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Killian waited for Samantha to disappear into the club before glaring at Thomas and waiting for his best friend to say something. And since Tom has never been able to keep something to himself for long, it broke out of him quickly.

"You touched her." That didn't sound like a question, and Killian had no intention of answering or denying anything. Thomas should think what he wanted. Yes, he did desire Sam and he didn't care what her relationship was stood by him. He wanted her and he would take her. As often and any way he saw fit.

"Yes, and she quite liked it." Thomas just snorted.

"Sure, of course. She's a traumatized girl who doesn't know lust, but instead of healing her, you turn their trauma into something much worse. Talk it up, but you're abusing her. Just like your father wanted to do before."

Killian then grabbed his best friend's collar and pushed his back against the wall. Normally this shouldn't be so easy for him to do. But Thomas let it and apparently didn't even think about it, his Taking back the allegations, quite the opposite.

" In some ways you are even worse than Frank. You not only take her body but also her heart, she loves you and she will never get rid of you and what you do to her. And while doing so there won't be a happy ending. Or have you already forgotten Viktoria?" Killian's grip relaxed, but he wouldn't let himself be fooled into playing foul play with his sister.

He lived for her, would do anything for her, and every thread that connected him to Victoria existed only to protect Samantha. There was nobody in his life but her. In some ways she had always been the love of his life.

"I'll deal with Viktoria, but I advise you not to stand between me and Sam because you think you're protecting her. I've been doing nothing else my whole life and you know it. I don't know what got into you, but the only one who managed to hurt her in the last few hours is you, Tom. She cried. Because of you."

And at those words something like deep pain actually came over Thomas' face. It was a bit ironic, but Thomas acted more like a brother to her than Killian himself. He'd only wanted to protect her, and no matter how repellent Killian Thomas' interference was, he couldn't ignore that.

"Don't ever make her cry again, Thomas. Otherwise, we'll really have problems together!" His best friend wasn't deterred, his eyes still as determined as before.

What else did Killian have to do to prove to him that Sam was everything he ever wanted? While the way their relationship went in this direction could be explained in terms of addictions, twisted feelings, and psychological issues, none of those things changed how he felt about her and how much he wanted her, what he wanted to do with her.

"Okay, and what about Sebastian? What are you going to tell him if he actually buries the hatchet and then demands what he was promised in return?" what he wants and waiting for the old tyrant to die. You know that, Killian."

Yes, he knew that, but his predicament had nothing to do with Sam and him. He didn't want it to have anything to do with them. He refused to see that.

"Sebastian doesn't have any Interested in Sam. He doesn't know her, has never seen her and when he sees her he will defy his uncle just as he did in my case and Marsh Collins will do as much about it as he did , when Sebastian ignored the forced peace between us: Nothing." After all, Sebastian was still Marsh's heir, and if this man was capable of love, then he loved his nephew. A lot more than his daughter. Thomas closed his eyes in resignation and for a brief moment Killian saw honest regret in it.

“I wish you that. Honestly, man. I wish you and her that it will be exactly as you are putting this together, that you can have her without any consequences. But your relationship has never been a lucky one, Kil." Killian let go of him and for an infinitely long moment, he saw genuine understanding in Thomas' eyes.

"He would never tolerate it, you know how consistent his views are on that. I've experienced it first hand. Just keep it from getting out or he'll set fire to this club and everyone who lives in it and burn it to the ground."

Killian suddenly saw the image of a burning small family house again, in a very remote area. He saw Thomas' pained expression on his face. How his best friend collapsed as he watched the house burn down and the screams from inside slowly died away.

They had both been young and stupid then, hadn't understood what kind of machinations they had gotten themselves into. Killian, whose father had made his living as a small-time dealer on the streets, had thought himself up to his neck in the quagmire of crime. That day, though, he'd realized he'd gotten himself in deeper shit than his father had ever done.

He had sided with an unscrupulous ruler who had a house set on fire where his only, albeit unloved, son and his lover had always met. Thomas had then lost the man he loved. And Killian would never forgive his own guilt.