Chapter One
She was exquisite violence. There was no other way to describe her. Normally, Jinx Shadowborne wouldn’t have given her more than a passing glance.
But she was impossible to ignore.
She wore competence and war like an accessory. Her posture bled experience, especially since she was in this dive hole, alone.
With no visible weaponry.
Only a woman of extreme stupidity would dare enter a dive as sorry as the Hunting Ground alone.
Or one more than capable of taking care of herself.
Indeed, predatorial grace bled out from every pore of her lithe body. The way she slid her glance around to cover every inch of the bar to how she stood with her weight equally distributed.
If someone came at her, they wouldn’t be able to unbalance her easily. She’d have them on their ass faster than they could blink.
He was impressed. She was a well-trained warrior.
But it wasn’t just that. She was incredibly beautiful. Dark copper skin that matched her sharp pale eyes.
A walking contradiction of beautiful destruction. Human body with black Andarion warrior braids. In fact, if it wasn’t for the light blue of her eyes and human teeth, she’d pass for Andarion.
Was she a hybrid?
“Jinx? Did I lose you?”
He blinked at the voice in his ear. “Sorry, Savage. Distracted.”
“Since when?”
Never. But for some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she went to the bar to order a drink.
Forcing his gaze away from her, Jinx scanned the occupants again. “This was a complete waste of time. No one’s coming.”
“Told you it was bullshit.”
“I know. But I still say I’m on to something.” He frowned as he noted a man entering the bar. He looked like he had potential. “Hey, Sav, we might have a winner. Let me call you back.”
“Be careful.”
“Always.” Jinx tapped his ear to close his link as he watched the man who stood out in this crowd as much as the woman did.
He wasn’t just a freelance assassin. This man had some serious skills.
And he looked to be heading this way. Maybe this was the informant who’d contacted Jinx.
At least that was his thought until the man veered off to the table where the woman had taken her drink.
To her credit, she didn’t appear shaken at all by the man’s obvious attempt to intimidate her.
She leisurely sipped her drink as if he weren’t glaring at her with murderous intent.
“You know, Eve, today’s a good day to die. But it’s an even better one to make the other asshole pay.”
Eve Erixour passed a droll, unamused stare at the hired enforcer in front of her who’d dared to interrupt her Happy Hour at her favorite pub.
Sicarius Veneficus. Tall. Smug.
Dirtbag.
And it pained her to admit just how handsome he actually was, with his well-toned physique, dark brown hair and eyes so pale they seemed to glow. Though he’d be a lot more attractive if he didn’t have that venomous air around him that said he’d rather gut someone than talk to them.
‘Course a lot of folks said that about her, too. But she, at least, tried to mitigate it.
He, on the other hand, flaunted it like a prized trophy.
“Tell your pimple that I don’t have his money.”
Sicarius arched a brow at her and the nonchalant boredom in her tone. He glanced around the crowded bar, knowing as well as she did that if he shot or beat her in here no one would notice or care. Which was one of the reasons she liked this place so much. “You’re really going to make me do this?”
“I’m not making you do anything, but I don’t have the money. So if you’re willing to get bloody, so am I.”
He let out a tired sigh before he took a step forward.
Eve braced herself and moved her hand to her blaster, under the table.
Yet before he could reach her, a giant shadow blocked his path. “There a problem?”
Sicarius tensed as he sized up the new threat.
So did Eve.
Not just because she wasn’t expecting anyone to intervene on her behalf, but because of who was intervening.
A League assassin.
What the hell?
Even taller than Sicarius, who towered over most, the assassin was fierce.
And gorgeous.
All masculine power and lethal grace. Like the finely-honed killing machine they’d trained him to be.
Yet for all that threat, Sicarius didn’t back down. “This is private business. Has nothing to do with The League.”
“Really?”
Sicarius nodded. “Really.”
The assassin clicked his teeth. “See, I’m afraid I’m going to have to differ with you about that. Being that you’re a hired thug for Rufus Syter.”
Eve wasn’t sure which of them was the most shocked by his words. Mostly because it was true.
How had the assassin known that?
Why would he care?
“I’m not doing anything wrong. Just collecting a legal debt for a loan the lady took out.”
The assassin gave him a cold grin. “You’re not. But your boss is doing all kinds of things that are questionable. So let me tell you how this is going to end. You’re going to walk out of here and leave Zarana Erixour alone, then you’re going to make a call and tell Syter that he will forgive her all debts or else her League friend will make sure the Prime Commander gets a file with enough dirty deeds to see to it that your boss isn’t accorded a trial. Just a rather unpleasant execution. Understood?”
She saw his urge to argue, but Sicarius knew what she did. The League was law. And given that this assassin was dressed all in black, he was one of their highest-ranking members.
No one argued with their high command.
No one.
So he inclined his head respectfully. “Understood.” And with that, Sicarius headed for the exit.
Eve was stunned by what had just happened. And her mind kept repeating one thing. This was a League assassin.
They killed people.
For any reason they wanted. Real or made up. There was nothing anyone could do. To draw on them was a death sentence.
They made the law, and they were deployed to annihilate whatever target their bosses fixated on.
Man. Woman. Child.
Varmint.
Didn’t matter. They had no choice and no say.
Kill or be killed.
Good deeds were as nonexistent to them as common sense to the average person on the street.
“Why would you help me?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t like people abusing their power over others.”
“But you work for The League.” That was how they ran their business and their government.
“I was conscripted into The League. There’s a big difference.”
True. The only way out for an assassin was death. The League never allowed them to leave. They owned them. “Still, you work for the bad guys.”
“Yeah, I do.” And with that, he headed for the exit.
Eve mentally kicked herself for her stupidity.
And her rudeness.
Rising from her seat, she caught up to him and took his arm to pull him to a stop.
He immediately twisted and reached for her throat, then caught himself before he made actual contact.