Kiss of the Night by Sylvia Day Read Free Book Online

I’ll have to place them all in protective custody.”
    “That’s where they should be now.”
    Derek arched a brow. “If we move them, we’ll risk discovery, you know that. If I simply wanted to keep them safe, I wouldn’t have you sent you in undercover.”
    “Then Briana’s safety isn’t your primary objective?” he asked grimly.
    “ Briana , is it? Yes, Rep. Michaels’ safety is of paramount importance.”
    “But her family’s isn’t.”
    “No,” Derek agreed. “Her family’s isn’t.”
    Alex didn’t know why he was surprised. He knew the ins and outs of his job. That didn’t mean he had to like them. In this case, he definitely didn’t, but he owed Derek Atkinson his life, so he kept his thoughts to himself. He’d puzzle out a way to keep Bree’s family safe when he had some time to think.
    “Find out what she knows, Night. And check in with me daily. Things may be happening here that you don’t know about.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “I’m relieved she’s safe with you.”
    “She almost wasn’t.” Alex drummed his fingers on the console. “Someone attempted to assassinate her at the meeting point. A blaster shot missed her by a hair.” His stomach clenched at the memory. He’d nearly lost her.
    The momentary silence that greeted his disclosure was deafening. “That location was a carefully guarded secret,” Derek said tightly.
    “She brought in Chiles and Sandoval as bargaining chips to negotiate my fee. I’m sure they bragged. Just being asked by her was a huge coup.”
    “Damn. She’s got balls.”
    “Yeah and a new PA droid, which explains why we weren’t aware of the appointments with the other two smugglers.”
    “I’ll look into it. We’ll need to tap into the new droid and see what events we might have missed since she replaced the old one. I’ll send you the schematics once I have them.” Derek glanced away from the screen. “It must have been a very recent purchase. I have no mention of it here, which worries me. If my sources are faulty, there might be a lot more we don’t know, which leaves us vulnerable. Any idea who the assassin was? Did you see them?”
    Alex shook his head. “Not a clue. But I’ve got a feeling it was either a droid or a Shinite-trained professional.”
    Derek whistled.
    The Shinites were an ancient race known for their deadly fighting abilities. They became so focused on their missions they mentally disconnected, making it impossible for a vamp to detect them.
    “You didn’t sense anything at all?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Damn. Shinites cost a fortune, so do droid assassins. If you’re right, this isn’t one person we’re talking about, but a group. I’ll assign more agents to back you up in Tolan. In the meantime, watch your back, Night. And keep me posted.”
    “Yes, sir. Will do. Night out.”
    The screen went black as Alex signed off. For a moment, he looked over his semicircular console at the view of space outside the bridge window.
    What the hell was he going to do? He had no fucking clue.
    Standing with a weary sigh, he moved back down the hall and entered Bree’s room. He stood over her sleeping form, taking in her damp curls and barely parted lips. Deep inside him a wealth of compassion swelled, threatening to overflow. She looked so soft and innocent in slumber, nothing like the vixen who’d very nearly brought him to his knees in the shower, although he liked that side of her too. A lot.
    He’d been forced to put her to sleep, something all vamps had the mental ability to do, when she’d tried to coax him into bed with her. He’d been so close to losing what little control he had and fucking them both out of their misery. A tantalizing prospect, but he had to earn her trust first. Once he got her into his bed, he intended her to stay there for the duration of their journey and he didn’t want her feeling remorse about anything that happened between them.
    Derek wanted him to earn her trust for the mission’s sake. Alex