Page 76 of Decadence

Rykal’s low chuckle was so unexpected it cut through the tension like a knife. “‘Kriss is furious, and he normally has ice flowing through his veins. I’ve never seen him like this before. I almost have a particle of sympathy for this so-called Syndicate. When he gets his body back, he’ll destroy them.” The Kordolian’s smile was razor-sharp. “You don’t have to dwell on your suffering anymore, human. Theirs will be far, far worse.”

“This is your way of trying to be nice, isn’t it?”

“Revenge is a balm to soothe the soul, isn’t it?”

“For you, maybe. For me, it’s Belgian dark chocolate ice-cream, but that’s beside the point. If the Syndicate’s still out to get me or my debt, they might try and squeeze my family, especially if I’ve disappeared from the face of the Earth. My mom. My sister. Someone needs to talk to them. They might be in danger. That’s how the Syndicate operates, isn’t it?”

This is going to be fucking uncomfortable, but it’s too late now.

Sienna had never told her mother or her sister, Isabella, about her dealings with the Syndicate. As far as they knew, she ran a busy, successful restaurant in New York. That was all. After all, her mother had always been critical of her chosen career.

Her mom thought the only worthwhile professions were those that required at least two degrees. Their relationship was a little more than toxic.

That was why Sienna had made a point of keeping very firm boundaries between them. She spoke to her mom, who lived in London, once a month via link-call, and she only visited once a year, usually at Christmas time.

She spoke to Isabella even less, because her half-sister was a busy executive who worked long hours and somehow found the time to stay super fit and perfectly groomed and attend all these extravagant corporate social whatevers.

Sienna didn’t know how Bella did it. Her idea of a good night in involved a bottle of wine and some home-cooked pasta and a cheesy, over-the-top action holofilm or two.

And as for her father?

She had no idea who he was, and she didn’t care. All she knew was that he’d paid her mom a monthly maintenance fee when she was a kid in exchange for their silence.

Must be someone important.

Really important, huh?

Really, screw him.

“We’ve already placed your mother and your sister under discreet surveillance,” Kai informed her. “They won’t know a thing unless we feel they’re in danger, but it’s unlikely that the Syndicate will go after them. They won’t want to attract unnecessary attention to themselves right now.”

Sienna let out a sigh of relief. “I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it. You still haven’t said anything about the elephant in the room, though.”

“Elephant?” Rykal looked around, suddenly confused. “What is that?” The switch from cold, cynical warrior to slightly oblivious alien would have been amusing, if not for the seriousness of the situation.

Both Arin and Kai gave Sienna a serious look. Jaxis’s expression was as hard as stone.

“Well, the fact of the matter is that I’d just gotten back to Earth and was minding my own business when I was attacked by a deadly assassin wearing a creepy white mask, and he didn’t hold back. That’s not normal Syndicate debt recovery procedure, is it?”

“Nah,” Rykal drawled, getting in before anyone else could, his expression turning back to cold and lethal. “We’re still working on that. The Silent One wasn’t the Syndicate’s doing. Not in infinity would they be able to get a monster like him to do their bidding. This has the Old Empire written all over it. There’s something about you that makes them want you so badly.”

Sienna opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. A dark tentacle of fear rose up inside her, threatening to suffocate her.

Arin moved closer, as if to reassure her, but Rykal shot his human mate a dark look, as if to say: let me handle this. “Don’t you worry, Sienna of Earth. Whatever it is that they want, it doesn’t matter. You belong to Ikriss now, and I know him very well. He will not allow them to touch you, ever.”

The Kordolian’s words felt powerful, but she wanted to hear them from Ikriss’s very own lips…

Again and again.

Stars, how she wanted to see him… how she craved his touch.

“I just want to know that he’s okay… that he’ll be fine.”

“Oh, he will be. And right now, he needs you… more than you might ever realize.” Rykal inclined his head, his golden eyes becoming slightly unfocused. “He says your food was very good, by the way. He would not mind another serving. And he admits he was slightly mistaken. It seems eating can be an enjoyable process after all. He will speak to you later… alone.”

“Are you a mind reader?”

“Nah.” Rykal tapped the spot just behind his ear. “Comm.”

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