Page 4 of Knight’s Salvation

What was his problem?

Dammit, for some reason she couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting back to him every few minutes, and every time she did, he caught her and scowled harder.

The big male was intimidating, and the fact that he hardly spoke put her on edge. But that unease got a hell of a lot worse when he did force himself to talk. One-word, snapped out answers that sounded like rusted steel grated against concrete.

And after Chaya warned her to keep away from him, that he was known to be unpredictable and unstable, well, it didn’t help settle her nerves any.

Rocco was trying a little harder, and grinned her way every so often. But he also kept sending her puzzled looks, like he was trying to figure her out and failing miserably. She got the curiosity. Her situation was different than other demi-demons’. But she was starting to feel like the bearded lady at a circus.

So much for finding a place where she would finally be accepted.

Rocco twitched and shifted in his seat like he was having trouble sitting still. “So what are your plans after your training’s complete?”

“I’ll join Chaya. Brent said he’d give me a job in his club.” Her sister’s boss was a demi-demon as well and had given her sister a job when she left the compound.

Rocco raised a brow. “You know what kind of club it is, right?”

Inwardly she rolled her eyes. “I don’t plan on donning a leather corset and whip. I’ve worked a bar before.”

That handsome grin turned wicked. “I don’t know, I kinda like the corset and whip idea.” He held her stare for several seconds too long and she felt her face burn. With the blue-tipped mohawk and tattoos and facial piercings, he had the whole sexy bad-boy-rocker thing going on, and he knew it, too.

“Not really my style,” she muttered.

He shrugged his big shoulders. “Shame.” Then he opened a small bag of peanuts and started tossing them in his mouth.

Zenon, who hadn’t said a word for the last half hour and didn’t appear to be in the mood to change that anytime soon, turned sharply toward Rocco. His chest expanded and a low, rough sound rumbled from him.

Oh God. Was that another growl?

“What?” Rocco asked, looking completely unaffected by Mr. Unpredictable. Zenon stared back with those cold eyes. He wasn’t even looking at her, but Mia couldn’t help squirming in her seat.

“Someone’s cranky.” Rocco shook his head then tossed another peanut into his mouth.

“Get fucked,” Zenon fired back.

Well, at least now she knew he could string two words together if need be. The tension in the room shot through the roof. Mia needed a break from all the testosterone humming through the cabin before she broke out in a nervous rash.

The speaker crackled above her head and Gunner’s deep voice spoke to them. “Down in twenty.” There was another crackle then it was quiet.

Obviously another male who was economical with words. Mia rose and both Zenon and Rocco turned to her. Her face heated. Again. “I just need to use the, um”—she pointed to the rear of the plane—“the bathroom.” Zenon quickly looked down, and Rocco just continued to grin. Jesus. Scooting out of her seat, she hustled to the tiny room and shut herself in.

She took a moment to calm her frayed nerves and splashed cold water on her face. She could do this. Her sister managed it, and so could she. She just had to get through her training then she could start her new life. A life she’d had on hold for far too long.

That’s what she needed to focus on. Her plans had changed, but she could work with it. It turned out her powers weren’t anything like Chaya’s. They’d been wrong, which meant her sister couldn’t train her like they’d hoped. So there’d been a small bump in the road. Did it really matter? The end result would be the same. It would just take a bit longer to get there. Big deal, right?

She was doing the right thing. This would all be a bad memory in a matter of weeks. Then she could be with her sister again. Chaya might be a hell-raiser, constantly dragging her into her drama, but Mia missed her terribly. They hadn’t seen each other since she came into her powers and relocated to Chicago.

She splashed some water on her face, dried off, and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She stared at herself in the mirror and hated how pale and frightened she looked. “Pull it together, Mia. You just have to get past this last hurdle.”

When she walked back out, Zenon was alone, and after the dire warnings from her sister, Mia felt her fear spike.

Her step faltered. “Where’s Rocco?”

Zenon didn’t look at her but tilted his head toward the cockpit.

The silence stretched out until it became unbearable. She told herself to keep her mouth shut, but words started tumbling out to break the silence before she could stop herself. “So how long does it usually take for a demi to master their powers? I mean, I knew this whole demon power thing was coming and all, and would take some getting used to, but I’m guessing everyone’s different? Timewise, I mean. You know, it’s weird, but when you guys were close, I actually felt you coming. Well, not Rocco. Totally freaky, right? Is that normal?”

Oh God, she was babbling, but the guy made her so nervous. His head shot up and his glare had morphed into a frown. When she raised her brows in question, he looked back down. His entire body had gone rigid and his hair hung forward to cover most of his face. “Depends,” he finally said.