His eyes softened a degree. "I'm sorry," he said, lying back on the bed.
He pulled her into his arms and held her close. Kiara listened to his heartbeat, wishing she knew a way to really reach him, to make him understand that she needed him, loved him. For now, she would give him what she could and hope that one day soon he would realize she could be trusted inside his cozy world of solitude.
*
Tiarun surveyed the damaged apartment in fury. As every second passed without a trace of Kiara, his anger tripled. He would kill those bastards even if it meant his life!
"Comm ander?" His second in command approached him timidly. "I've issued the contracts out on the lives of Rachol and Nykyrian."
"Good," he growled. "I want their hearts brought to me in a box!"
Tiarun narrowed his eyes at his soldier. "Seal off this area. I want no one near Kiara's things." With that, he left the apartment.
The road home was arduous for Tiarun. He ached with guilt knowing he had handed his precious daughter over to her executioners.
Tears flowed down his cheeks as his mind replayed images of his wife Lasa, her gentle laugh and the sound of the blaster that had ended her life. At least Lasa's death had been quick and painless. God only knew what those bastards were doing to his beautiful angel.
If only he hadn't been so over-protective, maybe Kiara would have continued to live at home with him. It was his fault. He should have given her the freedom she wanted. If only he could have her back, he would never again allow her to leave his sight.
In quiet desperation, he prayed. She had to come hom e to him. He couldn't live with himself if she died because of his stupid ideals.
Entering his home, he ripped the pictures off the wall, trying to vent the anguished guilt and helplessness in his soul. Someway, somehow, he vowed he would kill Nykyrian.
*
Nykyrian watched the sky pinken. Kiara, still asleep, snored softly beside him . He didn't want to move, but he had too many things to do to lie in bed any longer. As gently as he could, he pulled her arms away from him and slid out of bed. He watched Kiara situate herself on the mattress, her hips wiggling provocatively. A smile played at the edges of his mouth. He covered her with a sheet then darkened the ceiling against the dawning sun.
Kiara was beautiful in his bed.
Reluctantly, he moved to the bathroom to shower. His mind castigated him for what he had done last night. It was wrong to love her. She belonged to the day, to warmth and sunshine. Her world was light and wonderful, filled with love and laughter.
And he was born of night. His mother was the darkness, her cold embrace was all he had a right to crave. Just as the sun destroyed the night, he was sure Kiara's love would destroy him, provided his enemies didn't kill her first. He refused to watch her die.
A lump burned raw in his throat, his heart pleading with him to let her stay with him, but he wouldn't listen to that part of him anymore. He would treasure the memory of last night forever, but that would be all.
He quickly bathed, dressed and headed downstairs without looking at her tempting form.
The lorinas assailed him downstairs, unhappy about being banned from his room.
Sighing, he told himself they loved him enough, what did he need with someone else?
He deafened his mind to the answer.
Nykyrian grabbed a glass of juice and headed to his work. Switching on the computer terminal, he ran his hand through his wet hair. Without paying much attention, he scanned the new contracts. He drank his juice and switched the screen. He choked.
Blinking his eyes, he couldn't believe what he saw.
"Shit!" he snarled, reaching for his link.
It took several nerve wrenching minutes before Rachol answered with a menacing curse.
"I told you Hauk, I'm not going. You can roast your overgrown— "
"Rachol, it's me."
Nykyrian heard a yawn over the link. "Do you know what time it is here?"
Nykyrian didn't bother answering his question. "Biardi has issued a death contract on both of us. Clear your flat."
"I clear m y flat for nothing!"
Nykyrian stifled a laugh at Rachol's outrage. The man loved his place. "Not even Aksel or Shahara?"
He heard Rachol knock something off his bedside table, no doubt bolting upright in shock. "Shahara Dagan?"
"Yeah."
"Does Caillen know his sister's com ing after us?"
"I doubt it. But it doesn't matter. I need you to get information about the two of them and where they're living. As much m oney as Biardi's offered and after I terminated Arast, Aksel's not going to stop until my brains are mush-meat."
"Yeah, no kidding. I'll be there shortly."
Nykyrian tossed the link away and rechecked the contract. It made all the other contracts on his life look like jokes. Biardi had given his enemies full immunity from any prosecution which meant they could forget League rules and come after him unbarred.