“That’s what the contract was all about.” Now it all made a convoluted kind of sense. He was nothing more than bait to whoever tried to hire him. And if it was one of her people, they certainly wouldn’t be worried about incurring the wrath of the Brotherhood.
“Contract?” She took a step away.
Fuck! He hadn’t meant to say that. “Someone wants you dead and is willing to pay a lot of money to make it happen. Supposed to be exclusive. Not sure how the vampire got involved, but I’ll find out.” He’d start researching as soon as they were somewhere much less exposed. “I have contacts.”
“Just who are you, Alexei?”
He dragged his fingers through his hair, enjoying the way the cold air brushed over his skin. He was aroused, not exactly something he could hide, and it probably wasn’t helping the situation.
She took a quick look at his erection and eased farther away. Yeah, definitely not helping.
“Look, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“But you’d planned to.” The grim acceptance in her voice bothered him. Her face was expressionless, but pain flickered in her eyes.
“No.” That was the honest truth. “I came here to check out the situation. I never take a job without doing my own research. I don’t hurt innocents.”
“Well, isn’t that big of you.” The sarcasm was so thick he could choke on it, but he figured it was justified. “Just what are you? Some big-time assassin?”
“Yes.”
She swallowed heavily. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“No.” They really needed to get moving. He couldn’t stand around all night without any clothes. Someone was bound to come along and notice. Not to mention the reaper might double back for another look.
“I can’t believe this.” She spun around and began walking to town. He hurried to catch up with her. She ignored him, her focus on the road ahead.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Why, you trying to find out how to kill me?”
“No. I want to know how to destroy any of the fuckers who come after you.” His vehemence stopped her dead in her tracks. He rammed into her, sending her flying forward, but rescued her before she hit the ground.
“Are you okay?” He hugged her close.
Peering up at him, she shook her head. “I don’t understand you.”
“That makes us even. I don’t understand you, either.” He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and sighed. “But I have a deep need to protect you.”
Don’t be stupid. Don’t be stupid, he chanted over and over in his head.
But logic flew by the wayside. Nothing could stop him from what he was about to do.
He slowly lowered his head. Cassie’s eyes widened, but she stood her ground. He pressed his lips against hers while inhaling the sweet fragrance of flowers that seemed to cling to her.
She pressed her gloved hand against his face and stroked his beard. Even though a layer of leather separated her skin from his, a low growl escaped him. She drew back and licked her lips. Her sweet, full, delicious lips.
“Why am I so drawn to you?” She asked the question he’d asked himself a dozen times since he’d first laid eyes on her. “This isn’t right. I can’t pull you into my mess.”
“I’m already in it.” There was no stepping back from her, not any longer. “There are rules for hiring one of the Forgotten Brotherhood.”
She paled and dropped her hand. “You’re one of them?”
His guts clenched when he caught his first whiff of fear. “Yeah, I’m one of them.”
…
Alexei was one of the Forgotten. Even she’d heard of them. It was suddenly difficult to breathe. Her chest constricted and her heartbeat sped up.
No wonder he’d ashed Damian so easily. The power behind what he’d done, the quickness of his actions, spoke of experience. Now she understood why.
Every paranormal had heard of the mysterious and dangerous Brotherhood. Most prayed never to meet one. They were a reclusive bunch, spoken of in hushed whispers. They were the bogeyman, the paranormals that others of their kind feared. They were the ones you contacted when a nonhuman went rogue and needed to be put down.
Was that how her family saw her?
It was disheartening.
They were legendary in their ability to get the job done. Word was, once they took a contract, they were unstoppable. But you’d better be sure the job was righteous, or you’d be the one facing the assassin.
She couldn’t imagine getting up enough nerve to actually try to hire one, but someone had done it. Maybe even Death himself.
Maybe Alexei could kill her.
“Were you given anything by whoever hired you?”
“Tried to hire me,” he corrected. “I’m still in the investigative stage. And no.”
A wave of relief washed over her. It would take a very specific weapon to end her. He didn’t have it. That was good.
Her breathing leveled out and some of her anxiety receded.
Alexei was an apex predator to almost any creature. But there had to be more to him than that if he was one of the Brotherhood.
They were a law unto themselves.
“We gotta move.” He took her hand and started towing her behind him.
She tried to pull away, but he wasn’t having it. When she yanked again, he gave another growl—was it so wrong that she found that hot?—and lifted her right off her feet. He never even broke stride.
I’m being carried across the snow by a naked polar shifter.
My life is so weird.
Alexei had found her. A vampire had found her. And because of his death, the reapers had found her. Or would have if it hadn’t been for Alexei’s fast actions.
Still, whoever hired him would know she was in the area.
“You’re nothing more than a means to an end to them.” And she hated them for that. They had no right involving innocent people in their dispute. Okay, so maybe the vamp hadn’t been innocent, but whoever had put the price on her had placed the people of Nome at risk. And that was unacceptable.
“That just pisses me off.” His feet crunched against the snow. She marvelled that he didn’t seem to notice the cold at all. With her gifts locked down, she was freezing. And she was fully dressed.
“Um, what about your clothes?” It belatedly occurred to her that they were in shreds back where he’d shifted.