Night Sins by Lisa Renée Jones Read Free Book Online Page B

how is it, Ethan?” she challenged. “Because that’s how it seems. Why would you risk innocent lives rather than let me help?”
    Ethan pulled to a side street several blocks away from Kayla’s apartment, obviously trying to throw off anyone who might follow them. He killed the ignition and turned to her, his arm going behind her seat. The small space shrunk, turning intimate.
    His voice was low, intense. “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want you to end up like the Watcher before you?”
    There was a charge in the air, electric and hard to ignore. Why did he care? She wanted to ask but held her tongue.
    It was Ethan who ended the silence between them. “I need to get back to the hotel.” He reached for his car door and got out. She did the same. Before she could move toward him, he started walking toward her apartment, obviously expecting her to follow.
    She threw her hands up in frustration, but she didn’t waste time standing there. Instead, she darted after him, catching up with a double step and grabbing his arm. “Ethan.” He turned to face her. “I don’t need an escort to my door. I patrol the streets every night.”
    “Humor me. I’m walking you to the door.”
    Enough of this crazy debate. She firmed her jaw and gave him a hard stare. “And I’m packing a bag and coming to the hotel with you.”
    He didn’t blink, didn’t move. For several seconds, he just stood there, looking at her. Finally, he said, “There will be conditions.”
    She felt a rush of relief. Finally. Progress. Still, a bite of irritation ate at her. She didn’t like the way Ethan demanded control. “What conditions?”
    He narrowed his gaze on her. “You stay in my room with me.”
    A fizzle of heat rushed through her limbs at the prospect. But she was in work mode, solid about her motives for pretending to be one of his women. And those motives said she needed to be close to the other girls to dig for information. She opened her mouth to say as much and Ethan grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, his hand holding her close.
    “That’s condition one, Kayla. Take it or leave it.”
    Intimate memories of their bodies pressed together flashed in her mind, making it hard to think, let alone find her voice.
    “First,” she said, suspicious about where this was headed, “Tell me the other conditions.”
    “We’re hunting my race so we do things my way.”
    “Only if I agree with your way,” she countered.
    He stared at her a moment and then laughed. His hand slid across her lower back, molding her curves to his hard body. “I’m sure you remember how convincing I can be.”
    Oh, she remembered. She remembered all too well. “As long as you understand I might need convincing, then I guess we have a deal.”
     
    Jac stood outside room 1313 inside the Night Sins hotel corridor and knocked once, hard. Paused. Knocked twice. It was their code, the one he and Rigo had come up with so they’d know one another.
    A second passed and the door flew open, displaying Rigo, a glass of bourbon in hand. Rigo motioned Jac inside, turning back to the executive suite he’d occupied since his arrival. Ethan took good care of those he trusted. Too bad for him he trusted the wrong people.
    Leaning against the well-stocked corner bar, Rigo gave a nod. “I was right, wasn’t I?”
    “Oh yeah,” Jac said, grabbing the crystal decanter on the bar and filling a glass with the caramel-colored liquid. “Ethan has it bad for that Watcher chick. It’s perfect. We can deal with them both at once.”
    Rigo laughed evilly. “I can’t wait to see Ethan’s face when he finds out he’s defeated.”
    Jac took a sip from his glass and studied Rigo, surprised at how much the man hated Ethan. He hated him out of nothing but jealousy; he’d wanted Ethan’s role in their government and he’d been overlooked. Now he wanted power wherever he could get it.
    Jac certainly would never give the man his back, nor would he keep him around