Born of the Night (12 page)

"We won't be gone long," he told Rachol.

Kiara bit the caustic remark she wanted to utter. She promised herself she was going to

enjoy herself at the party, no matter what.

Tiyana's flat was just two streets over. She and Tiyana had been classmates and best friends at several academies while growing up, and as adults they both danced for the

same company. When Kiara had first starting looking for her own place to live, Tiyana

had insisted she live close by so they could continue their lengthy gossip sessions and

late-night food binges.

Doing her best to ignore Nykyrian and his latest dour mood, Kiara rang the bell. After a

brief wait, Tiyana opened the door, her beautiful face beaming as she recognized Kiara.

"Sweetie!" she exclaimed, drawing Kiara into a fierce hug. "I was so afraid you wouldn't come."

Kiara smiled, pulling out of the hug before Tiyana broke her ribs, to stare at Tiyana's

bright green eyes. Tiyana was everything she had always wanted to be— tall, blond,

voluptuous, gorgeous and sophisticated, not to mention strong. "How could I miss it?"

Kiara said happily. "It's not everyday you turn twenty-six."

Tiyana shuddered and put her finger to her own perfectly rouged lips. "Don't say that so

loud," she whispered conspiratorially, flipping a long blond curl over her shoulder. "I've told all the promoters I'm twenty-two. If they ever found out how close to thirty I am ..."

She held her hand up to her head like a blaster and pretended to pull the trigger.

Kiara laughed at the gesture. "Do me the same favor and we'll call it even!"

"Done!" Tiyana said, pulling her into another hug.

Kiara felt Tiyana stiffen. "Who's your date?" she whispered.

Kiara moved away from Tiyana to stare up at Nykyrian. "He's not my date, he's my

bodyguard."

Tiyana's eyes widened. "Your father must be up to his old tricks."

Kiara nodded.

Tiyana smiled a dazzling smile at Nykyrian, but he didn't acknowledge Tiyana in the

slightest way. Kiara couldn't resist feeling a bit satisfied that Nykyrian seemed as

immune to Tiyana's charms as he was to hers.

A frown of disappointment flitted across Tiyana's face, only to quickly disappear. She

turned back to face Kiara. "Well I can't blame your father for being neurotic after the way those guys broke into your hotel room, and then that night at the theatre." Tiyana shook

her head.

"Enough!" Tiyana said, interrupting herself, and dragging Kiara into the house by her hand. "Come on in." Tiyana shut the door behind Nykyrian. "I think you know everyone here, if not, just give me a wink and I'll introduce you."

Tiyana pulled Kiara to her and whispered in her ear, "Paulus is here and he's drunk, so be warned."

Kiara rolled her eyes. Paulus was every dancer's nightmare. His father had made a fortune

with his media company before becoming an art sponsor and as a result, Paulus thought

he should have the privilege to sleep with any dancer who caught his fancy. Kiara cringed

in distaste.

Well she had always managed to avoid him in the past, by now she was used to prying

his wandering hands off her body.

With a final smile, a quick hug and grasping her latest present, Tiyana floated off into the

crowd.

Kiara searched the huge gathering for friendly faces. So much for Tiyana's word that she

had invited just a "few" friends and associates. It looked like everyone Tiyana had ever spoken with was here.

Kiara glanced back at Nykyrian. "How do we do this?" she asked.

Instead of looking at her, he scanned the crowd. "I'm not going to hover over you like a

buzzard." Kiara noted the irritation in his voice and wondered what upset him more, the

fact she had drawn him along to this soiree, or the fact that they were forced into a large

thronging mass of people. "Just don't get out of my sight."

Kiara smirked. "That sounds like hovering to me."

He didn't respond.

Fine, Kiara thought, heading off to the punch bowl. He's a grown killer, he can fend for

himself.

"Kiara Biardi!"

Kiara spun around to face Elfa Dicuta, her understudy. "Hi Elfie, how are you?"

Elfa gave her one of those famous fake smiles. "Just fine. I can't tell you how sorry I am you had to pull out of the show. I feel just terrible about it."

I bet. "So how's the show going?"

This time, Kiara suspected the smile might be real. "Great." Elfa's eyes drifted to where Nykyrian leaned against the far wall. "Didn't you come with that Andarion?"

Kiara picked up a cup of punch, wanting to toss it at the little blonde. "Yes, I did."

A scheming look crossed Elfa's face. "The promoters might not like that." Kiara detected a hopeful note under the girl's tone. "Have you been dating him long?"

Gripping her cup tightly, Kiara swallowed her mouthful of punch. "I'm not dating him at

all. He's my bodyguard."

"Well honey, he can guard my body any time!"

Kiara turned around at the voice in her ear. "Shera!" she said, relieved to find another friendly face in the shark-infested waters.

Shera pulled her into her arms for a quick hug. "Now don't wrinkle me," Shera said,

pulling away. "Some of us have to work at looking good, isn't that right, Elfie?"

Elfa puffed up to the point Kiara thought she might burst. Narrowing her eyes, she left

them without so much as a polite "excuse me."

Kiara laughed with Shera, her favorite costume designer. Shera was always good for

depression and worry. "I'm glad you're here," she said, squeezing Shera's hand.

"Did I have a choice?" Shera asked, gesturing dramatically like a diva. "Tiyana threatened my life if I missed this." Turning serious, Shera pulled Kiara off to the side, away from the nearest group of people. "Is that gorgeous hunk of man really your

bodyguard?"

Kiara nodded.

Shera's smile was wide and hungry. "Girlfriend, were I you, I'd be at home doing a little sheet dance with that boy!"

Kiara laughed, looking over to where Nykyrian stood apparently oblivious to the people

around him, knowing he was watching everyone intensely. "I'm afraid he's not

interested."

Shera laughed, her face a mask of comedy. "Then I'd find a way to make him interested!"

Kiara shook her head, grateful to be laughing so much again. "You are incorrigible."

Shera shrugged in an unconcerned manner. "I always say incorrigibility is good for the

soul, but sex is infinitely better!"

Kiara rolled her eyes.

"Seriously though," Shera said, looking back in the direction Elfa had disappeared. "I wanted to warn you about your understudy."

Kiara's laughter died. "What?" she asked, fear closing around her.

"Little two-face got a fantastic review last night and since then, she's been going around telling promoters and directors that a certain dancer is past her prime."

"I'll kill her!" Kiara slammed her cup down on the table and started toward Elfa.

Shera grabbed her arm. "Not now," she said in Kiara's ear. "There are too many

promoters here. If you start something, she'll tell them you're too temperamental and

impossible to work with."

Kiara clenched her fists at her sides, wanting to jerk every strand of bleached blond hair

out of Elfa's head.

Shera patted her arm. "The best way to get back at her is to return to the show as quickly as possible. I promise you her review was nothing compared to the ones you receive."

Shera's laugh returned. "Besides, think of this, I had to let your costume out two sizes to accommodate her fat butt!"

In spite of herself and her anger, Kiara laughed. "Did you really?"

Shera nodded. "And red isn't that girl's color."

* * *

Kiara retrieved her punch from the table and reluctantly allowed Shera to drift off.

Looking over to Nykyrian, she wanted to smile at him as she recalled Shera's words. He

was definitely the most handsome man at the party even with those glasses obscuring the

majority of his face. And she would like very much to do a sheet dance with him, if he

would only cooperate.

"Aw, there you are. Tiyana told me you were here."

Kiara cringed. It wasn't Paulus, it was worse. Wicmon, her own show's promoter, the one

man she couldn't afford to be rude to no matter what.

"Hi," she said, smiling her prettiest smile.

Wicmon took her hand and placed a sloppy kiss over her knuckles. "I was so

disappointed you pulled out of the show," he said, a lecherous look on his face. "I had so hoped to become better acquainted with you."

Kiara tried to tactfully withdraw her hand, but his grip tightened. She admitted he was

handsome, if he just didn't have that cold, calculating look behind his clear blue eyes.

And at the moment, she felt like a cornered gimfry. How was she going to extract herself from him without offending him?

Fretting, she looked up to see Nykyrian moving toward them. A smile curved her lips as

he stopped next to them. "Kiara, Tiyana was looking for you."

Anger clouded Wicmon's eyes at the interruption. He turned around, then took a step

back.

Kiara stifled her laughter at his reaction. No doubt he had assumed Nykyrian would be

another dancer he could intimidate. As it was, all he could do was gape.

"If you'll excuse me, Wicmon," she said, side-stepping him, her heart pounding in relief.

"Thank you," she whispered to Nykyrian as soon as they were out of Wicmon's hearing.

"How did you know to come over?"

He shrugged. "You looked uncomfortable."

With adoring eyes at his concern and action, she stared up at him. She ached to kiss him

for his kindness. "I owe you."

Now, he looked uncomfortable. Without a word and to her greatest dismay, he moved

away from her. Kiara wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. How could he be so kind

one moment, then aloof the next?

In extreme aggravation, she started toward the balcony. Out of the crowd, a rough hand

gripped her elbow. Kiara was tempted to cry out, but assumed it was just another

promoter.

"I knew we'd meet again."

Her blood drained from her face as her heart pounded. Pitala. Two thoughts shot through

her mind at the same time. One was the fear he would kill her, the other was the fear she

would live and this episode would end her career.

She felt a sharp jab in her ribs.

"Walk outside to the hallway like you want to talk to me. No sudden moves or I pull the

trigger and spray your guts all over your friend's flat."

Kiara nodded, her heart lodged in her throat. She looked about for Nykyrian, but he

seemed to have vanished. What kind of protector was he? Sweat beaded on her body as

she moved to do what she had been told.

She prayed no one would approach them. Glancing sideways, she noticed Pitala was dressed in an expensive suit, his hair tied back into a sleek ponytail. To the casual

observer, he would pass for either an aristocrat or a wealthy promoter.

Fear choked her as tears gathered in her eyes. Fiercely, she bit her bottom lip to keep

from screaming or begging for help.

Kiara neared the door. A trickle of sweat ran down her temple. If she crossed the

threshold, she knew Pitala would kill her. If she struggled inside Tiyana's flat, everyone

would see— the promoters, the directors, everyone.

Her life or her career? She chewed her lip in indecision. Without her career, what kind of

life would she have? With that final thought, she opened the door.

Pitala pushed her through, then slammed the door shut behind him. Kiara hit the floor.

Her entire body trembling, she looked up to where Pitala was turning around to face her

and then she saw Nykyrian hiding beside the door.

He grabbed Pitala's blaster from his hand and brought his own blaster up under the man's

chin. "I'm only going to say this once," Nykyrian said, his voice lethal. "Kiara is under the protection of the OMG. If you harm her, threaten her, even look at her again, you're

going to have a visit from Nemesis. A visit you will long regret and remember."

Even Kiara cringed at the threat.

Nykyrian's lips curled into a ferocious snarl. "You'll find your partner down the hall

locked in a storage closet. Take him and leave. And if you value all the pieces of your

body remaining in their current positions, you'll revoke your contract on her life

tomorrow." He clicked back the release of his gun. "Do you understand?"

Sweat covered Pitala's face. "My retraction will be posted tomorrow. I swear it."

Nykyrian replaced the latch on his blaster. "Good," he said, shoving Pitala away from him.

Kiara watched the assassin hurry down the hall away from them. She looked up at her

savior, her breathing labored, her head light in panic.

Nykyrian holstered his blaster, then held his hand out to her. She grasped it with her

shaking hands, and he gently pulled her off the floor. "I'm sorry I didn't help you sooner,"

he said quietly. "But I didn't think you wanted your friends to know what was going on."

Before he could move away and before she could stop herself, she put her arms around

him and hugged his lean waist with all the relief coursing through her body. "Most of

them aren't my friends," she said, coming to the awful realization. "They're back-biting, two-faced, soulless mongrels who aren't much better than Pitala."

Kiara leaned her cheek against his chest, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.

Though his body was rigid, he made no moves to push her away. She trembled, knowing

Nykyrian would never let anyone hurt her. She was safe with him.