Page 37 of Dangerous Heat

“That’s not why.”

I had a guess, but I wouldn’t push for him to admit it. From what I’d seen of Nolan and his company, he was merciful and kind to the people who worked for him. No one was forced to be here, and the chatter I’d overheard — because yes, I’d spent some time with my ear pressed against the door before Em and Cas had gotten here — told me they were well-paid and killed people who deserved it. Even if theywerecontracted by other people who also deserved it, that was better than doing criminal’s dirty work indiscriminately.

Nolan wanted to kill Kylan because he was a plague upon society, and I could get behind that.

“I want a job offer for all of us,” I said, leaning back and crossing my ankles.

Emmett’s head whipped to look at me, and Nolan was surprised too. “What, as receptionists?” Nolan asked incredulously.

“Assassins.”

“You think I’m going to trust an angel and former government employee to carry out hits for my company? Kylan is one thing. I’m forcing you, and you want to. But as soon as I set you loose with my regular clients, I run the risk of you running back to the AEA with information on my operation and trying to get them to accept you back into the fold. You think I haven’t looked into your histories as much as I could? All of you have squeaky clean records — you especially. People fear you because you did in fact kill people, sometimes brutally, but until Freya you never once disobeyed an order.”

“I’ll swear a blood oath to keep your secrets. Get your witch and I’ll do it right now.”

“Shan, what are you doing?” Emmett asked gently. “This is the exact opposite of you. Ten minutes ago you were trying to choke him to death, and now you want him to be our boss?”

I scanned Nolan up and down, and it was the first time I’d noticed anything other than how pissed off I was. He was hot and I got why Caspian wanted to fuck him, desperate situation or not. His freckles and pale neck made him very chokeable, and not only because I was angry with him. Noticing my appraisal, his body flushed under the attention, and Emmett realized what I was doing as well. Huffing, my partner steepled his fingers beneath his chin and sighed while Nolan tempered his reaction.

“To be fair, I’d rather be my own boss, and I reserve the right to turn down jobs I don’t want to do. I won’t be a fucking lap dog. This is a better option than hiding for the next fifty years while this all simmers down, though. Even with Kylan gone, the Company doesn’t forget. We were assassins for the Company for a long time. All we need is a little practice to get back into the game after our time off. Working for Nolan is practical.”

“And you’re nothing if not practical.” Nolan said. He gave me a once over, but it was less a perusal of my body and more a consideration of my mental state. “I’ll consider your offer, but give you no promises. There’s no need to swear a blood oath to me yet.”

“We’ll be the most efficient team you have.”

“While I have seen firsthand how much bloodshed you can create all on your own, I beg to differ. You haven’t met my employees, but you will.”

“Fine. I’ll accept your consideration.”

Nolan rolled his eyes. “You’re in no position to demand more than that.”

I would continue to demand more. He rose to his feet, stretching his arms over his head high enough to expose a strip of pale skin at his hips. “After that mind-blowing orgasm,” he started, making my jaw clench again, “I’m going to go have a nap. Oh, and her familiar can go to her if he wants to. I won’t stop him. I didn’t have time to procure a cage that would contain him, so he’s free to wander.”

He made his way to the door of the suite, leaving us with a wave and a grin over his shoulder. We were silent for a long time after he was gone until Emmett groaned. “Shan, are you OK? It’s out of character for you to offer to work with the enemy. Is there an underlying plan here?”

Was I OK? Not really. I was shattering to pieces and trying to pick them back up at the same time. Emmett had never known me as the brutal killer I’d been before we started taking more investigative jobs — he was significantly younger than Cas and I, and the newest addition to our team. Caspian might understand because he knew that old, locked up side of me a little better, but not even he would get it. I was older than Cas, too.

“Look, I fucked up,” I admitted. “I would do it again, but I won’t leave us with targets on our backs if I can help it. We’ll never be employed by the AEA and we need protection to keep us from being wiped from the face of the realms.”

“And you think Nolan is going to be our best protection.”

“Yes.”

Emmett sighed. “I would ask why, but I know what you’re going to say. He doesn’t kill on a whim, which is about as good a superior as we’re going to find in the criminal underworld.”

“Freya seems to like him, too.”

“Do me a favour and don’t mention working for Nolan to Freya. If she hears you’re going to be sticking around here, there’s no way she will, and Cas needs her.”

Before, I’d been prepared to give him up to her if that situation arose. Now? There was no way in all four realms I’d be living without either of them. Freya would just have to forgive me, because I’d belonged to her from the second I realized we’d been married in a past life. Though I’d been living in denial, Caspian had owned me for far longer than that. Any delusions I’d had about letting them go were dead in the water.

They were the only things keeping me in my right mind.

“I think Oswald is probably going to tell her all about it,” I said, turning my head slightly so I could see the orange fur behind the back of my head.

The familiar stood and stretched as Emmett cursed softly, having forgotten he was there. Then he vanished, running off to report to Freya as I’d expected.

ChapterFourteen

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