“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Sumi snorted. “Don’t worry. I’m not wired. I’m not recording this, in any way. I don’t want witnesses, any more than you do.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m here to kill you.”
Now it was Pera’s turn to laugh. “You? You’re a human. What are you going to do? Make me choke to death on my own laughter?”
Sumi tsked at her disdain. “Had you been at the match today, instead of at Dancer’s house trying to kill him, you’d have seen exactly what I plan to do to you.”
Again, Pera scoffed. “You didn’t do anything. You spared Dariana.”
“For Darice only. I didn’t want to kill his mother in front of him. But it’s just you and me, now. And there’s only two ways out of here. The window behind you and the door behind me.” Sumi glanced meaningfully at the glass. “You might survive the window.”
Pera held her arms out. “I’m completely defenseless. You’re really going to kill me?”
Sumi’s gaze went to the computer screen where Pera had been working. “You were about to post payment on a contract for Darice’s life to have him brutally slaughtered. He’s fourteen. A child. And you went after my male and attacked while his back was turned. What do you think?”
“I think you’re human and weak.”
“And you would be mistaken about both.” Sumi pulled out her blaster and shot her. The blast went straight into the image and struck the wall behind her.
Shit! It was a hologram.
Furious, Sumi glanced around, trying to locate her target. “Pera!”
She heard a sharp click behind her. Turning, she dropped to the floor at the same time a blast of color went past her face, narrowly missing it.
Pera headed for the door. Sumi dove at her, knocking her into the wall. Backhanding her, Pera tried to kick her off. But Sumi returned the strike with a punch of her own. She grabbed Pera and fell to the floor, rolled with her and kicked her into the doorframe.
When Pera moved to shoot her, Sumi beat her to it. This time, it wasn’t a hologram. Cursing, Pera fell and tried to crawl away before she collapsed on the floor.
Careful to keep her blaster on Pera in case it was a trick, Sumi felt for her pulse.
There wasn’t one.
She took another shot, just to make sure.
Once she knew for certain that Pera would never threaten anyone she loved again, Sumi went to the female’s computer to cancel the contracts on Darice and Dancer.
Just as she sat down, she felt a whisper of wind. Jerking out her blaster, she aimed at the shadow that hadn’t been there before. She started to fire, then recognized the tall, dark form that was barely discernable in the darkness.
It was Nykyrian.
She lowered her weapon as he gave her a respectful half smile.
He walked over to Pera’s body. “Nice work.”
“You, too.”
He snorted as he double-checked Pera’s vitals. “I should have known when you didn’t get into the ambulance where you were headed.”
She finished canceling the contracts, then pulled the hard drive. “No one threatens my family.”
“Hence, why I’m here.”
She heard sirens approaching. “Guess we weren’t that quiet.”
“I’ll make sure the authorities know that it was self-defense. No one will question it.” He jerked his chin to the HD in her hands. “What’s that?”
Sumi gave it to him. “She had a contract she was posting on Darice. I figured there might be other incriminating things on here Syn can pull.”
Nykyrian frowned. “Why would she put a hit on Darice?”
“I’m thinking he either knows more than he’s told us, or she thought he knew more.”
“I’ve never been able to stomach anyone who would go after a kid.” Nykyrian slid the HD into his pocket. “How are you doing?”
“Been a heck of a day.”
He hugged her with one arm. “That it has, kisa. That it has.” He glanced down to Pera. “But how are you feeling?”
She considered what he was really asking her. “Normally, I’d be sick to my stomach. However, this time, I’m strangely okay about it.”
With a knowing glint in his eyes, he nodded. “Ready to go check on Hauk?”
“That I am.”
He took her out the way she’d entered, through the bedroom window.
Bastien was still waiting for her on the street. Along with Darling and Jayne.
He winked at her. “When I heard shots, I started to help, but saw the big guy here and decided the best place for me was making sure no one disturbed you two. Then the next thing I know, these two came up out of the shadows at me.”
Darling shrugged. “Should have known Nyk would leave us so that he could have all the fun.”
Hand on hip, Jayne nodded in agreement. “He’s bad that way.”
“Don’t get all pouty with me.” Nykyrian pointed to Sumi. “She beat me to the punch.”
“Well, that’s just not right,” Jayne groused. She narrowed an irritated smirk at Sumi. “What? You think you’re sleeping with Hauk, or something? You have all the rights to kill the person who killed him? Gah, the nerve of some bitches.”
Sumi laughed at her teasing.
Maris tsked at her as he came out of the shadows behind them. “Jaynie… jealousy does not look good on you. It makes your butt look even fatter than your head.”
Gasping, she lunged playfully at Maris. “I don’t want to hear that from you! Do you even own a mirror at home? I bet you’ve put on twenty-five pounds since you’ve been with Ture… at least!”
Horrified over her words, Maris grabbed at his rear and turned his back to Darling. “Tell me the truth. Is my butt fat?”
Darling snorted. “I’m not looking at your ass, Mari. I don’t want to go blind. But so long as Ture’s happy, who cares what I think?”
Sumi shook her head at their good-natured barbs. She’d always wondered what it would be like to have lifelong friends, and Dancer was lucky to have all of them. No wonder he was so devoted to his family.
She looked over at Bastian and Nykyrian.
Now that they were side by side, she saw the family resemblance. Dancer had told her that Bastien’s mother was the youngest sister of Nykyrian’s father. And it was her death, along with the rest of his family’s, that Bastien had vowed to avenge.
He thought to do it alone. But as she looked at the group that had shown up here to go after the female who’d threatened their brother, she somehow doubted that would happen. The one thing about The Sentella… they were a family, first and foremost.
And they always took care of their own.
Darling tapped the link in his ear to turn it on. “Yeah?” Cringing, he pulled it out and held it for all of them to hear Syn’s ranting shout on the other end.
“So I see how it is. The lot of you go off, leave me with the big baby to tend, and hunt down the bitch without me. Thanks a lot, guys. Tell Nyk to pick up his link!”
Rubbing at his ear, Darling grimaced. “I think somebody wanted to come with us.”
Nykyrian took the link and cut the transmission.
“Ooo,” Darling said with a hiss. “Somebody’s gonna get it later for that.”
“Yeah,” Jayne said, slinging her arm over his shoulders. “You are. It’s your link.”
Darling cursed. “Great. Just great.”
“C’mon.” Nykyrian jerked his chin toward the airbike he’d ridden. “Let’s go help Syn hold the big baby down for treatment.”
“Um, yeah,” Darling said. “I–I got a migraine. I can’t do Andarion babysitting right now. I’m still in therapy and having vicious flashbacks from the last time I tried.” He looked up at the sky. “Why, Lord? Why? I’m a new father. I need to live, and raise my son!”