All For Us

Chapter 19 (Kayson)

Astra's been attacked. Need you back here ASAP.

I read the text from Jenny for the third time, just to be sure I haven't somehow misinterpreted her message. 

"Kayson? Everything okay?" Wren asks from my right. I glance up from my phone to see my team watching me with concern.

"No. I need to leave. Right now." I don't wait for a response from anyone before quickly stalking out of the room where I was meeting with The A Team. 

I make my way towards my car, fighting with everything in me not to start all-out sprinting towards my vehicle. It would raise the suspicion of far too many curious eyes. And even with Astra's safety hanging in the balance, I simply can't bring myself to endanger her further by drawing attention to my rapid exit.

When I reach my BMW, I fling myself inside, backing out of the parking space at a frightening speed.

It's a half hour drive from our Maryland Headquarters back to the White House, but I somehow manage to make it in fifteen. The second I'm in the driveway, I throw my car into park, and this time I don't give a shit about who's watching as I run towards the House as fast as my legs will carry me.

There are Secret Service Agents everywhere, overflowing from the building. I fight my rising panic at the sight, praying to any God that will listen that my Princess is okay. 

I stop the first Agent I come across. "Where is she?" He doesn't need to ask who I'm talking about. He quickly informs me of her location, and I'm off again, sprinting towards the training room at breakneck speed, nearly running into several other Agents in the process.

I come to an abrupt halt when I see Jenny standing guard outside the door. "What the fuck happened?!" I yell at my friend, unable to contain my anger.

"Someone broke in through her window and tried to kill her. She defended herself." My hands start to shake at her words. I never should've left Astra. Every part of my being was screaming at me not to, and yet I didn't listen. And she nearly died because of it.

"What do you mean by she 'defended herself'?" I ask, half dreading the answer.

"She killed her attacker." 

Oh. Fuck.

I enter the training room without another word, stopping short when I catch sight of Astra running lines. Her puppy is lounging in the corner, his head swinging back and forth as he follows her movements.

She doesn't seem to notice my presence, too lost in her own thoughts. She's running faster than I've ever seen her move in my life. The scene breaks my heart.

Astra hates running, only doing so when she wants to escape her thoughts. I have no doubt she's extremely traumatized, not only because she was attacked in the middle of the night in her heavily guarded home, but also because she was forced to kill the person that attempted to take her life.

"Astra," I call out to her, finally announcing my presence. She halts mid-step, turning to face me as she pants for breath. My heart shatters inside my chest at the state of her appearance. 

There's a ring of purpling bruises around her neck, and her eyes have heavy bags under them, swollen from crying. There's dried blood all over her face and neck, but I know it doesn't belong to her.

"You left me," she whispers between gulps of air, her expression full of so much fucking pain I can't stand it. 

I cross the distance between us in a few short strides. I reach for her, but Astra easily evades my grasp, darting out of my vicinity. I pull my arm back, shocked at her reaction.