Born of Ice

Where had that come from? This was a topic that she definitely didn’t feel comfortable talking about with someone so young.

But as Alix tried to talk, she realized something . . .

Zarina didn’t listen, and as they walked on, Alix began to panic.

The future Zarina had in mind for her was even more terrifying than the one Merjack wanted.

God help me . . .





CHAPTER 5


“So what gives with you and that new engineer of yours?”

Dev looked up from the box he was storing to find Taryn standing behind him. “I swear I’m going to tie a bell around you, too, if you don’t start making noise when you walk.”

Taryn grinned. “I blame it on my dad and his hyper-hearing. You either learned to move without a sound or you got busted every time you sneezed wrong—which for me was every minute I was awake.”

Devyn laughed. That was certainly true. Nykyrian’s hearing had been a serious bitch on them when they’d been kids trying to get away with things. But for all the man’s sternness, he’d never once raised a hand or even his voice to any of them.

Then again, Nykyrian was so terrifying, he didn’t have to. His glower alone could instantly freeze screaming kids right where they stood.

“And I noticed you didn’t answer my question.”

Devyn shoved the box into place and moved out of the hold to stand in front of Taryn. He wiped his brow on his sleeve. “There’s nothing to say. She’s my employee.” Who I’m sleeping with ’cause I’m stupid.

“Who happens to look just like—”

Devyn held his hand up to cut off that sentence before Taryn finished it. “She’s not her so let’s not go there.” Even though he had to remind himself of that every now and again. It still unnerved him how much the two women looked alike.

But unlike Clotilde, Alix had a conscience.

Taryn tapped him on the chest, right where the vicious scar over his heart was located. “If you say you’re okay, I won’t push it. But I know what you’re not saying. Betrayal like that never goes away. Especially not when it comes from the woman who was supposed to be your better half for the rest of your life.”

That was an unfortunate bond they both shared. However, Taryn’s fiancée hadn’t tried to cut his heart out on her way out the door. She’d only stepped all over it.

“Alix isn’t a hired assassin coming after me. She has no higher agenda where I’m concerned.” He hated the tightness in his voice when he spoke. Like Taryn had said, some betrayals never healed, and Clotilde’s still burned raw inside him.

How he hated that bitch.

He’d known Clotilde was an assassin when they hooked up. What he’d never considered was that after a three-year relationship and just days before they were supposed to get married, she’d take money to kill him. Especially not after everything he’d done for her.

Lethal bitch.

Pushing that thought away, he moved to the next box that was on the ground waiting to be loaded.

“Why isn’t Vik loading cargo for you?”

“He’s watching Omari, who needs to replace his MVM player. Given the rough crowd here, I didn’t want him out on his own. Too many might mistake him for an easy mark, and while he can hold his own, I don’t want to take the chance on someone getting in a lucky shot on him. Or even worse, Omari killing someone at his age and having to deal with that crisis.” Both he and Taryn had been forced to take a life before they’d turned twenty. It was something a man never got over.

That first kill . . .

He wanted to spare his son that misery if he could.

Taryn narrowed his gaze. “What about Sway?”

“With Claria.”

Growling low in his throat, Taryn grabbed the box from his hands.

Devyn cursed as he tried to take it back. “I’m not helpless.”

Taryn jerked it out of his reach. “No, but you don’t need to strain yourself and you know it. Your heart can’t take it.”

Devyn felt his jaw starting to tic as his anger ignited. Yeah, that was Clotilde’s gift that kept on giving. It was also the real reason why his parents maintained constant tabs on him. They’d come too close to losing him that night. Had his father not been on his way to Devyn’s house, he’d be dead now. His father had saved his life, but the cost for living was a bad heart that seriously limited what he could do.

And he hated being weak.

It could be worse. You could be dead.

Or he could be Adron . . .

True. He had no right to complain about his own physical limitations when his were hidden and unknown to his enemies. While a pain in the ass, his ruptured heart didn’t stop him from doing many things.

Still, he hated whenever someone treated him like an invalid.

“You’re such a bastard, Taryn.”

He grinned. “I know, Reen. Thanks.”