Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
He studied her with alert green eyes, and she really wished that Vero had returned. Why she’d rather deal with him, a stubborn and slightly mean immortal, was something she chose not to investigate. Of all people, the enforcer for the entire Kurjan nation could not be her soft place to land. There wasn’t one soft thing about Vero Phoenix. Talk about a ridiculous feeling for her to embrace.
Finally, Liam took a step back. “All right, stay here.” With that, he turned and strode back to knock on a door, even his footsteps sounding grumpy.
“What?” Hope yelped from inside. She threw open the door. “I clocked off the mission when they headed home to get some sleep. Is Paxton okay?”
“Yeah. They’re still on their way back,” Liam said. “Lyrica’s here and wants to speak with you.”
Hope walked into the hallway, wearing a short and cami set and nothing else. Her blue eyes appeared cloudy and her auburn hair was wild and curly around her face. A spiraling blue tattoo wound up both sides of her neck, which she’d explained as being the marks of a prophet. Apparently Hope was one of three prophets in the immortal world. “Lyrica, what’s wrong? Why are your lips blue?”
“I went outside,” Lyrica said. “We have a body.”
Liam instantly put himself between her and Hope. “Now it’s time you tell me all about this dead female. I’ve allowed you to speak with Hope, and now you cooperate with me.”
Allow? Did he actually just use the word “allow” with her? Lyrica’s nostrils flared as she tried to draw in more oxygen and not belt him in his gut, which would surely just hurt her entire hand. Even a well-aimed kick probably wouldn’t harm him. These immortals had way too many advantages over all humanity.
Hope pushed him to the side, obviously not intimidated by her much larger cousin. “I’m as well trained as you are, buddy, and you’re just pissing off my friend here. She doesn’t hide her emotions very well. Move.”
“You might be trained, but you don’t have my strength or speed,” he retorted.
Ah. There were the arguing cousins Lyrica had become accustomed to seeing. Enough of this interplay. They had a problem. A big one, and Lyrica needed to deal with the matter so she could go cry and mourn her friend. Away from all these badasses. “It’s Tekii. She’s dead.”
Hope’s jaw dropped. “Dead? How?”
“I don’t know,” Lyrica said quietly, with Genevieve hovering at her side. “I’m not a doctor, but I think she might’ve been strangled.”
Hope’s eyes widened. “All right, just a sec. Let me get dressed.”
Liam grasped her bare arm. “I’ll take care of it, cousin. If there’s somebody out there murdering females, you are remaining here under guard with Collin. In other words, you stay in.”
“Not a chance.” Hope wrenched free. “Did she freeze to death?”
Lyrica shrugged, her entire body aching from both cold and grief. “She’s definitely frozen, but her body showed signs of strangulation, and there was a bite mark on her neck. A deep one.” The only thing she knew about strangulation came from television crime shows, but she’d seen enough Kurjan bite marks to recognize one.
“Okay. Give me a minute.” Hope turned back into her room.
The image of the dead woman’s lifeless eyes wouldn’t leave Lyrica’s mind. Who would’ve murdered her?
Chapter Four
Safely back at headquarters before sunrise, Vero leaned against the wall by the door in the small but comfortable gathering room attached to the human female barracks. The comfiness derived from fluffy, light green sofas, luxurious throw blankets, and a crackling fire in a stone fireplace. The window shades remained open, revealing the winding Yukon River and looming snowcapped mountains. A tender light unfurled at the horizon, nudging the night aside.
He’d allowed Paxton to slap a bandage over the wound in his neck so he didn’t frighten the humans.
Paxton had been both pissed and somewhat bewildered that Vero had taken bullets for him. He’d gone off to see his mate but had issued an order that he wanted to speak with Vero later.
Vero wasn’t much for talking. He couldn’t believe that somebody had killed one of the enhanced females the night before while he’d been on a mission too far away to stop it. Dr. Fizzlewick, who’d just chosen his surname from a children’s book and insisted upon everyone using it, was currently performing an autopsy and had snarled at everybody to get the hell out of his half-built medical facility. So now Vero stood inside the decidedly feminine space, pushing himself into the shadows away from the lights and windows.
The enhanced females he’d helped rescue sat around, many with throw blankets over their legs, all sipping hot chocolate. These twelve, to be added to the twenty-three already in custody, had huddled together in the rear of the second helicopter on the way to this camp. During the flight, he’d tried to appear reassuring, but they’d all looked terrified. He’d been more than happy to turn them over to the reception team, normally led by Lyrica. It had taken about three hours for him to partially heal the wound in his neck, and he could use a nap. But that wasn’t to be.