Page 75 of Empress of Ruin
“How many men are you willing to lose to the task?” Locke replies.
Killian tucks me neatly against his side, gives a contented sigh, and relaxes by the faintest margin. I watch with fascination. It’s almost like I’m his emotional support human—if he had emotions. He seems to either calm down or get turned on every time we have bodily contact. A quick glance down at his pants reveals that, yep, he’s nice and turned on. Inadvertently, my nipples tighten and my mouth waters.
“No more than three,” Killian says absently, staring out the window. “I have Raegan’s vote. That leaves me in need of one more.”
“Who do you think will be easiest to crack?”
“Spencer will vote for me if I can prove that Silas tried to have me killed.” Killian’s lips thin. “Time’s running out on that front. I expect Ryan will vote wherever the wind blows.”
I swallow. “What was Carter doing there tonight?”
“Casting his vote with me.”
“I thought he isn’t a member of The Eyes?”
“You thought correctly. He’s not. Heis, however, someone they’ve been wanting as a member for years.” Killian glances down at me, eyes softening. “Don’t worry, Little Bird. I’ll take care of everything.”
The conflict in his eyes tells me he’s not quite as certain of that as he’s trying to let on.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Killian
The apartment is dark when we step in. I don’t bother turning on the lights; I slam the front door closed, back Lyra against it, and take her mouth in a feral kiss. Now more than ever, I need to remind her that she’s here and she’s mine, and that I won’t let her go anywhere. Come hell or high water, I’m fucking keeping her. She’ll be mine in this lifetime and whichever comes next.
She softens under my kiss, releasing an adorable little mewl, digging her fingernails into my shoulders.
A throat clears behind us, from somewhere in the living room. I tear myself away from Lyra instantly, sweep her aside, and press the panic button by the door.
“No need for that,” a familiar voice calls. “I come in peace.”
MotherfuckingCain. “Stay here,” I tell Lyra. “Do not move a fucking inch.”
I reach beneath the entryway table, retrieving the gun taped there, and stalk into the living room, flipping on the lights and taking aim at the extremely unwelcomed guest idling on my couch.
Cainyawns.“Your aim is shit. Perhaps I should have my Nighthawks start offering lessons to your kind so you might actually put up a good fight if someone comes for you.”
“Are you here to kill me?”
“If I was, you’d already be dead.” Cain offers me a flat smile. He holds a tumbler of liquor in one hand. He has no weapon, at least not that I can see. Lyra yelps from the entryway as the door bursts open and half a dozen guards trample inside.
Furious with the failure in my security, I swing around and point the gun at the nearest guard, deciding that Cain’s no threat for the time being. He’s right; if he were here to kill me, he wouldn’t have announced himself. “How thefuckdid he get in here?” I thunder.
“I’m the best assassin in the world. Ingress and egress of locked spaces is a strength of mine. When I want to go somewhere, nobody can keep me out.” Cain releases an annoyingly loud yawn. “Did you know that I’ve broken into nearly every best-guarded bank vault in the world? Before joining and overtaking the Nighthawks, I got paid for those menial tasks. My callsign wasalmost Ghost.” He chuckles. “Naturally, I killed the man who tried to give me such an unoriginal name.”
I lower my gun, still glaring at the men I employ. “Search the place. Guard her.”
“Hershould join our conversation, considering she has quite a lot of skin in the game.”
I turn my glare back on Cain as my men move to follow orders. “You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve.”
“And very little time, unfortunately. Lyra, sweetheart, come out here,” Cain calls, voice louder. “We should all have a nice, civilized discussion.”
I don’t hear the sounds of footsteps. After a few beats, I realize she’s waiting formysay-so. “Come on, Little Bird,” I say, resigned.
She slips out of the hallway and comes to a stop beside me. Her expression is blank, no hints of turmoil or fear. In fact, the stare she pins Cain with is analytical above all else.That’s my girl.
“Huh,” Cain says after a few beats. “So you’re the one who captured his heart.”
