CHAPTER 17: THE PREY

With panicky steps, I returned back to where I left King, but on getting there, he had left, where did he go now??

'King! King! Where are you??' I called out to him in my mind like he could hear my thoughts.

I scrutinized the whole hall, but I couldn't see any trace of him, all of a sudden he become all I wanted to see, I can't place my fingers on it, but he was safety to me at the moment, I was practically shaking.

Damn! I almost got harassed by that man in the hallway, who ever let a man like him in??

I kept darting my eyes from side to side and in all corners still in search of King.

"Looking for me??" I heard his soothing husky voice from behind and I jolted, spinning on my heels I cried out his name, "King!" without thinking, I threw myself into his arms and sobbed with my head buried in his chest.

I quickly woolded his arms around me and patted my head.

"What is it??" he asked in a calm and plain voice like he wasn't really interested to know. I couldn't even find my voice anymore, each time I try to open my mouth to speak, more sobs poured out of my mouth.

He slowly pulled me off his body as he tried to look at my face.

"Tell me why you're crying, is it Charlotte??" he asked and I shook my head slightly, "then who??" he asked a bit paranoid. Just then, someone called his name from behind.

"Mr King" the voice said, wait a minute, I know that voice! It's him! No! He found me!

Just then, our eyes met and I started shaking again, King looked at me with furrowed brows, he was yet to turn to the man behind him, maybe he didn't want to, but my expressions and reactions forced him to.

Now standing between me and that pervert, he observed and considered the both of us, then it struck him, King was a smart man, he knew that instance that he's the reason I'm in this condition.

"W.. wait! Is she with you??" the man asked in horror, but King gave him no reply, he simply just called him by his name, "Balthazar" he said, staring daggers at him, then he broke the gaze and turned to me.

"Let's get you home" he said. He turned out his left elbow for me to hold and I did, then we started walking out of the event center. I knew people where spectating again so I didn't dare look sideways, I just kept my head straight and tried as much as I can not to make eye contact with anyone.

Soon we got out of the hall and then our car drove towards us. King helped me into the car then closed it himself. 'Wait, isn't he coming along too??' I asked in my head, but I couldn't keep the question in my head any longer, I found myself asking it out loud.

"Aren't you coming home too??" I asked worriedly, "I have some unfinished matters to attend to. I will be back before you know it" he said then he signalled at the chaffeur to ride and he did.

Why did King decide to stay back?? Could it be... Oh no! What is he planning to do to that man??! Is he going to kill him??!

Thousands of questions brewed in my head, I couldn't help but worry, this would be the second man King is hurting because of me, is it always gonna be like this?? For how long is it going to continue this way?? How many more men would he hurt for my sake??

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

King didn't return into the hall again, he just sat in one of his convoy cars which was packed at the parking lot. He was waiting for his prey to come out of the venue.

It wasn't even up to 5 minutes of waiting, the man he was waiting for came right out, as you might have already guessed; Balthazar.

They watched him walk briskily to his car and hurriedly got in, he acted like he knew someone was after him; he's damn right.

"Boss I think this is the right time to strike, before he escapes" Leo suggested.

"No, let him think he can escape, the more he delays his death, the more gory it would be" King said calmly, he always has a way of being calm even 'in the mist of a storm' and that makes him so unpredictable, even Leo himself doesn't know what his boss wants to do to Balthazar, but one thing was certain, it would be a miracle if he even makes it to the hospital by the time he was done with him.

They watched on as Balthazar got into his car and sped off.

"Harry" King called to the chaffeur, "yes boss" the chaffeur replied, "step on it" King ordered, "right away boss!" Harry replied and immediately zoomed off.

King's car trailed Balthazar's car from a safe distance and for about 5 minutes they continued that way, then they got to a quiet and remote area, "overtake him" King ordered his driver and he did.

"Stop!" he ordered again and the car came to an abrupt stop, thanks to the brakes. Balthazar's car almost ran into theirs but somehow he managed to swerve swiftly to the left avoiding their car, then he stopped too.

He angrily got out of his car, "you bloody driver! are you blind or what?! You're gonna be sorry!" he yelled as he approached King's car, but as soon as he got to the back door, King abruptly opened the door with so much force that it hit Balthazar hard and sent him flying.

"How dare y..." the rest of his words got stuck in his mouth as he behold the man who just got out of the car.

"King??!" he said in astonishment, he was awestricken, he couldn't believe his eyes, but how come?? He left the party about 10 minutes before he did! So how come he's here right now??

"Where were you going in such a hurry?" King asked as calm as ever as he looked down at the terrified man.

"W.. what do you mean?? where else?? home of course!" Balthazar quickly replied.

"Oh! how can I forget? When a man is done with the night's activity he goes back home, right? Yes that's right. So what are you going home to do? sleep??" King kept asking random questions like he doesn't know what he's doing.

"Y..yes but what do you want from me?? Why did you stop me here?? What, are you going to kill me??" Balthazar asked, he struggled to keep his voice as stable as possible in order to hide his fright, but it was still there, no matter how hard he tried, the fright in his voice was still evident.

"You're a smart man, since you're going home to sleep, why don't I make it forever??" King said and the prey-man's eye grew bigger.

"But what did I do to you?? What have I done to deserve death from you??"

"Leo" King called out ignoring his numerous questions, "yes boss!" Leo answered gingerly, "get him" king said with the calmest of voice and immediately, Leo moved towards the man.

Leo dragged him off the floor and started hurling him towards the car, of course he resisted but he was no match to Leo.

"Get your f***ing hands off me!" Balthazar bellowed, then when he got to where King was standing, he sighted the pistol on King's waist then he quickly aimed for it, but as soon as he layed his hand on it, he felt something sharp cut through his bones.

"Argghhh!!!" he shrieked in pains, then he looked at the spot where the object cut him, lo his palm was no where to be found, it turned out that King had slashed off his hand with a samurai dagger.

He looked on the floor, there was his fingers lying bloodily on the floor, he held on to the affected arm in great pain as blood gushed out of it like a tap water.

"And that was for laying your filthy hands on my woman!" King growled. "I never knew she was yours! I swear I wouldn't have touched her!" Balthazar defended himself amidst pain.

"Now you know, now you won't be able to touch any other woman again. Leo?" "yes boss" "put him in the trunk and let's get out of here" King ordered as he got into the car.

Leo quickly dragged and tossed Balthazar into the boot then got into the car and off they went.

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Ever since I returned home from the party, I've been pacing around the sitting room in anxiety, I've not even taken off my dress let alone freshen up, I only managed to take of my shoes because of course I can't walk around in them.

What's keeping him?? Why isn't he home yet?? I know what you must be thinking, that I'm overreacting, or probably I'm acting like a worried wife whereas I shouldn't, but I can't help but feel this way.

"Ma'am, please, at least take off your dress and have a bath, we can't let the boss meet you in this state, we will get queried or at worse loose our jobs" Athena and Maureen begged for the umpteenth time.

They've been with me in this sitting room for over 30 minutes doing the same thing over and over again; begging.

"Don't worry, I won't let any of those happen to you, I promise, you should retire to bed now, I will be fine by myself" I said hoping that this would put them out for good, but they didn't look like they were ever going to give up.

"It's okay, we won't bother you again, but permit us to sit here with you" Maureen said.

"Seriously??" I said, "fine I will go have my bath but as soon as I'm done I'm coming back here and you two will retire to bed and not bother me anymore, deal??" I said as I observed their facial expressions, they were finding it difficult to reach that compromise with me, but they had to.

"Alright, deal, but promise us you won't stay out long" I chuckled at their silly antic then nodded, "I promise" I headed for the stairs and they followed.

Just as promised, I had my bath and had a little salad then I was back to the sitting room.

I waited for another 30 minutes, yet no trace of him, I got tired of standing so I decided to sit, it was when I sat down that I realized how tired I was and it wasn't long before I dozed off.

≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠

King returned home a few minutes past 11pm as he walked to the sitting room, he saw Selena sleeping on the sofa. He walked up to her as noiseless as possible, when he got to where she was sitting, he squat to her level.

He stared at her face as he drank in her facial features, 'so naive and innocent' he thought.

"I can't believe you're real, I can't believe I found you" he breathed to her even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

He raised his hand to her face and started tracing the contours and lines of her face with his fingers, then she stirred a little and then her long beautiful lashes fluttered open and now he was staring right into her mesmerising hazel eyes.

"You're back" she said almost in a whisper, "yes I am corazon" King said.

"What did you do to him??" she frained out of nowhere. He smiled and held up her chin, "what I did to him is of no importance, what matters right now is what I want to do to you" he said mischievously.

She looked at him blankly, it was obvious she didn't get his 'joke'.

"What are you doing down here all by yourself?? Don't tell me you were worried about me" he said teasingly even though it didn't show in his voice, he always sounds so serious.

"Of course not!" she snapped sounding so defensive, King chuckled then got up on his feet, "come" he said offering her his hand and she took it, then up they went.