Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon Read Free Book Online

were attacked by them. Stupid rule, granted. But it was one Acheron would have their ass over if they violated it.
    And then there was the terrible suspicion he had about her identity. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be right or wrong. “Abigail?”
    Anger darkened her blue eyes. “You do remember me.”
    How could he forget? “I thought you were dead.”
    She shrieked in rage before she attacked him with a fury that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside her. It was the same force that he’d had when he went for Bart.
    Now that he knew who she was, there was no way he could hurt her. He choked on conflicting emotions. Relief, sorrow, and the deep need not to let her end his life. “I take it you’re the one who’s been killing Dark-Hunters?”
    She lifted her chin proudly as she swung at him. “With relish. But you’re the one I really want.”
    Why? All he’d ever done was protect her and her family.
    He caught her arm and yanked her closer. “Ah, sugar, for that, all you had to do was get naked.”
    She curled her lip before she attacked even more viciously.
    He staggered under a couple of well-placed blows. She was very well trained.
    But then, so was he.
    Jess twisted the knife from her hand and managed to finally catch her in a sleeper hold. She was harder to grip than a hungry greased pig. Luckily, he was used to pinning such ornery things. But if he’d been human, she’d have freed herself and been back on him.
    He turned to the Daimons. “One step closer, and I snap her neck.”
    They exchanged a doubting frown.
    “I mean it,” he said as they looked like they were about to pounce. He increased the pressure on her carotid and jugular. Within seconds, she was out. Still, he waited a few seconds more, in case she was faking. At this point, he wouldn’t put anything past her.
    Once he was sure she was unconscious, he slid her to a dry spot on the floor. “All right, punks. Bring it.”
    The moment he took a step forward, they ran deeper into the tunnel.
    Well, at least they weren’t the infected Daimons who could convert him.
    Jess started to go after them, but rethought it. It was too close to dawn, and right now he had the prize of all time.
    The woman who’d been hunting them.
    A woman he’d once known  …
    “I can’t believe you survived.” But how? He had so many questions, they made him dizzy.
    Best thing to do would be to interrogate her and find out what was going on and why she had such a hard-on for them. Hoping he didn’t live to regret this decision, he picked her up and carried her back to the street. Now that she wasn’t trying to kick his jewels into his throat, he realized just how tiny she was. Very well muscled, but short.
    Like Matilda.
    He squelched that comparison quick. She was nothing like his mild-mannered, soft-spoken bride-to-be. No one was. It was why he’d fallen in love with her and why all these decades later, he still ached from the loss of her friendship.
    The woman in his arms was like everyone else he’d ever met. Treacherous. Lethal. Only out for herself. Whatever he did, he couldn’t let himself forget that. She wanted him dead, and if he didn’t stop her, she’d kill him and then move on to the rest of his colleagues.
    No good deed goes unpunished.…
    He’d protected her and her mother, and how did she pay him back? By trying to kill him.
    How utterly typical.
    Jess made it out as the sky was just starting to lighten. I better hurry and be quick about it.… It was getting a little too close at this point.
    He hadn’t gone far from the drain when he saw a police car driving by on the street.
    Crap.
    What were the odds that they’d not see him and keep going? Probably about as good as them believing he was carrying his wife back to their room after a heavy night of drinking.
    Yeah  …
    He hadn’t been that lucky in a long time. “I hope lockup doesn’t have a window,” he muttered under his breath.
    The patrol car pulled up to the curb and