Free Celt. (Den of Mercenaries Book 2) by London Miller

her for a spell, his gaze steady on her face, before finally electing to answer. “A fish rots from the head.”
    Luna shook her head, not understanding. “Oh?”
    “Elias is merely a means to an end, a man who has proved quite adept at disrupting my business. However, I’m concerned with the individual he answers to.”
    “Is that what you want from me? Find Elias?” It wouldn’t be the first time he used her for something similar.
    “I’ll get to him soon enough, but I do have a job for you.”
    Yesterday was the first time he had ever spoken those words to her in any official capacity. Unlike the others that had more than a dozen jobs under their belts, Zachariah only allowed her to infiltrate and report back. She hadn’t learned until later that it was because Uilleam’s brother only allowed her to take assignments he approved of.
    Unable to help herself, Luna whistled and said, “He’s not going to be happy about that.”
    Uilleam’s smile wasn’t nearly friendly as it had been before. “And when did you start concerning yourself with my brother’s happiness again?”
    “I’m not.” Not anymore, anyway—and maybe if she said that enough, she would begin to believe it. “But I can’t do a job if he’s at my back.”
    “For this job, you won’t have a choice in the matter.”
    She didn’t like the sound of that at all. “Why?”
    “Carmen and Ariana.”
    How long had it been since she heard any mention of their names? Not long enough.
    Had it only been seven years ago that Uilleam had bought her freedom?
    “What about them?”
    “Carmen has asked that I send her one of my own for her to use during the duration of our … negotiations. Who better to send than you?”
    Growing up the way she had, Luna had learned rather quickly that it was in her best interest to keep her mouth shut, especially if Carmen was within hearing distance. Just the thought of her former prison, the cloying smell of artificial perfumes turned her stomach.
    She shook her head hard before the rabbit hole could swallow her down. “Send someone else.”
    Uilleam’s head tilted to the side. “Are you turning down the assignment?”
    Luna could feel the panic she first felt as a girl when that first man entered the room, but she tamped it down. She wasn’t that girl anymore — and though she didn’t want to admit it, she knew that Uilleam’s brother would never let that happen to her again. “Not her. You can’t make me work for her.”
    “Are you turning down the assignment?” He repeated, expression never changing despite her outburst.
    “Why me?” she asked. “After what she did, why would you want to send me back? You of all people know why I would never go near her.”
    Sometimes, she could still remember the way that coarse carpet felt beneath her knees …
    The way she had been leered at and gawked over from the various clients that came in and out the door, not caring in the slightest that she had been a child …
    “Enough!” Uilleam said suddenly, fiercely, in that way that brokered no arguments. “This is not a debate, nor a negotiation. The day I spent a quarter of a million dollars buying your freedom from a brothel, you fell into my debt. You should be happy that this assignment actually requires skills that don’t include you needing to be on your back.”
    She didn’t flinch. She wouldn’t—not in front of him.
    There was no declining an assignment. You either followed orders, or you were done. There was no in between. Luna had almost forgotten that rule, remembering the camaraderie she once shared with the man sitting across from her.
    How foolish of her.
    It had been years since her control was taken away. It seemed only fitting that it would be by another of the Runehart brothers that took that away from her yet again.
    Grinding her teeth, she met his gaze. “Fine.”
    “I’ll have someone forward you the details,” he said as he stood, coming over to kiss the top of her head, but