aHunter4Saken (aHunter4Hire)

by Cynthia Clement

  When she was seated, he shut the door and jumped into the back. She turned and looked at him, her gaze never leaving his face. A sense of comfort and safety infused her body.

  This was a man who could possess her totally. With a start she realized that was exactly what she wanted; to be utterly and completely part of Niail. She ached for him. She wanted his words about pair bonding to be true. She needed to know that she was as much a part of him as he was of her.

  A flame flickered deep within Niail’s eyes and she knew. No words were needed. He had sensed her thoughts. She didn’t know how, but he had reached deep within her. Somehow he had captured the part of her that was scared and frightened and was soothing it. His protection surrounded and comforted her.

  The spell was broken when her grandfather opened his door and sat behind the wheel. Kimi sighed and turned away from Niail. Once they were safe, there would be time to explore the sensations that were racing through her. Now she must focus on getting help from the police. She needed her life to get back to normal.

  The drive to town was accomplished in silence. Her grandfather was a man of few words and Kimi knew that he had said all he meant to about her relationship with Niail. Grandfather saw no reason for them not to be together. That was all he was going to say about the matter.

  They arrived in Cut Bank just after dark. They drove down Main Street and turned off past the County Building until they came to a residential area. He stopped in front of a small beige clapboard sided house. Jake jumped down and unlocked Mark from the tie down.

  “I’ll contact the head of the department from here and see what he wants me to do. Hopefully we can get a police van sent to transport Mark to Billings. I would feel safer that way. I don’t know how far reaching Kowal’s control is.”

  Grandfather turned the vehicle off and jumped out. “I will come with you. I need to stretch my legs.”

  Niail opened the truck door beside Kimi. “Are you certain you can trust this man?”

  “He’s law enforcement and my contact in the area.” Jake’s tone was impatient. “You see conspiracy around every corner.”

  “No.” Niail rested his arm on the vehicle’s door. “I have seen more corruption than you. I have also cleaned up more messes.”

  Mark snickered. “Nothing is as it seems.”

  Jake gave him a shake. “Enough. There’s no doubt of your guilt. If you had your way we would all be dead.”

  “All we wanted was the Hunter. Remember that.” Mark pulled against Jake’s lead. “Now it’s probably too late.”

  A shiver raced up Kimi’s spine. Niail glanced down at her and she forced a smile. The thought of someone taking Niail away was painful. She would barely be able to handle it when he returned to his own kind. At least then she would know he was safe.

  “I will never leave you.”

  Kimi’s eyes widened. How had he known what she was thinking? He’s said his brain was too confused to read thoughts.

  Niail leaned close. His breath tickled her ear. “Our bond is strengthening. My head is unclear of everything, but you.”

  “That’s not possible.” Kimi’s words were a whisper.

  “It is possible for a Hunter.”

  Kimi bit her lip, her eyes glancing from side to side. “Can you read everyone’s mind?”

  “I hear only your thoughts.”

  Kimi exhaled. “As long as you’re the only one.”

  “Not everything is clear, but as the bond grows I will know more and more of your desires.”

  Kimi’s tongue skittered across her lips. Niail’s words had sent a thrilling heat through her. His gaze was intense, his voice low, and somehow she knew that to have this man’s attention would be heavenly. Still, she couldn’t allow herself to forget that she was a mother with children to look out for.

  Niail bent closer, his lips a hair’s breadth away. Kimi’s breath caught in her throat, anticipation heightened as she waited for his touch. His lips skimmed hers and she moaned as he moved away. His mouth returned, this time he captured her lips with deftness and firmness. She gasped at the electric sensation that raced through her. His tongue delved into her mouth. He drank from her, sending shivers of delight throughout her. She reached her arms up to his neck and pulled him closer. Everything disappeared. All that mattered was Niail and the pleasure he was sending throughout her body. She pressed closer to him, craving for a deeper connection.

  Her head spun with the dizzy thrill of ecstasy. She was lost. She surrendered to the passion and joy of being with him. Their kiss deepened until she felt part of him.

  They were one.

  She needed more.

  She ached to be joined with him, to feel his body next to hers. He was all that existed. The world vanished except the exquisite passion that was building within her. She was lost to everything except Niail.

  The blast of a shotgun tore them apart.

  Chapter 16

  Every cell in Niail’s body jumped into protection mode. For a few minutes he had lost himself in the feel and taste of Kimi. He had let himself forget the danger they were in. He should not have listened to Jake. His instincts had warned him it was not safe. He pushed Kimi down flat on the seat.

  “Stay.”

  He locked and shut the door before running to the house. The nondescript building looked non-threatening, but that gunshot had been close. Niail flattened his body against the side wall and then inched his head out so he could see the front porch.

  There was no sign of Jake or Mark. Eluwilussit was hurrying toward him, though. When he spotted Niail he ran to his side and leaned against the wall. His breath was coming in gasps and he put his hand to his chest.

  “What happened?” Niail’s voice was low.

  Grandfather shook his head. “I was outside the door. I didn’t see anything.”

  “So we do not know if Jake is okay?” Niail reached behind and pulled a handgun out of his waistband.

  “You can’t go in there.” Grandfather’s voice rose. “They’re armed.”

  “I cannot leave Jake to fight alone.” Niail pushed the safety off his weapon. “He has shown himself to be a man of honor. You need to go back to the truck. I left Kimi there.”

  “I’ll start the vehicle and have it running just in case you need a quick escape.”

  Niail nodded. “Good. If we are not out in five minutes, you are to leave. Kimi needs to get to safety.”

  Niail didn’t wait for Eluwilussit’s agreement. He steadied his breathing and then slipped around the edge of the wall. He kept his body flat against the building and took short side steps until he was at the front door.

  The door was wooden with a glass upper section. There was a bullet hole in the bottom corner of the window. Around the hole was an area of shattered glass with spiral cracks extending from it in on all sides. The shot had come from inside the house.

  Niail’s grip on the handgun tightened.

  He inhaled and kicked the door open in one motion.

  He ducked low and rushed to the nearest wall for cover. In the hallway, near the door, was a dead body. It was male. Niail had never seen him before, so he assumed it was Jake’s contact.

  Bullets whizzed by his head.

  He counted three.

  He eased along the wall. When he reached the corner he took several steadying breaths. Once his heart rate was lowered, he peered around the edge. Three men had surrounded Jake. One had a gun to his head. The other two were pointing in his direction. Mark was nowhere in sight.

  “We’ve got your buddy,” one of the men yelled. “We’ll let him live if you give yourself up.”

  “Don’t believe them.” Jake’s voice was defiant. “They’ve already killed Andrew.”

  Niail pulled back just as two bullets flew by. A third one embedded in the wall behind his head. He crouched down on his knees, keeping the gun in front of him. He cocked his pistol and leveled it at the corner.

  He closed his eyes and envisioned the position of the m
en. He reached out with his senses and focused on the different cadence of each man’s breathing. He exhaled and steadied his hand before jumping from behind the wall. He pulled the trigger three times as he rolled side over side, to the opposite wall.

  “Damn.” There was a tremor in Jake’s voice. “You were dead center in the forehead for all three.”

  Niail eased around the edge of the corner. The men were lying on the floor and Jake was standing. His eyes scanned the room for Mark. There was no sign of him.

  “I do not miss.” Niail pulled the magazine from his 9mm and checked the number of bullets. He still had ten left.

  “Where is he?”

  “Mark?”

  “Is there more than him?”

  “He’s the only one left. He ran out the back door the minute you entered the house.”

  Niail stood and leaned against the wall. He eased his breathing and wiped the beads of sweat from his head. He glanced around the corner. Jake had picked his way around the bodies and was coming toward him.

  “How did you do that?” Jake’s voice was hoarse. “Can you see through walls?”

  “No.” Niail moved into the room. “This planet gives us increased abilities. My hearing is better, so I used that to locate you before shooting.”

  “Incredible. You could’ve hit me.”

  Niail shrugged. He could hear the anxiety in Jake’s voice. It was a waste of energy. He had not missed. Now they had to focus on what to do next. As long as Mark and Kowal were free, Kimi was in danger.

  “What happened here?”

  “Mark knew these guys were staking out Andrew’s place.” Jake bent down and with a shaking hand he picked up a pistol. “As soon as we were inside, the men barged in from the rear. They killed Andrew before I knew what was happening.”

  “Your partner is not a man we should let live.”

  Jake lowered his eyes. “Perhaps not, but he is a witness to what happened to you. He knows Kowal’s operation. I want him alive.”

  Niail’s eyes narrowed. How many times did Jake have to see the error of his choices? Humans might think that they were being fair by letting a man stand his trial, but where was the honor in this? Mark was a traitor who had knowingly allowed innocent people to die. He was a coward.

  “You are only delaying the inevitable.”

  Jake shook his head. “There will be more justice if Mark pays for his behavior.”

  “Death is a payment.”

  “Not in this case.” Jake picked up a second pistol. “He has to testify to what these men have done.”

  Niail heaved a sigh. “It is your decision.”

  He walked past the dead men on the floor and went through a passageway that led to the kitchen. There was an open door to the outside. Now he needed to track his prey. He paused at the doorway and sniffed the air. The stench of body odor assailed his nostrils.

  Mark was nearby.

  Niail’s eyes scanned the darkness.

  A shadow moved to the right, but it was too small to be his prey. He took a step forward and the stillness of the night closed in upon him. A jolt of cold skittered up his spine. Instinct and experience, told him that Mark waited close by. The sound of a dog barking in the distance broke the silence.

  He took another step forward.

  The nightscape seemed to have eyes that peered deep within him. A sharp cracking sound came from the left. Niail tilted his ear in that direction. A soft rustle, and then a sigh alerted him to his quarry. Niail eased his gun up.

  He bent low and moved on silent feet, inching his way into the darkness. Mark was there. He could feel and smell him. When he reached a stone edging, he stepped over it onto a gravel path. A soft crunch of stone reverberated in his head. He lightened his footstep as he turned in direction of the sound.

  A shadow swooped from nearby and Niail ducked. He wasn’t quick enough to prevent the blow to the head. He staggered back several steps as the cold metal of a gun cracked against his skull. Niail winced at the tooth jarring pain that shot through him. He pushed past it and grabbed the arm that wielded the weapon.

  “Let go.” Mark screamed in pain.

  Niail twisted the arm back. “Release the gun.”

  “Never.”

  Niail grunted and put the full weight of his body behind the force of his hold. He was within seconds of breaking the arm, when Mark relented.

  “Stop.” The clatter of metal on the gravel followed.

  Niail released Mark’s arm and then pulled back his fist and punched him in the jaw. Mark’s body slumped to the ground just as Jake ran up.

  “What did you do to him?” Jake’s words came out between his gasps for air.

  Niail hauled Mark to his feet. “You can thank me later.”

  He shoved his prisoner ahead of him as they moved back to the house. Instead of entering the back door, Niail pulled Mark around the side of the building. The truck was still there and running just as Eluwilussit had promised.

  Jake took Mark from Niail and cuffed his hands.

  “He almost broke my arm.” Mark’s voice was a high pitched whine. “You’ll never be able to try my case in court. You’ll be arrested for brutality.”

  The door opened and Kimi came rushing to their side. “What happened?”

  “They were watching the house.” Jake dropped the tailgate and pushed Mark up onto the truck bed. “One minute I’m talking to Andrew and telling him about the operation and the next he’s dead.”

  “How horrible.” Kimi’s voice shook.

  “Your sister does not need to hear this.” Niail leaned against the side of the vehicle. His head ached. He clenched his jaw and pushed back the pain.

  Kimi turned to him. “Are you okay?”

  Niail straightened away from the truck. “Mark put up a fight.”

  “I clocked him good.” Mark chuckled. “He’s not so tough.”

  Kimi inhaled a deep breath. “Where did he hit you?”

  “My head.”

  Kimi reached up and brushed the hair from his forehead. Her hand feathered across the spot where Mark had bashed him. He winced and had to force himself not to move away from her. Her caress was soothing. Never had anyone cared about his injuries before. It was a unique sensation.

  “You’re bleeding.” Kimi pulled him along with her to the front of the truck. “Let me have a better look.”

  She flicked the interior light on and pushed him toward the light. She frowned as her fingers moved his hair aside and revealed the open gash a few inches above his temple.

  “You need stitches.”

  “There is no time.” Niail winced as he straightened up.

  “He’s right.” Jake spoke from the rear of the truck. “We need to get you to safety and then I’m going straight to Billings.”

  “You thought it would be safe here.” Kimi’s voice was sarcastic.

  “I was wrong.” Jake put his hands on his hips. “I think you should go back to your house, gather a few things, and then find someplace to hide. They’ve already been to your place, so it’s not likely they’ll return.”

  “You can’t be certain.”

  “Well I can’t take you to Billings.” Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “There isn’t enough room in the truck.”

  Kimi looked over at Niail with a raised eyebrow. A rush of warmth went through him at her silent question. She was looking to him for direction. She trusted him enough to want his input.

  “I will not leave you.” Niail touched her arm. “You will be safe.”

  “Are you certain?” Kimi looked at his forehead. “We should get you stitches first.”

  “I am fine.”

  Niail helped Kimi back into the truck and shut the door. He hopped into the back and braced himself against the side. His head was pounding and his stomach rolled with nausea, but that was not going to stop him from staying close to Kimi. She needed him.

  The trip to Kimi’s house took almost half an hour. By the end of the journey Niail didn’t
care where they stopped, so long as they did. His head was pounding, and his eyes were going in and out of focus. For the last fifteen minutes of the trip he had held his head in his hands and used visualization techniques to push the pain away. No interrogation had given him this much agony.

  The truck pulled up to Kimi’s house. The lights were out and everything was an inky dark color. Niail jumped down and went to the passenger door. He clasped Kimi’s waist and helped her out of the vehicle before turning to the house.

  The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

  Everything looked in place, but his senses told him something was wrong.

  He halted Kimi. “Let me go first.”

  “What now?” Kimi’s voice was weary. “I just want to call Ann and make sure the kids are okay. Maybe we could stay here the night. I would love to fall asleep in my own bed.”

  “Not going to happen.” Jake was pushing Mark in front of him. “After you check on the kids and freshen up, I want you out of here.”

  “But you said they wouldn’t come back here.”

  Jake motioned to the house. “This place is too isolated, even with the superhero taking care of you. Your truck is still at Grandfather’s, so you have no way of leaving.”

  Kimi groaned. “Will I get any sleep tonight?”

  “Sure, as long as it’s some place where Kowal’s men can’t get you.” Jake moved Mark toward the house. “Once I’ve got the police working on this, they’ll need to speak to you.

  Kimi put her hand over a yawn. “I hate to think how Niail feels.”

  “I do not stop until the job is done.”

  “Listen to him. He knows what’s best.”

  Niail shook his head. “I will not go to the police. It is too dangerous for me.”

  Eluwilussit who had been walking behind them spoke now. “He must stay hidden.”

  “He can’t use the Star People as a defense.” Jake stopped and turned to face Niail. “You killed people. Even if it’s in self-defence it must be reported.”

  “It is not wise for me to be involved.”

  “You just admitted the job isn’t done.”

  “I still have to kill Kowal.” Niail led Kimi forward.