Heart of Obsidian

“The hospital has multiple exits and entrances; the risk of someone getting to you is much higher.” Hard words, no hint of tenderness. “You know Leon wouldn’t want you in the line of fire.”


Conscious he was right, she forced herself to think past adrenaline-fueled anger tangled with gut-wrenching worry and walked back to her own room—and to the body of the man who had nearly taken her father’s life. “Who was he?”

“A freelance operative, not a particularly adept one or Leon would be dead and you’d be in his grasp.”

“You tore his mind open? You know that compromises data,” she said, turning on him in a fury. “That was irresponsible and reckless.”

A shrug as false and as remote as his eyes were not. “I offered him a quick death in exchange for the information,” Kaleb said, as if speaking of a business negotiation. “He kept his end of the bargain; I kept mine.” Eyes of starless night pinned her to the spot. “It appears you have a bounty on you.”

“What? Who? Tatiana?” The other woman was in no position to give orders, but she had people who might well do so for her.

Kaleb shook his head and spoke the last name she had ever expected to hear. “Santano Enrique.”

Ice in her blood, choking up her throat. “He’s dead,” she forced past the sudden, overwhelming rage.

“It appears he has risen from the ashes.” Kaleb tucked her hair behind her ear. “He was involved in your abduction.”

Sahara knew she should follow that thread, should ask him exactly why a serial killer with a predilection for changeling victims had turned his attention to her, and whether Kaleb had had anything to do with it, but she couldn’t. The idea of bringing up the topic made her stomach hurt, her breath stick in her throat. Not yet. Not yet. She wasn’t ready to know, wasn’t strong enough to face the dark truth.

If Kaleb had betrayed her, the knowledge would break her.

“The bounty,” he said when she remained silent, “must’ve been a fail-safe in case of your escape.” Halting at the sound of the front door opening, he waited until Anthony stepped into the room.

The head of her clan examined the dead bounty hunter with an impassive expression before shifting his attention to Kaleb. “I assume you got the information we need before you executed him?”

Kaleb told Anthony the same thing he’d told Sahara. Anthony’s response was, “Not even the most bumbling bounty hunter would hunt a target for a dead man. Payment is everything.”

“Santano may have been a psychopath, but he was a smart one. The considerable fee for this bounty is held in trust by a certain mercenary organization. To be paid on delivery of Sahara Kyriakus—dead or alive—to either Santano or the current head of his operations.”

“Santano kept his interest in you quiet,” Anthony said to Sahara and hidden in the words was a question. “I never suspected him of involvement in your abduction.”

She spread her hands, not sharing the fact that Enrique’s protégé had apparently always been aware of her ability.

“NightStar has a leak,” Kaleb said at the same time.

“I’ll handle that situation.”

Kaleb inclined his head in silent agreement—Anthony had come by his reputation honestly. Unlike certain others in the Net, the other man did not mind getting his hands dirty. And if he failed to take care of the matter, Kaleb would do so. He’d permit no threat to Sahara to exist, much less live and breathe.

“You need to move immediately into a safe house.”

Sahara’s back went stiff at Anthony’s statement, her muscles rigid. “No. I won’t be caged again.”

“There is no other option,” Anthony responded. “As long as the bounty exists, you stay a target.”

“Are you certain a safe house will provide any better protection?” Kaleb had no intention of allowing Sahara to go anywhere aside from the home he’d built for her in Moscow. “This hunter, inept and young, managed to evade your perimeter guards.”

“That will be investigated.” A flint-hard promise. “Our safe houses are fortresses.”

Sahara, hands fisted, shook her head. “No.” Backing away from them until her spine hit the wall, she began to bump her fists against it. “No. No. No.”

Recognizing the danger, Kaleb reacted before Anthony could figure out what was happening. “No safe house, no cage,” he said, cupping her face and forcing her to meet his gaze until she stopped bumping her fists against the wall, though she continued to rock back and forth.

You risk losing her if you push this, he ’pathed to Anthony as he released her. Her mind isn’t fully healed. It was why Kaleb had scared information from the intruder instead of permitting her to exercise her ability.

I can’t leave her unprotected.

I can protect her.

“So can the cats.”

Kaleb was still trying to digest that wholly unexpected statement when Anthony shifted to enter Sahara’s line of sight. “I’m sending you to Faith.”

Sahara’s body stopped moving, eyes of midnight blue shifting to Anthony. “Faith?”