction nightmare greeted them.
  Thick plastic flapped in the chilly Montana wind even as a foreman barked orders from some unseen location.

Monroe stalked through the place like he owned it while King hung back, eyeing Lilly as she attempted to tiptoe through the debris covered concrete in her heels in an effort to keep from getting dirty.

“I can carry you,” King offered.  He’d meant it sarcastically, but when the words came out they sounded sincere.  He was shocked to find a part of him hoped she’d jump into his arms.

Lilly stopped in her tracks and eyed
the tall Chief of Security, secretly wanting to take him up on his offer.  Righting herself she smiled sheepishly.  “New shoes,” she offered lamely and then followed after Monroe, no longer concerned with her shoes.

“And how long will that take,” she heard Monroe demand as she joined his sid
e.  He was talking to a man she knew to be the foreman of the project. 

The man took off his hard-hat and used the same arm to swipe across his brow.  “About two weeks.”

“Two weeks?”  Monroe’s tone turned icy.  “That’s what you said two weeks ago.”

“Well I apologize, Mr. StoneCrow, it’s just that…” he didn’t get the chance to finish.

Shouts of, “LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT!” had heads snapping around.  Monroe and King both jumped to life and moved with an impossible speed, topped only by their impossible strength when both men caught the metal beam that slid from some unknown spot and would have caused serious harm had the men not acted so quickly.  Both men strained as they lowered the beam to the ground.

Too late, movement out of the corner of her eye had Lilly turning.  A second girder was nearly on her, leaving her only enough time to
throw up an arm the shield herself as King bellowed, “LILLY!”

S
hoved out of the way, she hit the ground even as her head jerked back in time to see King fall under the massive weight of the steel girder.  Pain lanced through her ankle and Lilly sucked in a great breath and scrambled back to King, ignoring her own injury in hopes of getting to him.  He was lying under the beam and wasn’t moving.

“KING!” she heard herself shriek. 

Monroe and several laborers appeared and lifted the girder off King, but he still didn’t move.  Lilly was already on her smart phone.  “JENNY!  We need help!  We’re on the fourth floor.  King’s been injured!”  She hung up abruptly.  She hadn’t known who else to call, but she did know that King needed medical help.

To her and the laborer’s utter shock, Monroe bent and lifted King’s body, settling the dead weight over one shoulder.

“You shouldn’t move him!” Lilly chastised in a panic, not wanting King to suffer more injury. 

As usual, Monroe ignored her and moved for the elevator. 

Lilly drug herself up from the ground, ignoring the throbbing pain in her ankle even as she kicked off her Louboutin’s and limped ahead of Monroe to punch the elevator call button.  Seconds seemed to drag on, and when the doors opened Jenny and Legion were both inside.  Unable to fit in the crammed space, Lilly stayed back as Jenny reached for King to check his pulse.  She heard Jenny and Legion both asked what happened and Monroe began to explain when the doors slid closed leaving Lilly on the fourth floor.

Her breathing frantic, Lilly stared at the closed
doors for a moment before spinning and pinning the foreman with such fiery disdain that the man actually paled.  “What in the hell kind of operation are you running up here?”  She took a step closer and barely caught herself before she fell.

“Ma’am,” the foreman’s eyes shot down.  “You’re bleeding.”

“BLEEDING!” she shrieked.  “I nearly died!  And Mr. Muholland is injured.”  Her hands, balled into tight fists, shook with the rage coursing through her.  “I speak for Mr. StoneCrow when I say that if you don’t get this goddamn site secure then you and your men can get your incompetent asses off this estate.”  She was taking liberties and she knew it, but she was too damn angry to care. 

“It was an accident, I…”

“Accidents like this are the result of laziness or stupidity, and neither is acceptable here!”  When tears of anger overwhelmed her she ordered, “Get your project in line and do it now!  I can assure you that once Mr. StoneCrow is finished at the infirmary, he’ll be coming here and he’ll want some answers.” 

Lilly spun on the man and punched the button summoning the elevator.  Behind her she heard a muttered curse before the foreman began barking angry orders. 

When the elevator car arrived she stepped inside but didn’t turn, and when the doors closed, she sunk to the ground and buried her face in her hands.  Fear for King mingled with relief at not having been crushed.  Guilt came second.  She should have been paying attention; she should have jumped out of the way.  She should have…  She lifted her head to eye her throbbing ankle.  It was slightly swollen and a deep gash ran from the top of her foot up to her calve.  It was bleeding badly.    

The elevator doors chimed and slid open and she turned to find Legion’s shocked expression as he stared down at her.  “Ms. Worthington!  You okay?”

Afraid to speak, she nodded and was about to struggle to her feet when Legion bent and scooped her up.  “We didn’t know you were injured!”  He walked quickly toward the doors that led to the infirmary.

“I’m not.  It’s just a scratch.”

Inside the long corridor that led to the infirmary, she could hear Jenny barking orders as several medical personnel raced to comply.

She was almost afraid to ask. 
“Is King okay?”

“He’ll be fine.  We heal quickly.”

We heal quickly?  What in the hell does that mean.
  Her confused gaze met Legions and he swallowed hard before taking her into an exam room. 

“Wait here.  I’ll get someone.”

Moments later, a lovely young woman with short, white-blonde, hair entered.  Legion loomed behind her in the doorway.  “Hi, I’m Stoney.”  She snapped on a pair of gloves, “Let’s take a look at your ankle.”

“How’s King?”

Stoney gently probed Lilly’s ankle bone.  “He’s going to be fine.  Dr. Houlton is with him now.”

“She’s a vet!” Lilly accused and instantly felt guilt when both Stoney and Legion looked at her.  “I just mean that maybe someone should call 9-1-1, or Mr. StoneCrow could have him taken to town in the estate’s helicopter.”

Stoney cast a look at Legion but continued examining her ankle.  “Dr. Houlton knows something of human anatomy.  King is in good hands.  If things get worse, Jenny knows what to do.”

The words stung.  Lilly had been with Monroe for five years
and in that time she’d seen a great deal that led her believe that all with the man, his estate, and his staff wasn’t as it seemed.  Having once been an investigator for the state, Lilly had done some snooping on her off time.  She’d discovered that Jenny Houlton was not the veterinarian she proclaimed to be, but was a graduated and licensed doctor.  Not just any doctor, the woman was a surgeon, and one of the best in the nation.  Why she was pretending to be a vet for a wildlife preserve and rehabilitation facility made little sense.
 

That was another thing that was odd.  For supposedly being in the business of rescuing and rehabilitating the state’s wildlife, Monroe had made zero inquires into actually attaining any
animals.  He’d hired a Naval Special Warfare Master Chief as his head of security, had one of the best surgeons in the nation hired as a vet, and was amassing a staff that would rival the Pentagon, but not one stinking inquiry had been made, nor one comment mentioned regarding a single species of animal.

Lilly’s anger flamed as she eyed Stoney.  Even this woman
had been part of Lilly’s research.  She was a registered nurse, not the vet-tech her resume had stated.  They were lying to her.  They were
all
lying to her!

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”  Lilly’s words had Stoney’s eyes jerking from her foot to her face.

The nurse quickly
grabbed a sick pan and held it under Lilly’s chin. 

Swallowing
several times, Lilly regained her composure.  “Can I lie down?” 

Wordlessly, Legion entered and helped ease Lilly back.  Slowly closing her eyes, Lilly was forcing herself to relax.  Too much emotion roiled through her.  Fear, anger, pain, anxiety.  Her eyes snapped open when she heard King’s unrecognizable voice boom from somewhere down the hall.

“WHERE IS SHE?”

Lilly tried to sit up, but Stoney’s hands on her shoulders kept her down.  “Easy, Lilly.”  The nurse’s nervous eyes darted toward the door and Legion raced from the room.

“Is that King?  Is he okay?”

“DAMN IT, KING!”
  She recognized Monroe’s voice. 

Stoney dashed to the door and closed it before returning to her.  “I’m going to clean the wound.  You’ll need stitches.”

Suddenly, the door crashed open and King braced himself in the doorway.  Lilly shot upright and clutched her chest.  He looked furious.  Was he upset with her for having gotten him injured?

Fierce eyes slid down her frame and settled on her bloodied ankle.  When King’s eyes met hers again his expression had softened.  “Are you okay?”

Numbly, Lilly nodded.  When King’s eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped, she screamed, but strong arms caught him from behind.

Monroe once again lifted King with Legion’s help as
Monroe spoke, “Okay, tough guy.  You see she’s okay.  Let’s get you back to your room.”

He’d come to check on me!
  The revelation was shocking.  Why would he care?

“Get him back in bed and restrain him if you must.”  Jenny entered shaking her head.  “Jesus, Lil
l!  What happened to you?”

“King shoved me out of the way.”  She swallowed down the emotion that clogged her throat.  “He
saved
me.”  She waved absentmindedly at her ankle.  “I don’t know how that happened.  It all happened so fast.”

Jenny mimicked Stoney’s examination and spoke to the nurse.  “Get it cleaned and stitched up.”  She lifted her head, “Do you need something for the pain?”

“Is King going to be alright,” Jenny ignored the question. 

Jenny shook her head and pursed her lips.  “
You saw him.  He’ll be fine.  He’s a little…” she snuck a glance at Stoney, “
bruised
but that’s it.”

“
Bruised
?”  Lilly’s tone was incredulous.  “That beam landed on him. 
Crushed
him!  There’s gotta be internal bleeding or broken bones.  Did you scan him?  Can you do that?  Do we even have the equipment?”  Panicky tears threatened again.

“Easy, Lill.
”  Jenny nodded at Stoney and the nurse pushed Lilly’s skirt higher, rubbed a strong scented swab over her thigh, and jabbed her with a needle.