Nix. (Den of Mercenaries Book 3) Read online

  She hadn’t fought when Tăcut caught her, nor did she fight him in coming back into the house.

  Luna had needed a moment, he understood that all too well.

  Back in Wales, living under the hospitality of a tyrant, Kit had longed for quiet moments where he could get lost in his own thoughts without worry that his time was limited before someone came to hurt him.

  Sometimes, those moments had been the worst, especially when that hope for it was crushed the moment he heard excited voices outside his bedroom.

  There were still times now that he had to go off on his own to remind himself of who he was rather than who he’d been.

  Sometimes, those were the moments he lived for.

  “She wouldn’t have gotten far if she was,” he said.

  Never mind that he had enough security out there to man a small army, but those woods were treacherous, and she hadn’t even worn shoes.

  “Still, you haven’t told me who the girl is.”

  “Because even I’m not sure who she is.”

  Or her purpose.

  His conversation with Uilleam before his brother had left as quickly as he’d come hadn’t shed much light on the girl’s origins either.

  “I’ve known for the last twenty-two years of my life that your actions are reckless and premature, but I would never think that you would let hubris get you killed. What on earth has possessed you to make an enemy of Lawrence Kendall?”

  The second Aidra had told him about the eldest Kendall, Kit had made a few calls, wanting to verify the information before he confronted his brother with it.

  It had only taken one phone call to tell him that his brother was making moves he shouldn’t, but that was nothing new. Uilleam always made a habit of acting before he thought it through.

  “An enemy?” Uilleam questioned with a shake of his head. “He came to me. Apologies that I don’t recount my every move with you, brother. Should I call you when I wipe my ass as well?”

  Ignoring his last comment, Kit asked, “And the girl? What is she here for?”

  Uilleam offered a smile. “For the same reason that the rest of the broken souls are brought to my compound.”

  “You mean to make her into a mercenary? Though your depravity doesn’t surprise me, that still doesn’t explain why she’s here.”

  Circling around his desk, Kit grabbed a pair of tumblers, then a bottle of Scotch he kept in his desk, along with another of Vodka—Uilleam had never been able to stomach brown liquors.

  “Zachariah is busy at the moment working with another recruit—a Russian. Pathetic little thing really, but he shows promise. Besides, he has this new rule where they need to be of a certain age—men and their ridiculous morals.”

  Kit could only imagine.

  “And,” Uilleam went on as he picked up his glass, examining the liquid as though he thought Kit might have poisoned it. “Considering where she’s been, I thought it might be better if she could focus on her training rather than the scores of men at the compound.”

  “You care about her feelings?” Kit asked. “You?”

  “I care about my investment.”

  “An investment you made … today? You decided to just buy her?”

  Uilleam shrugged. “He happened to be holding an auction—who would I be if I didn’t partake? It was the spirit of the evening.”

  “It wasn’t that simple,” Kit said folding his arms across his chest. “It never is with you.”

  “No, I’m far too clever for that.”

  “Then my question remains the same—why have you brought her here?”

  Uilleam’s gaze narrowed as he contemplated what he would say next. “Let’s call it a test run. I want you to train her.”

  Kit thought of the girl he had seen in the hallway. She was tall, willowy, with curves he knew would fill out once she was eating properly. There had been fear in her gaze when he spoke to her—even in the way she jolted when he touched her, but there had also been a spark of daring there that caught his attention.

  “You misunderstand,” Uilleam said as the silence stretched between them. “If I thought you were incapable of seeing this done, I wouldn’t have come to you in the first place—waste of both our times, no?”

  “If I am to do this, I’m not going to be quick about it,” Kit said. “She won’t be ready for some time—six months at a minimum.”

  “Not to worry,” Uilleam said with a shrug. “It’s not an election year.”

  Kit frowned, though he didn’t question him—his brother was known for saying odd things that only he understood. “What game are you playing at?”

  “Do I have your agreement that you’ll train her?”

  “You do.”

  “Very well.” Uilleam got to his feet, sitting his untouched drink on the desk. “And, the game? It’s not one that concerns you presently.”

  “Not everyone enjoys the games you play, Uilleam.”

  Uilleam tsked. “Yet so many profit off of them.”

  Kit nearly rolled his eyes. “Of course.” As he was leaving the room, Kit called, “It doesn’t sound like you’re giving me much of a choice.”

  There was a smile in Uilleam’s voice as he said, “We always have choices, brother—the question is whether or not you’ll pick the right one.”

  It was never easy to know which side was right when it came to his brother, and Kit had long since stopped wanting to guess.

  Kit didn’t particularly like mercenaries—too disloyal and dishonest—but his brother had had the bright idea to form a team of them, an elite group that, despite their nature, would perform tasks as well as any other hit squad in the world. As only Uilleam could do, he had forced their loyalty to him by presenting them with something they wanted.

  He understood the need to protect himself, and to have a team that was willing to do his dirty work—that was why he had the Wild Bunch—but despite his feelings on mercenaries, he had very little say in how Uilleam conducted his business—though even if they were closer, he doubted Uilleam would listen to reason.

  He never had in the past.

  Besides, Kit had grown rather used to his brother’s games since they were only a slightly milder version of those their father used to play—games meant to sharpen their minds and hone their skills.

  While he had turned in one direction, using everything he had learned to become a member of a firm of assassins, then ultimately using those contacts to venture into different practices, his brother had gone in a different direction entirely.

  Their father had expected them to follow blindly in his footsteps, and despite their thoughts to the contrary, they had in many ways.

  He had also wanted them to go against one another, constantly battling to see who would end up on top.

  But Kit had wanted none of that.

  As long as their business dealings never intersected, Kit didn’t care about the games Uilleam liked to play.

  There was just something about this girl, however … something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

  “A mercenary, then?” Aidra asked as they stopped at the foot of the stairs, her voice drawing him from his thoughts. “D’you truly believe you can train her to be one? Despite what the Kingmaker seems to believe, not everyone is cut out for this life.”

  So many had tried and failed. Some couldn’t handle the rigorous training required—others couldn’t handle the tasks they were assigned, and the consequences of what they would be asked to do.

  Either way, those that didn’t conform were cast out.

  “And considering what she’s already suffered,” Aidra went on, “I can’t imagine that she’ll take well to having a man—even if it is you—training her as closely as needed.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Kit said. “She can either accept what’s been offered, or …”

  He trailed off, knowing he didn’t need to finish the thought for Aidra to understand.

  They both knew what would happen if Luna didn’t do as
Uilleam expected.

  She would die.

  Chapter Six

  A firm knock at the door had Luna bolting up, her disoriented gaze shooting in that direction.

  Putting a hand on her chest, she tried to calm down and catch her bearings, reminding herself of where she was before throwing the covers off and hurrying to the door.

  She opened it just enough to see Aidra standing on the other side with an assortment of bags at her feet.

  “I hope I didn’t wake you,” the woman said, though it didn’t sound like she was too worried if she had, but rather as though the words were the polite thing to say.

  Luna barely managed a response before Aidra was stepping into the room, grabbing a number of bags and bringing them in before going back for the rest.

  Still a bit bleary-eyed and confused, Luna tried to make sense of what was going on before asking, “Is something wrong?”

  “I thought I would deliver your things—I can’t imagine you want to stay in that for longer than you have to.” This, Aidra said gesturing to the dress Luna still wore. “And a physician should be here in the near future to look you over, so if you want to shower and change …”

  She trailed off, though Luna understood what she hadn’t said. “Thank you.”

  Aidra nodded. “I’ll give you a moment.”

  As quickly as she had entered the room, Aidra was exiting again, closing the door soundly behind her. Luna stood there a moment, looking over the assortment of bags that now littered her floor.

  There were jeans in some, shirts in others, and even a few filled with lingerie that was far too pretty to actually be worn. Toothbrush, toothpaste, and enough toiletries to offer a small army were also inside one of the bags.

  Grabbing everything she needed, Luna dumped it all on the sink counter, going over to the massive shower and turning it on.

  By the time she was walking back out of there thirty minutes later, she felt far more alive than she had before she’d gone in.

  Aidra was still waiting just outside the door, but this time she wasn’t alone. One of the Wild Bunch was with her, and unlike last night, his mask was missing along with all the gear he wore. He towered over Aidra, but was only about half a foot taller than Luna.

  His body was angled toward Aidra, allowing only a partial view of the cut of his jaw and the X that was tattooed on his neck.

  “Sorry, I—”

  He turned as Luna was about to speak, a smile already blooming on his rugged face. “You’re the Kingmaker’s right?”

  She didn’t like the idea of being assigned as someone else’s, as though she were property, but she wasn’t bold enough to call him out on it. “Yes.”

  Luna had begun to suspect that everyone here had an accent, but his wasn’t like Aidra and Kit’s.

  “Fang,” he said, pointing to himself, smiling even wider to reveal the two silver-capped teeth in his mouth—his canines.

  Was that how he got his name? “Luna.”

  He seemed to study her a moment, as though he found something about her interesting, but whatever fascination he may have felt, he pushed it aside. “I’ll be seeing you, Luna.”

  He nodded in her direction before laying a hand on Aidra’s stomach, an intimate gesture before he was heading off.

  Now, Luna could understand why Aidra had looked the way she had when she’d asked her about whether or not she was with Kit.

  “Do they live here too?” Luna asked, watching Fang disappear around the corner.

  Aidra watched him go as well, and Luna thought she might have seen the barest trace of a smile on the other woman’s face. “Only when Nix needs them. You’ll meet the rest when they wake up, but for now, you have an appointment. Ready?”

  Luna glanced down at her simple attire of shorts and a shirt. “I guess.”

  Aidra led her through a labyrinth of hallways, pointing out different rooms as she went. Luna already knew about the pool downstairs, but Aidra also told her of a weapons room that was down there as well. There was also a media room complete with a projector and two rows of seats, three offices on the main floor alone, as well as guest rooms, another formal dining room, and finally a room where Kit and a woman were waiting.

  Unbidden, her gaze drew to Uilleam’s brother first. He didn’t look nearly as formidable as he had the night before, or maybe it was just that she was looking at him differently after their short conversation when he’d walked her back to her room.

  He wasn’t her owner—he had made that abundantly clear—and he had gone out of his way to do something kind for her when he didn’t have to.

  His eyes found her before she could cross the floor, scanning over her as though looking for something, but she wasn’t sure what there was to find.

  Feeling a bit self-conscious, Luna cleared her throat, looking away from him. “Morning.”

  “Luna, this is Emma Hobley—I’m sure Aidra has explained why she’s here.”

  “The doctor, right?”

  The woman looked like a doctor with a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, and though she was smiling, there was a clinical air about her.

  “I am,” the woman said standing. “We’ll need privacy for the duration.”

  Kit whispered something to her that Luna couldn’t hear before he and Aidra walked out and closed the door.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Luna. Nix has asked that I perform an exam to ensure you’re healthy. Would that be alright?”

  If there was nothing else, Luna appreciated that she was being given a choice in the matter. “Sure.”

  “First, I’ll do a cursory overview, and if you’re feeling up to it, we can go from there.”

  Though she didn’t outright say it, Luna knew what the woman was alluding to.

  They didn’t know, but Lawrence had brought in a doctor every few weeks or so to ensure that she was free of any diseases or STDs—he had seemed to take great joy in how humiliating those exams were.

  Emma checked her heart rate first, then her lungs, having Luna draw in deep breaths as she pressed the cold end of her stethoscope against the bare skin of Luna’s back.

  Laying a hand on Luna’s shoulder, she had her squeeze and relax her hand as she went over to a bag she’d left on the sofa, pulling packaged needles and tubes from inside, laying the materials on the table beside her.

  Sterilizing a small area on Luna’s arm, she gingerly inserted a needle, holding it in place as she connected the tube that went with it. In seconds, blood began to pool inside of it. Once Emma had about three of these, she cleaned her arm, then wrapped it.

  As she was maneuvering the gauze around Luna’s arm, Luna felt her hesitate, and knew almost immediately what had caused it. There was a scar there on her inner bicep, one that had healed over time that made it nearly impossible to see unless one was looking for it.

  Another product of Lawrence’s drunken rages.

  But Emma didn’t comment, making Luna wonder what else the woman had seen before.

  Clearing her throat, Emma stepped back. “Do you want to continue?”

  She didn’t. She really didn’t, but Luna thought it better to get it out of the way now just so she could have peace of mind.

  Emma was very efficient, finishing in record time, and once she did, she snapped off her gloves, tossing them in a waste bin nearby.

  “There’s a bit of tearing,” Emma said softly, “but that should heal in a few weeks time. I recommend that you avoid any intercourse for now.”

  Oh, she had no idea.

  Once they were finished and Luna was redressed, Emma put away her things and headed for the door.

  “I should have your blood work back within the next few weeks,” she said once she had the door open. “It was nice meeting you.”

  Aidra replaced the doctor’s presence in the room, Kit’s voice fading as he walked off with her.

  Drawing her attention to Luna, Aidra said, “You must be hungry.”

  Yeah, but she was more curio
us about the conversation Kit was having with the doctor, and if they were talking about her.

  But Luna didn’t say any of this, instead taking the almost familiar route to the dining room.

  Unlike yesterday when it had felt like the cavernous space was barren, there were others seated around the table—four others, in fact.

  She recognized Fang, sitting at one end with a plate in his lap, his feet kicked up on the table. As she and Aidra entered, he dropped down, giving them a two-finger salute, the same way Tăcut had outside.

  “You’ve met Fang,” Aidra said with a nod of her head in his direction, then pointed to each of them in turn. “The others are Thanatos, Tăcut, and Invictus.”

  Thanatos sat opposite Fang, long blonde hair in disarray, his gaze down on the paperback in his hands. Unlike the other three he was sitting with, he wore a bulletproof vest over his clothes—and whatever he was reading left a prominent smile on his face.

  Tăcut, she knew from the night before, and he only looked less terrifying than he had then. When Aidra said his name, he spared them the briefest of glances before turning his attention back to his phone.

  Invictus was … odd. He was quiet like Tăcut, but there was an intensity around him that was almost tangible.

  Luna wondered what their names meant—Thanatos and Fang she could guess at, but the others were names she hadn’t heard. She also wondered at the stories behind them.

  “They’ll only be here for the next few weeks, so they shouldn’t bother you,” Aidra continued, glancing down at the rose-gold watch that adorned her wrist.

  “Is all this security really necessary?” Luna asked, spotting another set of highly armed men outside the front windows.

  “They’re merely a precaution.”

  Yeah, but a precaution from what exactly? “For Kit?”

  It would make sense, she reasoned, given his home and the shadowy business practices that his brother seemed to participate in, but she couldn’t imagine it warranted this level of security.

  “In a sense, yes.”

  As another guard passed, Luna muttered to herself, “Is he expecting an army?”

  It was Fang that answered her. “If whoever tries to breach this place wants to get out alive, yeah, they’ll need an army.”