aHunter4Saken (aHunter4Hire) (15 page)

“Your
visit is not for enlightenment.”

“No
Grandfather.” Kimi took the old man’s hands. “We are in danger.”

Eluwilussit
merely nodded and then he went to the boiling kettle on the stove. “I need a
tea.”

Niail
led Kimi to a chair at the table. He remained standing at her side. He sensed
her anxiety and fear even though it was dissipating since Eluwilussit’s
arrival.

“So
Mark is no longer welcome?” Eluwilussit put the steaming tea he had made on the
table. He pulled out a chair opposite Mark. “What have you done son?”

Jake
snorted. “What hasn’t he done? He tried to kill me. I thought he was working
with me to get evidence against Kowal and his men. Instead I find he’s on their
payroll.”

“Mr.
Kowal is a well-respected member of the community.” Eluwilussit took a sip of
tea. “What is he accused of?”

“You
name it.” Jake went to the cupboard and pulled out three more mugs. “Drug
trafficking, prostitution, extortion, and now hiring assassins.”

“Those
are strong words. Do you have evidence?”

“You
sound like my boss.” Jake put a teaspoon of instant coffee in each mug and then
filled them with the boiling water. “I have Kowal on video receiving money that
came from drug dealers. These dealers are too young to drive. They’re kids off
the reservation.”

“So
he sells poison to our children?”

“Yes.”
Jake put a mug in front of Kimi and then pushed one toward Niail. “Worse, his
men have been enticing young girls to work for them. They’re babies for Christ sake,
and he has sold them to men double their age.”

“Do
the girls go willingly?”

Jake
shrugged. “It makes no difference; they’re not of legal age. The whole business
is steeped in corruption and filth.”

Eluwilussit
nodded. “That is the way of the modern world.”

“It’s
my job to stop it.” Jake’s voice rose. “They’re ruining our children with their
drugs and sex trade.”

“It
is a great sadness. Our youth have lost connection with their heritage.”
Eluwilussit glanced at Niail with a raised eyebrow. “Who is this one?”

Kimi
straightened in her chair. “Bobby found him. He was injured and I have been
helping him.”

“He
looks as if he can take care of himself.”

“I
can.” Niail crossed his arms over his chest. “These men that Jake speaks of
have been persistent in their efforts to kill your granddaughter. I have vowed
to protect her.”

Eluwilussit’s
eyes swept over him in a slow, thorough motion, lingering at the bloody shirt
before moving on. “You are still injured.”

“He
was shot.” Kimi reached for Niail’s arm. A surge of warmth flowed through him
at her protective gesture. “He still has a concussion, but he refuses to rest.”

“We
rest when the battle is won.”

Eluwilussit
paused. He lowered the mug of tea to the table and then leaned back in his
chair. “You are a warrior?”

“He
calls himself a Hunter.” Jake snorted.

Eluwilussit
nodded. “I have heard mention of them.”

“Don’t
tell me you know what they are?” Jake threw his hands up in the air. “How the
hell can everyone else know but me?”

“You
do not take time to learn the ways of the people.” His grandfather’s voice was
sad. “You scoff at our legends and teachings.”

Jake
shook his head. “I’ve never heard of them in the legends. Wil thinks he’s one
of the Star People.”

“Are
you?” Eluwilussit turned his brilliant gaze onto Niail.

“I
do not know.”

“He
wears some of the symbols.” Kimi put her hands around her coffee. “Their
meanings are close to ours.”

“Where
did you get these symbols?”

“They
are reminders of my battles and events in my life.” Niail pulled up his sleeve.
“All warriors wear such things.”

Eluwilussit
stood and came to look at Niail’s arm. He examined it with his eyes and then
his fingers traced the symbols tattooed there. Niail sensed a repressed
excitement, almost as if the words on his arm spoke to Eluwilussit about
something hidden.

When
he was finished Eluwilussit pulled the sleeve down and looked into Niail’s
eyes. He held his gaze for several seconds before turning back to his chair.
When he was seated he pursed his lips and then turned to Kimi.

“You
did right to take him into your home. The others would have harmed him.”

Jake
heaved a sigh. “So is he a Star Person or not?”

“He
is one who was taken away. Now he has returned home.”

“That
makes no sense at all.” Jake shook his head and then leaned toward Mark. “What
do you know about them?”

“Just
what their website says. They right wrongs.”

“He’s
a mercenary.” There was no mistaking the loathing in Jake’s tone.

Niail
moved closer to Kimi. “We protect.”

“Is
that why you answered Kowal’s demands to kill me?”

“I
have no memory of what happened with Kowal, but if I had accepted his request
you would be dead.”

A
mere human, whether trained in combat or not, wasn’t a match for him. Niail’s
gaze didn’t falter from Jake. Jake continued to hold it for several seconds
before lowering his eyes.

He
pushed his coffee away. “I’ll just have to believe you.”

Mark
shifted in his chair. “These ropes are uncomfortable. You need to untie me.”

“Not
until I have answers.” Jake leaned back in the chair until it was resting only
on its back legs. “The safest place to speak would be back at the office.”

Mark
gave him a smirk. “The minute you try and drag me in, Kowal’s men will take you
out.”

“It
can’t be that easy, or he wouldn’t have hired someone else to do it.”

“He
has enough problems without trying to cover up a killing.”

“Now
that is interesting.” Jake plopped the chair back on its legs. “What could be
keeping his attention occupied?”

Mark
turned his head away, but Jake clasped his chin and leaned close. “Tell me.”

“Someone
else wants his territory.”

“Who?”

“The
FD Warriors.” Jake released Mark’s chin.

Niail
recognized the name. They were a feared bike gang heavily invested in criminal
activity. The gang controlled most of the illegal ventures in eastern North
America and were expanding west. Hunters had been keeping a close eye on their
activities.

“We
have dealt with them in the past.” Niail’s voice was cold. “They attacked our
leader. They lost. They are not warriors and have no honor.”

“You
have a leader?” Jake frowned. “That sounds awfully organized.”

“We
maintain our unit.”

“A
unit of you guys? That means you’re military.”

“Yes.”
Niail raised an eyebrow. Jake’s constant doubts were becoming tiresome.

“Great.”
Jake flung himself back into his seat. “Now there’s more than one assassin
running around.”

“We
only kill when necessary.”

“You
kill for money.” Jake crossed his arms. “You’re the worse kind of criminal
there is.”

Niail
took a deep breath and pushed back his anger. He required a clear head to plan
their next move. Arguing with Jake was getting him nowhere. He needed to
resolve this problem with Kowal.

“Your
words show your ignorance.” Niail motioned to Mark. “A criminal would have let
him kill you.”

“He’s
right.” Kimi pushed away from the table. “Niail saved your life.”

Jake
rubbed his hand over his face. “None of this makes sense.”

“That
does not make it less real.” Niail finished his coffee and put the mug on the
table. “I am going to check the perimeter.”

“I’ll
go with you.” Kimi stood.

She
took the empty mugs and put them on the countertop. She poured a small amount
of the hot water in each and then turned back to her grandfather. She leaned
over and gave him a quick kiss on his forehead.

“I
won’t be long.”

Niail
went outside and waited for her to join him. He surveyed the area, noting the
most likely place a potential threat would come from. The aspens hid the cabin
from view. The only way in was a dirt track. That gave him pause. There was no
clear sight line from the cabin. He reached for his gun just as Kimi opened the
door.

“I
hate those things.”

“They’re
primitive.” Niail shoved it back into the waistband of his jeans. “It is a
necessary item on this planet.”

“I
wish it wasn’t.” Kimi sighed and started to walk away from the cabin. “We’re at
peace and we have people shooting at us. The law should be protecting us, yet
we have an FBI agent and a drug dealer trying to kill us.”

“Justice
is never easy.” Niail followed Kimi. His eyes continued to sweep the area.
“That is why Hunters are needed.”

“You
seek justice?”

“We
exist so that others may enact their own justice.” Niail moved toward the trees
along the side of the cabin. “The only reward for us is an honorable death.”

Kimi
stopped. “That’s crazy. Everyone has something they look forward to.”

Niail
squinted to block the sun from his eyes. She was beautiful. Her body vibrated
with outrage. The sudden urge to pull her close and ease her anger was
overwhelming. He could not forget who he was though.

His
expertise as a warrior was exceptional, even for clan Giath. Members of clan
Giath were front line soldiers, skilled in marksmanship and storming the enemy.
The fact that he had lived longer than most in his clan spoke to his ability.
Now he was faced with a new threat. Kimi.

The
scent of her drew him near.

The
feel of her seduced him.

Hunters
had been denied the normal life of men by the use of enhancers and implants,
still their legends spoke of such attraction. Niail was an experienced warrior,
slow to change his ways. Unable to mind connect he could not seek the counsel
of his fellow warriors. He was cast adrift. Forsaken.

His
anchor now was Kimi.

Her
safety was his mission.

“We
are not like others.” Niail chose his words with care. “There is only our
brotherhood.”

“So
instead of wives and children they become your family.”

“Yes.”

“You
can’t believe they’ve abandoned you.” Kimi frowned. “From everything you’ve
told me they would be searching for you.”

“It
is not that simple.”

Niail
took a deep breath. The knowledge of mind connection was only known to Hunters
and their mates. Kimi was his pair bond. He was certain even without being able
to mind connect with her.

“Explain
it then.” Kimi touched his arm. “You are important to me. I need to
understand.”

“There
is something I have not told you.” Niail straightened his shoulders. “My
injuries have made me incomplete.”

Kimi’s
eyes searched his face. Her hand reached out to his head, her fingers
feathering across the healing gash that Kowal’s men had inflicted. She then
moved down, caressing his chest before capturing his hands. Peace settled
inside of him.

“Tell
me.”

“We
are connected in ways that humans are not.” Niail brought her hands up to his
mouth and kissed them. “Remember our talk of pair bonds?”

Kimi
nodded. “You form an intense bond that interferes with your ability to follow
orders.”

“We
bond with only one woman.” Niail’s voice was low. “This bond is more than just
physical.”

Kimi
frowned. “You said something about that before. Is there some strange alien
ritual you haven’t told me about?”

Niail
smiled. She was beautiful. He would never tire of looking at her. She defended
him to her brother and grandfather even though she had her doubts.

“I
told you that a pair bond may refuse to mate.” Niail’s voice was low. “But he
will be forever bonded. Her thoughts and desires will be his.”

Niail
waited for Kimi to speak. She bit her lip and looked away from him for a few
seconds and then back. “So if she denies the bonding then he will suffer
forever?”

“Never.”
Niail brushed a strand of hair from Kimi’s face. “They can bond without being
mated. We can connect with our brothers in the same way.”

Kimi
tilted her head. “Are you incomplete because your ability to unite is not
working?”

Niail’s
gaze was fixed on Kimi. She had shown him that she could be trusted. Now he had
to have faith in his instinct. She needed to know what they were facing. That
was the honorable way.

“Yes.”
Niail cleared his throat. “All Hunters can mind connect with each other. A
Hunter and his mate have the same linking.”