Kindred of the Fallen by Isis Rushdan Read Free Book Online Page B

acrid taste filled her mouth. “What agency are you with?”
    “May we come in?” The man busted through the door, popping the chain, nearly knocking her down. He grabbed her elbow and shoved her backward, forcing her feet to move.
    “Hey!” She smacked his arm, but he had her locked in a vise grip.
    He threw her onto the sofa. The last one entered and slammed the door.
    She popped back to her feet. “You’re not cops. Who are you?”
    The scariest one with the scar sucked up her personal space as he advanced, glaring down at her. “It would be wise to remain seated so we can be sure you won’t get hostile,” he said in a low voice, opening his blazer to reveal a gun.
    The others fanned out in different directions as he fastened a broad hand on her shoulder and pressed down until her butt hit the cushion. He took a seat across from her and rested his palms on his thighs as he spread his legs, dragging his steel-toed boots across the carpet.
    Her gaze ricocheted around the room.
    One guy wore a leather vest, revealing python arms and a tattoo of an eagle clutching an anchor, pistol and trident on his bulging biceps. He hovered to her left near the balcony door with a cell phone to his ear. “We’re in,” he said to whoever was on the other end as he strummed a black baton strapped to his utility pants.
    The third one, clad in all black, disappeared into the bedroom.
    “You storm into my apartment with a gun, and you’re concerned about me getting hostile? Who are you?”
    “Russ Stone,” he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
    “What in the hell do you want?”
    He scooted to the edge of the chair. His shins hit the coffee table, the only barrier between them. He held up the picture of Cyrus. “How do you know him?”
    Something heavy was knocked to the floor in the bedroom. The sound of drawers opening and closing echoed. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer and her chin trembled.
    The man on the phone paced, not taking his eyes from her.
    “Ms. Shaw, I don’t like to repeat myself. It’s in your best interest to answer my questions the first time. If I have to ask a third time, pain will follow. Do you understand?”
    “My boyfriend works for him. He’s his lawyer.” Her fragile voice wavered.
    “How did you meet him?”
    She tried to swallow, but her tongue had turned to a clump of sawdust. Cyrus was too perfect. He was probably into dealing drugs or some seedy black market business.
    The man snapped his fingers twice. “I’m in short supply of patience.”
    “I met him at a party two nights ago.” She curled her arms around her belly, reeled in her wits and regained her bearings. “Who are you? And what do you want from me?”
    He slipped the picture into his pocket and formed a steeple with his fingers. “My employer wants to know why he’s interested in you.”
    “Your employer? Who do you work for?”
    “This will go faster if I’m the only one asking the questions. What is his interest in you?”
    She shook her head and shrugged. “I guess I’m just a pretty face that caught his eye. He wanted to take me to dinner.” But how did they know he was interested in her?
    The one on the phone repeated everything she said.
    Stone cracked a predatory smile. “Ms. Shaw, if you’re honest with us, we’ll leave you alone.”
    Life with Evan might be dull and empty, but at least she’d be safe and alive. “Why would I lie? I swear, he only asked me out on a date.”
    “He comes across pretty faces and cute asses all the time. Although I’ll admit,”—his gaze bounced from her breasts to her legs—“you are exceptional, but he’s never taken an interest in a human woman before.”
    What? “You said human as if…he’s not .”
    He tilted his head to the side. “You have no idea what he is, do you?”
    Her fingernails dug into the leather cushions. She felt more normal with Cyrus than anyone else, as though she finally belonged. The sound of his voice and the way he looked