"Class-three felons?"
"Rapists and pedophiles."
Kiara felt ill as she remembered what Aksel had said to him when the commander's wife had brought him home. He must have known what his father had done and the fact that he would rub Nykyrian's nose in it . . .
They were sick.
She looked up at Nykyrian. "Are you saying . . . did they . . ." She couldn't even bring herself to use the word. It was too nightmarish to even contemplate.
His expression was completely dead. "Yes, they did. As bad as everything else was, nothing compares to those forty-six hours of being degraded while I wore a collar that kept me from being able to fight back as I was attacked . . . repeatedly and without mercy. You want to know why I hate Jullien? He was the one who accused me of theft when he had the ring the whole time. Because he was a prince and I was the bastard the commander wouldn't even give his name to who outscored him on a test, he wanted me hurt and it was the best revenge on me he could think of. The school officials seized me and searched me, then handed me over to Jullien's guards, who beat and interrogated me for hours before they called the commander to tell him what'd happened. He told them to do what Jullien's father had called for--send me to jail, and they did." The furious pain in his eyes scorched her. "I was barely fourteen, Kiara."
She hugged him close. "I'm so sorry, Nykyrian. Why would he do that?"
He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "For the same reason Aksel and Arast hated me. I was beneath them and yet I outscored them. How dare I, a mongrel life form that should never have been born, outperform them in any way. I told you that I live with a rage so fierce it's consuming, and on that night, I unleashed it all against Commander Quiakides."
And now she understood why. She couldn't blame him for what he'd done, not after everything they'd put him through.
"I can't believe Jullien didn't recognize you today."
"That's how little I mattered to him. I wasn't even worth remembering."
Yet he was worth ruining for no other reason than Jullien was a jealous snipe. He'd scarred Nykyrian in a way no one should ever be scarred. And it made her wish she had Nykyrian's skills. "I vote we go out and beat the little snot until his head explodes. That would serve him."
Nykyrian scowled at her even though he tightened his arms. He loved whenever she defended him. With a quick kiss to her cheek, he pulled away. "C'mon, we need to get dressed before Syn and Darling arrive." He led her upstairs. "Luckily my bedroom walls are soundproof." His devilish smile brought heat to her cheeks.
After they cleaned up and dressed, they ended up in the media room. Kiara wrinkled her nose at everything he pulled out for them to watch. "Don't you have anything that isn't gory?"
"Not really."
"You don't have a single comedy?"
He shook his head. "I have you performing."
She rolled her eyes and laughed. "I think I'm offended that I said comedy and that was your suggestion."
He laughed.
"Do you get any broadcasts out here?"
"Yeah." He handed her the controls. "Download whatever makes you happy."
"Even if it makes you miserable?"
"I've suffered through worse, I'm sure." He went to lie down on the couch while she scrolled through the downloadable movies.
Ooooh, there was a romantic comedy she'd been dying to see . . . She looked over her shoulder and sighed. She wouldn't torture him.
"You can watch it if you want."
"Watch what?"
"That sappy crap you paused on."
She hesitated. "You sure?"
"Yeah."
Smiling at him, she pressed the order button and went to join him on the couch. He got up and let her sit, then he did the most amazing thing of all.
He actually laid his head in her lap.
Stunned, she stared down at him.
He caught her look and tensed. "You don't mind, do you? I had a bad eye injury a few years back and tend to get vicious headaches if I watch sitting up."
"Baby, I don't mind at all. I was just shocked that you'd do that after the way you cringe every time I touch you."
"I don't cringe every time you touch me."
She smiled down at him. No, he was getting better about being touched. Completely content, she brushed her hand through his soft hair as the movie started playing.
Kiara couldn't believe she had what she'd wanted.
He trusted her.
A lump constricted her throat as she looked down at him. His long eyelashes fluttered while he watched the movie. She pulled his hair away from his neck to see the short, baby hairs curling around his nape. Using her fingernails, she gently brushed them. Chills formed on his neck and he closed his eyes with a sigh.
With her fingertip, she traced the line of his cheek and lips while her heart lurched at the sight of the faint scars left behind by his mask and other injuries. How she wished he'd had the childhood he deserved.
Turning his head, he opened his eyes to meet hers. The tenderness inside the light green eyes scorched her.
He reached his hand up and brought her head down to his so that he could kiss her. Kiara moaned, her body igniting at his touch. His arms tensed.
Syn's engines thundered in the bay.
Nykyrian let out an irritated sigh. "Remember this position for future reference."
He stood up and she wanted to curse in frustration. Pausing the movie, she followed him to the main room to wait for Darling and Syn. It took several minutes before the door finally opened.
Kiara gasped.
Syn supported Darling with his shoulder. Darling was slumped heavily against Syn's side, unable to walk without assistance. Darling's face, bloodied and bruised, could barely be recognized. His left arm dangled in an awkward position and Kiara realized it was broken.
Nykyrian cursed, then swung Darling up in his arms. Syn ran ahead to the back bedrooms. Kiara followed behind them, her heart twisting at the sight of Darling's beaten condition.
The cruelty of it made her want to hurt whoever had done that to him, and it brought home exactly how awful Nykyrian's past really was. It was one thing to be told about it, to even see it through the sterility of a vid, but to see it face to face . . .
This was raw and real.
Syn pulled the covers back. "Let me pull up the sheet."
"To hell with the sheet," Nykyrian snarled.
Syn nodded, then met Kiara's eyes. The hostility in his gaze made her take a step back.
Oblivious to the hate-filled look, Nykyrian laid Darling down on the bed. Syn broke eye contact with her to tend Darling. Kiara stood in the doorway, the lorinas curling around her legs as they rubbed against her.
She frowned as she saw for the first time why Darling kept his hair over the left side of his face. A deep, white scar traveled down his face from hairline to chin. What in the world would leave a scar like that?
Her throat tightened at the amount of blood covering him. Never in her life had she seen anyone so abused. She glanced at Nykyrian, his jaw tight, and wondered how many times he'd been beaten into a similar condition.
"I'm going to kill Arturo," Nykyrian ground out between clenched teeth.
Darling reached out and touched Nykyrian's arm. "Leave him alone."
Nykyrian let fly a vicious curse.
Kiara couldn't believe he was still conscious given the severity of his injuries.
Syn injected a painkiller into Darling's arm, then moved to set the break. How did Darling stand it without crying out or at least cursing? He just lay there so quiet and still he didn't look real. The only reason she knew he was still conscious was his open eyes that stared up at the ceiling.
Nykyrian looked at her. He crossed the floor, took her by the elbow and led her outside. "I think it best if you went upstairs and waited for me."
Kiara nodded. "Is he going to be all right?"
Nykyrian brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "He'll be fine,
Kiara started to leave, then paused. "Nykyrian?" She waited until he turned around to look at her. "I hope you do beat Arturo." And with that, she headed to their bedroom to wait for him.
It was an hour later when Nykyrian joined her in the bed. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and held her close, his face buried in her neck. His warm breath caressed her nape through her hair.
Kiara wished for the words to make him feel better, to ease some of the tenseness in his muscles that surrounded her.
"How's he doing?"
Nykyrian sighed and pulled back from her neck. He stroked her bare arm with his hand. "He's asleep. He'll be fine, all things considered."
She bit her lip, her throat tight. "Do you know what I've been thinking about while I laid here?"
A short laugh rumbled behind her, bringing a tiny thrill to her body despite the seriousness of her mood. "I hope you were thinking about me and not another man." He kissed the lobe of her ear.
She caught his hand in hers and brought it to her cheek. "The irony of life."
She felt him stiffen around her.
Kiara closed her eyes and held his warm hand closer to her. "I've been thinking about how much I wanted to leave my father's house growing up because he never respected me or my privacy." She sighed, her thoughts tripping over each other. "I always thought he was so cruel to check up on me and intimidate and interrogate my friends like they were criminals. He'd never let me out of his sight without siccing one of his soldiers on me." She winced as she remembered all the arguments they'd had about his restrictions for her. "I was so stupid. My mother used to tell me my life wasn't so horrible. Now I fully understand what she meant. God, I've been so blind."
His hand tightened around hers and he raised it to his lips where he placed a gentle kiss on her fingers. "I'm glad your father protected you. I wouldn't want to have to kill him, too."
Kiara gave a bittersweet laugh. "All I wanted growing up was to be free." She rolled over onto her back and faced him. "Is that what you wanted, to be free of your father?"
His eyes darkened. "Truthfully?"
She nodded.
"All I wanted was to die like a man, without tears or pleading."
That made her want to weep for him. "And now?" she whispered, afraid that he still wanted to die.
He kissed her heatedly. His lips trailed over her body with an insistence she couldn't deny. Kiara welcomed him to her as he pulled her gown from her body and kissed his way from her lips, to her breasts, then lower over her stomach until his lips were buried where she craved him most.
She cried out in pleasure as his tongue teased and tormented her until her body exploded. Still he licked and played until she'd had three more orgasms.
Only then did he take his own pleasure. He made love to her slowly, with the stars twinkling all around them.
When he was finally sated, he held her tightly in his arms, as if he were afraid to let her go.
It wasn't until later when she was drifting off to sleep that she realized he'd never answered her question.
To Kiara's amazement, Darling left his bed the next morning. His movements were slow and studied, but he was able to get about by himself. After seeing him the night before, she'd been certain Darling would be bedridden for days.
Darling sat at the kitchen table eating muffins with Kiara as Nykyrian joined them and made a cup of tea. "I always wondered where you lived. Now that I know how nice it is, I'll be sure to pass the info on to the rest of the group. This'll make a nice crash pad for us."
Nykyrian looked up from his cup, a smile twitching the edges of his lips. "Finish your food before I finish what Arturo started."
Syn checked the lorinas' feeder in the kitchen. "Where are the mongrels?"
Nykyrian took a sip of tea before he answered. "They were confused by all the people. Last I saw of them, they were hiding out in my bed."
Darling frowned. "They don't bite, do they?"
Nykyrian scoffed. "I'm the only thing that bites in this house."
Kiara had to stifle a laugh at his dry response. Her neck still tingled from the bite he'd given her last night after he'd joined her in bed. Though he tried to be careful with his fangs, every now and again he did catch a bit of her skin.
Darling scratched at his plaster cast. "What are we doing today?"
Syn crossed the room to join Nykyrian. "You're going to rest."
Nykyrian downed the last of his tea, put the cup in the sink, then donned his long black coat. "And since you're here, you can keep Kiara company while we go after a couple of Aksel's men."
Kiara's heart stopped beating as fear for him consumed her. "I wish you wouldn't."
"We have to."
Gah, how she hated his stubbornness. She could argue, but in the end, she knew it wouldn't do her a bit of good.
Syn grabbed his bag off the floor and gave Kiara a nasty glare. His glare intensified as Nykyrian pulled her into his arms to kiss her good-bye.
With a heated curse, Syn entered the bay.
"We'll be back around dark," Nykyrian said, squeezing her arm reassuringly.
Kiara watched him leave, her heart heavy with fear and worry. Be careful, baby.
"Should I ask about what I just saw?"
Darling's voice distracted her from her thoughts. Kiara shrugged.
A tiny smile curved one corner of his mouth. "Now that I think about it, I slept in the room with Syn. Where did you sleep?" Darling stared at her with an intensity she found a bit disturbing. Then it faded to a teasing look as he wagged his brows at her.
Laughing at his expression, she took a seat across from him. "Why are you so interested?"
"I've had a severe crush on Nykyrian for years. If not for fear of my life, I would have made a pass at him long ago. But I know I'm too hairy for his tastes."
She watched the way Darling cut up his food with one hand. "May I ask a personal question?"
He looked up at her. "Depends on the question."
"How did you get the scar on your face?"
He went so still, Kiara wished she could take the question back. Self-consciously, Darling put his fork down and rubbed the cheek covered by his hair. "It's disgusting, isn't it?"
"No," she answered honestly. "But it is deep."
He sighed. "Yeah, you should have seen it sixteen operations ago."
Her eyes widened in shock. "What happened?"
He shrugged as if the matter didn't really bother him, but she knew better. "My eldest brother, Ryn. We got into a fight a few years ago and this," he tucked his hair behind his ear to display the scar, "is what happened."
"Your brother did that?" Kiara was aghast. Didn't any of them have a happy childhood?
Darling nodded. "It was an accident. At least I think it was."
Compassion welled up inside her as she surveyed the scar. While it was far more noticeable than Nykyrian's, it really didn't detract from his handsomeness. "You know, you're still extremely good-looking."
He gave her a look that told her he thought she'd lost her mind. "If only you were a man, love. Unfortunately, most people curl their lips and run."
"Most people are idiots."
He laughed. "No argument on that." Then he turned serious. Draping his uninjured arm over the back of his chair, he studied her face for several minutes. "I want you to promise me something."
Kiara glanced sideways, her mind thinking of several things he might want from her. "What?"
"I want you to take care of Nykyrian. I can't explain it, but he's different now that you're here. Happier, I guess. He doesn't seem so serious and emotionless anymore." His eyes narrowed into an intense stare that probed her soul. "I want you to promise me you won't hurt him."
"I would never hurt him."
Darling nodded. "Good, now let's go digging around and see what kind of trouble we can find."
She laughed, happy to find Darling such an easy person to befriend. Leading him to the library, she tried to keep her mind from worrying over Nykyrian and the trouble he might find. The last time he went out, he'd been shot on her behalf, and that was the last thing she wanted.
Hours later, Nykyrian and Syn sat in the backroom of the Bended Maiden sipping drinks. Nykyrian juice and Syn . . . he might as well be injecting alcohol straight into his bloodstream.
Nykyrian's head pounded from a vicious headache. He hated when his vision screwed up like this. Damn his injuries. But there was nothing he could do except suffer with it.
They continued to review their findings for the afternoon, to little avail.
He growled at the time they'd wasted. Aksel beat his dogs well. They were all so afraid of him, none of them would betray him for fear of his retaliation.
Bloody bastards.
All he wanted was an end to this contract. So long as Aksel was on the hunt, Kiara wasn't safe. And God help her if Aksel got his hands on her.
Agitated at the apparent futility of his day, he sifted through the sheets of printouts that lined the tabletop.
The bare, tan walls kept out the noise of the clientele in the bar area fairly well, but every now and again a loud laugh or shout would interrupt their quiet.
Antilles brought them another round of drinks. Nykyrian watched the elderman fight his way around all the boxes and barrels that stored his supplies.
The old man smiled at them, setting their drinks on the table. "It's good to have the two of you back. It's been too long."
Nykyrian inclined his head in appreciation and handed him payment.
Syn sat back and cupped his hands around his head. "Has Ambassador Cruel arrived yet?" His tone was irritated. Like him, Syn had grown bored with the wait long ago.
Antilles offered Syn a look of apology. "He hasn't yet, but I promise to send him back here as soon as he does."
When they were alone again, Syn let out an aggravated growl. "Shahara is my main worry. Aksel comes in full force, blasters blazing. You can't miss him. She slips up from behind and drives a blade into your lung. Lethal harita."
Nykyrian agreed. Shahara was one of the best bounty hunters ever born. A fully trained Seax, she was to tracing what he was to the assassin's guild. No one ever escaped her.
And Syn was right. She never acted out in the open. Had she been an assassin, she would have given even him a run for his money.
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