Free NocC 003 - Mina Khan - The Djinn's Dilemma - Harlequin 2011-11 by Nocturne Page A

narrowed. “I’ll take care of him too.”
    Sorrow welled inside. Poor, fat, funny Grayson. She fortified her mental walls. Eyr-hek couldn’t learn about Tim’s investigation. He wouldn’t win.
    She saw a chair rise up in the air and crash down on the monster’s head, break into pieces.
    Roaring, the creature whipped around and she dangled in his clutch like an old teddy bear that’d lost its stuffing. She yelped.
    “Pick on someone your own size,” Rukh said.
    A whimper escaped her lips as the man she’d loved and touched all over melted into an inky blackness then reformed into a tall, leanly muscled shadow creature. A silver sheen cascaded over his sculpted body like moonlight. Cold blue eyes glittered with rage.

    “Stay out of this, half-breed,” the green djinn rumbled, standing tall. “This is not your concern.”
    “Sarah is very much my concern,” Rukh said. “She is my heart mate.” The words left behind a twinge of nerves as they escaped his lips. He didn’t dare glance at Sarah to see how she took the news.
    “Too bad.” Eyr-hek sneered, his essence reeking of arrogance. “She is a nuisance that needs to be eliminated.”
    “So you hired me to take care of business, and the two purse-thieves?”
    “No, that was all Jake and his greedy lover attempting damage control. The fools actually tried to hide the mess from everyone, including me.” A cold smile flitted across Eyr-hek’s face, cruel and hard. “But I’m here now and I’ll take care of her.”
    Sarah started gagging as she tried to push away the fingers tightening around her throat. Her legs jerked in a desperate dance. Eyes bulged wide with fear as agonized noises came from her throat.
    Rukh snapped into action. He shoved wind at Eyr-hek with all the power he could muster. The djinn bowled ass-over-head across the room, taking Sarah along for the ride. A thin scream tore from her throat.
    A bolt of flame shot through the air, missing Rukh as he leapt out of the way, and set a curtain on fire. He’d always been fast, but years of dodging blows had honed the skill.
    With an angry growl, Eyr-hek flung Sarah from him.
    Rukh’s breath lodged in his throat as her body arced through the air. She hit a wall with a sickening crunch and crumpled to the floor. Oh damn. He raced toward her.
    Cold icicles knifed into his left arm and a biting chill invaded his essence. Frost coated his skin in a layer of white. A breath hissed out of Rukh, as he staggered and clutched his arm, which now hung at his side, numb and useless. Damn. Thoughts churned in his head as he fell. Never take your eyes off the danger. Assassin 101. He’d let himself get distracted.
    Now flames flew at him again. He rolled this way and that to avoid getting hit. The raw energy scorched the rich cherrywood floor. Smoke drifted up.
    “You dare take me on? You think you’re a match for a real full-blooded djinn?” Eyr-hek stalked forward.
    Rukh scurried backwards on one hand and knees. Survival trumped dignity. He bumped up against the couch. The very same one he’d napped on earlier in the day, the one where he’d hidden his gun. He slumped against its soft velvety body, slipped his good hand between the cushions.
    “My family has spent eons marrying and breeding power.” Eyr-hek threw up his hands and silver electricity sizzled from each finger. The rest of the curtains burst into flames. “You’re nothing.”
    Rukh whipped out the gun and aimed it. The familiar weight of the 9mm Beretta centered him. Discomfort streaked up his arm when his finger, devoid of his human guise, touched the metal of the trigger. He ignored it and squeezed. Bullets riddled into the other djinn and a cry cracked the air. Eyr-hek blurred and tottered; his eyes showcased pain and shock.
    Rukh leaned back against the couch and let the now empty weapon drop to his side. He pulled in deep breaths, exhaled, and waited for other djinn to fall. And waited. Why wasn’t he on the ground, writhing