Provoked by Rebecca Zanetti Read Free Book Online

She forced her face into calm lines and whispered back, “What do you want with me?”
    “We’re going to kill you.” His soft tone matched hers. “At some point. But first, we will figure out your gifts.”
    A shiver shook her shoulders. “I don’t have gifts.” Besides having the greenest green thumb around, she had no true talents, or the last job she’d take to pay Grandma Hilde’s hospital bills wouldn’t have been in a Western bar.
    “Let’s kill them anyway.” The other guy ground out his words as if gravel lodged in his throat. “They’ve seen us.”
    Okay. There didn’t seem to be any way to reason with them. She was a pacifist, but she’d protect her family with any means necessary. If she kicked the guy holding her and he went down, did she have enough strength to take down his buddy?
    She’d left her ballpoint pen in the car.
    Her thoughts crawled through her brain as if mud had been inserted in her skull. What was wrong with her? She shook her head and focused. If nothing else, she needed to get the guys away from her friends. “Let’s go now, and I won’t fight you.” For now. Once she was away from June and the others, she’d figure something out.
    The one holding her nodded and jerked her toward the open doorway. “I’ll take her out, and you get rid of these people.”
    The other guy purred and pleasure lit his dark eyes.
    Heated air spiraled down Amber’s throat. “No.” She wrenched away from the brute, yet he held tight, tugging her toward the doorway.
    Dawn light glinted off the snowy entryway, peaceful and serene, even with the freezing air riding its beams. Amber folded at the stomach, her butt out, struggling in his grasp. “I’m not leaving them to die.”
    “Yes, you are,” he said in a hoarse monotone, pulling her into the morning.
    “No, she isn’t.” Strong and dark, Kane stood on the porch, long coat flapping in the wind.
    Her kidnapper halted and released her arm. “Kayrs.”

C HAPTER 5
    R elief rushed through Amber so quickly she stopped struggling, her eyes widening on Kane. Two seconds later, her brain kicked in, and she shot a kick toward the guy’s knee. Her foot hit to the side and bounced off like she’d attacked a brick wall.
    With a hiss, he took a step forward and swept his hand toward her head.
    She ducked.
    Then Kane was on him, grabbing the guy around the neck and throwing him into the living room. He settled his stance, his back to Amber. “Leave, now.”
    The other guy in black smiled again and dropped into a crouch. “Killing a Kayrs will make me a legend. Hand-to-hand?”
    “No.” Kane yanked out a glowing gun and shot the guy in the chest. Green lasers rippled from the weapon, impacting the man. The jerk stumbled back, blood squirting from the wounds. “You should watch more movies, asshole,” Kane muttered. Three steps had Kane at the end of the stairs, gun pointed at the man rising to his feet. “Where’s my brother?”
    “Dead.” The guy lifted his chin, his lips tipping.
    Kane shot him in the knee.
    The guy fell to his one good knee, a low groan escaping his destroyed voice. “Still dead.”
    Kane’s shoulders vibrated. “We both know that’s not true.” He spoke softly, a promise of death in the low tones. “You know who I am?”
    “Yes. Kane Kayrs . . . the smart one. Useless in a fight.” Grabbing a sofa-end, the man shoved to his feet.
    Kane chuckled, the sound emerging harsh. “Right. I’ve spent centuries learning your anatomy. There’s a reason you sound like a Halloween ghoul, and I know all about making your vocal cords hurt even more. I can keep you alive for months during torture. Maybe years.”
    Yellow swirled in the guy’s eyes again, and his face paled. “Possibly. But I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what your brother goes through on a daily basis. No matter what you do, no matter whom the king sends, you’ll never get the youngest Kayrs back in one piece.”
    Kane’s head jerked up.