Born of Fire

“How can you be so sure he wouldn’t have killed Kiara Zamir?”


“I told you, I know that boy. I’ve seen him walk through the fires of hell and I know every scar it cut into him. He ain’t never been mean. Pissed off a lot, but never mean. He ain’t my brother.”

Shahara sat back, her mind whirling with all the new information she’d learned about Syn.

And she’d thought it would be so simple when she first took the contract. C.I. Syn: Cold-blooded criminal. Pure and simple.

But that wasn’t the man she’d found. And the more she learned, the further from that he became.

Digger let out a long breath as he took her barely touched plate from her and walked it to the kitchen. “Well, I’ve said probably more than I ought to, and I’m sure it’d anger him to know what I’ve done.” He looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late so I guess I ought to lay these old bones down for a little sleep.” He moved to a corner and started making a pallet on the floor near his desk.

“What are you doing?”

“Making my bed.”

Guilt consumed her. She couldn’t let a man of his age sleep on the floor. He looked so frail, she doubted he’d last the night.

“Why don’t you take the sofa?”

“And let a lady sleep on the floor? I wouldn’t hear of it. Just cause I’m old don’t make me weak or less of a man.”

Shahara bit her lip. Where else could he sleep?

“Why don’t you sleep with Syn?”

He snorted. “He’d have a fit if he woke up to my old body lying next to him. Not that I’d blame him, mind you. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to sleep with me neither.”

That just left one option.

It was scary and unnerving, but it was the only one she could think of.

“Then, why don’t I sleep with Syn? You can take the sofa.”

He hesitated. “You sure about that?”

No.

She nodded.

He smiled warmly as relief shone in his eyes. “All right. I must admit I like that better. Just follow me and I’ll show you back.” He took her down a narrow hallway, past the tiny kitchen, to the small bedroom at the end of the hall.

Shahara glanced around the minuscule room which barely accommodated the bed. She’d thought she could sleep on the floor in here, but one look and she knew she’d have to sleep under the bed for that. Except it had a drawer there and, as small as she was, she didn’t think she could sleep in that.

“Good night.” Digger turned and left her alone.

Shahara sighed. What should she do?

Syn slept completely silent and still. If not for the gentle rise and fall of his chest she might have worried.

Moonlight from three moons lit the room with a soft glow, spilling over Syn and giving her an ample view of his face.

And other attributes.

Mesmerized, she watched the play of moonlight in the dips of his washboard stomach, and across his hands . . . He had a brightly colored tattoo that ran from the crook of his elbow to his wrist. It was of a sword covered in blood and with words written in an alphabet she didn’t know.

Did she dare crawl into bed with him? A strange wave of excitement poured through her at the thought. What would be the harm? She’d shared beds with Caillen all her young life.

Caillen is your brother.

Good point.

With that thought, she attempted to stretch out on the floor. She bumped her knee into the bed frame. Cursing from the pain, she moved her legs only to smack her head against the small chest of drawers.

Oh, this was so not working. “Ouch,” she snarled, cupping the pain at the back of her skull. The room was just too small.

Aggravated, she rose. “Okay, Syn. You stay on your side of the bed and I promise I won’t beat you.”

That said, she pulled back the covers and lay down beside him, keeping her body rigid and as far away from his as she could.

Why couldn’t the bed be larger?

But after several minutes of his not moving, she began to relax. And before she knew it, she fell asleep too.

Syn came awake slowly, the remnant of pain hanging on the fringes of his sleep. He felt infinitely better. The deep throbbing ache in his head had subsided to a dull, manageable ache, and he could actually take a deep breath without wincing.

Definitely an improvement.

As he started to move, he became aware of a soft form pressed up against his naked body. One that smelled of lilac and spring.

But that didn’t make sense.

Opening his eyes, he stared into the startled face of Shahara. Her large gold eyes were wide and her face flushed from embarrassment.

Damn, that was the best sight he’d ever seen. And this moment alone had made his beating worth it. He hadn’t come awake in bed with a woman since Mara had thrown him out. “Hi, beautiful.”

She didn’t say a word.