Born of Night (The League #1)(16)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Kiara stiffened in confusion. “What?”

“The League forbids a free-assassin to destroy a housing building to get to one, single target.”

She laughed at the absurdity of the idea of paid killers adhering to something so simplistic. “You mean assassins actually have rules to follow? Why should someone who kills for a living give a sneeze about some League ordinance?”

Still no visible reaction from Nykyrian. “If you’d ever disobeyed The League, you wouldn’t ask that question.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He moved away from her. “Very few free-assassins have the ability to outwit League Assassins or Protectors. Despite the corruption inherent in their own system, The League does try to keep some type of law over the free-assassins to make sure they don’t become more powerful than the fat bureaucrats. So they will hunt them down and make them pay in ways that give even the stoutest soul nightmares.”

That gave her even more pause as she stared at him. He’d thrown all their rules in their faces and had managed to live when he shouldn’t have. “So what would they do to you if they ever found you?”

“They would make an example out of me.”

How could he be so calm and lackadaisical as he said that? She envied him that ability until it occurred to her how horrific his past must be if not even that threat could make him flinch.

What had they put him through?

“And do you abide by their laws?”

“When it suits me to.”

Kiara clutched her robe closed. The underlining threat of his words wasn’t lost on her. She’d been right. He respected no man’s rules except his own.

He turned his reader off and changed the subject. “So what other things were on your schedule for today?”

“I’d planned to take a few things to a charity drop and go shopping for my best friend’s birthday present. But I guess I’ll be sitting here, staring at the walls instead.”

Nykyrian wanted to be immune to the hurt bitterness in her voice, but the sad truth was he felt for her pain. She was trying hard to be strong. Even so, he saw the way her hands trembled and he’d seen the fear in her eyes.

Her entire life had been taken from her over something that didn’t even concern her.

Has severe phobic reaction to cramped spaces and darkness. Doesn’t like feeling trapped or confined. Almost suicidal need to maintain normal schedule even in the face of danger.

Her file had been explicit about the trauma of her past and its effects on her present state of mind. He remembered how much damage she’d done to her own wrists in an effort to get free from Chenz—she’d almost severed one hand.

For that, he respected her. She’d been willing to do anything to save herself. It was primal and courageous.

And so he did for her what he’d seldom done for anyone else. He showed her mercy. “We can go out for a bit so long as you don’t stick to a routine or go to a favorite store.”

“Really?” The hopeful look on her face hit him like a blow to his gut. Damn, she was beautiful when she smiled.

He nodded.

Her face fell an instant later. “But I can’t make my charity drop?”

Why did he even give a shit that she sounded so disappointed?

But he did. “As long as you’re quick about it.”

The light returned to those amber eyes as she smiled once more. “I will be. I promise.”

“Then get dressed and we’ll leave as soon as the stores open.”

She got up and started to leave, then paused. She turned to give him a look that tugged even more at the heart he’d thought was dead. “Thank you, Nykyrian.”

He’d never heard anything more wonderful than the sound of his name rolling off her tongue with her lilting accent. Inclining his head to her, he stepped back so that she could leave.

His gaze went to the table and her barely touched food. Hauk always said he had a way of ruining even the stoutest appetite. It looked like he was right.

With a heavy sigh, Nykyrian set about cleaning it up.

Kiara paused in her dressing as she heard Syn talking with Nykyrian in the main room. He must have come in while she was showering.

Tilting her head, she tried to hear what they were discussing, but it did her no good. They spoke a strange language she couldn’t understand even though she listened very carefully for her name or any other word she might recognize.

Whatever they discussed, they sounded very serious about it.

She sighed. Well at least Nykyrian’s harshness seemed to fade a tad around Syn. She liked seeing some reaction from her bodyguard other than shrugs and clipped retorts.

As she entered the main room, Syn turned around in his chair and almost fell out of it as he scanned her body. He cleared his throat and cut an appreciative look to Nykryrian. “Dayum . . . woman be hot.”

Nykyrian didn’t react at all.

Kiara’s cheeks scalded over both their reactions. Syn’s for being so overt. Nykyrian’s for being nonexistent. “Thank you,” she said to Syn.

Nykyrian came to his feet with a grace she admired given how heavy his coat was. He looked lethal and gorgeous. “We’ve already loaded your drop in the transport. Are you ready?”

She nodded and thought Nykyrian would at least take her arm to keep her near him, but all he did was open the door and scan the corridor before waving her out of the flat.

She glanced back at Syn who hadn’t moved a muscle. “Is Syn staying here?”

Syn’s laugh answered her. “Yeah, Kip gets to guard you and I get to house-sit. Life bites the big tee-tawa.”

She frowned. “The big what?”

“We won’t be gone long,” Nykyrian cut in before Syn could answer. He shut and locked her door.

“That was rude,” she chastised.

He took her tone in stride. “Rude would be my translating what he said. Never ask Syn what half his vocabulary means. He was raised by animals and most of it’s too obscene to be translated even for hardcore soldiers and prostitutes.”

She smiled at his humorous warning, but curiosity was riding her hard. “Tee-tawa?”

He pressed the button for the lift. “Unless you want your face as red as the shirt you’re wearing, don’t go there.”

The doors opened with a soft whir. “So what’s your favorite Synism?” she asked, stepping into the lift.

A corner of his mouth twitched. For a moment, Kiara thought he might actually smile, but he just tucked his hands inside the pockets of his long, black coat and the doors closed with a ping. “Duwad,” he said at last.

She smiled. “Which means?”

“You’re not old enough for me to answer that. Hell, I’m not even old enough to say it.”

Kiara shook her head at his dry wit that he delivered in a perfect deadpan monotone. He was strangely entertaining in a lethal, ‘I’ll rip out your heart and eat it’ kind of way. “Why did he call you Kip? Is that an insult, too?”

“The answer to that is another of your allotted questions about me, mu Tara. Is that really what you want to waste it on?” He led her from the lift, through the lobby, and outside to the curb.

Kiara walked up to him, deliberately invading his personal space. To her surprise, he didn’t back away. “I still would like to know.”

Their transport, which was driven by a beautiful woman dressed in blood red, pulled up to the curb, its brakes squealing.

He opened the door for her. “It’s a Ritadarion term for a brother in war, blood, spirit, and fire.”

She slid inside and waited for him to join her. “And are you?”

“In many ways.” He jerked his chin toward their driver as he shut the door. “Kiara, meet Jayne.”

There was an air around Jayne every bit as dangerous as the one that clung to Nykyrian. Kiara held her hand out toward her, not quite sure how the woman would react. “Nice to meet you.”

Jayne smiled warmly as she shook her hand. “Same here. So where to, princess?”

Kiara didn’t know why, but she had an instant liking for Jayne. “I’d like to do the drop first, if that’s all right with you two.”

Jayne pulled out into traffic with such force, Kiara was thrown against Nykyrian’s hard body. He gently put her back on her side of the seat.

“Sorry.”

He ignored her apology. “Jayne? For once, could you drive like you didn’t just knock over a bank?”

Jayne laughed. “Sorry, boss. Old habits die hard.”

Kiara arched a brow. “She was a bank robber?”

Jayne signaled her next turn. “I prefer the term ‘wealth redistributor.’ After all, a woman has needs, and I have more than most.”

Kiara was aghast and impressed, and a little scared. “You really robbed banks?”

Jayne winked at her in the rearview mirror. “My father was Egarious Toole. He had me on the job with him from the time I was four, and he taught me well.”

definitely impressed, Kiara grinned. Egarious Toole was one of the most renowned thieves ever born. But unlike most of his ilk, he was also known as the Gentleman Bandit because he was always so polite to those he robbed.

The only thief more notorious was . . .

C.I. Syn.

And unlike Toole, he was known for being brutal and nasty. The most accomplished and the most lethal.

Her stomach flip-flopped as a bad feeling went through her. “Syn . . . is he . . .” she couldn’t even bring herself to say it.

“He doesn’t do that anymore,” Nykyrian said. “But yes, he’s an old colleague of Jayne’s father, who was in the same line of work.”

She let out a long breath in fearful respect. “He doesn’t look old enough to have his reputation.”

Jayne glanced behind before she changed lanes. “Expertise doesn’t have an age requirement.”

No, she supposed it didn’t. “So are all of you wanted criminals?”

Jayne laughed at her bluntness. “Basically, yeah. It’s why we’re so good at what we do. We know how criminals think because . . . we are they.”

And Kiara was amazed her father had hired them. “Does my father know?”

“As long as we keep you safe, he doesn’t care.” Jayne glanced back at Nykyrian. “Amazing how that happens, isn’t it, boss?”

“Never ceases to amaze me. Everyone’s dearest held morals and values have a price on them. It’s just a question of how much.”

Kiara didn’t miss the low-key venom in that statement. “Do you really believe that?”

“I know it for fact.” He glanced askance at her. “But some are a little more noble in their reasoning than others.”

Such as her father being willing to contract with outlaws and thieves to keep her safe. “What would you sacrifice your morals for?”

“I have no morals to sacrifice.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Jayne snorted. “Believe it, little sister. You are sitting next to the most lethal creature ever born. Don’t make him angry. You won’t live long enough to regret it.”

Kiara arched a brow at that. “Is it even possible to make him angry?”

Nykyrian answered. “Oh, it’s more than possible and as Jayne said, you definitely don’t want to be there when it happens.”

“Why?”

“Because, the last person who made him mad, Nykyrian ripped his heart out with his bare hands and fed it to him.”

Kiara shrank back from him. “You’re both messing with me.”

Jayne shook her head slowly and seriously. Nykyrian didn’t respond at all.

Suddenly scared of them both, she sat back in her seat and focused her attention on the people and buildings outside the window.

Nykyrian smelled Kiara’s exotic perfume and yearned to bury his lips in the sweet, scented flesh of her neck. What is wrong with me? He’d briefly been around more than his share of beautiful women, not the least of which was Jayne, who was extremely attractive, but none of them had ever appealed to him the way Kiara did.

He found it difficult to breathe with her so close to him. Steeling himself, he dared a glance at her.

His breath caught in his throat. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she stared out the window, and displayed to his casual glance was the top swell of her br**sts covered by the black lace of her undergarment. From his vantage point, he could practically see all the way to her lap, and that did nothing to alleviate his erection.

C’mon, Nykyrian. Stop it. It wasn’t like wanting a woman was anything new for him.

True, but being this close to one for any length of time was.

Finally, the car stopped in front of the shelter where Kiara had wanted to go. Nykyrian got out first and checked the street before he helped her out.

Jayne grabbed the bags of clothes and followed them into the small shop where a handful of people were shopping. The manager smiled when she saw Kiara and then it faded as her gaze went past the dancer to Nykyrian.