Page 9 of Basilisk

He was shoved through the door and into a wall. He grunted as his cheek smashed hard against the sheetrock. Then he was viciously turned to face a huge man with big, bulging nose and a body built like a brick wall. One who sneered down at him. Clive instinctively tried to kick the guy in the groin, but he blocked Clive easily.

Bulging nose opened his mouth to speak only to croak as an arm slammed around his throat from behind.

Bain had found them. The relief was so instantaneous, Clive nearly slid down the wall because the fear that had locked his legs disappeared. He just knew Bain could take this bigger man down. He didn’t know why. Some instinct maybe.

Bain bent the guy’s arm behind him and held him in a chokehold. He growled into the man’s ear, “You fucked with the wrong man. Who hired you?”

Bulging nose tried to jab his elbow back but Bain easily dodged it and tightened his arm until the guy’s eyes bugged out and he started to turn blue.

Then Bain expertly flipped him around, his forearm going back to the man’s neck so fast Clive blinked. That was…too fast. Insanely fast. But he was still too flustered to make sense of it.

“Talk,” Bain ordered, pulling his arm slightly away.

He just gasped, some color returning to his cheeks.

“We’re waiting.” Bain’s low taunt in that velvety voice made Clive shiver.

Bulging nose took in several deep breaths before he spoke in a gritty tone that sounded like his throat had been rubbeddown with sandpaper. “Don’t know. It went through anonymous channels as usual. I’m just a gun for hire.”

“Bullshit,” Bain bit out.

“I don’t know anything. I swear.”

“Then today is not your lucky day.”

Bulging nose’s eyes flew open wide. “You going to kill me here? In the store?”

“Like you were going to do with my friend here?”

“Was just going to talk to him.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me. You’re an assassin. But here’s the thing. I’m not going to kill you. Not here. You’re going to go back through your channels and tell whoever hired you that Clive Manning has protection now.”

“So you’re just letting me go?”

Bain’s grin was so feral, pure, raw lust hit Clive’s gut. His eyes went wide. What the hell? Were the violent intentions turning him on?

“No, not just letting you go.”

Again, Bain moved so fast Clive couldn’t follow. The next thing he knew, the bad guy was groaning on the ground, his arm bent at a hideously unnatural angle and blood smearing his nose and cheeks. That huge nose of his was no longer centered on his face, and his jaw wasn’t sitting correctly.

Clive’s stomach churned violently but he wasn’t shocked by that. He’d never been a fan of violence. Or so he’d thought. It was the lust tearing through him that truly shocked him. Watching the slim bodyguard take down such a huge man—and with so little effort—had been hot as hell.

Bain must have some kind of martial arts training—but even so, how could he move so fast? He’d been almost a blur. That thought raised that first feeling he’d gotten from Bain when they’d met at the hotel—that there was something off about him. Something that felt not quite…human.

“Come on,” Bain said, holding out his hand to Clive. “Let’s get our stuff and go.”

Clive just stood, blinking at him.

This time, Bain’s grin was so much friendlier, not feral at all. “Told you I’d keep you safe. But no more wandering off away from me, okay?”

Clive nodded.

They left the guy on the floor, went back to their cart, and checked out as if nothing had happened. There wasn’t even a speck of blood on Bain’s pretty purple clothes.

The whole time, Clive was reeling. Bain might dress like David Bowie but he had skills beyond Clive’s belief. He was tough. Strong. Powerful.

And apparently all of that absolutely did it for Clive because he stayed turned on all the way home.

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