Page 99 of Choosing Jenny
She smiled up at me, a little confused. “I don’t mind, but I didn’t think you were all that interested in Halla.”
“It’s a planet of the dead, and I am the Royal Executioner,” I said with a casual shrug. “Of course I’m interested.” I also hoped I didn’t become a permanent resident by running into anyone I’d beheaded.
“That’s fine,” she said. “But it’s late. I don’t know how much you can see at night.”
“I’ll make it work.” I had no choice, considering what I needed to do.
I kissed her, then Tiger, and left them behind at the manor as I climbed into one of Sarah’s onworlders and headed into Sorellamore. When I drove past the city and into the forest, I steeled myself for what I might find. Pierce Talvak wasn’t the type of man to take anything lightly. If he was pissed, I was going to know it, whether it was over the delay, the location, or just because he damn well felt like it.
The coordinates he’d sent to my gauntlet driver took me into the middle of the forest near a swamp. The putrid smell was the first noticeable detail. When I stepped out of the onworlder, I discover the second one. I cursed beneath my breath as I sank ankle deep into muck.
Shaking off the thick sludge, I focused on the reason why I’d traveled to this clandestine spot. “Pierce, you here?”
“Are you alone?” his deep, smoky voice responded from above me.
I figured he was in a tree, most likely with a scope trained on me right now. “I’m all alone,” I told him. “Check the onworlder.”
A red laser light zipped from me and swept through the empty seats of my vehicle. “Good.” He swung from a tree and flipped in the air before he landed on his feet next to me.
I rolled my eyes. “Show off.”
His mouth twitched with a hint of a smirk.
His deep tan made him look almost as dark as me in the shadowy forest, but his blue sheen was bright in the moonslight. His gray hair was almost white, in contrast to his black eyes. I had met him in the daylight before, so I knew it wasn’t just the low lights that had made his eyes so dark. They were naturally obsidian.
His angular face hosted a few small scars, appropriate for someone in his line of work. But on him, they didn’t marhis features, they enhanced his rugged good looks. In fact, everything about Pierce radiated lethal sex appeal. Barely taller than me, he was leaner and lighter by thirty pounds, but I knew better than to underestimate him. Pierce was a predator. A skilled and trained assassin.
“What’s the job?” he asked.
Right to business.“Justice Bateen,” I replied.
He folded his arms over his chest and smirked fully now. “You have my attention.”
“This is delicate situation—”
“And water is wet,” he drawled sarcastically.
“Apologies,” I replied in a droll tone. “I did not intend to insult you with the obvious.”
He waved a hand in the air. “Go on.”
“What I meant to say is, this is no mere assassination. Being the ruler, Justice is surrounded by countless others who must not be harmed under any circumstance.” I hesitated, then added, “Another assassin tried to kill him recently.”
That piqued his interest. “Do tell.”
“Rasmine Vebber was dumb enough to hire someone and have them dress as a palace servant. The assassin poisoned Justice’s food.”
Pierce snorted. “Poison? How subtle. Amateurs.”
“Justice smelled it immediately, so poison is not an option—”
“I would never be so obvious,” Pierce scoffed. “That is two insults, Ripper. You know you don’t get a third.”
“Kill me, and you’ll never see another pay day this big.”
Amusement flickered in his dark eyes. “Go on.”
“Rasmine is to be flogged and lopped for the attempt, so I have that to look forward to.” I exhaled a deep breath. “But the real issue is that Justice has taken innocent people as prisoners that he’s calling ‘guests’. People who are important to the councilmembers he no longer trusts but needs to keep loyal.”
